What Does A Property Investor Do by real estate expert Kathy Opolski

Are you getting ready to start investing in different properties in ? Do you know what you must do to be successful at this endeavor? If not, then you are definitely going to want to read our discussion today.

One of the first things that you must learn to do as a successful investor is to be very discerning. By that I mean that you must be able to determine whether the property in that you are considering is going to be profitable. Some distinguishing points that will lead you to the correct decision are the location and the neighborhood that your property resides in.

If it is a piece of property in that you may want to rehab, then you must consider how much you are going to have to spend to get it up to par to resell. If this can be done fairly quickly, then it might be a piece of property in that you might be interested in. Just make sure that you have plugged in all of the numbers and that the results come back positive.

Something else that a lot of investors do is to buy homes and then turn around and sell these homes at a profit. This process is known as flipping a house. In order to do this, it is a good idea to make other investors and real estate agents like Kathy Opolski as your friends. If you grow to the point that you have several houses that you might consider flipping, then these people might be leads themselves or know of other people who may be interested in your property.

You may also spend some of your time finding ways to finance your various projects. It is a good idea to find several sources to fund your different properties. Again talking to other investors will be a good way to find other funding sources. Don’t forget to talk to your agent, Kathy Opolski as that agent will also be able to help you out.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in real estate. For complete information about the real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything real estate at www.BuySaltLakeHomes.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I would be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

Tips for Investing in Rental Properties in the area by Investing Expert Kathy Opolski

Investing in rental properties can be a lucrative opportunity in . In this article, we'll go over several tips to ensure you choose the properties that'll result in the best returns on your investment. After reading this article, you'll know some of the more common pitfalls to avoid with properties in , as well as the signs to look for in a great investment property.

Tip #1 - Look at Surrounding Properties

If you're buying your property to rent out, one of the most important steps you could take is to look at the rent market in the surrounding area.

What are units like yours renting for right now? Take 3-5 units that are similar to the unit you're considering your investment and average them out.

Would the income from this property be enough to cover your expenses?

Tip #2 - Be Conservative

Be very conservative when you're calculating your numbers. It's far better to overestimate your numbers and accidentally make more money than it is to underestimate your numbers and find yourself draining cash.

Remember to account for vacancies and maintenance costs. These costs don't accrue all at once, but when they do come they can be large expenses.

Tip #3 - Check Your Rental History

How has your unit(s) been renting out over the past years? How strong is the rental history?

If in the past the unit(s) has been consistently rented out with few vacancies, that's a good sign that the unit(s) aren't difficult to rent out. If the opposite is true, that should be a red flag to take into consideration.


Tip #4 - Take the Low Hanging Fruit

Properties in often have what I call "low hanging fruit" opportunities. These are improvements you can make to your unit that will immediately improve its sale value or rental value.

Some of the more obvious ones include steam cleaning the carpets, painting the walls, making necessary repairs, having tiles cleaned and so on.

The key is to tackle the repairs that will give you the highest return for the least amount of work. The idea is not to repair every little thing, especially if it won't give you a positive ROI.


There is a lot of free information available to you about investing in real estate. For complete information about investing in real estate, including current potential investments, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything real estate at www.BuySaltLakeHomes.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or investing related questions and I will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

How To Buy Insurance For Your Investment Property by real estate expert Kathy Opolski

We all think that when we buy house insurance that we have plenty of coverage. Unfortunately, many times, this is not the case. There have been many homeowners that discovered that their coverage did not cover flooding or even certain types of fire. As an investor, it is extremely important that they have the right type of coverages for their properties in . In our discussion today, we will look at some things that as an investor you should be aware of or you should be asking your insurance agent in .

You want to make sure that you know who in or on your property in will be covered. You should be aware of what on the property is covered. Another very important item to know is when your coverage starts and when it ends. In other words the timing of your policies are very important. In our world today, we have been hit with a lot of different natural disasters. So you must be sure that you discuss what type of disasters your property in is protected from. If you lose anything, when something happens, it is important to know what losses are covered. If you are a musician and also a property investor, it is vital for you to know if you are covered if you were to move your instruments from one location to another. Finally, if you incur any losses, you must have some type of idea as to what the insurance company will pay you for your losses.

Now even though we have listed some items that you must ask about when talking to your insurance agent in , that is just the beginning. Even though you may be insured on something, it is possible to face some restrictions or different deductible options. You must make sure that everything is explained to you so that if something were to happen that you are not taken by surprise, but that you are fully prepared.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in real estate. For complete information about the real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything real estate at www.BuySaltLakeHomes.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I would be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com. 

