Rehab Your Way to Wealth: The Quick Way to Fixer-Upper Success

Completely rebuilding a house is not necessary to make money in investment real estate. Most times, if you have bought smart, you won't have to make a huge improvements on your investment property. Look for places that need only a small amount of work. For example, look for a property that appears to be run down from the outside, but does not need major repair. Here are a few tips for saving money and making quick improvements, in order to quickly sell your rehab property.

1. A house may need a coat of paint but have a nice roof. The paint might cost a few hundred dollars, while a new roof might cost $2,000 to 3,000. Plus, a fresh coat of paint makes almost any house look brand new.

2. Check the foundation very carefully. Foundation work is extremely expensive. I would stay away from any house with a questionable foundation.

3. Like exterior paint, landscaping goes very far in terms of curb appeal, one of the biggest factors in the sale of any kind of real estate. A house with uncut grass, weeds overrunning flowerbeds, and poorly trimmed bushes or trees is very difficult to sell. Conversely, a house with minor deficiencies in other areas may still have a buyer, who wants something that looks good from the outside.

4. Look for investment properties that have nice kitchens or kitchens that can become nice with little effort and money. If you can refinish some cabinets and lay some cheap flooring, this will help you sell, because women are instrumental in the final decision of most real estate purchases, and they love nice kitchens. It's not sexist; it's a proven real estate fact.

5. A finished basement or one that can be finished easily will also help you sell your new investment property. Basement carpet can be purchased and installed for very little money. Again, some paint on the walls can go a long way to making the basement homier. Add a drop ceiling - easy to install and very inexpensive, and you can have yourself a rec room for a few hundred dollars.

Although these are not the only things that will improve your property, they are a few of the cheapest and easiest. Plus, these are improvements that will increase your investment property's value exponentially and make it easy to sell.

Mark Barnes is an investment real estate and real estate finance expert. Get his free mortgage finance course at http://www.winningthemortgagegame.com. Mark is also the author of the new novel, The League, a shocking, sports-related conspiracy. Learn more about his suspense thriller at http://www.sportsnovels.com.

MORE RESOURCES:

ERA Pacesetter closes real estate business - Bizjournals.com

Learn to Profit from Real Estate - Even in Tough Markets - MarketWatch

Tokyo Replaces Shanghai as Best Asian City to Buy Real Estate - Bloomberg

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-0fd=Rurl=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news%3Fpid%3D20601101%26sid%3DaIP5Kj6fVj6M%26refer%3Djapancid=1277107960ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNE6dr_DJkQ-gVn6zEriqAzKGiZBQQTokyo Replaces Shanghai as Best Asian City to Buy bReal Estate/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBloombergnbsp;-/font nobr8 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-14 (Bloomberg) -- Tokyo overtook Shanghai as the best Asian city to buy breal estate/b as investors seek less risky investment for 2009, a survey by the Urban b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-1fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUST27950420081203cid=1277107960ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNHOT3eyPqEUvAux_rfkrlm5T4zAEgKeen to invest in Asian breal estate/b, consider Tokyo/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReuters/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1277107960hl=ennobrall 12 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Nokomis Real Estate Ventures LLC files bankruptcy petition - Bizjournals.com

Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund Inc. Announces ... - MarketWatch

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UPDATE 2-Sibir market value halves on real estate buy - Forbes

