Latest News

What should I be paying for my USA Investment Property and how can I be sure I am paying the right price ?

Investing in a buy-to-let property can be hugely rewarding and a sound financial decision. But only if you’re getting the right price and know all the facts. Nobody likes to be overcharged. This is especially true when it comes to big purchases, like a property investment. No matter the current state of the property market, you want to make sure you are paying the right price for your investment property. But the questions is: how do you know what is a good price and whether the likely return on investment is what it is advertised to be ? To help you navigate the tricky world of buy-to-let investments, read this quick guide. What is fair market value? To put it simply, fair market value is the price that a property is expected to sell for on the open market. The term is used frequently in real estate, and has come to reflect the price of a home under the following conditions: Buyers and Sellers are knowledgeable about the property. Buyers and Sellers are free of undue pressure to trade. Buyers and Sellers are given reasonable time to complete the transaction. And, most importantly: The price of the property reflects the standard and condition of the home. At Global Investments we always take the time to establish the true value of a property and the likely returns based on its location, state of repair and current market conditions – all of which is supported by the local agents we work with who have a detailed knowledge of the neighbourhoods. Also we negotiate strong with our Suppliers to try and ensure that our Buyers are actually paying below market value for the majority of our houses. You can always check these prices offered by any agent by performing your own research so that you can evaluate the price of a property and ensure that the investment you are making is a sound one. Look at recently sold properties Seek out properties that have been recently sold and which you can easily compare to your prospective investment. Ideally, this is a property that is similar in size, neighbourhood, condition and amenities. Two 1400-sqaure-foot homes in the same neighbourhood should be listed at similar prices. You can also look at homes that have distinct differences from the buy-to-let you are interested in. Is the property that has caught your attention cheaper than larger properties? Is it more expensive than smaller or less attractive houses? How does it fit with the recent market? Explore comparable properties on the market Don’t just look at properties that have already sold, however. Take the time to visit other homes for sale and get a real sense of how their condition measures up to those of your chosen property. This will help to provide a clearer idea of whether the price you’ve been told is fair. Look at unsold properties Some homes are taken off the market because they didn’t sell. If the price of your chosen home is similar to those of these unsold homes, the property in question may be priced too high. Also, if there are many similar properties on the market, prices should be lower, especially if those properties are currently vacant. Consider market conditions and market appreciation Look at the state of the wider property market. Have prices been going up or down recently? The fairness of a property’s price depends largely on where the market currently sits on the real estate curve. Some research is often required to get an accurate picture of the current market, as it can be difficult to see the overall patterns until they’ve been and gone. Where your home is situated and the future prospects for the local area can have an impact on property pricing. If a town or neighbourhood is set to receive substantial investment with new construction work, new employers and new amenities in the pipeline, there’s a good chance that property prices could be on the increase. Similarly, improving transport links, reputable schools and low crime rates can all give you confidence that your investment will see its value go up rather than down. On the other hand, if local businesses are closing down and the area is slowing, values are more likely to stagnate. Get an expert opinion Thanks to experience, trusted estate agents and investment experts can guide you as to the future prospects of a property. They’ll also be able to get a firmer grip on recent data and prices, so don’t be afraid to ask for help and advice when you need it. The Bottom Line The right investment experts will offer you a fair price for your property investment. Researching around both the company itself and the wider market can help you gain a clearer idea of whether the price you’re paying is in line with the property’s actual value. At Global Investments we always work hard to ensure that the investment opportunities we present to clients represent the best value for money and the highest net returns possible. Get in touch with our friendly, knowledgeable team today and we’ll be happy to offer our advice on the best opportunities in the market today [email protected]

