Lukinski Real Estate Tools – App #1

It all started with this app or idea at Christmas, two months later the app (v.1.0) is ready and in the App Store!

The idea: Real estate app for beginners

There are thousands of apps for nutrition, thousands for sports, millions for gaming, and only a handful of real estate apps, mainly for apartment hunting.

Then at Christmas I had the idea: I build very simple real estate and financial calculators for beginners. The Lukinski Immo Tools App. Example: You can explain a repayment plan (interest, repayment, loan installment, unscheduled repayment) in a complex way in guidebooks with a thousand words or just show it. My teacher in business school used to say: “Don’t bring fish to the ‘poor’, give them a fishing rod”, a simple quote from the south of Bavaria, but containing a lot of truth. “Learning by doing” would also be apt. See our Real Estate Munich.

15+ small calculators for equity, savings plan (reserves), amortization schedule, incidental purchase costs by state, real estate transfer tax, realtor costs and much more!

The real estate app for beginners with the goal:

1. Build equity
2. Find cheap property
3. Buy real estate (as an investment)

New functions of the real estate app

In the coming weeks and months, I will refine the calculators and build new calculators, also for owners. Already now you can find in the app also the co-ownership calculator (purchase of a condominium > part of an owners association) or also living space calculation, functional area and much more, all according to DIN 277 and WolfV.

Download from App Store

Here you can find the free real estate app in the stores:

Free of charge in the App Store!

You can also find out more about the app and the calculators here:

• Lukinski Immo Tools App

Lukinski Villas App: Vacation Property & Investment – App #2

Vacation property or investment (live and rent or rent only), in the Lukinski Villas app you can now find a selection of gems in Ibiza, Marbella, Los Angeles, Miami (and more places).

On my travels, especially in the Spanish-speaking world, I make more and more contacts. Some of them lead to the real gems: Villas in Ibiza, Marbella, Los Angeles (and other hotspots). With the Lukinski Villas App you can discover a few of these gems, as a vacation property or as an investment (live in and rent out or just rent out).

Download from App Store

You can find the free Villas app in the stores here:

Free of charge in the App Store!

You can also find out more about the app and the Villas here:

• Lukinski Villas App

Real Estate Experience App: Learn Investment – App #3

How do you learn to “buy a property”? The best way is with the Immobilien-Erfahrung.de app. 30 steps, constructed by our expert, to the first property.

In addition, in the app you will find the entire wiki with over a thousand technical terms, explained simply and understandably.

Download from App Store

Here you can find the free real estate app in the stores:

Free of charge in the App Store!

You can also find out more about the app and how to become an investor here:

• Real Estate Experience App

FIV Magazine App: Fashion & Real Estate Magazine – App #4

Already over 25 issues of FIV Magazine, my little media baby of the 90s, my “little Vogue”. All issues are now available for free with all covers, interviews in the FIV Magazine App.

Download from App Store

Here you can find the free real estate app in the stores:

Free of charge in the App Store!

You can find out more about the app and the magazine here:

• FIV Magazine App

Real estate yields in Wiesbaden stable at a high level

Question: You are mainly active in Wiesbaden, the capital of Hesse, and the surrounding area as an investment advisor and investor. How do you think the real estate market in the region is developing?

I will first answer with two figures: Wiesbaden has about 290,000 inhabitants today. According to decent forecasts, this figure is set to rise to 300,000 within the next five years. These 10,000 people want and need to live somewhere. The necessary apartments have to be built and paid for by someone. So there are also numerous opportunities for investors in real estate.

However, we have a fundamental problem in Wiesbaden: there are relatively few opportunities for new residential construction. The old city villas only come on the market very rarely anyway. Here and there there is worthless old building fabric that is torn down and made available for new buildings. There are some new building projects on the outskirts of Wiesbaden. The greatest potential lies in unused military sites, some of which have already been developed and some of which are being over-planned.

Real estate returns better than many other investments

You can find more statistics at Statista

In terms of yields, I do not expect any increase for Wiesbaden and the surrounding area, but I do expect a sustained sideways movement at a high level. Values of 5 % and more are realistic. An upward movement is therefore rather unlikely, because purchase prices and rents develop to the same extent upward and one needs already a really very long investment horizon, in order to be rewarded the high purchase price by a clear rent increase with a growing yield. On the other hand, there is of course also the profit from the later sale of the property. There, increased purchase prices would have a corresponding effect again.

Yield calculator online: The right instrument to start with

Question: Which of the various online calculators for loans, investments or returns do you find particularly helpful and why?

