Houston Grabs #1 Spot

The New Year Brings MANY Investors to Houston.....

     It has been predicted by many, that Houston will continue to see growth and development in 2015. It will lead in Investments and Development, and will come in at #2 for the Housing industry. With Houston being one of few "Gateway Cities", we are still prone to offshore investors. We are now seriously being considered by South American, Asian, Middle Eastern & Russian investors; due to the foundations of the Texas economy and the yield foreseen. 

     Technology and the Energy industries have been on the rise and will also continue to rise in Texas in the coming years. Although Houston didn't make the top of the list in the tech industry, it did have a great deal of exposure in the Energy market. Along with those 2 industries, Houston was responsible for drawing in $1.1 billion in offshore capital, for apartments.  

     Although being ranked #1, Investors still advise to "invest wisely", avoid temptations of a stable market and DO NOT JUMP THE GUN. In other words, just because it sounds good or looks good, does not always mean the outcome will be pleasing! Do your research, hire a Real Estate Agent, drive by the property and observe traffic volume; anything you have to do until you know for sure you are making the right decision. 

     All in all, Texas and especially Houston should have a great year ahead when it comes to investments. Which means, there will TONS of new job opportunities. Texas alone provided it's residents 493,733 jobs in the last 2 years, isn't that amazing?! So, get ready Houston.......because 2015 is going to be ONE FANTASTIC YEAR!

IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW IS IN THE MARKET TO BUY, SELL OR LEASE.....YOUR REFERRALS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED! =)

Allen J.-Texas Real Estate Broker 

www.TexasRealtyPros.com 

broker@texasrealtypros.com 

832-305-7653

Be a Worry FREE Landlord

Are You a Landlord?

You may want to read this.......

     Wanting to work for yourself can be a dream job or a nightmare, especially when it comes to being a landlord! Whether commercial or residential, there will always be those tenants that make you regret not taking certain steps and precautions to protect your investments. Then there will be times that you will kick yourself for not properly preparing, which most of the time leads to you losing that interested prospect. Whatever the case or situation, we want you to learn from your mistakes and become an even better property manager. We put together a list of commonly made mistakes; in hopes of maybe helping you accomplish your goals or become more successful in your profession.


1. Not running efficient credit/criminal check because property has been vacant
2. Showing a property that has not been maintained.
3. Not having a procedure for evictions or not following procedures in place (accept partial payments)
4. Not properly preparing for court such as missing docs, receipts and proof of notices delivered.
5. Stubbornness- not fixing maintenance items b/c lease states otherwise. Small issues will lead to bigger issues. 
6. Not running credit/criminal on your maintenance vendors
7. Meeting your maintenance vendors at home depot – setting up an account
8. Purchasing property but not enough capital to fix it up. Performing maintenance over a long period.
9. Pay maintenance vendor up front
10. NOT keeping good accounting records
11. NOT viewing the resident as a customer but as a nuisance or bother….
12. Not leveraging the Realtor to lease up the property

Just remember, in the world of customer service, you must ALWAYS keep your clients happy no matter how easy or difficult they may be. You must also handle all issues equally and stand our ground when certain terms and rules are broken in your policy. No one should be able to take advantage or manipulate the rules, this will usually lead to lots of money and time lost. 

#houstonrealtor #landlord #helpfultips 

IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW IS IN THE MARKET TO BUY, SELL OR LEASE.....YOUR REFERRALS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED! =)

ALLEN JIMENEZ

REAL ESTATE BROKER

BROKER@TEXASREALTYPROS.COM

Shopping Centers- Worthy Investment?

Is a Shopping Center a Worthy Investment?

Do you have extra money and want to invest in something that is worth your while? One type of investment you may want to focus on is how to maximize Texas properties. There are many types of real estate investments you can go for in Texas, but you may want to focus on investing in your own shopping center. Retail shops and shopping centers within Texas properties are a lot like Texas commercial real estate and industrial properties—they are not made for residency. However, shopping centers focus on multi-tenant rental set-ups where the spaces will be taken up by retail shops and not by offices. This is indeed an interesting investment to make but is it worth your while and your money?

Read below for some considerations to make when thinking of investing in a shopping hub:

• The biggest advantage in this type of investment in Texas properties is that it fulfills a general need within the community. However, for it to really take off, you will want to make sure that it is in an ideal area. By choosing an area that people actually go to, you make your shopping center more attractive to retail shop owners. You will also not have to worry too much about a high-vacancy factor.
• For people looking for investments that will give them a quick ROI, shopping centers are the way to go. As an investor, you need to make sure you strike while the iron is hot and take advantages of any opportunities that will come your way. It is a good idea to take note of established areas and determine the flow of traffic and the shopping trends so that you have an idea of what you can do in your own shopping center.
• One disadvantage in retail center investments is dealing with tenants. If you are new to the whole business, you may be tempted to fill in the spaces as soon as possible. This could lead to you agreeing to a lease of precious space to less-than-ideal tenants. Not only will these bad tenants give you a headache, but agreeing to the wrong kinds of tenants for your shopping center can also lead to a quick decrease of the quality in your shopping center. This would cause ideal tenants to leave.
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• If you are thinking of putting up your own shopping center, you have to be very picky as to the kinds of tenants that you agree to set up shops in your building. Make sure that you come up with a stringent screening process so that you maintain the quality of your shopping center.
• As a first time investor, it is not advisable to invest in a large shopping center right away. It is good to start with small buildings that have several spaces for retail stores. It is also a good idea to consider a strip-mall type of setting.

