Commercial Real Estate could be a good investment.
Summary: While many people think real estate investing is a wise and profitable investment strategy, many do not realize the advantages of investing in Commercial Property.
by Adrian Brijbassi
Monica Villasenor believes commercial real estate is a profitable sector that anybody can invest in. Her own experience proves it. After being fired from her job as a dental hygienist when she was five months pregnant, Villasenor realized it was time to take a risk and pursue her dream to become a real estate investor. Within 3 years, she managed to acquire almost $5,000,000 of commercial real estate. She also created the reality television program, “The Making of a Millionaire,” which followed her first venture to convert apartments to condominiums. Says Villasenor of herself, “I”m stubborn…my sheer tenacity and dedication gets things done that others may view as impossible.”
Her recently released book, audaciously titled “The BEST Damn Commercial Real Estate Investing Book Ever Written!
“I thought investing in commercial real estate would be the same as investing in residential real estate, but it’s a whole different ball game. This is the book I wish I would have had when I first started,” says Villasenor, who lives in Las Vegas, one of the fastest growing cities in the US. “Most people think that investing in commercial real estate is beyond their means. That actually is not an accurate statement. It’s actually easier than purchasing residential real estate.”
The Commercial Real Estate Boom
Although the first residential real estate boom in the Internet era has snagged in the United States and elsewhere, commercial properties continue to be a hot play. Among the factors in the commercial boom are the growing availability and variety of options for small-time investors, according to analysts and industry experts like Villasenor. Not everyone who invests in commercial property has to buy retail space, fix it up themselves and find leasees.
Real estate investment trusts (REIT), which are usually in the form of mutual funds centered on commercial properties, are generating more and more investor interest, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Some trusts and commercial investments allow investors to pool their money with others to purchase properties such as strip malls and office towers.
“We expect the flow of capital into commercial sectors to remain strong throughout the year, driven by large portfolio transactions and REIT privatizations, as investors continue to value diversification,” said Cindy Chandler, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based realtor who is one of the 1.3 million members of the NAR, North America’s largest trade association.
