How To Choose A Good Investment Property Loan

Real estate investment is generally viewed as a lucrative career opportunity. But purchasing investment property does require a significant financial backing. Nowadays, however, the funds required to embark on a real estate investment career are easily accessible to many people in the form of an investment property loan. Therefore, you may begin investing in real estate, even if you are on a shoe string budget.

Investment property loans can be broadly classified into two categories, namely residential and commercial. Residential loan is associated with those investment properties whose predominant use is residential, and that are purchased for future appreciation and rental income. On the other hand, commercial loan is acquired for the purchase of apartment buildings (with 5 or more units), warehouses, or stores.

An investment property loan can be obtained from several sources, including banks, financial institutions, credit unions, and private brokers. These lending institutions analyze a borrower's credit score, income and assets, in order to determine if he/she is a viable candidate for an investment property loan.

A multitude of real estate investors in the US make use of an investment property loan to acquire real estate. Doing so offers them a twofold advantage - they can enjoy the benefits of capital growth and tax deductions. Though the escalations are not anywhere near the boom of the late 1980s, property value does appreciate on a gradual basis (capital growth). Another significant benefit is that offered by "negative gearing".

Gearing, in essence, refers to borrowing in order to invest. A negatively geared investment property is one that is purchased using borrowed funds and where the income (after expense deduction) from that investment is less than the payable interest in the course of a year. This allows a significant tax benefit for investors, as they may deduct the expense of owning an investment property (especially the interest on the investment property loan) from their taxable income.

Investment property loans come in various shapes and sizes, as per the requirements of investors. They are offered as interim, short term or long term loans. Needless to say, you must ensure that you are well aware of the terms of the loan, such as the interest rate, the time period of the loan, and the payment schedule.

In a gist, newbie investors need not have plethoric amounts of money to set out on a career in real estate, since property investment loans offer a great opportunity for them to get their feet wet in real estate.