You need to interview multiple brokers rather than just using the first one you come across. It is the same as choosing any other expert. You will want to be sure to shop around the area to make sure you are getting exactly what you need.

It is much more difficult to get traditional financing for these properties because they are looked at a little different than a primary residence.

When working on fixers you may want to consider seeking a hard money lender for financing rather than a traditional mortgage broker.

Read the local paper in the area, and you can find financing options and alternative mortgages here as well as through your real estate agent and via investment property finance firms.

Hard money lenders are willing to loan between 50 and 80% of the value of a property after repairs, whereas traditional lenders will only loan based on a property's current value.

You may even find that it is the bank loan officer in Profile.market that knows exactly ho to call in any investment situation.

Traditional financing is much cheaper than getting a hard money loan. Interest rates average between 12-16% with a possible 3 to 5 point deposit.

The benefit to the investor is that hard money lenders will lend estimated value after repairs and lend money on that amount allowing you to finance all of the repairs that are needed.

All you have to do is look at the costs of hard money loans like the cost it takes to do business. To end up with the profits that you are looking for on a property, make sure to include those costs in your purchase and holding costs.

In order to qualify for your very first loan in Profile.market Being an investor can be hard work until you have yourself established.

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599.

One should seek out multiple brokers and not rely on the first broker that has been spoken to. It is the same as choosing any other expert. You will want to be sure to shop around the Profile.market a place where you will have access to meet your financial necessity.

It is much more difficult to get traditional financing for these properties because they are looked at a little different than a primary residence.

When working on fixers you may want to consider seeking a hard money lender for financing rather than a traditional mortgage broker.

Check with your real estate agent in the Profile.market area, and you can find financing options and alternative mortgages here as well as through your real estate agent and via investment property finance firms.

Hard money lenders are willing to loan between 50 and 80% of the value of a property after repairs, whereas traditional lenders will only loan based on a property's current value.

Because they already have local contacts it is very possible that it will be your real estate agent in that has some contacts with these investors, it might be another investor that wants to invest and makes a good return.

Traditional financing is much cheaper than getting a hard money loan. Typically interest rates range from 12-16%. Please note that you may be required to pay 3 to 5 points upfront as well.

The benefit to the investor is that hard money lenders will lend estimated value after repairs and lend money on that amount allowing you to finance all of the repairs that are needed.

Make sure you include them in your purchase and holding costs so that you end up with the profits you are looking for on the property after all is said and done and you simply look at the costs of hard money loans as a cost of doing business.

Receiving your initial loan in is your toughest. Once you do it once or twice it will become much easier.

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599.

One should seek out multiple brokers and not rely on the first broker that has been spoken to. It is the same as choosing any other expert. You will want to be sure to shop around the Profile.market a place where you will have access to meet your financial necessity.

It is much more difficult to get traditional financing for these properties because they are looked at a little different than a primary residence.

When working on fixers you may want to consider seeking a hard money lender for financing rather than a traditional mortgage broker.

Check with your real estate agent in the Profile.market area, and you can find financing options and alternative mortgages here as well as through your real estate agent and via investment property finance firms.

Hard money lenders are willing to loan between 50 and 80% of the value of a property after repairs, whereas traditional lenders will only loan based on a property's current value.

Because they already have local contacts it is very possible that it will be your real estate agent in that has some contacts with these investors, it might be another investor that wants to invest and makes a good return.

Traditional financing is much cheaper than getting a hard money loan. Typically interest rates range from 12-16%. Please note that you may be required to pay 3 to 5 points upfront as well.

The benefit to the investor is that hard money lenders will lend estimated value after repairs and lend money on that amount allowing you to finance all of the repairs that are needed.

Make sure you include them in your purchase and holding costs so that you end up with the profits you are looking for on the property after all is said and done and you simply look at the costs of hard money loans as a cost of doing business.

Receiving your initial loan in is your toughest. Once you do it once or twice it will become much easier.

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599.

Here are the 3 most common mistakes Investors Make when Buying Foreclosures, by Investing Expert Kathy Opolski

Real estate investors have found that foreclosures can sometimes be extremely profitable. Although that's a fact, they are not safe investments as you can make lose much money. We'll go over 3 of the most common pitfalls,in this article. When investing in foreclosed properties you can keep from making these mistakes.

The first mistake is to believe that all foreclosures make good investments - that just isn't true. Remember, homes that have gone through foreclosure often have serious condition problems. Because of this, the government and banks will often give large discounts on a property's price. The property may not be a great investment,even then, however.

