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The Real Estate Game Essay

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Learning to identify a potentially profitable keeper probably will take some time if you are new to the real estate game. Some buildings that look like keepers are not, while others that don 't appear to be good investments can be. You can 't judge a property by its profit-and-loss statement alone. It 's not unusual for a keeper to operate in the red. If the negative cash flow is not too severe, the loss shown annually doesn 't have to rule out the building. You must look at all angles of a property when you plan to retire with it in your portfolio. It 's certain that you will have expenses with buildings you keep for a long time, and this is also something you must consider. Because investors will hold their keepers for a long time, the buildings must possess certain qualities. A property 's potential is the first element to consider when looking for a keeper. You must evaluate present conditions, but future possibilities are also important in retirement properties. Let 's say, for example, that you are considering the purchase of an apartment building whose heating system consists of a huge steam boiler and old radiators. This might not concern you if you were looking at the building as a quick flip profit opportunity. Neither might the outdated heating system bother you if your plan was to sell the building in five years. But an antique heating system in a building that you will keep for decades should be a red flag of financial danger. You know that eventually you will

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