We are still considering a property that has two units in disrepair.

Just when we were about to quit our search for a single-family house to purchase as an investment rental property, we may get another chance at a house we failed to get because we were too cautious in our bid. We have also decided to seriously consider another property that is significantly run down, but may offer the best opportunity for solid positive cash flow.

That’s the way it is when shopping for real estate, whether it’s buying a house you want to make a home or an investment property. Although I’m not sure how either of these properties will work out, I do know that we will take a hiatus from our search if we can’t close on one of them …Full Story

The porch on this potential investment property is about to completely fall apart.

Distressed properties are tricky and a lot depends on your definition of “distress.” For me, distressed means major issues -- a property that may have structural problems, a cracked slab, dangerous wiring, the plumbing is shot or extensive interior damage caused by people or nature …Full Story

This rental property has two extra bedrooms that appear to have been added without permits.

After getting skunked in several attempts to purchase a house to use as a rental property in our target city, we’ve decided to expand the search to nearby towns. We’re also considering properties that we don’t think will appeal to owner-occupied buyers or investors who don’t want to put much work into their purchase …Full Story

With so much competition in our local market, we are considering an ugly duckling property as an investment.

When plans aren’t going as expected, the best course is usually to alter your plans. As the saying goes, “Discretion is the better part of valor.” …Full Story

We set our sights on this house, which has good-sized lot, recent upgrades and lots of potential.

After passing on a bank-owned property last week because it was located next to a parking area at the back of a neighborhood shopping center, we saw a foreclosed property this week that we decided to make an offer on …Full Story

Are you in the market to buy a home, looking to sell one, or are perhaps a real estate investor hoping to take advantage of today's low home prices and make an investment?

If so, Cyberhomes has a free service that may be of interest to you. At no cost to you, Cyberhomes has free property reports that you can download and print. If you are a house hunter, for example, you can download reports on homes you may be interested in purchasing. The 17-page reports contain information like the facts about a home (home size, lot size, number of bedrooms, etc.), listing information such as the listing price and the listing agent's contact info, and local market data such as the local market's median sales price, school stats like student enrollment and expenditures per student, and local employment indicators. These reports can make it easier to remember each home's facts and to compare each property against other homes on the market …Full Story

This home has great curb appeal, but a poor location.

With so many bank-owned properties around, it was just a matter of time before we saw one that we thought could work for us in our quest to purchase a single-family house to use as a rental. We struck out on the first two houses we saw, but not for a lack of trying.

Our goal is to purchase a three- to four-bedroom house with two baths, the optimal rental property in our area. We are looking to spend $350,000 to $370,000 with a 20 percent down payment. That would allow us to come close to breaking even with a target rent of $2,000 to $2,100 a month …Full Story

Real estate investing done wrong can mean a lot of pain and little gain.

I saw a blog post recently on the re-emergence of real estate investors in the housing market. I was particularly interested in the chart, which showed me that even at the low point, investors never really abandoned real estate. We’re only talking about a swing of about 5 percent – one in five buyers versus one in four …Full Story

During our search for a rental property, some properties we thought we missed out on have resurfaced on the market.

We recently got on the trail of another house in our search for a rental property we want to purchase with some friends, who are first-time real estate investors. We also revisited an old friend, the first house we saw but missed out on …Full Story

Location is just one factor to consider when choosing an investment property. (Photo: iStockphoto)

With real estate prices nearing the bottom in many areas of the country, there are a lot of people thinking about buying a real estate investment property. Having bought and sold several rental houses the past two decades, I’m starting to look for a property in my city in Southern California …Full Story