Property investment is perhaps the best way for a regular person to make money. It has the least risk, and it is the easiest field to obtain financing in. Though sound investment concepts are fairly simple, there is much confusion surrounding what is and what is not sound investment.
Speculation versus Investment.
Investment and speculation are quite different from each other. One relies on hard facts, and the other relies on chance and good guessing. Most so-called investors are actually speculators, even though they think they are investors. These people often spend a huge amount of time “researching.” Research to them is reading market conditions and the opinions of experts and then trying to predict the future prices of their investments. A real investor’s only concern about the future, on the other hand, is the price dropping; he or she wants to guard against this. So, a real investor looks for two things: safety and profit. If either of these things are not present and are not assured beyond a reasonable doubt, then he or she will not consider it an investment, but a speculative operation.
Safety
The intrinsic value of a property is what a property should be worth in a perfect world. This is based off the earning power of the property and not the public’s attitude. One hundred times the monthly income is a good measuring stick for approximating the intrinsic value. Investors are concerned with value more than they are price. They will buy when the price is below the intrinsic value. There are some markets where finding a deal like this is impossible. In these cases, search somewhere else, for these investments would be mere speculations.
The price that the property is bought at must be significantly below the intrinsic value, otherwise the investment is no good. Remember that the intrinsic value is not a fixed value, but a general ball park. If one buys something in a ball park substantially below the intrinsic value ball park, then one is sure of getting a good deal.
We have set the rule that one should not buy property except for property that is eighty percent or below the intrinsic value. This functions as a safety buffer for us. It is unlikely that the property will drop more than twenty percent in value in the period that we own it. But, if it does, we have a twenty percent “cushion” to lessen the damage.
To assure ourselves a profit, we must not rely on appreciation, for this is us relying on chance. As nobody has a crystal ball, this is a silly strategy. Let us find another way.
Find a home with a solid, firm foundation, but be sure it is in need of surface level repairs. Subtract the price paid for the home per square foot minus the new construction cost of comparable homes per square foot. This difference should be at least double the repair expense estimate. When we do this, we can buy and repair the property. For every dollar we put into it, we get two or more back when we sell. This assures us of a profit, and our margin of safety assures us of safety. If we follow these strategies, we are true investors.
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