Thread: How do I make money in this market?

Stay in stock market for another year.
I buy because it's time to buy. But not at any price. If it was 180 last year, 160 today, it will be 130 in 12 months. So I buy 100 today, rent it out to at least break even and I'll wait the next wave...Wrong or right, That's what I do...

Whether its time to buy or not, depends on your market.

Some markets are far from hitting bottom. Others are growing dramatically.


If you anticipate your market continuing to drop, hang with other investments.

If you anticipate things bottoming out - buy.

If you anticipate things peaking - sell.


Its just that "easy".


If you don't know what to do - find a honest and competent expert that can give you guidance for YOUR market - because all markets are different.

CreditCardRadio.Com,

A friend of mine is buying properties in cities in Ohio and Michigan and renting them out for a little more than his mortgages on them. I think they're foreclosures and are near major Universities. I think he puts 20% down.

Remember that market does not have to be at the city state or region
level. Sometimes it can be 1 house that needs a lot of work in an
otherwise great neighborhood. Some downtown areas are growing
and revitalizing, others not. Some southeast coastal property is a great
value now. Of course, like everything else, all coastal property is not
created equal.
I am partial to NC & SC.

How to make money in this market: Be in it for the long-haul. Be patient. Invest with cash.

Been there, done that. I'm a retired builder from Canada. I've lost and made a lot of money in real estate. My advise is don't stay in one spot if you really want to make it in the real estate investment game.

Go where markets are warm and going to get hot. For example: Right now in Costa Rica you can buy any type of property you want at any price, depending on location of course.

I'm drooling driving by the opportunities that exist in CR right now, but my wife has a leash on me. If you want to do what you are talking about, you can do it in Costa Rica. All you need is a PLAN!

If you want to more now more, I'll share with you. Just ask.
(PS...I'm not a realtor)

Pura Vida

VBCruiser,

Tell me more about Costa Rica and the investments that are there.

Is it risky and who would manage the properties from this distance?

I am always up for good ideas.

Talk to you later,

First and foremost, in Costa Rica and many other countries you should be very cautious. My "don't trust anyone" comment is from experience in Canada and in Costa Rica.

Example: I live on the edge of a national park in Costa Rica. I am outside the park, but many properties, soon to be all the properties, in the park are being and will be expropriated. A real estate firm know worldwide is trying to sell lots that they know are being expropriated. Buyers who do not use due diligence could get scammed.

Every website refering to Costa Rica tells readers that it is safe to buy and own property in Costa Rica. In part this is true, what they don't mention is that the Natoinal Property Registry is not as secure as it should be. The CR government is moving on this little glitch, but progress is slow. It is possible that your property could be stolen from you, even htough you hold the title. Property theft through the CR registry does happen and it is a very big deal to get it back. There are ways to protect yourself and you need to look into that before you invest.

Just because you can own land here, doesn't necessarily mean that you can build on it. Don't take the word of realtors, architects, engineers, lawyers and consultants. These professions are not accountable as they are in North America. You must physically check on building issues YOURSELF. I may take a little heat on saying these things, but they are accurate and true. I know from experience in Costa Rica, my own experience.

Bottom line, BE CAREFUL investing anywhere, check things out yourself. You can find good professionals in Costa Rica, you just have to know where to look.

What's cool about real estate investment in Costa Rica is that property goes from fairly exspensive to dirt cheap. Basically the expensive property starts at the beaches and other foreigner hot spots. The further you go away from those spots the cheaper the land.

Another good thing for investors thats happening right now is that they have over built the condo market. Some developers are starting to feel the pressure of not selling and have dropped the prices 30-40%. You could get into a condo thats had the price reduced and have it managed, renting it out 4-6 months a year short term. The balance of the year you could rent out for a 6 month term to one renter. In Costa Rica, things die in the slow season. Hold onto that Condo, unitl the prices go back up and they will. Predicitons are that more than a million North Americans will retire to Costa Rica within the next five years. I personally find that hard to believe, but it could happen and for sure there is going to be a large number of investors heading to CR.

I don't know what market you want to get into, but for your first investment a condo may be an idea. You can get into one dirt cheap, have it managed, rent it, make a few bucks to cover exspenses and sell when the time is right.

I did this with houses in BC Canada and it always worked out for me. Hope this helps.

It's true that there are not many buyers out there right now. But there are a lot of renters and people with no so perfect credit looking to buy using the lease purchase option. This is a great exit strategy for this market now, as you can buy at huge discounts, do a lease purchase (with positive cash flow) and cash out within 1-2 years. We are seeing a lot of investors now buying discounted Atlanta foreclosures with this exit strategy in mind.