How to Find the Best Place to Buy Rental Property in 2018

Investing in rental properties is becoming more and more popular due to the ever-increasing demand for accommodation. Therefore, buying an investment property with the aim of gaining rental income from it can be pretty enticing. However, when you are in the market searching for a new piece of rental property, getting the right place is vital since it will determine the rental price and long-term capital growth of the property. Here is some advice on how to find the best place to buy rental property in 2018.

1. Set your investment goals

The first step in knowing how to find the best place to buy rental property in 2018 is setting your investment goals. Even before you commence your search for rental property, it is important that you understand what your objectives for investing in real estate are. You ought to know what you desire to achieve and within what time frame. Not all real estate markets are the same. While some markets may produce good cash flow, other real estate markets may be good for appreciation. Knowing your objectives and goals will help you assess rental properties for sale and discard those that are not going to be in line with your goals. The place that you pick should be able to match with your investment and financial goals. For this reason, one person’s ideal place to buy rental property will be different from that of another person.

Related: Set Your Real Estate Investment Goal The Smart Way

2. Know your budget

After knowing what your goals are, the second step in knowing how to find the best place to buy rental property in 2018 is knowing your budget. Your budget will dictate which place you can afford to invest and which one you can’t. To know what your budget is, you ought to meet a lender or mortgage broker and acquire a pre-approval. It is important that you know your budget before you begin searching for rental property.

3. Define a selection criteria

Now that you understand your goals and know your budget, the next step on how to find the best place to buy rental property in 2018 is to start looking for rental property. Before you start, it is important to define your selection criteria. Your selection criteria will help you stay focused on shopping for the rental property that you need and discard other properties that may look good but you actually don’t need. With the numerous niches and rental strategies in real estate, it is easy to get sidetracked by trends. Having selection criteria that are clearly defined can help you stay focused on what you need and ensure that you find the best place for your rental property. Defining your criteria enables you to narrow down the many choices available in the housing market. You will be able to eliminate places that are only distractions and focus on finding the places that you have interest in.  Some of the things that you should consider in your selection criteria for an ideal place may include but are not limited to the population growth, employment rate, crime rate, property taxes, cap rate, amenities, and infrastructure. Specifying your search criteria ahead of time makes the process of buying an investment property way more manageable.

4. Do adequate research

Research is essential if you want to know how to find the best place to buy rental property in 2018. After your selection criteria are in place, you should be able to identify a number of real estate markets which fit your criteria. Proceed with your search by scrutinizing these markets as the possible locations for your income property.  Examine the place, the inhabitants, its surroundings, etc. Check whether the majority of the people in the area are renters or homeowners. Check for the rental properties that are leading the market. Check for safety, infrastructure, hospitals, schools, shopping facilities, and other things that make for a good residential place.

Related: 2018’s Guide to Investment Property Research at Your Fingertips

5. Conduct real estate market analysis

After selecting a few possibly good places to buy your rental property, you can now conduct a real estate market analysis. This is an important process in knowing how to find the best place to buy rental property in 2018. Also known as comparative market analysis, this is the study and comparison of similar properties that have been sold recently in a given market in order to establish a price range for the property for sale that you are interested in. This will help an investor know the price that they need to offer when buying a rental property. This analysis can be used to gauge if the sale prices of the rental properties are reasonable.

6. Perform investment property analysis

The final part of knowing how to find the best place to buy rental property in 2018 and beyond is doing investment property analysis.  This analysis is for the few preselected rental properties. Put your focus on the expected rental income and rental expenses to know whether you will have negative or positive cash flow as well as how big it will be relative to the property price. You can make use of a rental property calculator to know the return on investment.

Related: How To Do Investment Property Analysis

Choosing where to buy real estate is not always an easy task. However, most successful real estate investors know the importance of location in determining their success as landlords. They often attribute their best real estate investments to finding the best place possible. To have high occupancy, earn high rental income, and have long-term property appreciation, you need to know how to find the best place to buy rental property in 2018. Choosing the wrong place for your investment property is a recipe for failure. In general, how to find the best place to buy rental property in 2018 comes down to whether it is in line with your goals and how desirable the place is to your end customer. The above information will help you find the most suitable place for your own particular case.

Wondering how to commence your search for rental property? Do not worry! Mashvisor provides property investors with some of the best tools for searching, analyzing, and finding the best investment properties in the United States. Mashvisor offers you readily available data on Airbnb and traditional rental properties, helping you to decide the type of rental strategy that suits your investment agenda best. Sign up for Mashvisor and begin your investment journey.