Greg Johnson of G Stiles Realty always promotes pursuing and considering real estate investments. Always. Even when some people are suggesting now is not the time to buy.
Greg Johnson, the co-owner of G Stiles Realty is one of the few CCIM certified brokers in the area. That means he is a one of the local Commercial real estate experts and has earned the Certified Commercial Investment Member designation, a symbol of integrity and expertise in Commercial Real Estate transactions.
Greg Johnson’s Tips on Real Estate Investing
Still buy if you can find something. Rents aren’t going to go down. Demand for housing is still very high in Douglas County and Roseburg. We still have a shortage of rentals, even with the new developments in town.
This is why housing is such a smart real estate investment. One of things I always think about is that they aren’t making more land, but more people come in all the time. This is why demand is always higher than supply. It’s also why real estate will always increase in value over time, making real estate investment a potentially attractive decision for you.
People will ask me, “But Greg, what if the worst happens?”
Here’s an example of how even the worst case scenario will work itself out. Back in 2006, I decided to invest in some rental properties. In 2008 I watched the bubble pop and the value of what I had purchased dropped considerably. Since I had an attitude of investing long term, I held onto those properties. Today, each one of those properties is worth nearly double what I paid.
The lesson here is buy something when it comes available. Think long term.
Pay attention to property taxes.
There is usually a considerable difference between what people pay in the city compared to the county. You can’t do anything to change the property tax hit, but you need to be aware of that additional cost when determining which property to buy. It’s one of the hard costs of ownership.
Make sure it pencils out.
Do the math. It may seem obvious to more experienced investors, but some people get so focused on the sales price, they don’t do the rest of their due diligence. What will your monthly payment be – with property taxes? What are local rental rates like? What about utilities, HOAs, or yard maintenance costs? If you hire a property rental management company, what will they charge you? Does the place need a new roof or foundation?
All of those costs need to be recovered through what you can charge in rent. The hard costs aren’t a secret. The information is available. You need to find it before setting your monthly rental rate. So, write it all down. Remember, this is a way to invest. Talk to your investment manager. Work out the known hard costs of the transaction and then make an informed and intelligent move into real estate investing.
I obviously cannot say that buying real estate doesn’t come with risks. Of course it does. But you can limit your risk by smart investing and a philosophy of investing long term.
Greg Johnson and his wife Carol bought G. Stiles Realty from Georgia Stiles in 1988. Since then, they have bought and sold thousands of properties in Douglas County, Oregon. Find out more about G. Stiles Realty on their website and make sure to see the G. Stiles Facebook page.
We have only scratched the surface when it comes to the advice Greg Johnson provides to prospective agents and the lucky ones who commit to joining G. Stiles Realty. You can benefit directly from Greg Johnson‘s years of success in real estate. He loves talking to prospective real estate agents. Reach out via email greg@gstiles.com or call the office at (541) 672-1616 and set up an appointment with him.
See our properties: https://www.gstiles.com/roseburg-commercial-real-estate/
Meet Greg Johnson here: https://www.gstiles.com/about/greg-johnson/