Investment in a new apartment is one of the most important moments in the economic life of each and every one of us. Statistics say that we usually buy 1 - 3 dwellings during our life, so every mistake counts. The feeling of owning their home is deep inside the DNA of all Romanians (like the Greeks too). So, sooner or later each and every one of us will be tempted to think about this option. Many people consider that once they have the money, or the possibility to acquire a loan, they should rush and buy a property. But it is not so easy. A wrong property can become a bomb in someone’s life, destroying his / her plans for the next decade. What should you have in mind before choosing the “home of your dreams”?

1. Relax! You don’t have to buy literally today!

I see around me many stressed people, who are in a hurry to move to a new home, the one which will belong to them “for all their life”. The ones who were in a hurry during 2007 and (especially) 2008 ended up how you all know. Frustrated, living in a home whose value is almost half nowadays. You don’t have to follow their example. The market is here and it will remain stable during 2010, no matter what they tell you. You can visit many projects, talk to several banks and finally try to create a combination which is good for YOUR interest. “I didn’t have any other choice” some say. Well, you have. If you don’t find what you want, don’t invest. It can be safer.

2. Three important questions to reply to

ometimes we know when it is the right time to invest in a new property, but several times we just desire to do it, without to actually have the ability to succeed in this “personal project”. What we want is not always what we can. So, we should ask ourselves three questions:

• Do I have available income to invest? Yes, you pay a rent, which can be paid as installment for a new loan too. Except the unlikely scenario that you pay a very high rent, you should also be able to allocate some extra euro too. Either you should have this amount every month, or you should have the equity so as to pay a serious advance. If the numbers don’t tell you “proceed”, maybe they just tell you the truth you don’t want to accept.
• Do I find the proper financing tools? The banks are private companies, targeting profit by lending to you their money. If you accept to receive this money with 8 - 10%, it is not their fault that they give it to you. You can not go on if all the offers you find are very expensive. Either you need to search more or you should wait for better times. Just don’t start with very high costs.
• Does this investment really improve my life? It is not rare to find people who get enthusiastic with the idea of a new investment. They start searching but they get disappointed with the prices and they start the compromises. But if you live in an old apartment at Vitan and you want to buy another old apartment in a similar area, not in a really better neighborhood, without much better facilities around you, what is the purpose for the investment? An investment at your new home must really add quality to your life. If not, it does not worth the time and the money.
  

Without positive answer to all these questions, I would suggest to you to avoid proceeding.

3. This investment must be accepted by banks so as to be properly financed

A home is also an investment. It is not just the place you like to live today. Don’t be fascinated by some nice furniture, or some arrangements you see already done. They are important ofcourse, but they should not be the main criteria for this move of yours. If you treat your new home as an investment, then you have to keep in mind the 3 main rules of an investor, when he buys a property.

First of all, this new apartment should be “Bankable“. If a bank does not consider your investment good, don’t be so sure that they are stupid. There is a possibility them to have right. In the end of the day, you see 10 - 20 properties and just this period, while they (are supposed to) see thousands of properties throughout the years. If a bank would not give a good loan for the property, it is a bad sign. You may need to sell it tomorrow and the future owner will get a loan too. If he will have trouble in obtaining it, your future price will go down as well.

4. If something changes, it should be easy to rent:

Your new apartment must be “Rentable“. Let us say that something happened and tomorrow you want to rent it to someone else. Try to choose something which will be easy to rent too. I know you don’t invest today with this plan in mind, , but maybe some unnecessary modifications today will cost in the future. Keep all options at your disposal, you never know.

5. In case we are not very rich, whatever we buy should also be easy to sell too:

ny property we buy should be “Easy to sell” too. Life can turn better or worse. When you buy a new property, you must take into consideration the possibility that you will sell it again to someone else. This is why you should sit down and think “who can be this person who will come and buy this property and for which reasons he will pay me more money”. Trust me, not for your beautiful eyes… So, think twice the option to go to an area without good transportation means, or with other defaults. Be attentive with large apartments, or unconsolidated buildings. If you like walking 3 floors without elevator, there is a possibility that the next one will not share with you the same “athletic spirit”. Keep your eyes open for visible problems which can hurt your interest in the future.

