Whether you are buying and holding land for future development, flipping a property, purchasing a property for an elderly relative to live in and enjoying the appreciation when it sells, or creating a passive income stream by renting the property, purchasing an investment property is a great way to diversify your portfolio.

Unlike investing in the stock market, which can be done for very little money, investing in real estate has a generally high start-up cost. Once you have decided that investing in real estate is right for you, done your research, and found a good deal, you need to consider how to secure financing for your investment property.

Investment property financing can take several forms, and there are specific criteria that borrowers need to be able to meet. Choosing the wrong kind of loan can impact the success of your investment, so it’s vital to understand the requirements of each kind of loan and how the various alternatives work before approaching a lender.

Option 1: Conventional Bank Loans
If you already own a home that’s your primary residence, you’re probably familiar with conventional financing. A conventional mortgage conforms to guidelines set by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and unlike a Federal Home Administration (FHA), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan, it’s not backed by the federal government.

With conventional financing, the typical expectation for a down payment is 20% of the home’s purchase price. With an investment property, however, the lender may require 30% of funds as a down payment.

With a conventional loan, your personal credit score and credit history determine both your ability to get approved and what kind of interest rate applies to the mortgage. Lenders also review borrowers’ income and assets. And obviously, borrowers must be able to show that they can afford their existing mortgage and the monthly loan payments on an investment property.

Future rental income isn’t factored into the debt-to-income (DTI) calculations, and most lenders expect borrowers to have at least six months of cash set aside to cover both mortgage obligations.

Option 2: Hard Money Loans
A hard money loan is a short-term loan that is most suited to flipping an investment property as opposed to buying and holding it, renting it out, or developing on it.

While it is possible to use a hard money loan to purchase a property and then immediately pay off the hard money loan with a conventional loan, private money loan, or home equity loan, starting out with one of the other options is more convenient and cost effective if you are not intending to flip your property.

The upside of using a hard money loan to finance a house flip is that it may be easier to qualify for compared to a conventional loan. While lenders still consider things like credit and income, the primary focus is on the property’s profitability.

The home’s estimated after-repair value (ARV) is used to gauge whether you’ll be able to repay the loan. It’s also possible to get loan funding in a matter of days, rather than waiting weeks or months for a conventional mortgage closing.

There are lots of pitfalls along the way and we at Alasimah Holding Ltd know them all and can help you avoid them.

Here are just 20 things you should know:

1. Save thousands! Do your sums right and you can save on costs by arranging your settlement and construction in just the right way. We can show you how.
2. Give yourself time. What with statutory approvals and waiting for your working drawings and contracts to be prepared, it can take up to eight weeks to get finance approval.
3. Some lenders will only give you a loan for a ‘complete’ house and land package. In other words, the house must be completed with landscaping, floor coverings and window treatments.
4. If you want to choose your own finishing touches, like carpets and curtains etc, make sure you choose a lender who will allow you to do just that. Some won’t.
5. Some lenders will let you use a revolving line of credit to build your home, leaving you in control. Do you know who? We do.
6. Be careful out there! If your finance isn’t structured correctly you could end up paying double loan fees. Check with us before you sign anything.
7. Don’t get caught having to fork out for extras such as water tanks, sheds or septics. These can be allowed for in your loan application. We’re only a phone call away. Call us.
8. Not looking forward to renting while your new home is being built? Did you know you don’t have to rent? At Alasimah Holding Ltd we can show you how some lenders will give you a discounted home loan rate so you can stay put while you’re building your new home. This avoids double moving costs, hunting for a decent rental place (one that allows pets), paying bonds, wasting money on rent and disrupting your children’s schooling.
9. Want the security of a fixed interest rate? Did you know there are some lenders that won’t fix the rate while you are building?
10. Want to minimise your loan repayments while you’re building? We can show you how.
11. Be careful with the ‘variations’. Those little changes you make at pre-start might have to be paid for out of your own pocket if you don’t get the right loan. And if you’re unable to provide written evidence that you have the finance for those variations within a set number of days, the builder can terminate your contract. We can show you how to avoid it.
12. Did you know you can build a home with no deposit? Call us, we’ll tell you how.
13. If you buy a block of land with the intention of building at a later date, you can avoid unnecessary re-financing costs if we make sure that the lender will fund the construction as well.
14. Some lenders will give you a loan for the land, but not for the construction of your new home.
15. With some lenders the size of deposit they require depends on where you want to build your new home.
16. Not all deposits are the same. Some lenders want bigger deposits that others. They can vary from 0% to over 30%.
17. Your home loan can be arranged before you sign any contracts. Or, if you prefer, you can find out the maximum amount you can borrow before you even start looking for a new home.
18. With a little help and guidance from the construction finance experts (that’s us) your home loan can be tailored to suit your particular needs, and with a minimum of fuss, so the whole process goes as smoothly as possible.
19. Need a little extra? While you’re organising finance for your new home you can also slip in a little extra for a holiday or new car, etc. Anything’s possible when you seek our expertise.
20. Why not build two homes while you’re at it? We can show you how to get your finances right, and how to do it.

