If you want to make money investing in real estate, you have to begin with a plan. Here are some ways to get started investing in real estate. Choose a plan that works for you.



If you don't currently own your own home, that's the best place to start. Many people never buy a home because they think they have to have perfect credit or a lot of money down. Talk to a mortgage loan officer. You may be surprised that you can buy a home with little money down.

Homeowners Are Real Estate Investors

Any home owner in reality becomes a real estate investor. Whether home owners want to stay in their home for life or just a few years, their home should make them money. Many families only own one home at a time, but they keep moving up. Some of these families have made money from their homes by taking out the equity to pay bills. Other families bought more expensive homes, which went up in value more than the first home. For instance, a family bought a home for $105,000, sold the home for $230,000 and then bought a home for $300,000. The more expensive home went up in value the next year more than the first home. You can build your real estate wealth just by owning one home.

However, if you split your mortgage payments with other people, you don't have to pay for all this equity on your own. Your tenants will help you make the payments and over time can actually buy the property for you!

How to Begin Real Estate Investing

Many investors start with a home to live in and then save money for a down payment for their first investment property. Here are some ways to skip the savings years, which most people never accomplish:

1. Refinance. If your home has gone up in value, refinance your home and use the equity for a down payment on an investment house. You must have sufficient monthly income to pay any negative between the rental income and the new mortgage payment. Some home owners have been able to purchase more than one investment house from one refinance transaction.

2. Move. Another way beginning real estate investors get their first investment is to buy a new home and rent out their first home. If you have great credit, you don't need to put a down payment into a new home to live in.

3. Sell and Move. You can sell your home and buy two houses. Use your equity to put more down on the investment house than your personal home.

4. Buy a vacation or second home. Our cabin tripled in value in three years. We refinanced the cabin to buy more houses and also kept funds to pay for the mortgage, twice. The cabin pays us to enjoy it!