Why you might need to sell in the future? Because you…

• Will have more needs and you will want to move to a new, bigger home.
• May need to liquidate the property fast, if an urgent problem appears.
• Will move to a new home and you will use this one as investment.
• Will change job and you will prefer to stay somewhere closer to the new one.
• Ok, if you are very rich, this is not the case, you can have plenty of homes. If not, it is not bad to think about the future too. A drop of wisdom today can save you from a bucket of tears in the future…

Sfaturi la cumpararea apartamentelor noi: Care ar trebui sa fie criteriile in alegerea unui apartament?

Investitia intr-un apartament nou este unul dintre cele mai importante momente in viata economica a fiecaruia dintre noi. Statisticile arata ca de obicei cumparam intre 1 si 3 locuinte pe parcursul vietii, astfel ca fiecare greseala conteaza. Sentimentul de a detine propria casa este profound inradacinat in ADN-ul tuturor romanilor (ca si al grecilor de altfel). Astfel ca, mai devreme sau mai tarziu fiecare dintre noi va fi tentat sa ia in considerare aceasta optiune. Multi considera ca o data ce au banii sau posibilitatea sa ia un imprumut ar trebui sa se grabeasca sa cumpere o propietate. Dar nu este atat de usor. O proprietate nepotrivita ar putea deveni o bomba in viata cuiva, distrugandu-i planurile pentru urmatorii 10 ani. Ce ar trebui sa luati in considerare inainte de a va alege “casa de vis”?

1. Relaxati-va! Nu trebuie sa cumparati chiar astazi!
Observ multe persoane stresate in jurul meu, care se grabesc sa se mute intr-o casa noua, cea care va fi in posesia lor “pentru toata viata”. Cei care s-au grabit in 2007 si (mai ales) in 2008 au sfarsit asa cum bine stiti. Frustrati, traind intr-o casa a carei valoare s-a injumatatit pana in ziua de astazi. Nu trebuie sa urmati exemplul lor. Piata a ajuns unde a ajuns si va ramane stabila pe intreg parcursul anului 2010, indiferent ce vi se spune. Puteti vizita multe proiecte, vorbi cu mai multe banci  si in cele din urma sa incercati sa realizati o combinatie care serveste interesului DUMNEAVOASTRA. “Nu am avut alta optiune” spun unii. Pai, aveti. Daca nu gasiti ceea ce va doriti, nu investiti. S-ar putea sa fie mai sigur asa.

2. Trei intrebari importante la care trebuie sa va raspundeti

Uneori ne dam seama care este momentul potrivit pentru a investi intr-o proprietate noua, dar de cele mai multe ori nu facem decat sa ne dorim acest lucru, fara a avea capacitatea reala de a reusi in “proiectul sau personal”. Ceea ce ne dorim nu este intotdeauna ceea ce putem. Astfel, ar trebui sa ne punem trei intrebari:

• Am un venit pe care sunt dispus sa il investesc? Da, platesti o chirie, care poate inlocui rata unui nou imprumut de asemenea. Cu exceptia prea putin probabilului scenariu in care platiti o chirie foarte ridicata, ar trebui sa fiti dispusi sa platiti si cativa euro in plus. Fie aveti la dispozitie aceasta suma in fiecare luna, sau ar trebui sa aveti posibilitatea sa platiti un avans serios. Daca cifrele nu va soptesc “actionati”, poate ca pur si simplu va spun adevarul pe care nu vreti sa il acceptati.
• Gasesc uneltele de finantare potrivite? Bancile sunt companii private, care tintesc obtinerea de profit prin faptul ca va imprumuta dumneavoastra banii lor. Daca acceptati sa primiti acesti bani cu 8-10%, nu este vina lor ca vi-i pun la dispozitie. Nu puteti continua daca toate ofertele pe care le gasiti sunt foarte scumpe. Fie trebuie sa cautati mai mult, fie trebuie sa asteptati sosirea unor vremuri mai bune.  Doar nu porniti de la costuri foarte ridicate.
• Imi imbunatateste aceasta investitie in mod real viata? Nu arareori gasesti persoane care se entuziazmeaza la ideea unei noi investitii. Incep sa caute dar sunt dezamagiti de preturi si incep sa faca compromisuri. Dar daca locuiti intr-un apartament vechi din zona Vitan si vreti sa cumparati un alt apartament la fel de vechi, intr-o zona similara, si nu intr-un cartier relamente mai bun, fara prea multe facilitate in plus, care este scopul investitiei? O investitie in noua dumneavoastra casa trebuie sa aduca o imbunataire reala in viata dumneavoastra. In caz contrar, nu merita sa investiti timpul si banii.
• Daca spre exemplu calitatea constructiei noii case este mediocra, problemele se vor ivi in curand

Fara un raspuns pozitiv la toate aceste intrebari, v-as sugera sa evitati sa actionati.