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/03/sibir-russia-oil-property-tchigirinskicid=1277136024ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNGxGJJ4t90pnquHnWl2WllOglxmcwimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=G0Z9onrcFO0Jimgurl=static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Business/Pix/pictures/2008/12/03/sh4.jpg width=80 height=48 alt= border=1brfont size=-2guardian.co.uk/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-0fd=Rurl=http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/12/03/afx5771724.htmlcid=1277136024ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNFfZ4jKUE4RXza1sdnq6Y-Xmo1bDAUPDATE 2-Sibir market value halves on breal estate/b buy/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fForbes,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Sibir had already outraged minority shareholders when it said in October it would buy some $157 million worth of breal estate/b from its key owner, b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-1fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssEnergyNews/idUSL364626620081203cid=1277136024ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNG-OSMsUsV7p5FLowSQshUEkYdUywUPDATE 1-Sibir shares sink 30 pct on breal estate/b buy/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReuters/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-2fd=Rurl=http://en.rian.ru/business/20081203/118667008.htmlcid=1277136024ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNGxhMExNxL7AC3Hmj3FtLky4k4llQSibir Energy to buy $340mln breal estate/b assets from developer - 2/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrRIA Novosti/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-3fd=Rurl=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news%3Fpid%3D20601087%26sid%3DaS_Y7fzEKDYc%26refer%3Dhomecid=1277136024ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNFiiMB0TeWbMSfpzVgOMy9VcIgZ5ASibir Plunges 57% on Russian Billionaire ‘Bailout’ (Update4)/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBloomberg/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-4fd=Rurl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/03/sibir-russia-oil-property-tchigirinskicid=1277136024ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNGxGJJ4t90pnquHnWl2WllOglxmcwnobrguardian.co.uk/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-5fd=Rurl=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/600/42/372867.htmcid=1277136024ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNFpJ1gOsHwMy__9Yp7XDz_sGW1XVwnobrThe Moscow Times/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1277136024hl=ennobrall 83 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Icahn Sues Real Estate Company Over Debt - New York Times

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-0fd=Rurl=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/business/03realogy.html%3Fref%3Dbusinesscid=1276968847ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNElkIYsSJQPPWK5PyxSs9dwvJZ0VQIcahn Sues bReal Estate/b Company Over Debt/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fNew York Times,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr23 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Mr. Icahn’s investment firm filed a lawsuit last Wednesday against a breal estate/b company controlled by Leon D. Black, a prominent Wall Street buyout b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-1fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSTRE4B27IQ20081203cid=1276968847ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNEfvGlCEMpFLJ4z4IGTCvn38V13sgIcahn sues Realogy over debt deal/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReuters/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276968847hl=ennobrall 21 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Whitehall Funds Lose Their Luster - Wall Street Journal

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-0fd=Rurl=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122826598899374457.html%3Fmod%3Dgooglenews_wsjcid=1277094278ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNGg9B-EM3Oyx8VPGS0BhDVV60cGLAWhitehall Funds Lose Their Luster/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWall Street Journalnbsp;-/font nobr18 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By ANTON TROIANOVSKI and LINGLING WEI Goldman Sachs Group Inc.#39;s Whitehall family of breal-estate/b funds is struggling with weak performance and potentially b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-1fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssFinancialServicesAndRealEstateNews/idUSN0351371720081203cid=1277094278ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNHzsxbLE9e4gK800xTrfC4cQSkeyAGoldman Whitehall head warned of firm#39;s exposure/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReuters/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-2fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSBNG24933320081203cid=1277094278ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNEgsj7F1kwmt059vn_NpY6kAFHs4gGoldman Whitehall funds hit by property slump-WSJ/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReuters/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1277094278hl=ennobrall 12 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Freedom Interactive Launches New Real Estate Vertical - Destin Log and Walton Log

Inland Real Estate Auctions, Inc. Sells Industrial Site in Seneca ... - MarketWatch

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Inland-Real-Estate-Auctions-Inc/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B11D52A18-4076-4474-9C4A-F7F53F1C183D%257Dcid=1277200823ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNFN06NWKE8Ct-hwW0rDA1VRcGRUzAInland bReal Estate/b Auctions, Inc. Sells Industrial Site in Seneca b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr6 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1One of the nation#39;s top auctions firms, conducting transactions from coast to coast, Inland bReal Estate/b Auctions, Inc. is a leading provider of accelerated b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-1fd=Rurl=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/KPMG-Corporate-Finance-LLC-Taps/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B0B78E8A1-8AEC-4007-AF82-59A1AB3B7581%257Dcid=1277200823ei=Lh03SeWSOpWO9QSM66CxDwusg=AFQjCNFNY8YEiQoCz5IMIp9AYzuN0kSoGgKPMG Corporate Finance LLC Taps Renowned Auctioneer Frank J b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1277200823hl=ennobrall 11 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Real-Estate - Google News

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