Experienced Kansas City Construction Law Firm

More taking twofold approach in property investment

On Behalf of | Jan 22, 2018 | Commercial Real Estate

Investors in Missouri know that managing risk through diversification is a solid way to build wealth. A new trend has seen individual investors putting money into multifamily buildings and commercial property, as large investment firms have long done. This move allows these smaller investors to better ride out volatility found in the more common individual vehicles of stocks and bonds while simultaneously diversifying their portfolios. Commercial real estate remains an important component of many investment plans, and now rental properties taking advantage of zoning laws for multifamily land use have grown in popularity for individual investors.

Americans now rent their homes in greater numbers than at any time since the 1960s, according to new research by the Pew Research Center. For many, renting makes more financial sense, part of which comes from fallout after the 2008 recession plunging owners in traditional asset-based lending scenarios underwater and causing others to rethink the “American dream” of homeownership. No yard work, no property taxes, no long-term commitment — these and other advantages are often promised by condominium developers, but they are part and parcel of renting a home.

Whatever the reason for the generational change, the lowest rental vacancy rate in years could represent an opportunity for individual investors to add rising-value rental properties to the commercial development interests that might already be in their portfolios. And the office space part of the real estate market is soaring in value as well, with demand dwarfing supply in and around exploding cities like Austin, Denver, and Raleigh-Durham. Either rental or commercial properties are solid elements of an investment plan, but having both is one way that growing investors’ wealth can be kept on a path that minimizes risk.

Real estate investors at all levels may benefit from the advice and expertise of an attorney who knows the ropes when it comes to working with commercial property and multifamily housing. Red tape from drafting a purchase agreement to contract negotiations might be navigated more smoothly with the help of the right lawyer.