Knowing Market Cycles in Real Estate

In order to be successful in the real estate business, it is vital to become familiar with the current market trends. Knowing the market cycles, you as a potential buyer, can make a smart investment decision by developing a strong market strategy. This strategy can help you to weigh out the potential risks and rewards to investing at any point in the market cycle, and it imperative to making profit in the area of real estate.

The first advantage is the ability to know when you are getting a good deal, and when you are not when looking to purchase a property. Many times people will tend to but overpriced pieces of property based on the belief that the property will appreciate and go up in value. This, many times does not occur and the buyers are left let down and without the profit they had once expected. If you study the market, and know you are in a current down cycle, it is important to know you are buying a property for a good deal. A deal that allows you to hold on to the property during the down time, with the possibility of still making profit.

And, if you are aware that a down cycle is going to occur, you want to make sure that you have the freedom to gather up your resources in order to take advantage of the new buying opportunities that you may have. As a buyer, you can find a great deal in the down market because of all of the sellers who are looking to get rid of their properties. Being ready in a situation like this can set you up for some money saving properties that will bring you a great deal of profit later on.

Knowing the market cycle can help you design a proper exit strategy for selling your existing properties. If you buy a property for a certain price, the odds are you want to sell that property at an even higher price in order to make the profit that you are looking for. In order to make the most for your property, it is imperative, that you as owner try to sell your property at the top of the market cycle, or in the so called "boom phase". In this phase of the cycle, you have the opportunity to bid up the price of your property due to short supply. This cycle is relatively short, however, and only tends to last between six and 12 months, which leaves many unprepared investors with a missed opportunity.

Investing for an entire property cycle, or for around five to ten years, can give you a clear picture of the market cycle from boom to bust. It is important to get a long-term view in order to be most advantageous at exploiting every possible marketing opportunity. It is important to remember that while there are ideal times to buy and sell a property in a market cycle, a savvy investor can make money in any phase of the cycle by simply becoming familiar with each phase and identifying the characteristics, knowing and researching the best strategies for each phase, and by having the ability to recognize when the next phase is about to begin.

During a contraction, a smart investor who knows the market cycle may only look to buy properties that are largely discounted, ensuring a large cash flow. During a recession, it is important to remember to buy properties that are below market value. A smart investor will know that buying a property at this point in the cycle should only occur if you are planning on holding that property for a long period of time. As the market begins to recover, it is vital to invest your money into properties that have taken the largest fall in price, as it is these properties that will gain their value back at the fastest pace. As the market begins to expand, it is important to recognize that you may not be getting deals below the market value. You want to put your money in to areas that are in high demand, ensuring that you will get good cash flow.