I’ll start with the loan calculators: I can’t see anything being done wrong there. That’s why I won’t recommend any computer in particular. The calculators of Stiftung Warentest or a reputable online newspaper are certainly not suspicious with regard to a hidden forwarding of the user’s data. Basically, such an online calculator can only be an initial source of information. For example, for my question, what I have to pay monthly for my real estate loan with regard to the interest and repayment rate. I can also go about it the other way round and ask: if I have a sum x available each month, what loan amount can I afford to buy a flat?

On the other hand, I don’t know of any loan calculator – not even that of a financial institution – that calculates the interest rate I have to pay for my loan in view of my equity and other collateral. That is always a matter of personal discussion with the bank. That’s why calling up and using various loan calculators on the internet doesn’t help. The best loan calculator with the most accurate information and the safest result for me is still the conversation with the financier himself. You should be quiet from different banks give an offer. There are sometimes really spraybare differences in the interest rate offered.

Anyone thinking about real estate as an investment naturally wants to know what return their property will yield. In other words: how much money will I earn with my investment? For this purpose, there are of course many tools on the Internet. The yield calculators for real estate are usually linked to a real estate agency or financial institution. This is not a disadvantage, you should just know it. Because the vast majority of online calculators for property yields can not take into account every detail of the property. That is why it is always much better to get an overview via the online calculator in order to then seek a personal discussion on the basis of a real property.

Overall, there is a pretty good overview including deposited calculators on the portal finanzrechner.org. As I said, these calculators offer really good guidance. Everyone should definitely make an individual calculation with their personal financial advisor or tax expert.

Not every square meter counts as living space!

Question: How do you calculate the price per square meter as a landlord of an apartment?

Actually a simple question, but with some small “devils in the details”. Because normally everyone knows the square footage of their apartment and what they pay monthly (not including utilities based on consumption). The rest is a simple division calculation of rent (or purchase price) divided by the total square meters.

The question remains: what can I include in the living space? For example, cellar rooms do not count as living space. The same applies to storage rooms outside the apartment. Balcony, terrace or a loggia are only calculated with half of their square meters as living space. You should also use a tape measure for the ceiling height. Everything below a height of one meter does not count as living space and rooms with a ceiling height of less than two meters only half. This is especially important for attic apartments. Very special rules also apply to pillars and stairs in the apartment. A proper real estate expert knows these regulations very well. Here too, simply ask for advice.

Investing your money successfuly: Alternatives to real estate

Question: In Wiesbaden, there is no doubt that not only real estate is traded, but due to the proximity to the headquarters of various banks in Frankfurt, other financial products are certainly also in the focus of your customers. Please explain to our readers which three capital investments you would recommend besides real estate. Do these investments have any disadvantages?

You can find more statistics at Statista

First of all, I recommend that anyone who wants to invest their money profitably should ask themselves. And indeed questioned about their own willingness to take risks in terms of profit and loss. Because the capital investment must always fit the respective person and his goals. The one investor looks for a maximum of security, the other again has with risk and Verkust no problem. Then there are people who literally want to see what they have invested their money in, which again other investors do not care about at all.

Those who are not afraid of the big risk can invest their money in commodities or rare earths, for example. This is a form of investment that is not yet very widespread, but is becoming increasingly popular. There are people at some major banks and also on the consultancy market who are quite knowledgeable about this. As I said, it’s not for the faint-hearted and, by the way, it’s also a form of investment that should run for several years in order to compensate for price fluctuations.

For pure security fanatics – to mention the completely other side – there are funds whose profit is capped, but which are also protected against loss. Such funds are offered by banks and insurance companies. However, many find them very boring.

If you are looking for a more unusual form of investment, you should take a look at luxury watches. Watches are more difficult to assess as an investment object because, unlike shares or gold, there is no market that clearly and universally sets a price. The value of a luxury watch does not depend solely on its horological value and condition, but crucially on the demand for precisely this particular model. This demand is subject to fluctuations and cannot be objectively predicted. However, since the prices of luxury models have clearly developed positively in recent years, this investment can be very rewarding. Those who manage to buy a model that is in demand at a low price should take advantage of the opportunity.

Is it worth it to be a stock trader on your own account?

Question: In the meantime, shares have a long and partly successful investment history behind them. There are also many people who believe they can act as stock traders, tipsters and day traders themselves. But how does the reality of stock trading look like? Can quick profits really be made and what is the difference to real estate as an investment?

