# Do You Invest in Real Estate?



## imp (Nov 14, 2015)

Saw this today. Of all Metropolitan areas of 200,000+ population, Atlantic City, NJ has led the nation in foreclosure rates 3 months in a row. One of every 257 houses in Atlantic City had a foreclosure filing during October alone. This is reflected by the closure of four of the city's 12 casinos last year. The closings led the county to lose a higher percentage of jobs than any other major county in the U.S. in 2014. 

Some reasonably priced properties available there now, folks! Wonder about A.C.'s municipal bonds?     imp


----------



## John C (Nov 14, 2015)

The safest real estate investment is Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). If you are retired or otherwise have time to do your own research, there are some really good ones out there.  And the dividenda are unbelievably good.  A few years ago, Warren Buffet gave his stockholders the name of a REIT which had been profitable for years and continues to be profitable.  The dividend for this REIT has been around 6% for decades.


----------



## Butterfly (Nov 14, 2015)

I've never invested in real estate.  After managing the income properties of one of my bosses years ago, I decided I want no part of that headache.


----------



## Lon (Nov 14, 2015)

Other than the six different  personal residences that I have owned during my life time that's it. I have made a substantial profit on each one when they were sold,


----------



## imp (Nov 14, 2015)

John C said:


> The safest real estate investment is Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). If you are retired or otherwise have time to do your own research, there are some really good ones out there.  And the dividenda are unbelievably good.  A few years ago, Warren Buffet gave his stockholders the name of a REIT which had been profitable for years and continues to be profitable.  The dividend for this REIT has been around 6% for decades.



REITs are indeed an excellent way to invest in real estate. As you say, many specialize in various ways, like owning only rental properties, for example, so research first is a good policy.   imp


----------



## QuickSilver (Nov 15, 2015)

Yes... I have some of my money in a REIT..  It seems to be doing very well.  I believe it's NorthStar


----------



## Linda (Nov 15, 2015)

My husband deeply regrets not investing in some good deals in the Willamette Valley of Oregon when we were in our 20s.  Some homes were as cheap at $2000 and we could have bought them for $25 down and $25 a month.  I didn't want to risk it so we didn't do it.   Now we live on acreage in a mobile home but it's paid for and comfortable.  We are not the land barons we could have been though.


----------



## Sid N (Nov 28, 2015)

I feel for you. I moved to no. Va. in  the 60's. Every acre turned to gold up to 15 miles west of D.C. $9,000 ramblers now going for over $320,000.


----------



## WhatInThe (Jan 2, 2016)

Linda said:


> My husband deeply regrets not investing in some good deals in the Willamette Valley of Oregon when we were in our 20s.  Some homes were as cheap at $2000 and we could have bought them for $25 down and $25 a month.  I didn't want to risk it so we didn't do it.   Now we live on acreage in a mobile home but it's paid for and comfortable.  We are not the land barons we could have been though.



I never thought of real estate as an investment other than hopefully making a few bucks at sale time. That being said I was living in a housing bubble area prior to the boom. I was apartment browsing and the realtor offered a condo at 55K which I could afford payments or cash. But the job, taxes and insurance made it too risky for me. During the peak of the boom that and those type of condos went for between 400-700K. The stupid thing was about year after I looked at it they were already up to 200-300k.

 That real estate agent, location and time in my life are permanently burned/etched into my memory-if only.......


----------



## Bobw235 (Jan 2, 2016)

Several years ago my investment advisor suggested two REITs, but after reading through the literature I was turned off by the lack of liquidity and the fees associated with them, so I said not for me.  Might take another look now that I'm close to retirement.


----------



## jujube (Jan 2, 2016)

I'm pretty sure I still own a square inch of property in Alaska for which I received the deed in a cereal box back sometime in the 50's.  Any other fellow settlers?


----------



## Don M. (Jan 2, 2016)

I have a feeling that we are approaching another "Bubble" in real estate...hopefully not as bad as 2007.  These low interest rates are enticing people to buy more house than they can really afford, and with the stagnation of the Middle Class, commercial real estate may not be a wise choice either.  The way I see it, a house is little more than a place to eat, sleep and bathe...and the only advantage to purchasing is when selling time comes you get some of your money back, instead of just having a box of rent receipts.  When you add up the purchase price, loan payments, property tax, and maintenance, etc., few people make any real gains.


----------



## imp (Jan 3, 2016)

WhatInThe said:


> That real estate agent, location and time in my life are permanently burned/etched *into my memory-if only..*.....



That's how I've heard it all my life:  could've, should've, might've, hadn't a been for........

Would've made 10 times the money last week, if only........

Always predicated on what has already happened. That don't help anything. Trick is to predict what's coming NEXT: the future will bring......what, though?

Only predictor I've found to work is predicting when "good" cards are due in the game of Blackjack!     imp


----------



## mathjak107 (Jul 19, 2016)

i have always been an investor in real estate going back to the 1980's . but i have never been interested in just collecting rents .

i like special situation stuff with big pay off's .

mostly i have owned co-ops in nyc which were in prestigious buildings but had original rent stabilized tenants in them who never bought .

the rents are low but the apartment values are very high once these tenants are out . so we would offer 100k to sell us the lease and then sell the apartments for as much as multiple 7 figures .

we also bought commercial lease rights on property's in manhattan we don't own .

we recently sold some lease rights we held on the commercial spaces in the building where we owned the co-ops over looking central park . an investor group bought those lease rights from us in one of nyc's largest lease right sales .  

i was never one to want to just collect rents and deal with tenants .

all these things are situations the small real estate investor would never be privy to . these are the things pro's are involved in .

our partner was one of new yorks biggest real estate moguls and by riding his coat tails it opened the door for us to these deals .


----------