THE OPPORTUNITY CORRIDOR, CLEVELAND

“ The Opportunity Corridor” is a boulevard in Cleveland, Ohio, partially open to traffic and partially under construction. The $306 million city investment will connect Interstate 77 and Interstate 490 to the University Circle neighbourhood (the fastest-growing job centre in the region). The purpose of the project is to improve the roadway network within an area of the City of Cleveland that is historically under-served and economically depressed. Construction of the Opportunity Corridor began in 2015 at the East end with Section 1 – the widening of East 105th Street. That section opened in the fall of 2017. By that time, work had already begun on Section 2, which extended the roadway from East 105th to East 93rd Street. That section opened in November 2018. Work on Section 3 – the longest, most complicated section – began earlier this year with completion expected in late 2021. Opportunity Corridor would make it easier for commuters and visitors to reach University Circle jobs and cultural institutions such as the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Museum of Art. The institutions in particular would have easier access to new audiences on the West Side of the city and Cuyahoga County. So the question is simple, What opportunities will the corridor create? and How will this affect the Real Estate market in the surrounding Cleveland neighbourhoods? Job creation and commercial opportunities The corridor could create a 400-acre inner-city brownfield redevelopment zone that generates thousands of new jobs. It is also hoped that the corridor will reactivate hundreds of acres of fallow industrial land and hollowed-out neighbourhoods in the city’s “Forgotten Triangle”, located south of South Woodland Road and east of East 55th Street. A 2011 study by Allegro Realty Advisors for the Greater Cleveland Partnership states that the corridor could create 2,300 permanent jobs and 3,300 temporary jobs with a total payroll of $1.1 billion. Hundreds of millions of dollars in city, county, state and federal tax revenues would be created. IBM is already investing in a building near Phase 1 of the project. This $11.1 million office building will be used by IBM to house about 300 employees in its growing Explorys division – a healthcare data analytics company. The expectation is that most of those IBM workers will live in the surrounding neighbourhoods, which offer the best standard of living and value for money. Over the next 10 years, should business investment continue to grow as expected, this will increase the value of land and property demand in the surrounding areas such as Fairfax, Buckeye, Kinsman, Woodland Hills and Slavic Village. Over the last 2 years, Global Investments have noticed an increasing demand from investors for single and multi-family homes in these areas. Local and foreign investors are purchasing buy-to-let properties that are large in size with plenty of character and often refurbished. This is revitalising the neighbourhoods and attracting good clientele by providing affordable quality housing for long-term renters. Early signs of the impact Opportunity Corridor has had are very promising. Global Investments will be closely monitoring the subsequent property fluctuations as work continues. We will look to keep readers posted as this area evolves over the coming months and years.

The Cleveland River Banks

Global Investments Incorporated with our Team of Contractors in Cleveland

This week Shemika teams up with Consumer Choice Construction, one of our main contractors in Cleveland. We get to meet the whole team and see them at work on a new refurbishment project which is currently taking place.

Global Investments Incorporated at the Cleveland Title Company

This week Shemika and Bader meet up with Russ Abrams from First Meridian Title Agency. Russ gives an insight into the US buying process and discusses the key role a title company play in the purchase process.

