Private loans are a real estate investor's best friend, but these loans are susceptible to market fluctuations and your credit history. Let's explore three private money lending trends that you should be aware of as we approach a new calendar year.

The value of your property can be seen in three primary pieces, each of which need to be considered when trying to understand the value as a whole.

When it comes to real estate investing, there are no guarantees that you will be successful. That's just the cold, hard truth of it and it shouldn't come as any surprise. You run the risk of wasting precious time and losing money with every deal that you undertake. That said, there are some things that you can do to reduce losses and ensure your success. Here are 3 questions to ask yourself before investing in a property.

Anyone involved in REI knows that there must be a solid team for the process to work. Part of that team is the lender. There is the choice of traditional mortgage, however, that can take 30 to 60 days on average and with the banking regulations may not be a suitable fit. The regular market mortgage may not be your best option.

If you are considering investing in a rental home, it is important to research and compare market trends in each prospective area - these statistics may include the selling price, the listing price, and the average amount of time spent on the market. The following have already been thoroughly researched and have been found to be the three best California markets for purchasing rental property.

Probate properties are the existing real estate assets of a larger estate that must be sold off to pay the deceased person's debt or distributed among the closest living relatives, depending on specific state laws. In most cases, real estate goes into probate court if the deceased died without a will designating who would get what.

For brokers that are assisting property investors with finding loans, it can be difficult, especially if the borrower can't get a traditional loan through a bank. That's where hard money, or private money, loans come in. Although these types of loans are easier for risky borrowers to obtain, finding a good hard money lender is not as easy as it sounds. Here are three tips for brokers new to hard money lending.

You've watched the reality shows where home buyers acquire a run-down property, invest to fix it up, and then flip the house by selling it for for a profit all in 30 days or less. This could be you someday, but flipping requires a great deal of investment capital to get started.

In the real estate “game,” nothing is more exciting than finding, rehabbing, and then flipping a property for a sizable profit in the time span you originally envisioned. Still, reality can often intrude and you will be stuck with a property that you cannot sell at a profitable price. When this happens, the prudent real estate investor has a secondary plan or “exit strategy” to deal with this eventuality.

Investing in real estate can be risky. A savvy investor needs to know how to choose a lender who will be an asset to them. Not all are created equal. Here are five qualities to look for in a private lender.