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Gus Dahleh is a successful real estate investor amassing over 50 million in real estate assets. He has taken his years of experience and put together this step by step guide to help you begin building your successful commercial real estate portfolio.
- You are never too young to start
The first thing Gus Dahleh recommends is for you to start saving up and planning for your first down payment as quickly as possible. Once you have done this, you can then focus on finding the best rental properties that offer value for money in your area.
- Understand the market
To truly understand the rental market, it is essential to study market trends. Keep your budget in mind, and work within a definitive area. Choose the locality where you want to invest carefully.
Start by learning as much as you can. This can be done by comparing potential investments and conducting as much analysis as you can before making any final decision. A visit to realtors and banks will provide you with some valuable information on areas where properties are selling for cash.
- Learn to evaluate property
Before you choose a property deal, you’re going to have to conduct a comparative market analysis. This can be learned by becoming friendly with local real estate agents. The result of this analysis will help you determine and evaluate the value of a property and how you can make competitive offers.
- Analyze the rental expectations
Once you have conducted a thorough property valuation and decided on a fair purchase price for the chosen property. The next step is to analyze the monthly payments and receipts associated with this property. Do some research on the cost of renting similar properties in the area. You should also look at the terms and conditions and if it is fair for tenants.
- Take note of all your expenses
Make a detailed list of all the general costs attached to purchasing your rental property. This will give you a clearer picture of the overall purchase price. You should also take into account insurance, real estate taxes, and renovations that you deem should be done in the future.
- Negotiate the deal
You have to be careful when negotiating your first deal. Don’t let the excitement of the process allow you to make a foolish or naive offer. Always remember that you are investing long-term and if you’re forced to offload the investment somewhere in the near future, then you will most likely incur some losses.
Here are some tips that will allow you to negotiate a better price
- Find urgent sellers
The easiest way to get reasonable purchase prices is to find an owner who is desperate to sell. Local knowledge will allow you to understand how to identify properties that are in distress. For example, any commercial property that is extremely poorly maintained is generally a clear sign of one in trouble. The owner could comfortably be convinced to sell the property at lower than the current market price.
- Opportunities at pre-foreclosure:
Keep your ears on the ground and eyes on the lookout for properties that are about to undergo foreclosure. And if you manage to find an owner whose property is about to foreclose, then make an offer that he will not be able to refuse. There is a high chance that you will get the property at a huge discount if you play your cards right and make use of all the information available to you.
- Fix and Flip or Wholesale properties
Get to know your local fix and flip investors as well as wholesalers. An excellent real estate wholesaler should be able to provide you with exceptional property opportunities that are usually below current market valuations. Fix and flip investors buy properties of different prices and pump some capital into renovating the properties.
These investors aren’t long-term investors and are always looking for fast turn-overs which makes them vulnerable targets to a savvy investor who knows his numbers.
- Learn from others’ experiences and mistakes
The secret to success in real estate investment is to learn from the mistakes of others. Keep a close eye or local market trends, build strong relationships in the local industry, and don’t be greedy. If you can manage all three successfully, you will surely be able to build a solid foundation.
About Gus Dahleh
Gus Dahleh is a real estate entrepreneur who specializes in commercial real estate development with a primary focus on distressed assets. Since 2010, Dahleh has acquired over $50 million of commercial real estate assets and entered into long term leases with JP Morgan Chase Bank, AT&T, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Cubesmart.
Gus Dahleh has also developed a niche in the cell antenna industry by selling lease revenue to publicly traded REITS which include American Tower and SBA Communications Corp.
Gus Dahleh began his financial markets career as an equity options trader at the Chicago Board of Options Exchange. Gus Dahleh has developed proven option strategies for the U.S. 30 Year Treasury Bond and Gold Futures based on seasonal and technical patterns. Gus Dahleh has a proven track record for providing direction on how to maximize the value of the commercial real estate and financial market investments.
For more information, follow Gus Dahleh through his Social Media links below or visit Gus-Dahleh.com for more information.
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