6 Tips for Investing in Tough Times

by Ryan Moeller on December 27, 2009

  
real estate investing in tough times

The current state of the economy has resulted in many challenges for Americans.  Foreclosures are at record highs, unemployment is very high and we are in the worst recession since The Great Depression.  Times are tough, but we must adapt.  Savvy investors see this time as an opportunity to make some of the best investments of their lives.  In 30 years, we will talk about how we could buy properties for almost nothing during this recession and we wish we bought 300 more doors.  This time is not without risk, below are 6 tips for investing in tough times.

  1.  Find the best deals – with so many available deals, savvy investors should get a ton of prospects into their pipeline, weed out the duds and cherry pick only the best ones.  Stick to your criteria and walk away if the deal is not good enough because there are 10 more like it and many will be good enough.
  2. Generate private money and financing solutions – Financing is a challenge and cash is king.  Generate private money and have financing solutions in place.
  3. Show a successful track record in good times and bad – Investors that defy the odds and have success in good times and bad are in a great position to have continued success.
  4. Mitigate risk by having multiple exits – One exit strategy is not enough.  Always have backup plans, be ready for worst case scenarios and mitigate risk with multiple exit strategies.  Tremendous equity and tremendous cash flow is a must.
  5. Do not take unneeded risks – Never ever do a deal that is not a smoking deal during tough times.  Do not ask questions, just do not do it!
  6. Do your due diligence – Always be thorough in your due diligence.  You can avoid many unpleasant surprises when buying.  When selling, always qualify buyers with your lender so you do not waste months in escrow and have the buyer’s financing fall through.

Photo: Tony the Misfit

Related posts:

  1. Getting Tenants in Tough Times
  2. Foreclosures, Census Data, and Tough Times for Real Estate Agents
  3. Carnival of Real Estate Investing: It’s Back, 88 Times Over!
  4. 6 Tips Beginners Must Know Before Investing in Real Estate
  5. 10 Tips to Start Out in Real Estate Investing
Got questions about this or other real estate topics? Ask on the BiggerPockets Forums.

You May Also Be Interested In...

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Nick@Subject2.com December 27, 2009 at 11:28 am

Great tips, it’s hard to have one favorite when it seems like they all need each other to survive.

I think #4 speaks the most to me as I believe in that using Sub2 buying technique, you’ve got to make sure you’ve got multiple exit strategies.

Reply

2 Neil Uttamsingh January 2, 2010 at 6:18 pm

Hi Ryan,

I liked your point on private financing.

This is a great source of funds for RE investors.

I will be doing my first couple of deals this year with private funding from individuals..Although the interest rates are generally higher than traditional financing, the number still work on these purchases, and I am looking forward to building my experience in this area.

Best Regards,
Neil.
.-= Neil Uttamsingh´s last blog ..Me Gusta Real Estate! =-.

Reply

Leave a Comment

Comment Policy:

• Use your name and only your name in the field designated for your name.
• No keywords allowed as anchor text in the name or comment fields.
• No signature links allowed under your comments
• You may use links in the body of your comment, but it must be relevant to the discussion at hand, and not merely be some promotional link.
• We will have NO reservations about deleting your content if we feel you are posting merely to get a link without adding value to our discussion.
• If you add value, but still post keywords, we'll use your post, but remove your link and keywords.
• For more information about acceptable practice, see our site rules.

{ 1 trackback }

Previous post:

Next post:

Copyright © 2004-2012 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
BiggerPockets® is a registered trademark of BiggerPockets, Inc.