Thursday, March 3, 2011

Choosing the Option to Buy or Rent by Ravinder Tulsiani

Buying, selling and renting is an integrated process included under any real estate. Every real estate can and is rented, purchased or sold at any point of time. There are provincial and municipal rules and bylaws that guarantee one or either of the processes for the renter or the purchaser of the property.

Whether it is your first property purchase, or you are the first property renter, you have to remain attentive, with eyes wide open to see and know what new adventures are playing in the real estate market. An option to choose to buy a real estate property needs the investor to take into account various socioeconomic factors and also see what is the best thing available in the property market.

It is for the property investor to see that does the property holds value, does it has all the amenities to raise the value in the market, is the property situated in a commercial zone, etc. Above all the investor also has to take into account any provincial bylaws that can affect the purchase. Considering the fact that what all mortgage options can work rightly for the investor at any point of time is yet another smart move to go for.

Investors or property purchasers going for short term and long term mortgage plans have to prove their credit history anyways. From the lender’s perspective, a property is the way of doing the business in profitable manner. He wants to remain risk free all the time. Though, doing business is a risk, but lending the mortgage plans which work best is what keeps going behind the mind of a mortgagee.

Renting a real estate property for commercial or residential purposes takes into account various municipal and provincial laws that are applicable at any point of time. All types of properties including homes, residential properties, houses, townhouses / town homes, apartments, condos, lofts, villas, single family homes, detached houses, barns, cabins, cottages, triplex/duplexes, apartment buildings, commercial real estate, retail spaces, office spaces, warehouses, industrial properties, farms ranches, horse properties, foreclosure homes, hotels, motels, hostels, golf course real estate, double-wide homes, mobile homes can be rented in Canada/US.

Some provinces/states and cities have rent control, which limits the amount a landlord can charge for the apartment. Each province also has rules on how much a landlord can increase the rent each year for an existing or new tenant. Disputes between tenants and landlords can be taken to a rental tribunal.

It is important to note that rent paid may or may not include such utilities as heat, electricity, gas and water. Before you agree to a rent, find out what it includes. Cable for television and the cost of a telephone line are usually not included and you will be billed directly by the respective utility companies for those amenities.

The landlord pays the property taxes and takes care of insurance for the building, but the tenant is responsible for insuring individual personal items.