Of course, I was not active as a stock trader myself and – as far as I can tell today – I do not intend to do so. However, I have so much own experience with the share topic that I can say: who would like to care completely himself about his share package and the investments, needs a lot of knowledge and time. Especially if you really want to make quick profits. Because that means that I have to keep a constant eye on the company stocks and their bonds that I am interested in. In addition, always the phone handy, so that I can ask my proxy in a flash to buy or sell the shares.

Tax makes the difference: watch out for investments!

In any case, I warn against the countless guides that can be found on the Internet – like the yield calculators. If tipsters followed their own recommendations, Germany would have to be a nation of millionaires. The reality of the share business, as it is convertible for most of us, looks completely different. One should plan for a long period of investment so that price fluctuations are of little consequence. It is always advisable to spread the risk widely – i.e. over several company stocks, perhaps also government bonds, currencies etc.. With a little skill and good advice, you can put together a package with good performance yourself, or you can leave it to your money adviser.

The disadvantages of these and other investments do not always show themselves quite so clearly. This starts with the much-vaunted risk. After all, this is a less tangible factor that many investors like to ignore. According to the motto: what I can’t see doesn’t exist. Fluctuations in the value of shares, works of art, watches and government bonds depend on many external factors that only experts can keep track of. And even the experts can be wrong – as we have seen very often in the past.

Quite real and to be quantified are the running costs for financial investments – no matter if securities or other. Issue surcharges, custody account fees, ongoing capital gains tax, etc. reduce the return. On the other hand, the profit on the sale of rented property is tax-free after ten years. This amount must be added to the total return in any case.

Wiesbaden: Living with high recreational value

Question: What is Wiesbaden and its surroundings like to live in? What do your customers say? What places worth seeing, events etc. are there? What makes this region so interesting for investors?

The people of Wiesbaden themselves may forgive me if I now first point out the surrounding area. Immediately before the gates of the city begins the Rheingau with its nice small half-timbered and wine-growing villages Eltville, Oestrich-Winkel, Hattenheim up to Rüdesheim. There you will find the Eberbach Monastery and the Hildegard Monastery in Eibingen. In addition, the Rheinsteig begins as a hiking trail and of course the Rhine bike path. Wiesbaden is located at the foothills of the Taunus, so that beautiful hiking and in winter also cross-country skiing trails are quickly accessible.

Wiesbaden itself as the so-called “Nice of the North” offers a beautiful city center, a beautiful spa park with casino, the Nerobergbahn and the very famous Russian Orthodox Church from the Tsarist era. Very famous, not least because of its organ, is the classicist Marktkirche. Across the Rhine are Mainz and Germany’s largest wine-growing region, Rheinhessen. I think it takes more than a lifetime to have discovered this region completely. The leisure value is indeed very high, even if there are no Alps or the Mediterranean here.

I certainly don’t have to mention the proximity to Frankfurt. I would even include Darmstadt with its future-oriented companies from the IT sector. Because the good transport infrastructure of the Rhine-Main region means that even residents of Wiesbaden and the surrounding area can get to the region at the foot of the Odenwald quickly. No one in Wiesbaden and the surrounding area has to worry seriously about a lack of interest in renting, i.e. also about rental downtimes.

Good yield opportunities also in the surrounding area of Wiesbaden

Question: Do you have an insider tip for profitable real estate in Wiesbaden and the surrounding area?

With the insider tips in metropolitan areas it is such a thing. But for Wiesbaden, too, if you’re willing to drive a little further, you’ll get by quite well in the surrounding rural regions in terms of the purchase price and the amount on offer. Up to Bad Schwalbach or Taunusstein, for example, the roads are also well developed. But it is also not everyone’s cup of tea to join the commuter car queue every morning and evening. Potential tenants also think about that.

The opposite side of the Rhine also offers attractive real estate opportunities. This extends to Bingen, Bad Kreuznach or the gates of Worms. Basically, one must also look here, in how far the lower purchase prices are also accompanied by lower rents, so that the yield in these areas can be lower. In fact, the surroundings of Bingen, Ingelheim etc. offer quite good properties as capital investment. The purchase prices are somewhat lower than in Wiesbaden, but the rents are not to the same extent. In individual cases, one can therefore expect better returns than in the core area.

How do I get my own investment property quickly and safely?

Question: How can I tell which broker is the right one?

At least not on the brightly polished brass plate on the office door. Admittedly, that was a bit flippant. But actually it is with the right broker like with the right doctor. It is only during the consultation that I notice whether the person, with his qualifications and his manner, suits me. Of course, there are professional associations of brokers, as well as appropriate training and further education. All this is also very important.