Investing in Texas properties to turn them into shopping centers is a good idea. Know your limitations and have a clear vision of what you want your shopping center to be. Finally, a stringent screening process for tenants should be considered.

If you or someone you know, is interested in investing in commercial real estate, feel free to contact me:

Allen J.-Texas Real Estate Broker www.TexasRealtyPros.com broker@texasrealtypros.com 832-305-7653

Can They Be Trusted?

How to Tell If a Potential Tenant Could Be Trusted or Not

Happy tenants come with proper management

Let’s assume that you already conducted basic screening for potential tenants in your apartment building and everyone has filled out forms. Potential tenants have also submitted their financial information, given landlord references, and proved they can pay for the rent. Everything looks good so far but before you agree to accept tenants, you might want to take a closer look at their applications. Sometimes you may miss signs of a bad tenant simply because everything else looks good on paper. It is very important for Texas apartment owners and even Texas commercial real estate owners to not be blinded by the need to lease a space for money because one bad tenant can seriously ruin an opportunity for landlords to make money. They are also bad for general well-being. You need to dig deeper and find out if they have bad-tenant tendencies.

“Why do I need to fill up an application?” If this is the first thing a prospective tenant tells you when you hand over the application, this person is most likely someone who is close to you or just someone who does not like the paperwork. It is a bad idea to start the rental process by playing favorites and paying lip service to those who will not follow even your basic rules. Be wary of applicants who feel that they are above your basic rules; they will try to flout other rules and you will have a big problem. If you have any prospective tenants who whine about the application form, just say “It is my building and I say every applicant needs to fill up a form.”

• “My father (or any other relative) said that I had no need to go through the regular process.” You might wonder why someone will even tell you this especially if you do not know who the person is. There are many reasons why an applicant will say this and one of them is because they have something to hide or are looking for preferential treatment.  Again, it is good for everyone to know right off the bat that you have basic rules and you expect those rules to be followed. If you begin your tenancies by breaking some rules, you may have a hard time enforcing some rules later on. Besides, skipping the application form is simply the worst thing you can do since you may well miss out on crucial information about your tenants.

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  Who am I really renting to?

  “I used to live with my girlfriend, and I paid her the monthly rent.” While it is good that he paid the rent, this shows that his name was not on the lease. It isn't exactly a crime but you need to dig deeper and ask: “Did the apartment owner know he lived there?” “Why is he looking to rent in your place?” “Has he ever rented his own apartment?” “Does he have a restraining order filed by the girlfriend?” “Where did he get money to pay his share of the rent?”

It might seem like you are digging too deep into your prospective tenants’ lives, but you have every right to. You will be entrusting your investment and property to them so you might as well make sure they are good people.

If you or someone you know, is interested in investing in commercial real estate, feel free to contact me:

Allen J.-Texas Real Estate Broker www.TexasRealtyPros.com broker@texasrealtypros.com 832-305-7653

How Essential are Warehouses?

How Essential is a 

Warehouse for Local Businesses?

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When you put up a business, it is very important 

that you think of every little detail. Not only do you have to think about your sales and your employees, but you also need to think of your stocks and where you put them. Now, some stores may be okay with their stock rooms but what about warehouses? Do you really need to suffer the stifling confines of a stockroom when you can always rent a warehouse? Just how essential is warehouse rental to a local business? Read below to answer these questions.

Problems with space – Local businesses will always have to contend with space issues, most especially with lack of space. But does this really merit the renting of warehouse spaces? If you are a local business owner and you are thinking of getting a bigger space, then you have to look at things from a business perspective. According to Texas commercial real estate investors who own residential, commercial and shopping spaces, it all really depends on your needs. 

Big stores with lots of wares – If you own a big local business and often have massive amounts of stock coming, you need a warehouse since your stock room may not have enough space. There are so many owners of Texas properties that have warehouse spaces you can rent and they can be as little or as big as you need.  

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  Holiday rush – You know how during the holidays, people tend to spend more and stores need to increase their stocks? If you have several stores and you need to make sure that you have stocks for the holiday season then it is a good idea to rent warehouse space for the season. When you rent a warehouse, make sure you get a lease that fits the holiday time frame because you do not want to be paying for warehouse space that you will not use for several months a year.
• Store expansion – For small business owners planning to open more stores, more warehouse spaces are necessary where they can store their stocks until the stores are open. Owners of Texas properties state that you cannot wait until the last minute to stock up. These are times when warehouses come in handy.  
• Enough space in storage rooms – Local businesses that might not need warehouse space are the ones that do not usually stock up on lots of merchandise. They can easily handle excess stock in their storage rooms. Examples of such stores include small clothing shops that can easily keep their stocks in the back room. It will not be a good idea to rent a warehouse when you do not need all that space.

