Getting started is often the hardest part of doing just about anything, including real estate investing. But once you get started investing in real estate, you’ll find that things get easier and easier, especially when you invest in turnkey rentals. We’ve explained before about how passive turnkey rentals are, and how you don’t need to have years of experience to invest in them. We’ve also talked at length about the tax benefits for landlords and how to get the most from deductions and depreciation. Now, all you need to do is hit the start button. Here’s what to do, broken down into four manageable steps. 

 Step One: Live in the United States

 

Getting an investment loan isn’t the same as taking out a mortgage for a primary residence. We will introduce you to our preferred lenders. If you are looking for your own, for real estate investments, you need to work with a lender that:

 

 – Can underwrite investment properties

 – Can lend in the city where your desired property is located

 – Understands real estate investors’ unique needs

 – Can qualify you as either a 1099 earners or a  W-2 income earner

 

At MartelTurnkey, we’ve built up a network of investor-friendly lenders to make it easy for our clients to buy our turnkey rentals. Our lenders work fast and efficiently to help get your loan application approved so you can start making passive income on your new turnkey rental as soon as possible.  

When you work with one of our lenders, you need to be a resident of the United States, due to underwriting criteria. So if you already live in the U.S., step one is already taken care of! 

 

If you don’t live in the U.S., but you’re still interested in buying a turnkey rental property from MartelTurnkey, that’s still possible you’ll just need to find your own lender. We’ve written extensively about how foreigners can invest in real estate, so this is a good place to start. Remember: you can invest in our turnkey rentals if you don’t live in the U.S., but you’ll simply need to source your own financing.

 Step Two: Get Your Credit Score Over 680

 

According to credit reporting agencies, a FICO credit score of 680 is unofficially rated as “good.” This is the minimum credit score needed if you want to work with one of our trusted lenders. For most people, achieving this step is fairly easy. The average credit score in the U.S. right now is 703. However, if your credit score is a little low, consider making the following moves, summarized below:

Pay off debt – Lenders look for a debt-to-income ratio of about 36%, but this may vary slightly. Talk to the loan officer at your financial institution for their specific guidelines. 

 

Avoid applying for new credit cards – When a potential lender pulls a hard credit report, this temporarily lowers your score a few points, which is the opposite direction in which you want to go.

 

Use cards, but pay them off – Not using your charge cards doesn’t look good either. Use them, but then pay off the balance each month. This will give you a solid pattern of paying on time, which will bring up your credit score.

 

Get rent payments recorded – If you rent from a large apartment leasing agency, you can have your timely rent payments added to your credit report for a small fee. A number of companies offer this service; just ask your apartment building manager for details. Google for a list.

 

Have discrepancies removed – Sometimes lenders make erroneous entries on credit reports. If you find something that’s incorrect, you can file a dispute and possibly have it removed within 30 days, which could bump up your credit score.

 

Monitor your credit – Keep an eye on your credit report. Seeing it creep up month after month can be a strong motivator for you to continue your efforts at improving your credit rating. For a low monthly fee or even free, certain companies offer credit monitoring services, like Lifelock

 

Bear in mind that adjustments to your credit can take 30 days or more to reflect in your credit score. For more information about getting to 680, read our blog post, “How to Improve Credit.”

  Step Three: Save $30,000

 

Most of the turnkey rentals for sale at MartelTurnkey require an initial investment of about $30,000, which includes points and closing costs. If you’ve got steps one and two covered and you have $30,000 to invest, you’re all set to go! 

 

Saving $30,000 is very doable in today’s economy. There are tons of side hustles that you can do to earn that money in this gig economy. We’ve even written about some creative ways to get the initial investment together. Plus, remember that if you self-direct your retirement account, you can use those funds to invest in your first (or second!) turnkey rental. You can read more about that option, too. Once you have your $30,000 saved, you’re ready to shop!

 Step Four: Contact MartelTurnkey

 

You’ll always find a selection of turnkey rentals for sale on our website. They’re all affordable, with initial investments of about $30,000, and our lenders are standing by to approve investors with credit scores of at least 680. Once you see something you like, you can download the financials right from the website to understand the money.  From there, just contact MartelTurnkey so we can get the process started!  

Here’s what you’ll get when you call us. You’ll get a real, live person who can answer all of your questions. MartelTurnkey is a family company, so you’ll be speaking either to Eric, Lynn, Antoine or Etienne.  You’re not a bother to us; you’re the reason we do this work. Our goal is to build long-lasting relationships with our clients; relationships built on trust, transparency and a mutual goal of building wealth through passive income.

 

We want to help as many families and individuals as much as possible to achieve financial freedom through positive cash flow and passive income. Isn’t that what you want for yourself and your loved ones? Four easy steps to financial freedom; that’s all it takes!