Investments in real estate can be either residential or non-residential. When an investor chooses to put money into properties not intended as residences, this is known as building a property investment portfolio. Such property may gain the investor profits by increasing in market value or by generating income from tenants who use the property to conduct business. Possible investments that can be included in a property investment portfolio include retail properties, offices, hotels, and industrial properties. The value of such a portfolio is based on all of the differing properties within it, which can fluctuate depending on the overall property market.
When people think of investing, they often only think in terms of the stock market. There are many other ways for people to invest their money, and, depending on the real estate market and the status of the economy, property investment can lucrative. Although investments in property can be a bit costly and carry risk just as all investments can, they can be effective vehicles for wise investors. In fact, building a solid property investment portfolio is a highly effective method of getting the most out of investment capital.
There are many ways in which a property investment portfolio can be beneficial to an investor. One way is for an investor to buy properties that will attract companies and individuals as tenants. For instance, an owner of a shopping mall may attract many vendors wishing to sell their products within the mall. Another type of commercial property that can generate income is an office building, which could be filled with various tenants, like accountants or doctors who need a place to conduct business.
An investor can also build up a property investment portfolio simply by buying several homes. These homes may never be used as residences by the person who owns them. They simply are investment vehicles for the investor, who buys them at a certain price and then hopes that the home will appreciate in value over time. At some future date, the homes ideally could be sold at a profit over the original cost.
The properties selected for a property investment portfolio should be chosen with an eye toward balancing high projected returns against minimal risk. For example, an investor might wish to take certain chances on properties in undeveloped locations based on future projections. If that is the case, he would be wise to not risk all his capital in those locations, which have a high potential for growth that is far from guaranteed. Adding some property in areas with proven earning potential would lessen the impact of one or more of the riskier properties failing to live up to expectations.
