The process of searching for investment rental property can be exciting; however, before you get too excited it is important to run some preliminary numbers to make sure you know exactly what you are facing to ensure a successful investment.

First, you need to carefully examine potential rental income. If the property has already served as a rental property, you need to take the time to find out how much the property has rented for in the past and then do some research to determine whether that amount is on target or not. In some cases, properties may have rented for lower than they should have while in other cases a property may be over-rented. Look at comparables in the area to make sure you know whether the property in question is on target; otherwise you may find that the amount you think you will be receiving in rental income is unrealistic. Read the rest of this entry »