锘? There aren?t any easy answers to that question of whether this is a good time to buy investment properties Cheap Ondrej Pavelec Jersey , but there are several factors which need to be examined and considered before you arrive at the final decision. The current economical environment has made a mockery of many of the tried and true axioms on which investors relied to signal buy points in real estate. Even so, there is one cliche by which I stand and which I have no trouble recommending ?location, location, location?, now lets take a look at the rest of them. Interest rates and the economy In general the interest rates are determined by the liquidity levels in the system.A few years ago, prior to the market collapse interest rates alone were a very useful barometer to determine at what point to jump in the real estate market as an investor. Evidently things have changed. In current conditions the ?Affordability Index? is probably a more useful tool. Currently the housing market overall is at record affordability levels but there is no guarantee that they will not get more ?affordable? or stay at this level for some time or maybe go up and thus get less affordable. When clients ask me if this is the bottom Cheap Mark Stuart Jersey , I don?t use the standard wise crack reply ? My crystal ball ain?t working,? that so many so called professionals throw around. If a client does insist on a ?sound bite? answer, I reply that ?I don?t know if we are at the bottom or not, but I know that we are not at the top of the market? In case the liquidity levels are high and interest rates are likely to remain low, the demand for property should be on the rise and therefore so should be the real estate prices. However determining the general direction of the, movement of interest rates is a complex issue and best left to the judgment of an economist. As a starting point its probably a good idea to decide to buy a property once your research suggests that the interest rates are likely to remain low. Equity markets ? In the past one steadfast argument was that if you you felt that the equity markets have bottomed out and are set to rise in the medium term Cheap Mark Scheifele Jersey , it would make sense to invest in real estate since the two markets are very correlated. In this environment that hasn?t been the case. The equity markets have been en fuego for a total move of over 30 int he past few months where as if you had invested in real estate property during that same time, depending on price paid and which region, you would probably, be in the red. Should you be discouraged? Probably not, if anything this illustrates two very important points: First, in this environment only the most shrewd players will make a profit in the ?flipping? world. Second for real estate ?time? is probably more important than ?timing?. The accepted matrix is that the equity markets lead the rest of the economy by about six months. If that holds true than the real estate markets will soon catch up with the equity markets and as investors are looking to protect equity profits they might take a look at the real estate market. Of course there are those who are forecasting a ?W? shaped or double bottom economic slowdown. I have no way to know all that but again if you can give yourself enough time you might ba able whether all that. Employment levels in the economy ? Higher unemployment rates are a deterrent to the overall economy and adversely affect the growth of the housing industry. If you feel that the unemployment levels are on the decline Cheap Laurie Boschman Jersey , it could well be the beginning of a long term bull run in the housing industry. Watch out for employment numbers published at periodic intervals and you spot a trend then you might have a good starting point. Unfortunately employment figures are a very lagging indicator ? meaning that employment turns up long after the economy has recovered and you might have to pay more for having missed the first leg of the move up. Tax Questions The taxation advantages of investment properties have been largely curtailed and vary widely form state to state. Many municipalities, especially here in New Jersey?s Gold Cost have increased real estate taxes considerably, ranging form 47 in Hoboken to about 15 in Weehawken, etc. As expected both of those cities are currently in the middle of tax battles with residents appealing the increase. It does however illustrate the paramount importance of finding out not just the town?s current tax rate but what if any tax increases are on the horizon. A significant increase will certainly impact your carry costs for the property. Location ? If you are convinced that the location is about to experience a great degree of popularity, for whatever reason, then you can bid accordingly. Understand however that as Joe Public you are probably not the first person to know about whatever catalyst is about to hit the area in order to make it more desirable. Carefully compare the current prices to those prior to the announcement of what ever it is that will occur to spur demand. Lets take for instance a commuter hub here on the Gold Coast If a new train station or light rail station is planned for a particular neighborhood or town you would think that it would be beneficial and that prices will increase accordingly. Before jumping in there are a few factors that will help you ensure that you aren?t jumping from the proverbial frying Pan into the Fire. For starters find out if the project is privately financed Cheap Keith Tkachuk Jersey , or publicly financed or a combination of the two. If its a private project or has a significant private dimension to it find out as much as you can about the company?s finances, past endeavors and how those endeavors affected real estate prices in the area where it has competed similar project. If the project is funded with public funds find out first of all if the funds have been allocated form whatever budget there is. If the funds are not allocated from the current budget and most large proje.