Profitable Niches – Single Family Rentals

In our final episode of our Profitable Niches series, we’re ending where many folks probably thought we would start … with single family rentals.

It’s no mystery why this is the most popular way for new investors to enter into real estate investing. Home ownership and single family homes are something that everyone knows well, and it makes sense to start with what you know.

When it comes to investing in single-family rentals, our guest this week knows her market inside and out and has some tips for picking the best deals that you’ll definitely want to hear.

In this episode of The Real Estate Guys™ show you’ll hear from:

Your singular host, Robert Helms
His family-friendly co-host, Russell Gray
Guest, Jean Gillen, real estate agent in Central Florida

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Why single family rentals make sense

It’s impossible to not interact with the real estate economy in some way. Whether you own your own home, rent, or have investment properties already, you’re participating in the real estate economy.

Single family rentals are a great way to enter into the market and interact as a beneficiary. So, rather than just paying rent or a mortgage, you can collect money from tenants. You’ll get cash flow AND build equity over time.

In the US economy especially, the single family market is given high priority by the government. There are incredible tax benefits and incentives given to people who own housing, even if they are renting it out.

After all, having affordable, accessible housing is an essential need and a key part of the nation’s economy.

But, single family rentals are also accessible to small-time investors or folks just starting out. They aren’t very efficient, so larger investors don’t have the ability to cherry pick individual listings. That’s how smaller investors can do the research to find great deals and still enter the market.

One of the first things we talk about with any kind of investment is understanding your investing philosophy. Then, build a top-notch team … a realtor, lender, and other experts. Finally, find the right property to buy.

Our guest this week is a realtor who specializes in investment properties. She knows all about the importance of building a team and finding investments that make sense.

The secrets of successful single-family rentals

Jean Gillen is a realtor in the Central Florida market. She helps investors get good deals. And, when you’re looking to build an all-star team to help with your investments, you want a realtor like Jean who knows what investors are looking for in a rental.

“The wonderful thing about selling to investors is that it’s all on a piece of paper,” Jean says. “If it doesn’t work out on a piece of paper, don’t buy it.”

One of the pitfalls some new investors and certainly new homeowners make is getting too emotionally attached to a kitchen or other part of a house. It can lead to decisions that don’t make sense on paper.

That’s why Jean works with the types of clients that she does.

“I like working with investors because I don’t have to please the woman or the man,” she says. “It’s more fun to find that great investment for people.”

In fact, Jean says she has clients she has never met, and they’ve purchased properties they’ve never seen in person. While this may be a paradigm shift, it goes to show that taking the emotion out of purchasing a property and seeing it as the investment vehicle it is can be a good philosophy.

One of the other things Jean sees as key to a successful investment is a good property manager. Jean has several management companies she works within her market and suggests her clients interview all of them.

“If you feel you can get along with the manager, then it’s going to make your life much easier,” Jean says. In many cases, your property manager will pay the taxes and HOA fees for you.

And, of course, finding a realtor who understands investment property is worth their weight in gold. They’ll be a valuable resource to find additional properties and even to manage current ones and solve problems with property managers.

Single family rentals in Central Florida

Single family rentals are all about the market. Find a strong market and the right realtor to guide you through, and you can capitalize on what single family rentals have to offer.

Jean specializes in the Central Florida market. She knows the streets and neighborhoods where clients can find the best deals. AND she knows the tenant demographics.

Even though Florida is known as being the place for retirees, she says, the average age of residents in Central Florida is 37. Many tenants today were homeowners before the economic downturn in 2008 and have decided they’d rather rent.

“These are just normal people. They could be school teachers or work in hospitals,” Jean says. “I rented a house to a doctor because he worked at a new hospital and didn’t want to buy for the first two years.”

Jean also prefers Central Florida because it’s landlord friendly. Thanks to Florida’s governor, more businesses are coming to the state and drawing in a larger workforce. It’s a hotbed of activity for aerospace, university students, and many other industries.

In fact, Jean says that home values in Florida are expected to rise 35 percent by 2021, meaning now is a good time to consider looking at the market. With new homes coming into the market by the end of summer, Jean is excited about the new opportunities available.

At the end of the day, Jean believes that the deals worth doing are the ones that make sense on paper. She’s put together a presentation on the Central Florida market including who is renting and how to find properties that will cash flow well. We’d love to send it to you!

Send an email to centralflorida [at] realestateguysradio [dot] com and you’ll receive it right away along with Jean’s contact information to learn more.

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