Top Tips For Purchasing Commercial Real Estate
Buying, selling and leasing commercial real estate can be a very dangerous game to play unless you are completely informed on how this market operates. Please, take the time to read these tips about commercial real estate if you’re planning on making any type of commercial move in the near future.
If your first commercial real estate purchase is a fixer-upper, then make sure you have the time and budget to make it profitable before buying. Not only do commercial sales take longer than home sales, but your property will also have to pass all sorts of inspections and receive special licenses before it can be used for business. Preparing for such expenses and setbacks in advance is the best way to avoid a stalled project.
Ask your future landlord, before signing a lease, whether they have an emergency contact phone number available. Some landlords leave for the weekends or holidays and if anything breaks within your unit, you’re out of luck for the time being. Make sure to discuss this with the landlord, in order to ensure that your problems are looked after quickly.
If you are in a partnership situation with commercial real estate, you should get a non-recourse loan in order to protect yourself. Non-recourse means that you are not personally guaranteeing the loan. This is important because it allows you to be removed from the loan if the partnership doesn’t work out.
To manage your commercial real estate building wisely, make sure the property does not experience a high degree of vacancies and you will be able to control your cash flow well. If you have a lot of tenants in the building, it’s a good idea to write the leases in such a way that they do not all expire at once. If all the leases run out at the same time, you may find yourself with an empty building!
The adage in real estate is location, location, location, but before you buy a piece of real estate, consider the location’s downsides. Sure, a gas station for sale might be at a busy intersection, but is it on the right corner that people can get in and out of? Or will you just get commuters in the morning but not afternoon?
Make sure you understand the zoning of a particular property when buying commercial real estate. If you buy a property with the intention of building a commercial business on it, check with the city to see what they require as far as zoning with new construction. They might have specific building guidelines which may add significant cost to the construction.
If you are a landlord looking to rent out a house or apartment, it is crucial that you have the tenant fill out an application and go through a credit and background check. You do not want to be stuck with a tenant who won’t pay rent or trash your house, so also ask for references.
It’s a dangerous game out there and it’s incredibly easy to lose everything you put into it. Commercial real estate is unforgiving in every conceivable aspect, so information is your best weapon to make sure you succeed. Before you attempt to deal in commercial property, use the tips we provided above.