Real Estate Investors Rejoice! AM Concierge is here!

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With the continued home shortage in the U.S. of more than 3.8M properties, property developers are pulling back on new projects, and despite rising mortgage rates, U.S. property prices are holding strong. For the remainder of 2022 and going into 2023, The Washington Post stated recently, “As mortgage rates rise, prices should moderate, but low inventory will continue to be a problem.” The biggest benefit to this, bidding wars in hot cities where buyers were paying 10-20-30% over the asking price is likely going away. Now may be the time to buy while people are still figuring out the market. 

The continued feedback we get from clients is finding the perfect property represented by a vetted realtor that understands non-resident investors, with their interests in mind. This is the missing piece of the puzzle. Furthermore, looking for reputable homeowners insurance once the property is in contract is another problem. This is where America Mortgages comes in. We heard you, and our team now has solutions for both! 

If you are looking for a “full-service” solution when investing in U.S. real estate, getting a mortgage is only one step in the process. Recently, America Mortgages launched an option to match your needs with a vetted and trusted realtor. AM Concierge not only gives our clients the best mortgage options available, but they also have a reliable realtor network to choose from regardless of the U.S. state.

Upon being pre-approved for your mortgage, if requested, you will be teamed up with a Certified International Property Specialist to help you with a key step of the transaction – finding the right property! This is not a requirement for a mortgage loan. This is only an “extra tool” to assist if needed. If you already have a realtor you are working with or prefer to find a realtor on your own, please continue to do so. 

We believe that as a non-resident real estate investor if you have more resources available, you can make a more informed decision on which investment property you should buy.

AM Concierge offers;

 1. A mortgage loan tailored to your needs through a firm that are experts in non-resident, foreign national, and U.S. expat mortgage lending.

 2. A trustworthy realtor that will source a property that fits your requirements. A realtor that knows the specific market you’re interested in will show you only properties that meet your requirements, saving you time, effort and money. Often they will find properties you may not know exist. Just as it’s important to find a mortgage company that understands Foreign National and U.S. Expat lending, it is as important for your realtor to have this experience as well. Someone that works well with the mortgage professional and also understands the intricacies and nuances involved when buying from abroad. 

They will negotiate the purchase agreement and represent you through the transaction. Keep in mind, in the U.S.; the buyer does not pay for the realtor’s commission. This is paid for by the seller. It costs you nothing to have someone to represent you. 

The best part about our AM Concierge service is that there is NO cost to you!

At AM Concierge, we have a vetted and approved network of realtors in all 50 states that can assist you when buying a home as a foreign national, non-resident, or U.S. expat. These agents will work in your time zone and in your language to find a property that fits your requirements. Our agents are friendly, compassionate, and understand the process of international home buying. 

 2. Foreign Nationals and Expats Home Insurance & Other Insurance products 

If you have a mortgage in the U.S., you are required to insure the property for its replacement value, known as homeownership insurance. Living outside of the U.S., often finding a reputable insurance agent takes time and effort. It’s a small step; however, if you’re unfamiliar with the process, it can be confusing and frustrating. Again, we understand, and we are here to help. This is why America Mortgage’s home insurance mortgage solution comes from trusted insurance partners. They will assist you in obtaining a quote for homeowners insurance and other insurance needs you may have. If you’re a property owner, our trusted insurance partner will make it easy to get the coverage you need to be prepared for whatever may come your way. Again, this is a free service we provide to help your journey in U.S. real estate investing.

As a company, America Mortgages’ only focus is providing U.S. mortgage financing for foreign nationals and U.S. Expats. Getting pre-approved for a purchase or a refinance/cash-out normally takes 72 hours from application and document submission. Once you have your pre-approval, you are ready to begin the search for your dream international property. 

If you have any questions regarding mortgages, realtors, or homeowners insurance, please speak with one of our loan officers today. 

[email protected]

Great Real Estate Reshuffling

Great Real Estate Reshuffling

According to a survey by Zillow, 1 in 10 Americans has moved in the past 12 months. With the COVID-19 vaccine implementation and the economy and housing market recovering, Zillow predicts that this number could increase to more than 40 percent in 2021; this means that millions of households could enter the housing market in 2021.

What prompted the Great Reshuffling?

A significant cause of the Great Reshuffling is due to the fact that work-from-home became a norm during the pandemic. Homebuyers quickly caught on to the fact that they can live and work in their dream home and location as long as they have an internet connection. Approximately 75% of those surveyed reported moving for positive reasons, such as being closer to their family, friends, or simply living in their desired part of the country.

Many cities, known as “secondary cities” across the country, have seen a massive influx of movers looking to take advantage of bigger homes with lower prices. According to Zillow, there has been an uptick in the number of people moving to the South over the past year.

The rise in people moving to more affordable areas has triggered a wave of first-time buyers. This is especially true in Phoenix, Charlotte, N.C., and Austin. Zillow’s data also showed the highest for-sale inventory climb in 4 major real estate areas – Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and New York.

We see this as an excellent opportunity for real estate investors, as over the past couple of months, the housing markets outside of the urban areas have flourished. “We have created a process specifically for our overseas clients which is easier, faster, and more transparent than international banks.” Robert Chadwick, Co-Founder of GMG and America Mortgages.

At America Mortgages, we understand our global clients’ needs, and we provide solutions to match their needs. We make investing in U.S. real estate easy. Schedule a call with our mortgage specialists today.

