Arranging the Finance for a Reselling Kenyan Property

Before you start to look for a property in Kenya it is vital to know your budget. How much money do you have? How much are you prepared to borrow? Can you obtain a loan for the amount you require?

Different regions of Kenya, and different parts of those regions, have varying prices for similar properties. Many local and national factors come into play in deciding the price of property across Kenya, as in any country. Until you know your price range it is difficult to start searching for the area that suits you.

There are many Kenyan banks, SACCO’s and building societies that lend money on Kenyan property; there are also Kenyan banks that lend to foreign buyers or you may choose to raise the funds on your current property.  You can search lenders out directly, use the services of a financial adviser or mortgage broker, or seek for help and advice from Kenyan real estate professionals.  It is important to be clear how you plan to raise the funds, the length of term, the interest rate, the type of mortgage, penalty clauses for early payment, the proof of income that will be required, the need for a medical and the length of time the mortgage will take to arrange.

Realtors have researched the mortgage market for many years and continue to do so constantly to ensure that our clients get the very best service and the very best deals. There are constantly new financial products on offer and it is the job of our mortgage partners to be up to date with all the latest information. If you choose to use one of our partners, all your financial research will be done for you and you will receive written confirmation of the maximum amount of money you can borrow before you travel to Kenya. Using one of the stakeholders approved brokers will save you time during the purchasing process.  Good properties do sell quickly anywhere in the world, and Kenya is no exception to this. You will be more likely to secure the house you want if you have organized your finances before going to Kenya to view properties. 

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Useful Tips in Buying a House in Kenyan Real Estate

Buying a house is a very serious matter that comes in to people’s lives. It is very risky to invest your money in buying just any house you find. You must have some guidelines that can help you decide which house is the best for you. Here are some procedures in Kenyan Real Estate:

1. Determine your rights

When you are ready to buy your own house, be sure you understand your rights as a home buyer. Knowing the process of buying a house prevents you from getting scammed. You can personally do your homework or seek for a knowledgeable person like a real estate agent or a broker. Make sure that the agent you hire is licensed and have a wide knowledge regarding the area especially in Nairobi-Kenya.

2. Make sure you can afford it

Your budget is really a big deal in buying your own house. What you want is different from what you need, so be practical. You don’t really need a big house if you’re just one person that travels every day, right? Make sure that you make the best for your money. Seek help or ask for suggestions especially for those who have knowledge in the Kenyan Real Estate prices. If you can’t stay for at least a year, buying a house is inappropriate for you. You may save a whole lot more of money if you sell it urgently.

3. Make sure it fits your lifestyle

Make your house is a home. Be sure it really fits your way of life and you are comfortable with it. A good example of this is if you’re working in an office, a good place to find is near or in the vicinity of your office. If you love nature, a good place to find is outside the city with clean air, near parks, has a mountain view or near at the beach. Your personality really matters in finding a good house. Make sure to look at its suburbs first and try to gather some information about the area and its surroundings. Try also to consider the kind of neighbors you will have.

4. Consider your future plan

If you’re newly married, you might want to consider how many kids you want to have. You can assume the number of rooms or the home space you need. If you can afford a house that is near to a good school, it is better. School districts are more important to home buyers, therefore, it will increase your property values.

5. Be organized

It is very important to make your document files organized and safe. Because it will prove that you own the house. It will help you a lot especially when it comes in paying your house payments (taxes and amortization).

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Three Pitfalls to Avoid When Playing in the properties Kenyan Real Estate Game

Don't rush blindly towards properties Kenyan Real Estate investing. Here are 3 big pitfalls to avoid.

So you've seen your umpteenth infomercial with the guy in his neatly pressed button-upped white T-Shirt grinning ear to ear waving his rock-solid no-money-down rags-to-riches real estate investment course for 3 easy payments of a gazillion shillings (but only if you call now) and now you are thinking, "wow this looks like a great deal, I better get it fast before the special offer expires." You notice how there’s always a special offer? Anyway, I am not saying this guy isn't telling the truth, however regardless of which course or school of thought you buy into there are several key areas that one must avoid when engaging in any Real Estate related transaction.

Pitfall Number 1: Don’t Overpay!

The whole point in investing is to find properties that are undervalued. How does one find out what is undervalued versus overvalued? Without getting into technical details, the bottom line is you need experience. Yes much like shopping for anything else, real estate is essentially one of the highest ticket items in the shopping center of life. It’s advisable to stick with one market, perhaps the one closest to you in proximity as a starting off point. Through your experience and asking the right questions, you will eventually have a feel for the pulse of the market you are looking after, and of course identify what is considered a good buy as far as properties Kenyan Real Estate is concerned.

