The ability to discover as much information as possible about a rental income property is crucial to making a wise real estate investment decision.

You should never buy blind and assume that a specific income producing property must be good because it looks good; or worse yet, purchase residential or commercial real estate solely because someone tells you it is good.

Prudent real estate investing requires research and a thorough knowledge of the attributes of the investment property.

Here are a couple of suggestions about a property’s site description and improvements worth noting when considering the value of a particular real estate investment property opportunity.

The physical aspects of the property, including a general description, age, and condition of the improvements should be noted.

A site analysis should include the size of the lot, location of site improvements, landscaping and condition of sidewalks, size, adequacy, and condition of parking lots, and other improvements.

The availability of specific utilities like water and sewer, electric, gas, phone, and cable service should be noted.

Basic public infrastructure in the form of police and fire protection, transportation, and highway access should be noted.

The presence of noise or other pollution that may affect the desirability and rent-ability of the property should be noted.

Physical attributes of the improvements like chronological age, size and square footage, number of floors, type and condition of the roof, and exterior and interior walls should be noted.

The level of exterior maintenance, height of ceilings, adequacy and serviceability of water and water lines, waste disposal and sewer lines, electrical service and wiring, gas service, heating, ventilating, and cooling systems, phone service, and cable service, among others should be noted.

Real estate investing requires homework. But as someone said about real estate, “You make your money when you purchase, not when you sell.”

Determining a property’s value up front, before the purchase, is where you want to place the effort to make your money later.

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