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Key Insights for First-Time Rental Property Buyers

A young couple searching for their first property with a real estate agent. It can be an enjoyable encounter to purchase your first Bentonville single-family rental property. However, as is with all investments, there are inherent hazards. To guarantee that your first investment property purchase in Bentonville becomes as lucrative as you hope, you need to understand numerous things in advance. For illustration, you’ll need to respond to questions like: who do you wish to rent to? What type of rental property will you concentrate on? How will you finance your purchase? In this section, we investigate these questions and other important details you’ll need to know to make the purchase of your first rental property a rewarding one.

Define Your End Goal

Among the key considerations to keep in mind when purchasing your first single-family rental home is to set clearly defined end goals. Before beginning your property search, you need to dedicate some time to determining the qualities you are searching for in your investment property. For illustration, you might seek properties in a specific region with a certain number of bedrooms or minimum square footage. Additionally, you can choose a particular renter demographic, such as college students or pensioners. By having specific information, you can improve your search parameters and locate potential properties quicker.

Prepare Your Finances

Aside from recognizing what features you seek in a property, it is advisable to prepare financially before you purchase an investment property. Prior to beginning your property search, experts in the field advise that you reduce your personal debt and save for a down payment. Reducing your personal debt can help you to qualify for favorable loan rates, while a majority of mortgage loans for an investment property will require a 20% down payment. The arrangement of financing in advance is another crucial stage, but be careful of high-interest loans or mortgage products that seem a little mind-blowing. By prequalifying with a reliable mortgage provider, you will be ready to grab investment opportunities as they arise. By making financial readiness a priority, you can bravely purchase that rental property when the time comes.

Crunch the Numbers

After taking these important preliminary steps, the search for the right property starts. One critical thing to keep in mind during your search is that you should run a series of numbers on each prospective property, incorporating your margins, operating expenses, and expected return. This is where a lot of new investors commit major blunders.

Sometimes, new investors forget to include all of the costs associated with buying and preparing the rental property for lease, as well as ongoing property management, upkeep, and vacancy expenses. Professionals in the field suggest a margin goal of 10%, and a 6% return in your first year implies you have a profitable investment.

Stay Objective

It is vital to take into account that an investment property is just that, an investment. It is not advisable to become emotionally devoted to a specific property or to let your emotions dictate your decisions. In addition, the property you purchase is not necessarily a property that you would ever reside in yourself. For your first investment, professionals in the sector recommend choosing low-cost properties in high-demand areas. However, avoid fixer-uppers unless you are a highly knowledgeable home remodeling expert or have contact with an excellent contractor who will complete the work for less than the going rate. Your first single-family rental property should be seen as the beginning of a lengthy and profitable investment career, not the end goal. In this manner, you can maintain your financial stability and the profitability of your investment properties.

Design a Management Strategy

At last, consider that buying a rental property is only the beginning. You must implement a proactive management strategy to ensure that your investment is profitable. This is where hiring a great property management company can be helpful. As local market experts, property managers can assist you in finding off-market investment properties, examining market conditions, determining rental rates, and so on. In actuality, as more experienced investors will inform you, a good property management company is an indispensable resource for profitable rental property investing.

If you’ve discovered your perfect investment property, be sure to hire the perfect Bentonville property management team. Contact RPM First Choice at 479-242-0791 today!

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