At Alasimah Holding Ltd we do more than just organise the best home loans; we’ll be your partner helping you to achieve your future financial goals.

So, here are some tips and ideas on how to save simply and smartly, so you’ll be seeing your bank balance grow.

Know the ins and outs
Draw up a budget setting out your income and expenses. From there, you can also allocate yourself an amount for spending and an amount for saving. It takes a bit of discipline to work to a budget, but the results you’ll achieve from living this method are worth it.

Pay down your loans
One of the biggest sources of ‘bleeding money’ is the interest we build on our loans. For every dollar you’ve borrowed from the bank – whether as a personal or car loan, credit card or business loan – you’ll be paying interest, which is money in their pocket, not yours!

Biggest isn’t always best
Small amounts of regular savings can lead to an impressive total over time and will demonstrate your consistent saving to a lender. Set yourself a weekly goal that you know you can stick to. Skip the food hall and bring your own lunch to work four out of five days a week. Not only will you reap the benefits for your own health, but you can easily save $20 a week, which totals over $1000 in a year.

Choose the right place to keep your savings
If, like many people, you see a high number in your bank account and are tempted to spend, consider a term deposit. You can lock your money away in a higher interest account for a fixed period of time, so it can’t be immediately accessed – which is great for avoiding those “want but don’t need” purchases!

Remember your goal
Put up images that inspire you to keep your saving motivation. An image of your dream home, or the furniture you want to include. Pictures of you and your friends enjoying a BBQ in your brand new alfresco, or snuggling up on the sofa in your open plan living. Being a Masterchef in your own gourmet kitchen! Whatever keeps you focused on your savings goal.

Make the most of your interest free period
Failing getting rid of the dreaded credit card, try to pay your card off before the interest free period ends. Let the banks lend you money for nothing – which they do for up to 55 days. Interest rate charges accumulate quickly. By the same token, so long as you’re paying it off each month, put as much as you can on the credit card to qualify for loyalty points that can save you money. (Don’t do this if it makes you spend more easily!)

Make a lifestyle change
Find something to give up! If you smoke, cut down or give up completely. If you go out twice a week, go out once a week. Plan to save small amounts of money on a regular basis.

Save money in market assets
Savings in non-market assets are no good either. So, money stashed under the bed, or invested in cars or consumer goods is seen by lenders as spending, not saving. Even if you could sell that vintage bottle of wine for more than you bought it!

Repayment of existing debts isn’t classified as savings
Banks and lenders will normally reject the repayment of an existing debt as genuine savings – even though an economist would officially call this savings.

For more information on low deposit home loans, creating a savings plan or to talk through your options for home ownership, please feel free to talk to one of our Mortgage Brokers today.

Leave a Reply