Investing in Palm Beach County.

The South Florida real estate market, specifically Palm Beach County, has become a thriving real estate center fueled by both local and international investors. Half of all purchases in Palm Beach County in 2013 were made by cash investors. This region has gained steady ground after the housing collapse in the mid 2000's. Last year alone, we closed deals for our foreign investors that came from countries such as Canada, China, and Venezuela.

If you are a local or international investor, we have the capability of finding you the right investment property. Upon request, we can send you a video walk-through of potential investments and the surrounding areas, along with a rental rate comparative market analysis of what homes have rented for in that area. Once you close on your investments, our team of contractors can assess your home and get it rent-ready within a few days. When the home is ready to be rented, we will market your property in order to find a qualified tenant. Once we find a qualified tenant, we will have them execute one of our attorney-prepared leases. After a tenant moves in, we will manage your property and begin sending you your monthly rental income.

Considering investing? Have you considered this...

If you are looking to invest in Palm Beach County multi-family housing or investment property there are many key items that you should consider when choosing a location.

Location, Location, Location- Sounds easy enough, but what does that mean and what area is a good location? Some criteria that we urge our investors to consider is the proximity of the investment property to schools and public transportation.

HOA's- Purchasing an investment property in a community that is governed by a Home Owners Association can be great for the long term value of the property. Additionally, HOA's provide a second level of protection against nuisance tenants since there is an additional round of screening due to the approval process administered by the board of the HOA. However, these positives are sometimes outweighed by the negatives due to the monthly dues eating away at your profits.

Market Rate- It's always best to find out what properties are renting for in the immediate area before you decide to purchase a property. A home on street A could rent substantially less or more than a home on street B simply because the homes are in different school zones, or different utility companies. We will prepare a rental rate comparative market analysis so that you can determine the correct rental rate.

HOA restrictions- Please be advised that some HOA's will restrict the number of times a home can be rented or the duration of a tenancy. Its important to read over the HOA restrictions prior to investing in Palm Beach County rental homes.

How does FIRPTA affect international investors?

One thing to consider if you are a foreign investor investing in Palm Beach County, or anywhere in the United States for that matter, is FIRPTA. The following is courtesy of the IRS and can be found on their website at:

http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/FIRPTA-Withholding

"The disposition of a U.S. real property interest by a foreign person (the transferor) is subject to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (FIRPTA) income tax withholding. FIRPTA authorized the United States to tax foreign persons on dispositions of U.S. real property interests. A disposition means "disposition" for any purpose of the Internal Revenue Code. This includes but is not limited to a sale or exchange, liquidation, redemption, gift, transfers, etc. Persons purchasing U.S. real property interests (transferees) from foreign persons, certain purchasers' agents, and settlement officers are required to withhold 10 percent of the amount realized on the disposition (special rules for foreign corporations). In most cases, the transferee/buyer is the withholding agent. If you are the transferee/buyer you must find out if the transferor is a foreign person. If the transferor is a foreign person and you fail to withhold, you may be held liable for the tax. For cases in which a U.S. business entity such as a corporation or partnership disposes of a U.S. real property interest, the business entity itself is the withholding agent."

Please note that there are also certain exceptions to this withholding requirement and these exceptions can be found on their website as well.