As we all have heard many times over more millionaires have created their fortune through real estate than through any other form of investment. I for one am no exception to this.  Over the years I have acquired over 500 residential properties. I have flipped the majority of them but I still have ownership of about 50 properties that I have held on to for years.  

There are several reasons that real estate is a great investment and most of the homes I own have all of those characteristics. They appreciate in value.  They have a positive monthly cash flow. I can take huge annual tax depreciation write-offs for them to aid in keeping my taxes as low as possible. To rephrase this, the investment goes up in value, makes money monthly, and lowers my taxes immensely.  That is reason enough to own real estate.  

But why doesn't everyone own more real estate then?  Some fear it is too much work. I own a brokerage with a property management division (PM) that manages all of my properties for me.  Most PM firms will charge anywhere from 6-10% of the rental income per month to manage the home. With this fee you can still cash flow nicely and take the majority of the day-to-day management out of your hands.  The majority of the homes I own are in my home base of Las Vegas, however, I do own many properties out of state and they too can be easily managed with true professionals in place. 

Some folks like myself stay in single family residential (SFR), meaning single family homes, condos, and/or townhomes.  Others prefer multifamily, described as 5 units and up, as a way to build their real estate holdings. It just depends on your interest, tolerance, and availability of cash (financing).  Many investors start with SFR investing and eventually graduate to multifamily and commercial as I have done with many of my present investments being in commercial.  

Like any investment you have, I always suggest you use professionals that are at the top of their game.  I have a team of realtors, inspectors, property managers, CPA's and licensed contractors in place for the buying, rehabbing and management of all of my properties.  This negates the majority of headaches and risks that naturally arise. But there still exists risks that we have absolutely no control over like the economy, elections, and health scares that can sidetrack you.  All in all, real estate goes up in value over time and any investor that pays attention to his investment and stays in good areas is almost guaranteed to do well with real estate investing.  

Glenn Plantone is the Owner/Broker of VIP Realty Group in Las Vegas, NV.  

gsplantone@gmail.com

Office 702.656.3264 x 203 

@viprealtygroup