Pitfall Number 2: Know the Market of properties Kenyan Real Estate

Yes, you are actually going to have to do more work! This part is really common sense though, but executing it where the beauty and the payoff comes in. How do you make money in properties Kenyan Real Estate sector? The most basic way is to buy low and sell high. So from the first step, you have identified general trends in the value of homes, and are pretty good at spotting undervalued homes. Assuming you acquire that home, you may want to profit from it by selling it off to someone else for a higher price. How can you do this? Well there are many ways. For one, most markets appreciate in value over time so if you want a longer term approach that will work. Making upgrades to the property will automatically raise the price of the home as well. Think in terms of what the market wants, not what you personally want. You aren't the one buying it; you are trying to sell it to someone else for a higher price than you bought it.

Pitfall Number 3: Know Your Budget

It may be a fine philosophy to go through life on a whim, but real estate is serious business, and thus diligent financial planning and budgeting is critical to your success. Don’t worry you don’t need to be a finance geek, however you need to be disciplined and know your budget from the onset, or you may be finding you are learning that you need to make certain renovations or upgrades, and didn't anticipate it going over to a certain cost. Think ahead as to what is needed before actually going forth with investing in properties Kenyan Real Estate.

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“Renting Back” After Your Home Is Sold in Kenyan Real Estate Industry

Sometimes it’s helpful to sell your home before you really want to move. This often happens when you are having a new home built, but aren’t sure of the completion date. Now in Kenya real estates there is a way you can sell your home so you’re sure of the funds available for the new purchase, but continue to live in your old home until construction of the new one is complete. Yes, there is with the renting back strategy.

Enter the Lease-Back or Rent-Back Agreement

The particulars of this strategy varies in Kenya real estate sector, but in the strong seller’s market we’re experiencing, buyers will often agree to let the seller stay in the home for a period of time as long as rent is paid. In a competitive situation, the buyer willing to do this will often have the winning bid even though there is another offer as high as his.

The agreement covering the situation states the length of time the seller will remain.  It can be done with a specific date named or wording that allows the seller to remain up to a specific date with the possibility of her moving sooner. The amount can be a fixed figure paid out of the proceeds of settlement or a monthly amount, or a daily amount. It is usually, but not always, tied to the amount of the mortgage payment under the buyer’s new loan. Sometimes there is a deposit against damage, sometimes not.  There is usually a clause saying the seller will hold the buyer harmless for any damage to himself or his property which occurs after the sale is consummated and before the seller moves.

The attorney who draws up your contract offer can create such an agreement. If you’re using online forms, you should be able to find one for this situation. If you’re working with a real estate broker, he or she can handle it for you.  

An Example

I’ve recently seen a very pleasant example of this idea in action. An elderly widow contracted to have a one level condo unit built in a new community within Nairobi which provides all exterior maintenance. She had had hip replacement surgery and wanted to get away from the drawbacks of the home in which she’d reared her children. The home was large, had stairs and was located on a large, partially wooded lot with many mature perennials and shrubs. Both the home and garden were beautiful, but high maintenance.

Her contract to purchase required a series of deposits and a firm indication as to her source of funds well before settlement on her new condo. The widow put her home on the market. A young couple with two sons was very anxious to buy it. The situation was competitive. They made the widow an offer. She countered their original offer. She did not raise their offer price, which was slightly below her asking price.  She did not believe the young couple would qualify for a larger loan. Instead, she did something rather creative.

The widow countered with a proposal that she “rent back” for a period of “up to” a certain date (a date beyond her scheduled competition date on the condo) in exchange for a modest flat sum to be paid to the buyer at settlement. The total rent back period was less than two months. The flat fee was less than the amount of the new mortgage payment for the buyers. However, since they made no payment on their new mortgage the first month, it wasn’t too far out of line. The couple really wanted the home, so they accepted the counter offer.

Another win, win situation was created. The widow only had to move one time and the young couple got a house they probably wouldn’t have in a straight bidding war. If you find yourself in a situation similar to either the widow or the young couple, perhaps you can work out a similar solution.

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Kenyan Properties, One Man's Dream Is Another's Nightmare

Apartments. Usually somebody's first home after getting married. Can't really say they're relatively cheap anymore. Depending on where you live, apartments can run you anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars a month.

So what does one do when looking for an apartment? Believe it or not, there are many different types, styles, and pay plans involved. We'll try to cover the basic types in this article and what you can expect to find with each.

Starting off small there is your basic studio apartment. A studio apartment is usually 1 room with a kitchen and bath. Let's first off define what a room is when getting an apartment. A room is any room other than your kitchen and bath. Bathrooms do not count as rooms at all because they are required by law. Kitchens are a little different. Most walk in kitchens are considered a half a room. If the kitchen is simply an area in the apartment that is not cut off from the other rooms then it is not counted as a room. So a studio 1 room would have a kitchen area that's part of the 1 room, meaning it probably comes with just a refrigerator and a stove and sink. A studio 1 1/2 room would have a kitchen that is actually separated from the rest of the apartment by a wall and has a doorway. Most studio apartments are 1 room.