The $8 Billion St. Louis Development

St. Louis had a huge year for construction in 2018. The number of building permits issued saw an increase in nearly every neighbourhood and the value of new projects last year totalled more than $1 billion. As a result, dozens of projects are now breaking ground in 2019. In the past few years the St. Louis area has seen $6.6 billion in planned and in-progress construction projects across the 25 largest projects. Here are some of the most significant developments to be excited about in St Louis: Green Street Development is spending $90 million to bring restaurants, bars, a pool and a wellness center to the derelict St. Louis Armory. A $97 million project from Lodging Hospitality Management will turn St. Louis Union Station into an entertainment complex with food trucks, an aquarium and a Ferris wheel. And a $134 million Lawrence Group development at the former Century Electric Co. foundry in Midtown will include bars, restaurants, office space and an Alamo Drafthouse cinema. St. Louis has been reshaping its riverfront with projects like Laclede’s Landing and the ongoing $380-million makeover of Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and its landmark Gateway Arch. There is also a $240 million university campus expansion, a $550 million hospital renovation and a $770 million office space extension – all of which will be enhancing the appearance of the area. The largest development is a national headquarters building which is costing $1.7 billion. St. Louis has quietly evolved into one of the high-tech hubs of the Midwest in recent years. Boeing, Unisys and Hudson’s Bay Company are among the many companies that have opted to expand their tech operations in St. Louis. Tech recruiting portal Dice.com has reported several times that the city is among the fastest-growing in the United States for new jobs in the tech sector. Saint Louis is turning into a very modern city and we have also seen a plethora of boutique hotel developments around the city, with more than $400 million currently being invested to restore and repurpose historic structures into boutique hotels. Of that total, more than $304 million is being invested in a total of six Downtown St. Louis boutique hotel projects. Another $111 million is being pumped into three ventures in the Central West End, Midtown’s Cortex Innovation Community and Clayton. One of the most exciting projects is Ball Park Village Phase 2. Saint Louis loves baseball and so there is huge anticipation for the work being done here. On the west side of the existing Ball Park there will be a new large office building and hotel featuring a special events space. On the east side, a 29 story residential apartment building is in the pipeline. Both sides will have outstanding views into the Busch Stadium, and additional retail and restaurants in between. It’s been five years since the project’s groundbreaking and four years since workers completed Phase I, a $100 million, 120,000-square-foot entertainment complex with restaurants, event spaces, a giant sports bar with a 40-foot LED screen, a Majestic gift shop and the Cardinals Hall of Fame & Museum. The complex’s centerpiece is the sports bar and concert venue FOX Sports Midwest Live! It has a 100-foot retractable glass roof, 200-seat restaurant and VIP lounge, in addition to the 40-foot LED screen. Saint Louis has so much going on right now. In fact, data from the Emerging Trends survey suggests that the real estate industry in St. Louis is poised to stay on a upward path in 2019, which is great news for investors looking to buy property in the area. If you are thinking of investing in a buy-to-let property in St. Louis, email [email protected] and our team will be happy to help.

Global Investments with the Home Inspector in Cleveland

This week Shemika teams up with Johnny from Home Detective inspection company, you get to see what they look out for both inside and outside the home.

