5 Tools Every Rental Property Investor in Texas Needs

What would you do differently if you were generating far more income than currently? Would you start saving for retirement, traveling more, or investing deeper into your favorite hobby? No matter your purposes for generating more significant income, we can all agree that more money gives you more freedom to enjoy life. 

One common strategy for building wealth is investing in real estate, particularly in rental properties. Rental properties can be either residential or commercial. Tenants pay the owner to occupy or use the premises in these units for a set period. Rental income is the primary source of revenue for the owner, though other expenses can also generate income, such as garbage fees or parking permits. 

If you want to get into the world of rental property investing in Texas, you need to be equipped to do so correctly while maximizing profits. Here are five tools that every rental property investor needs to be successful. 

Rental Calculator

Since your primary source of income as a property investor will be rental payments, you must select an excellent rate to charge your tenants. Calculating the market rental rate that will be the right balance between making a profit and not pricing people out of your property is tricky. You must consider other rental rates in the same market and the amenities you offer to determine a fair price. Dallas’s Rental rates will differ from those in a smaller community. A rental calculator is a helpful tool that will ensure you maximize your profits without suffering from a high rate of turning tenants away from your property. Another component is the expenses associated with owning the property, such as taxes, the mortgage, and insurance.  

DSCR Lender

Financing a rental property purchase is a lot different than buying a home. Conventional home loans are dependent on a person’s income to be approved. You may not have the income needed to cover the mortgage for a rental property, especially since it may be more costly than a single-family house. You’ll need a lender to provide a DSCR loan for Texas for your wealth-building strategy for Texas properties. A debt-service coverage ratio loan is approved based on the difference between a rental property’s expenses and income. That means if you can cover the down payment, and the property’s rental income is equal to or greater than the total expenses, you can probably be approved for a DSCR loan. 

Experienced Realtor

A real estate agent can be a beneficial resource for property investors. They aim to help you find a property that suits your needs for a fair price. There are a few tasks that they can perform to help you. First, they can provide details about Texas properties that you may be interested in so you can analyze different options. Second, they can help you compare what you look at to other properties and recent transactions to ensure a fair deal. Third, an experienced realtor may have access to properties that are not even listed on major property sites. They can also help you analyze a deal to determine if it is fair. Finding a great realtor is worth it, especially if they have experience working with rental property investors. 

Property Management Software

If you plan to manage the property, you must have the correct software. Trying to manage your property manually or with outdated programs will make the task far more stressful and disorganized. The beauty of modern technology is that many processes can be automated or streamlined with a property management tool, such as tenant acquisition, marketing, rental payment portals, tenant vetting, maintenance requests, and more. You’ll need a great online tool to make the property management job less time-consuming and stressful. 

Social Media Accounts

Want to hear a mind-blowing fact? [sarcasm] You need tenants to generate rental income! You will have difficulty covering your expenses if you cannot attract any to your property. This is why you need a strong marketing plan. Social media may become your best friend for this initiative. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and even LinkedIn can be beneficial for low-cost or even free marketing opportunities to advertise your property to tenants. LinkedIn would work well for commercial properties since you must attract business tenants, while Instagram may be more suited for residential vacancies. Ensure you stay up-to-date on effective social media marketing strategies to keep your vacancy rates low. 

Start Your Rental Property Investing Journey on the Right Foot

A poor workman blames his tools. Well, that saying is not always true. Sometimes, the right tools can make all the difference, and rental property investing in Texas is evidence of this concept. When you have tools like a rental calculator, a DSCR lender, an experienced realtor, a property management software program, and social media accounts, your goals of building wealth from investing in rental properties are much more achievable.