The only investors believing that all foreclosures are good deals are the beginners. Locating a good foreclosure property involves not only time, but expertise and dedicated research.

Pitfall #2 - Jumping into Fixer Uppers

We've all heard of people who've made millions buying shambled houses, fixing them and then "flipping" them. While this can be a very profitable model, it also has its pitfalls.

The biggest pitfall is beginning investors who jump in to the fixer market without the expertise to back it up. How much you can sell the property for and then work your way backwards to what the selling price must be in order to be profitable, then you're not ready for a fixer upper,unless you can predict how much your repairs will cost.

There are many profitable deals that don't require the level of expertise that a fixer does. It's usually better to start with those deals,for a beginning investor.

Pitfall #3 - Not Performing Good Research

Good research is a key component to being profitable in the foreclosure market. It's important to know what the fair market value of the property you own. Do your research regarding construction going on in the vicinity as well as the crime rate.

Do not neglect to have the house inspected. If you are going to place a lot of bids , make sure you check each one out in person before you actually place the bid.

You will find 3 or more common pitfalls that Investors tend to have trouble with. By steering clear of these problems, you stay away from problem that most foreclosure investor find themselves in

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in [Profile.market2] property sales. For further information regarding the Please visit our website to view current listings and property values. property sales. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding real estate or mortgage and I will be more glad to answer your question. Dial this number: 801-518-4599 or send me an email at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

It seems almost everyone in wants to go into real estate investing. After all, you can work very few hours and reap amazing profits. But getting started as a real estate investor in the market can be difficult. This article will help give you some tools to get you through the initial learning curve so you can start doing profitable investment deals today.

Step #1 - Have the Right Mindset

The most important mindset to have as a beginning investor is the mindset to learn. So many investors come into the market with the mentality that they want to hit a home run on their first deal.

The reality is, you'll probably make mistakes. Often times you'll still be profitable anyway, but sometimes you will lose money. But every experience is a valuable experience, because it will get you further along your path of being a profitable real estate investor.

Step #2 - Form Valuable Contacts

There are several key people you should meet in the when you're beginning your investing career.

A good real estate assessor and a good real estate inspector are both important contacts to make.

You should also find yourself a good accountant and a very good real estate agent. You might also want to find yourself a good real estate lawyer.

If you can find a mentor to guide you through your first few investment deals, that mentor's help will pay off graciously.

Step #3 - Do Very Careful Research

For your first property, do very very careful research. Look over all your numbers twice to make sure you can afford the property and that it will be a sound investment.

Make sure to double check all your utility bills, factor in vacancies and maintenance for rental units, and to give yourself some padding just in case something goes wrong.

Remember it's better to pass on a deal than it is to take a deal you're not sure about.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in real estate. For complete information about the real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything real estate, at www.BuySaltLakeHomes.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

Cut Your Maintenance and Repair Costs by real estate expert Kathy Opolski

When a property investor starts searching for properties in , an important factor to keep in mind is the maintenance and repair costs.  Their goal should be to keep these as low as possible. In our discussion today, we will look at five elements that the property investor in needs to either look for in new properties or take care of with his or her own properties in .

Element #1 – Find low-maintenance properties

One of the things that an investor should look for is properties in that are built with low maintenance materials and this will also include all of the fixtures. You also want to look at the outside of the property to make sure that the outside is fairly low maintenance. This is referring to the things like the landscaping and shrubbery.

Element #2 – Find low-maintenance residents

This may seem strange, but there are tenants that will be costly to have living in your property in as well as tenants that will go out of their way not to cost you anything. So again, you want to screen your tenants carefully.

Element #3 – Apply repair charges

There are a couple of ways that may help you to maintain your low-maintenance residents in . You can shift a small portion of any repair charges to the tenant. Basically they will pay the first $50 or $100 of any repairs. You must make sure that this is part of the lease and that it is something that the tenant is aware of. You can have a higher security deposit. Usually higher security deposits will attract a lower maintenance type of resident.

Element #4 – Have a handyman available

Hire a handyman that you can trust and that will be available to handle to take care of your maintenance and repairs. This is someone that is dependable and will do a good job of taking care of your properties in .

Element #5 – Think Prevent

You want to always be in a preventive maintenance mode. Have your handyman always looking for ways to cut expenses as well as always looking for possible maintenance issues before they arise. This alone may save you hundreds of dollars over the long run.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in real estate. For complete information about the real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything real estate at www.BuySaltLakeHomes.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I would be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com. 