St Louis Most Famous

For a bit of fun Global Investments recently compiled a list of who we feel are the top 10 famous people that were either born, grew up or had their careers heavily influenced in Cleveland Ohio & then more recently Baltimore. According to the latest press Saint Louis has been named as the second hottest investment city in the US for 2019. St. Louis is a large city in Missouri, located in the east central part of the state on the Mississippi River. Saint Louis offers investors an incredible opportunity to buy undervalued properties in a very strong rental market. Global Investments have now started selling in St Louis, for more information visit https://globalinvestsinc.com/st-louis-investment-property So lets see what St Louis has contributed to the world when it comes to unique individuals that were either born, grew up or had their careers heavily influenced in the city. 10. Marilyn Vos Savant A strange start as you have probably never heard of Marilyn Von Savant. Born August 11, 1946, in St. Louis, Marilyn was deemed the person with the highest IQ in history and would hold the Guinness World Record until the category was discontinued in 1990. At just 10 years old she had the mental capabilities of a 23-year-old. According to the Stanford-Binet, her IQ was a whopping 228. Despite her unprecedented IQ, Marilyn had as normal an education as anyone. She went to her local high school and worked at her father’s general store after school. She started her undergrad career at the Meramec Community College, then moved on to study philosophy at Washington University in St. Louis. Though she is undoubtedly one of, if not the, smartest human on the planet, Marilyn vos Savant has managed to stay almost completely out of the spotlight. So today you have learned of a new famous person from St Louis that ironically is not famous 🙂 9. Scott Bakula Scott Stewart Bakula is an American actor, singer and director. Born in St. Louis, Missouri on October 9, 1954, His primary lead roles were in two cience-fiction television series as Sam Beckett on Quantum Leap, and as Captain Jonathan Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise. For Quantum Leap he received four Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award. Scott attended the local Keysor Elementary School, the music teacher asked him to audition to sing with the St. Louis Symphony choir, that led Scott to sing with the First Presbyterian Church in Kirkwood, St Louis. Those experiences started Scott on the road to musical-theatre work, which eventually led him to a very successful career. 8. Kate Capshaw Kathleen Capshaw Spielberg born November 3, 1953 is an American retired actress, best known for her portrayal of Willie Scott, an American nightclub singer and performer in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), directed by eventual husband Steven Spielberg. Since then, she starred in Dreamscape (1984), Power (1986), Black Rain (1989), Love Affair (1994), Just Cause (1995) and The Love Letter (1999). Kathleen moved to St. Louis, Missouri, at the age of five, and graduated from Hazelwood Senior High, now called Hazelwood Central High School, in 1972. Capshaw earned a degree in education from the University of Missouri. 7. Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. born November 2, 1974, known professionally as Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, investor, and occasional actor from St. Louis, Missouri. RIAA ranks Nelly as the fourth best-selling rap artist in American music history, with 21 million albums sold in the United States. On December 11, 2009, Billboard ranked Nelly the number three Top Artist of the Decade. in 2011, Nelly partnered with St. Louis-based Vatterott College to open a music production school in downtown St. Louis called Ex’treme Institute. 6. Akon Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam, born April 16, 1973 is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and actor. Akon was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of “Locked Up”, the first single from his debut album, Trouble. He has since founded two successful record labels, Konvict Muzik and KonLive Distribution. The labels served as a stepping stone for many soon-to-be successful acts, such as Lady Gaga. Akin also produced records mainly for artists on his respective labels, as well as for other artists such as Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Lionel Richie, Leona Lewis, Sean Paul and Whitney Houston. 5. Jimmy Connors James Scott Connors, born September 2, 1952 is a retired American world No. 1 tennis player who held the top ATP ranking for a then-record 160 consecutive weeks from 1974 to 1977 and a career total of 268 weeks. Connors grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. Connors won eight Grand Slam singles championships, five US Opens, two Wimbledon’s, and one Australian Open. Jimmy Connors reflecting on his tennis career, saying he owns much of his success to his mother, Gloria, when the Connors family lived in East St. Louis. 4. Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr was an American actor best known for his performances in horror films. Price was born on May 27, 1911, in St. Louis, Missouri. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for motion pictures and one for television. Many people who visit St Louis still tour his boyhood landmarks such as The National Candy Company Building (4230 Gravois Avenue) built in 1928 by Vincent’s dad Vincent Leonard Price who was the president of the National Candy Company, Vincent Price’s Boyhood Home (6320 Forsyth Boulevard), His High School (101 N Warson Road), The Muny Opera (1 Theatre Drive) The Muny is the largest outdoor theatre in the US. Located in Forest Park, and within walking distance of Vincent’s boyhood home. It is also where Price performed as Martin Gunther in the St Louis premiere of The American Way in June, 1940. And of course Vincent Price’s Star on

Global Investments incorporated in Collinwood, Cleveland, Ohio

This week Shemika gives you a tour of the great Collinwwood neighborhood. Cleveland’s east-side community of Collinwood is getting a lot of attention recently from investors. The neighborhood is broken into three distinct sections and was once one of the heaviest industrial areas in the world, home to a major railroad switching point, huge freight yards and several manufacturing facilities. Now its a bustling metropolitan area, one of the most fetching parts of Collinwood is the Waterloo Arts District, where you’ll find everything from indie music to vintage clothing. Collinwood’s beaches and parks are some of the cleanest and most enjoyable in Northeast Ohio.

Global Investments incorporated in the University Circle of Cleveland

This week Shemika gives you a tour of the world famous University Circle in Cleveland. The University Circle is the most concentrated square mile of Cleveland’s must-see attractions, home to world-renowned museums, prestigious universities, nationally recognized hospitals, eclectic restaurants and beautiful parks. Among the cultural institutions are the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Botanical Garden, Western Reserve Historical Society and the Crawford Auto and Aviation Museum. Educational and health institutions include Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, University Hospitals and Ronald McDonald House. Helping to coordinate the growth and activities of the neighborhood and its institutions is University Circle Inc. The area is located ten minutes from downtown accessible from Euclid, Chester or Carnegie Avenues, by Interstate 90 to the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard exit south.