Table of contents
- What is Rental Real Estate Finance?
- Rental Real Estate Investments
- Financing and Mortgages
- Rental Property Taxes
- Rental Property Insurance
- Rental Real Estate Financial Statements
- Rental Property Calculators
- Rental Property Accounting Software
- Rental Real Estate Finance News
- Deal Analysis & Underwriting
- Appraisal & Valuation
- Operations & Budgeting
- Construction Finance
- Real Estate Finance Jobs
Rental real estate is all about generating profits from cash flowing investment rental properties. In order to successfully generate a profit, every investor needs to understand the topic of rental real estate finance which covers many subjects ranging from mortgages, taxes, budgeting, and more. Below we take a deep dive into these main components that make up rental real estate finance.
What is Rental Real Estate Finance?
Rental real estate finance is the broad subject of all financial related topics when it comes to rental properties, such as financing, taxes, deal analysis, appraisals, budgeting, and more.
Rental Real Estate Investments
Investing in rental real estate now stretches far beyond the common thought of purchasing an apartment or renting out your old single family house. While that method still works very good, not everyone wants to nor can afford to invest the large amounts of time and capital needed to successfully undertake a rental property remodel project. Thanks to the rise of the internet and stock market, new and creative ways to invest in rental real estate have risen in popularity and accessibility. Nowadays, almost anyone can start investing with publicly traded real estate stocks on their phone, or even participate in a syndication deal to get in on a large rental property investment previously out of reach.
Financing and Mortgages
Purchasing a rental property requires a lot of capital. With investment property prices in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, it is very common for investors to use financing (i.e. a mortgage loan) to acquire an asset. By utilizing a mortgage, investors are also able to capitalize on the benefit of “leverage” but using borrowed money at a reasonable interest rate, to generate more money. Many different types of mortgage products exist, serving different rental property types and purposes.
Rental Property Taxes
Rental property taxes are a major financial component of governmental tax system and individual taxpayers. In the United States, taxes are applied to rental properties in the form of a State Property Tax (if applicable) and Federal Income Tax on profits from income. While rental property income must be claimed on your taxes, there are many deductions provided to rental real estate investors that can greatly reduce the income tax obligations on your profits.
Rental Property Insurance
Insurance is not only an expense, but often a requirement in real estate investing. Rental property insurance is specifically designed to protect landlords, their properties, and the tenants residing in them. Rental property insurance policies typically provide coverage for damage to the dwelling and personal property, as well as accidental injuries that can occur on the property.
Rental Real Estate Financial Statements
Rental property financial statements help landlords, investors, and property management companies understand the financial health and performance of how well a rental property is doing. These reports provide a summarized and detailed snapshot of a property’s financial health by tracking income, expenses, assets, and liabilities over time.
Rental Property Calculators
Rental real estate finance can get complicated quickly with so many different components of financial analysis to calculate and keep track of. We have created a set of helpful online real estate calculators to help understand and calculate some of the most common rental property financial metrics.
Rental Property Accounting Software
Rental property accounting software helps property owners, property managers, and tenants track rent payments, property expenses, and other real estate related accounting. The data generated and organized by real estate accounting software simplifies tax preparation, budgeting revenue projections, and much more. When properly integrated, accounting software for rental properties streamlines operations while providing meaningful insights into rental property finances.
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Rental Real Estate Finance News
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Deal Analysis & Underwriting
Since rental real estate investments are expensive long term endeavors, thorough analysis should always be performed by investors. The activities involved in underwriting can range from an investor performing calculations on the profit potential of a deal, to a lender assessing the investor (i.e. borrower) creditworthiness for a loan. Advanced analysis should also be performed such as determining cash flows, rate of return, capitalization rate (cap rate), cash-on-cash return (COC), Tax Consequences, and more.
Appraisal & Valuation
Rental real estate appraisal and valuation are extremely important steps in any rental property transaction, as well as an important tool for real estate investors to possess when buying, selling and seeking financing.. Appraisals are performed by licensed professionals who determine an accurate value based on both a physical inspection and also comparable market data. Appraisals are often a key component to obtaining a mortgage, and different appraisal methods exist for different types of rental properties.
Operations & Budgeting
Operating a rental property is the same as operating a regular business. It requires setting budgets and monitoring operational costs in order to ensure there is profitability for the owners. As is especially true in commercial real estate, implementing stringent financial management often equates to higher property valuations and easier financing approvals. This is because businesses (i.e. properties) that demonstrate they can efficiently operate, are more desirable to both lenders and potential buyers as they are seen as “safer investments”. Other operational factors include occupancy, tenant creditworthiness, maintenance expenses, and more.
Construction Finance
Construction finance refers to the broad category of all finance related activities in the construction process. Construction loans (also called Construction Financing) are commonly used by developers to provide the capital needed to build a new project. The capital is to be used to pay for materials, labor, and all development related costs. Construction loans are different from traditional mortgages. Construction loans are “speculative”, which means that loan collateral is non-existent or limited to the land until the project is fully built. This is compared to a traditional mortgage where the loan collateral is already existing, since the property and structure already exist and have a definitive value.
Real Estate Finance Jobs
A career in the rental property finance sector can be a great opportunity for those who enjoy the financial and economic perspectives of real estate, and have analytical and technical capabilities. Real estate finance jobs range from corporate back-office analysis, to in-person loan consultations. These types of real estate jobs can also be a great pathway to becoming knowledgeable about how real estate financial markets work to build and grow your own portfolio.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute financial advice. As such, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Please review our Editorial Standards for more info.