Real Estate Agent Kathy Opolski Addresses Concerns About Whether There are Good Deals to Be Had in for Real Estate Investors

Over the last several years the idea of investing in the real estate market has garnered a lot of interest from buyers all over the country. Although recently we've had some hiccups in the real estate market and economy, now more than ever buyers are seeing the huge opportunity available to them to create wealth through real estate investing.

The unfortunate occurrence of foreclosures all over the country has led to an enormous opportunity for individuals who are prepared to purchase property for investment. Buyers who had the funds and credit score necessary to purchase property have seen that they can get astounding deals. Not only can you purchase foreclosures, but you should also be looking at pre-foreclosures as another fantastic way of getting a good deal. In addition, short sales are a popular choice among real estate investors these days.

In some areas of the country, banks are letting houses go for $.30-$.50 on the dollar in some cases. These are not always homes that are in poor repair. In fact, people are finding that they can get fantastic prices on homes that are move-in condition. Of course, there are things that you must consider before purchasing a foreclosure home or a short sale.

The main important factor to think about is whether or not the title is clear. Although title searches are typically done before closing, and you do want to make sure that you invest in owner's title insurance. This will protect you if the title is ever challenged later because there was a problem in the chain of title such as forgery or something not being recorded.

Another tip to remember is that you should always get a full home inspection on any house you buy, but especially a foreclosure. This is because the bank does not know the background of the home and therefore is unable to give you history on any repairs or problems that ever happened there.

For more information about real estate in , please visit me at www.BuySaltLakeHomes.com or call me directly at 801-518-4599.

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599.

Tips for Investing in Rental Properties in the area by Investing Expert Kathy Opolski

Investing in rental properties can be a lucrative opportunity in . In this article, we'll go over several tips to ensure you choose the properties that'll result in the best returns on your investment. After reading this article, you'll know some of the more common pitfalls to avoid with properties in , as well as the signs to look for in a great investment property.

Tip #1 - Look at Surrounding Properties

If you're buying your property to rent out, one of the most important steps you could take is to look at the rent market in the surrounding area.

What are units like yours renting for right now? Take 3-5 units that are similar to the unit you're considering your investment and average them out.

Would the income from this property be enough to cover your expenses?

Tip #2 - Be Conservative

Be very conservative when you're calculating your numbers. It's far better to overestimate your numbers and accidentally make more money than it is to underestimate your numbers and find yourself draining cash.

Remember to account for vacancies and maintenance costs. These costs don't accrue all at once, but when they do come they can be large expenses.

Tip #3 - Check Your Rental History

How has your unit(s) been renting out over the past years? How strong is the rental history?

If in the past the unit(s) has been consistently rented out with few vacancies, that's a good sign that the unit(s) aren't difficult to rent out. If the opposite is true, that should be a red flag to take into consideration.


Tip #4 - Take the Low Hanging Fruit

Properties in often have what I call "low hanging fruit" opportunities. These are improvements you can make to your unit that will immediately improve its sale value or rental value.

Some of the more obvious ones include steam cleaning the carpets, painting the walls, making necessary repairs, having tiles cleaned and so on.

The key is to tackle the repairs that will give you the highest return for the least amount of work. The idea is not to repair every little thing, especially if it won't give you a positive ROI.


There is a lot of free information available to you about investing in real estate. For complete information about investing in real estate, including current potential investments, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything [Profile.market2] real estate at www.BuySaltLakeHomes.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or investing related questions and I will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

The better your credit score is, the less obstacles you'll have to cross When the mortgage companies in are discussing your creditworthiness They are generally referring to your FICO score,looking at your credit. This is a compilation of the three major credit bureaus and is the standard for determining credit worthiness in the industry.

An individual should aim for a FICO score above 710 because it allows individuals to obtain the best loans and have more bargaining leverage.

There are a wide variety of loan options available to the investor in . You can even find loans that will cover 100% of the purchase price.

There are still options available,if your credit is not excellent. You may be able to negotiate the seller carrying a second mortgage on the property in .

In one scenario, both you and the seller are both happy with the price negotiated. You get 80% through a bank or lender and the owner agree to finance to other 20% for you as a term of the contract.

You will find that the process of getting a loan is less complicated for eighty percent of the purchase price. If you have negotiated a price below market value,this is especially true. Perhaps you agreed upon a final price of $100,000 while the real market value is actually $120,000.

With this example the lender that supplies the loan only has $80,000 at risk on a $120,000 property. This is not as risky.

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599.

What Does A Property Investor Do by real estate expert Kathy Opolski

Are you getting ready to start investing in different properties in ? Do you know what you must do to be successful at this endeavor? If not, then you are definitely going to want to read our discussion today.