For more information, please contact [email protected].

Sources: Housingwire.com & Realtrends

20 Famous Real Estate Investing Quotes.

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America Mortgages is proud to bring you these quotes from some of history’s smartest people. In their own simple yet clever way, each quote shows that real estate could be the best way to increase wealth.

Real estate is a numbers game. But that doesn’t mean a few words can’t help investors dominate the market. Real estate investing is an extremely emotional pursuit. Between investors’ swing moods, that many times drives the market, to the risks that are involved with investing, emotions can sometimes run high. America Mortgages has a unique line of mortgage products regardless of where in the U.S. you’d want to invest.

Enjoy the selection of quotes from history’s greatest minds and investors, including Warren Buffett, Mark Twain, and Teddy Roosevelt. So the next time you need a little motivation to keep going, here are a few quotes for you to reflect on.

1) Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away. Purchased with common sense, paid for in full, and managed with reasonable care, it is about the safest investment in the world.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. president

2) Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.
Mark Twain, writer, and humorist

3) Ninety percent of all millionaires become so through owning real estate. More money has been made in real estate than in all industrial investments combined. The wise young man or wage earner of today invests his money in real estate.
Andrew Carnegie, billionaire industrialist

4) Buy on the fringe and wait. Buy land near a growing city! Buy real estate when other people want to sell. Hold what you buy!
John Jacob Astor, real estate and business mogul

5) In the real estate business, you learn more about people, and you learn more about community issues, you learn more about life, you learn more about the impact of government, probably than any other profession that I know of.
Johnny Isakson, U.S. senator

6) Some people look for a beautiful place. Others make a place beautiful.
Hazrat Inayat Khan, spiritualist

7) Games are won by players who focus on the playing field—not by those whose eyes are glued to the scoreboard. If you instead focus on the prospective price change of a contemplated purchase, you are speculating. There is nothing improper about that. I know, however, that I am unable to speculate successfully, and I am skeptical of those who claim sustained success at doing so.
Warren Buffett, billionaire investor

8) Landlords grow rich in their sleep without working, risking, or economizing.
John Stuart Mill, political economist

9) Every person who invests in well-selected real estate in a growing section of a prosperous community adopts the surest and safest method of becoming independent, for real estate is the basis of wealth.
Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. president

10) Don’t wait to buy real estate. Buy real estate and wait.
Will Rogers, actor

11) Buying real estate is not only the best way, the quickest way, the safest way, but the only way to become wealthy.
Marshall Field, entrepreneur

12) I still think buying a home is the best investment any individual can make.
John Paulson, billionaire

13) I have always liked real estate, farmland, pastureland, timberland, and city property. I have had experience with all of them. I guess I just naturally like ‘the good Earth,’ the foundation of all our wealth.
Jesse Jones, entrepreneur

14) If you’re not going to put money in real estate, where else?
Tamir Sapir, business mogul

15) To be successful in real estate, you must always and consistently put your clients’ best interests first. When you do, your personal needs will be realized beyond your greatest expectations.
Anthony Hitt, real estate professional

16) The best investment on Earth is Earth.
Louis Glickman, real estate investor

17) A funny thing happens in real estate. When it comes back, it comes back up like gangbusters.
Barbara Corcoran, real estate investor

18) It is a comfortable feeling to know that you stand on your own ground. Land is about the only thing that can’t fly away.
Anthony Trollope, novelist

19) In my experience in the real-estate business, past success stories are generally not applicable to new situations. We must continually reinvent ourselves, responding to changing times with innovative new business models.
Akira Mori, real estate developer

20) Now, one thing I tell everyone is to learn about real estate. Repeat after me: real estate provides the highest returns, the greatest values, and the least risk.
Armstrong Williams, entrepreneur

Real estate investors need to stay motivated and open to new ideas, loan programs, and suggestions. Hopefully, these quotes will help prospective investors and veterans alike get there.

For more information, please contact [email protected].

Capitalization Rate or CAP rate – What is it, and how is it used?

Buying Property In The US

In short, a CAP rate on a commercial property is simply a way for investors, lenders, and other real estate professionals to quickly see the strength of the subject property and the likely one year unleveraged (meaning the property is purchased with cash) return that the property may generate. Like any other investment, investors need a way to compare one property with another and have a way to measure which is the stronger (less risky) investment – or vice versa, if they are willing to take on more risk, for more potential return; the CAP rate is that measurement.

The lower the CAP rate, the stronger (and more expensive) the property is. In a major market, think San Francisco or LA, you can expect to see CAP rates in the 4%-5% range. CAP rates can be in the higher single digits in a tertiary market and increase into double digits. In the most basic terms, an investor looking at a building with a 4% CAP should expect that building to yield approximately 4% in one year. An 8% CAP will be a property with a higher risk profile, hence the higher potential return required by sponsors (8%).

The CAP rate is usually always published on real estate presentations or websites, though it can be easily calculated. Take the Net Operating Income (NOI) of the property and divide it by the current market value as per current market prevailing rates.

CAP rates should be used as a quick basis for measurement to compare properties but not fully base a decision on. The reason for this is that CAP rates fluctuate based on the calculated NOI of the property, which can change based on the year, location, expenses for the building, etc. The CAP rate can also be adjusted based on who the intended reader of the information is. In summary, the CAP rate should be used as a quick measurement of a properties’ strength. If the estimated returns fit your investment profile, you should dig deeper into the property’s details.