3. Aceasta investitie trebuie sa fie acceptata de catre banci pentru a fi finantata potrivit

O casa este de asemenea o investitie. Nu este doar locul in care va place sa locuiti astazi. Nu va lasati fascinati de o mobila frumoasa sau cateva aranjamente deja facute. Sunt importante si acestea fireste, dar acestea nu ar trebui sa constituie principalul criteriu in mutarea dumneavoastra. Daca priviti noua dumneavoastra casa ca si pe o investitie, atunci trebuie sa retineti principalele 3 reguli ale unui investitor in achizitia unei proprietati.

In primul rand, acest nou apartament ar trebui sa fie “Bancabil”. Daca o banca nu considera investitia dumneavoastra ca fiind buna, nu fiti asa de convinsi ca sunt prosti. Exista o posibilitatea ca ei sa aiba dreptate. In cele din urma, dumneavoastra vizionati 10 – 20 de proprietati, in vreme ce ei vizioneaza (sau ar trebui) sa vizioneze mii de proprietati pe parcursul anilor. Daca o banca nu acorda un imprumut bun pentru o proprietate, e de rau. E posibil ca intr-o zi sa trebuiasca sa o vindeti iar viitorul proprietar va lua un imprumut de asemenea. Daca va intampina probleme in a-l obtine, pretul lui in viitor va cobori de asemenea.

4. Daca intervin schimbari, ar trebui sa fie usor de inchiriat

Noul dumneavoastra apartament ar trebui sa fie “Inchiriabil”. Sa presupune ca s-a intamplat ceva si vreti sa il inchiriati altcuiva. Incercati sa alegeti ceva care este usor de inchiriat de asemenea. Stiu ca nu aveti acest plan in cap astazi, in momentul investitiei, dar poate ca unele modificari care nu par necesare astazi vor costa mai mult in viitor. Pastrati toate optiunile la dispozitia dumneavoastra, nu puteti sti niciodata.

5. In cazul in care nu sunteti extrem de bogati, orice cumparam ar trebui sa fie si foarte usor de vandut

Orice proprietate pe care o cumparam ar trebui sa fie “Usor de vandut”. Viata poate lua o turnura mai buna sau mai rea. Cand achizitionati o noua proprietate trebuie sa luati in considerare posibilitatea ca il veti vinde din nou altcuiva. De aceea ar trebui sa va ganditi bine “cine ar putea fi aceasta persoana care ar veni sa imi cumpere proprietatea si din ce motive mi-ar oferi mai multi bani”. Credeti-ma, nu pentru ochii dumneavoastra frumosi… Astfel ca trebuie sa luati in considerare de doua ori optiunea inainte de a alege o zona  fara mijloace de transport public sau cu alte lipsuri.

Fiti atenti la aprtamentele mari sau cladirile neconsolidate. Daca va place sa urcati pe jos pana al etajul 3, exista o posibilitate ca urmatorul sa nu va impartaseasca din “spiritul atletic”. Tineti ochii deschisi la orice probleme vizibile care pot aduce prejudicii interesului dumneavoastra in viitor.

De ce exista posibilitatea sa trebuiasca sa vindeti in viitor? Pentru ca ati…

• Putea avea nevoi mai mari si veti dori sa va mutati intr-o casa noua, mai mare.
• Putea fi nevoiti sa lichidati proprietatea repede, daca apare o problema urgenta.
• Putea sa va mutati intr-o casa noua si sa o folositi pe aceasta ca si investitie.
• Putea sa va schimbati locul de munca si veti prefera sa locuiti mai aproape de cel nou.
• Bun, daca sunteti foarte bogat, ceea ce nu este cazul, puteti avea nenumarate locuinte. In caz contrar nu strica sa va ganditi si la viitor. O picatura de intelepciune astazi va poate salva de la a varsa o galeata de lacrimi in viitor…