Studio apartments, contrary to what most people think, are not cheap. A studio in New York City can cost you $1000 a month. In some countries to be specific Kenya, you can get a studio for about Kshs.40,000.

Then there are your basic apartments that are normally 3 or 4 rooms.

A three room apartment has a living room, dining area and 1 bedroom. Again, the difference between a 3 and a 3 1/2 room is the kitchen being either part of one of the rooms or cut off.

A four room apartment usually has a living room, dining area and 2 bedrooms. If a family needs a third bedroom the dining area is usually converted. The problem with dining areas is that they don't normally have doors to separate them from the other rooms. So to ensure privacy some kind of sliding door is usually installed. Actually most 4 room apartments, because of the extra room are really 4 1/2 rooms because in almost all cases the kitchen is cut off from the other rooms.

In apartments there is seldom a basement. Most apartments are assigned a basement area in a main basement used for the entire complex. In some cases each apartment section or group of apartments has a basement nearby.

Aside from the number of rooms there is also the issue of layout. Most apartments are single level, meaning all the rooms are on one floor. But in some cases there are apartment complexes that are what they call duplexes. These are two apartments side by side in each complex and each apartment is two floors as opposed to the 4 apartment complexes where each apartment is on a single level. In two level apartments the living room and dining area are usually downstairs with the bedrooms upstairs. Most two level apartments are 4 1/2 rooms.

Then there is the issue of what services come with the apartment and what services have to be paid for separately.

In some apartments your gas and electricity and water utilities are included in the cost of the rent. In other apartments only the water is paid for and your gas and electric are paid to your local public service company. Some apartments don't cover any of your costs. So when you get an apartment make sure you find out just what your rent covers. The reason for this is that an apartment for Kshs.80, 000 a month with all utilities paid may actually be a better deal than an apartment for Kshs.65, 000 a month if the latter apartment doesn't include any utilities at all.

Finally, in securing an apartment many require a security deposit equal to the rent of the apartment. Some require one month security and some require two months. This is paid back to you when your lease expires if you decide to leave. Breaking a lease will usually mean forfeiture of your deposit.

Which brings us to apartment rules. This is why there is nothing like owning your own home. Most apartments allow no pets. Playing music after a certain hour will bring complaints from your neighbors. The list goes on and on but I'm sure you get the point. Your freedom to do what you want in an apartment is limited.

Some people love the idea of not having to worry about repairs, as the super usually takes care of that, and live in apartments their whole life. Others can't wait until they can get into their own home. That's the wonderful thing about this world. One man's dream is another man's nightmare. www.kenyan-real-estate.com

A Short Lesson on Kenyan Real Estate

Where did the notion that men should buy houses for women come from? Some people say that this is based on our natural instinct. Like any other animal, parents want to protect their young for the continuation of the species. Anyway, asked that question because I wanted to know why business relating to real estate Kenya is suddenly making becoming popular. Before you had the buying and selling of properties. Now, with the widespread use of the Internet, we have real estate trading which is basically “I buy yours you buy mine” kind of arrangement.

The term real estate is used to refer to any property, which is permanently attached to land such as buildings and houses. Most people refer to it as real property but there are situations wherein the term real estate is used for the land and the building together while real property refers to the ownership rights of the land itself. On the other hand, the word real is used to categorize these properties as things as opposed to people. Records show that the idea of real estate can be traced as far back as 1666.

With the idea of personal property becoming more widespread, real estate has become a major area of business in the Kenya and majority also other countries in the world. In fact, economists claim that the reason for the recent economic slump is due to the lower revenue generated by this industry. In order for the Kenya to get back on track, Kenyans need to view land and buildings as major investment.

There are many types of real estate: residential, Farm lands, commercial or industrial property. The most common transactions involve the buying and selling of residential properties such as apartments, bungalows, maisonattes, condominiums, pent houses and a duplex. Sometimes families who want to move to a different County finds it difficult to find dwellings on their own so they usually do a map search of the area they’re moving to so as to find any houses which are either for sale or for rent. This way, they get to pick the properties they want without having to travel yet, thereby saving time, effort and money. In some cases, people contact a real estate agent who can then give them a tour of the area so that they get to see the houses and to possibly bargain for the price of the property.

In Kenya, finding property is easy because of the existence of the multiple listing system or MLS – a data base wherein real estate brokers can share information about the properties their clients are planning to sell, or in some cases, planning to buy. Most people who want to buy a house usually have no idea where to start so they call a real estate broker. When you do so, the broker searches the MLS to find details about the property. At present, there are about 100 different MLS in the Kenya with new competitors like Google Base, Craigslist and Kenyan real estate websites entering the public domain.

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