As you can see, renting warehouse space is indeed essential but only for some types of local businesses. Owners of Texas properties have lots of warehouse types for business owners to choose from. Why, there are even some climate-controlled ones for plants or other delicate items that do not yet have spaces in stores. Food stores can also consider refrigerated warehouses for their storage needs.

If you or someone you know, is interested in investing in commercial real estate, feel free to contact me:

Allen J.-Texas Real Estate Broker www.TexasRealtyPros.com broker@texasrealtypros.com 832-305-7653

The Importance in having Your Own Building

What is the Importance of Having Your Own Building?

If you have some extra cash and you want to make a worthy investment, you should think about investing in your own apartment building. Just like Texas commercial real estate owners, you can get businesses and corporations to rent from you. This way you can make money from them to sustain your lifestyle in your retirement years. You can even make it your primary source of income and not have to work. It might seem daunting especially for someone who doesn't have much experience owning and managing Texas properties but the benefits are obvious and you really can’t overlook the idea. Read below for some of the benefits.

• You control your own cash flow. You can always invest your money on passive investments like bonds and market stocks instead of Texas properties, but when you own your own apartment building, you are top gun. If there is a need for more money and your local market allows for it, you can raise rental fees. This could adversely affect your clients though, so tread lightly when it comes to raising rent. If you are scared that you do not know enough about managing an office building, you can ask a real estate management company that is qualified and licensed to take over the management of the apartment while you learn the ropes.

• All the units are in one place. Managing an office building is easier (and cheaper) since all the units are all under one roof in one place. This means you can check on each and every office space you own on a regular basis and you do not need to drive to different places.
• You do not need to have bundles of cash to invest. If you want to invest in Texas properties for office spaces, you can get seller financing. By doing this, you can buy a building and not have to go through the long and arduous process of applying for a loan.
• You can look forward to forced appreciation. Did you know that office buildings are valued in accordance to their net operating income? What this means is a hard-working and forward-thinking owner can influence the value of the building by reducing or cutting back on different maintenance expenses. You may also increase value for these Texas properties by working on strategic improvements on the building.
• You can make money. If you want to quit your job but still make money, then this is the way to do it. The income you will receive from a well-managed office building will be quite significant and stable since most tenants choose to sign up for year-long leases and that means your income for a year is secured.

So you see investing in a building of your very own does have a lot of benefits. It does seem risky and daunting at first but it can be done with just some effort and hard work on your part. It will be very rewarding and you can be assured of a stable income; as long as you take the necessary steps to ensure that you have the best policies, the best tenants, and the best business strategy.

If you or someone you know, is interested in investing in commercial real estate, feel free to contact me:

Allen J.-Texas Real Estate Broker www.TexasRealtyPros.com broker@texasrealtypros.com 832-305-7653

Consider This.....Shopping Centers

Shopping Centers:Things to Consider before Investing
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Owning a Texas commercial real estate such as a shopping center can really turn out to be a good investment if upon evaluation of the property, it meets a few basic qualities for success. Not all Texas properties are equal when it comes to these factors. Investing on one that meets most if not all of the suggestions below are much better than just randomly buying a shopping mall simply because you can.

Factors to Consider when Evaluating Texas Commercial Real Estate ________________________________________

One of the most common kinds of commercial real estate is the shopping center. Next to apartments, shopping centers are a fad among some owners of Texas properties because malls are where the money is.

• Location – Check where the existing property is located and evaluate its appreciation value—or its increasing value over time. Is there much potential for growth in the area? Is the place currently surrounded by neighborhoods, or is it near a developing community? See whether it is accessible to a lot of people and if it can maintain its profitability over the years by being in a busy place in the neighborhood.
• Building condition – When was the building made? How is its current condition? These are two main questions when it comes to evaluating the condition of Texas properties. You may need the advice of an engineer when it comes to checking the condition of the building to see if everything is still stable and won’t fall out. If the building is an old one, having the expert opinion of an engineer to assess the building will pay off. You may also get price negotiation tips when buying the property if it is not currently in a very desirable state.
• Renovations – If you plan on purchasing Texas properties which come at cheaper prices, you have to know why. Usually, this is because the building is no longer in a good condition; it may even be far from it, hence the cheaper price. If you have a lot of renovations to do, consider how much it would probably cost plus the amount of the property and see whether the building would be worth your money and effort.
• Budget and partnership – Shopping centers are not small purchases. These places are usually big and come with hefty price tags. As a sole investor, you would need a lot of money to set things in motion when buying a commercial property. Consider the above factors and determine how far your money can take you. If it’s too much, you may want to look for partners when it comes to your shopping center investment. This helps take a certain amount off of your shoulders while still having your business plans in motion.

Don’t jump into investments simply because you have the funds. Successful business owners take time to think things through and are mindful of such considerations to help ensure their investments do not go to waste. Spend some time to check these factors and then make your decision to invest or not to invest!

If you or someone you know, is interested in investing in commercial real estate, feel free to contact me:

Allen J.-Texas Real Estate Broker www.TexasRealtyPros.com broker@texasrealtypros.com 832-305-7653