One of the first things that you must learn to do as a successful investor is to be very discerning. By that I mean that you must be able to determine whether the property in that you are considering is going to be profitable. Some distinguishing points that will lead you to the correct decision are the location and the neighborhood that your property resides in.

If it is a piece of property in that you may want to rehab, then you must consider how much you are going to have to spend to get it up to par to resell. If this can be done fairly quickly, then it might be a piece of property in that you might be interested in. Just make sure that you have plugged in all of the numbers and that the results come back positive.

Something else that a lot of investors do is to buy homes and then turn around and sell these homes at a profit. This process is known as flipping a house. In order to do this, it is a good idea to make other investors and real estate agents like Kathy Opolski as your friends. If you grow to the point that you have several houses that you might consider flipping, then these people might be leads themselves or know of other people who may be interested in your property.

You may also spend some of your time finding ways to finance your various projects. It is a good idea to find several sources to fund your different properties. Again talking to other investors will be a good way to find other funding sources. Don’t forget to talk to your agent, Kathy Opolski as that agent will also be able to help you out.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in real estate. For complete information about the real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything real estate at www.BuySaltLakeHomes.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I would be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

One should seek out multiple brokers and not rely on the first broker that has been spoken to. It is the same as choosing any other expert. You will want to be sure to shop around the Profile.market a place where you will have access to meet your financial necessity.

It is much more difficult to get traditional financing for these properties because they are looked at a little different than a primary residence.

When working on fixers you may want to consider seeking a hard money lender for financing rather than a traditional mortgage broker.

Check with your real estate agent in the Profile.market area, and you can find financing options and alternative mortgages here as well as through your real estate agent and via investment property finance firms.

Hard money lenders are willing to loan between 50 and 80% of the value of a property after repairs, whereas traditional lenders will only loan based on a property's current value.

Because they already have local contacts it is very possible that it will be your real estate agent in that has some contacts with these investors, it might be another investor that wants to invest and makes a good return.

Traditional financing is much cheaper than getting a hard money loan. Typically interest rates range from 12-16%. Please note that you may be required to pay 3 to 5 points upfront as well.

The benefit to the investor is that hard money lenders will lend estimated value after repairs and lend money on that amount allowing you to finance all of the repairs that are needed.

Make sure you include them in your purchase and holding costs so that you end up with the profits you are looking for on the property after all is said and done and you simply look at the costs of hard money loans as a cost of doing business.

Receiving your initial loan in is your toughest. Once you do it once or twice it will become much easier.

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599.

Here is a list of the top three common mistakes. Investors Make when Buying Foreclosures, by Investing Expert Kathy Opolski

Those who invest in real estate overwhelmingly agree that foreclosure are the best deals going as far as making money. Though often true, they can be dangerous investments where you might lose large sums of money. We'll go over 3 of the most common pitfalls,in this article. When investing in foreclosed properties you can keep from making these mistakes.

The first mistake is to believe that all foreclosures make good investments - that just isn't true. The condition of homes that have gone through foreclosure is not usually good. For that reason, banks and the government are often willing to provide major discounts on the property's price. Even with the considerations in mind, the property may not be an ideal investment.

It's only beginning investors that think all foreclosures are good deals. With experience you learn than locating an excellent foreclosure property requires some effort and patience.

Pitfall #2 - Jumping into Fixer Uppers

We've all heard of people who've made millions buying shambled houses, fixing them and then "flipping" them. While this can be a very profitable model, it also has its pitfalls.

The biggest mistake novice investors make is buying a fixer-upper without having the skills or experience to complete the project. Unless you can predict how much your repairs will cost, how much you can sell the property for and then work your way backwards to what the selling price must be in order to be profitable, then you're not ready for a fixer upper.

Fixers aren't the only way to make a profitable deal on a foreclosure. Investors who are just starting out should stick to these kinds of deals.

Pitfall #3 - Not Performing Good Research

Good research is a key component to being profitable in the foreclosure market. You need to know the market in the area you are selling in. You should know what the trends in the area are, including community projects, new buildings that are being built, crime rates, etc.

Do not neglect to have the house inspected. If you're bidding on multiple properties at an auction, it's important that you actually step foot in all the properties you plan on bidding on before you bid on them.

These are just three common pitfalls which which trap investors. You'll set yourself ahead of most beginning foreclosure investors in,by avoiding these pitfalls.

It's very easy to obtain information free of charge pertaining to investing. property sales. For complete information about the Property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything,real estate market including current homes for sale. real estate. If you have any mortgage or real estate related questions at all, please feel free to contact me. I would be more than happy to help in any way I can. Give me a ring on my cell 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.