Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa December - January 2014 | Page 64

USA BY SCOTT PICKEN 1 IN EVERY 375 HOUSING UNITS IN ILLINOIS RECEIVES A FORCLOSURE FILING 1 IN EVERY 869 HOUSING UNITS IN ILLINOIS RECEIVES A FILING NATIONALLY ME 4.5% CHICAGO IS BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE NY CT STATES WITH THE HIGHEST FORECLOSURE INVENTORY ILLINOIS HAS THE 4TH HIGHEST FORCLOSURE INVENTORY IN THE NATION NV NJ 5% IL VACANCIES BELOW THIS CONSTITUTE A LANDLORD’S MARKET MD DC 4% RENTAL CHICAGO VACANCY RATE AT THE END OF 2012 Invest In Chicago FL With Net Yields of 10% + & financing at 6% C hicago is the sixth biggest city in the world and it is also one of the most beautiful cities in the world! On the USA Buyers Trip 6, IPS went to investigate the market, as the fundamentals are pointing to it being one of the most robust and safe places to invest in the USA and their USA partners on the ground were recommending it. IPS was extremely impressed with what they found, where investors are buying houses there, fully renovating them and then leasing them with a 10% net yield. There is an exceptional local team on the ground with a staff of 41 people and they source and renovate the properties, manage and maintain the properties and so provide a full turn key solution. Savvy investors who might find growing a portfolio in South Africa limited by affordability ratios with the banks can really take advantage of the Chicago opportunities by acquiring bank financing in the US at 6% interest, over 15 years, with a LTV as high as 80%. 64 How do you do this? There are services currently available to foreign investors in the US that are designed to create a perfect corporate credit score, unlocking access to this finance within 6-8 months. As we’ve travelled, researched and unlocked various markets in the US, we’ve borne witness to how fast and vibrant the markets are, benefitting from timing our investments and riding the wave of growth in these markets. The Phoenix and Las Vegas markets were driven hard by foreign investment capital and Wall Street money looking for a safe home, but that market has moved and doesn’t represent good value anymore. Some markets that South African investors have timed perfectly are Orlando, Atlanta, Memphis, Oklahoma City and North Dakota and the fundamentals are pointing to Dallas, Houston and Chicago for great, safe returns in the very near future. Timing when to enter, when to hold and when to exit a market is a key factor to positioning yourself for the most return on investment for capital December January 2013/4 SA Real Estate Investor allocated. How to determine the right timing needs more than just an Internet connection. Quality information comes from people who are active in those markets, researching and investing, looking for opportunities. RECENT RENTA STATISTICS FROM ONE OF OUR TARGET AREAS: 2 BEDROOM UNITS Median Rent of $837 for past