But even more important is whether the broker knows his market. Can he show comparative prices? Does he have a larger number of reference properties in the region? Is his name not only known in the region, but does he have a good reputation? If it is important to you that the estate agent proceeds rather cautiously, you should attach particular importance to discretion.

Discretion when buying and selling a house?

Question: A broker works in public and needs many contacts to make the business work. How can you be discreet?

In fact: there are also real “discreet brokers”! Especially with customers who do not like to appear in public with their sales or purchase intentions, this kind of broker is in demand. A luxury villa in Wiesbaden or a great penthouse apartment can be sold much better if there are no screaming billboards in front of the house. Mostly, the owners and their property do not want to be identified either by photos of the house or location descriptions.

For the buyer this means: he can only get hold of such properties via one of these discreet brokers. They often appear only in the files of the broker. In the relevant real estate portals, you will find these objects rather not. If you go to a real estate agent, you can openly address the issue of discretion. I consider the discreet working method of a good real estate agent to be very important and still completely underestimated.

Focus Frankfurt: Investing in the Rhine-Main Region

• Investment Frankfurt
• Prices in Frankfurt
• Capital investment Darmstadt
• Capital investment Mainz

Top 10 Tips – How to find beautiful and affordable properties

The plot of land is the basis for building a house. So it should not only be well located and beautiful, but also meet some requirements. We have summarized the best tips for the search for the perfect building site for you.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlI8nMLnRYp/?tagged=vacantlot

Tip 1: Acquire land by ground lease

This is a special case, because here you do not acquire the land by purchase, but by paying the ground rent. The land is thus rented, so to speak, but can be used and built on according to one’s own ideas. This so-called hereditary building right expires after an agreed period of time, which is usually 99 years. Such hereditary leases are usually granted by municipalities, churches or foundations. A good way to get a relatively cheap property and to design it according to his own ideas and wishes. You can find out more about ground leases in our article on the subject of acquiring land with a ground lease.

Tip 2: Acquire land from municipalities

When looking for the perfect plot of land, you should also definitely take a look at the website of the municipality in which you want to build. Many municipalities publish their own real estate offers and plots, which are usually even cheaper than those of brokers or private individuals. The brokerage commission is omitted, so you save money and municipalities work less profit-oriented, which is why the properties are often offered very cheap. So you might find a potential plot for your dream property, quite simply online.

Tip 3: Use gaps between buildings

Before new building land is developed in communities, they first try to get rid of the gaps between buildings. Such plots are not very attractive for developers, as they are usually narrow and not suitable for large detached houses. Such building gaps usually require a specially planned architect’s house. For those who are not afraid of such a solution, this is a great way to acquire cheap building land. Here even the advantage exists that these building gaps can have mad situations and lie thus in the proximity of many purchase possibilities, schools or green spaces. So not only do you have the opportunity for a great, unique home but also a great neighborhood where you may not have been able to find a vacant home and now simply use a vacant lot for it.

Tip 4: Move from the city to the country

For many an impossible notion, it seems more and more attractive when you take a closer look. Cities have many advantages, but the country life also has its advantages. In the countryside you can find comparatively very cheap properties and even in the suburbs, the properties are not as competitive as in the city. Especially when family planning is just around the corner anyway, the countryside shows many advantages for children as well. Safe streets, lots of opportunities to play, the great outdoors, and great schools. In addition, there are also great connections to the city in suburbs, so you are not completely excluded from this life.

Tip 5: Let relationships and contacts play

From his own circle of acquaintances you often get the best insider tips, especially in the region, because someone knows someone who knows someone and very quickly you get insider tips and great recommendations for companies, construction financiers, brokers or even free land. Also, the experiences of friends who have already built and have gone through the same thing can be very valuable and tips from all sides, especially with such a large project, you really should not do without.

Tip 6: Search classified ads yourself

Many great properties and real estate are not on well-known portals, such as Immobilienscout24 or similar to find, so it is also worth in free portals to look. Portals like ebay classifieds but also newspapers and other portals can be helpful. So spending a Sunday afternoon with newspaper ads can already lead them to their dream home.

Tip 7: Resort to property development sites

Property developers buy suitable building land and sell it on to their customers. These then undertake to build a house with the same developer and receive a favourable plot of land in return. Who had no particular house in mind, can use these offers well, because then the choice of the developer is unnecessary. However, one should not make a hasty choice in the developer, because with this they still have a while to do and the whole house construction runs through him. So one should get well informed beforehand.

Tip 8: Participation in a builder’s association

A community of builders is a relatively simple principle. Here, several builders – i.e. people who want to build a house – join forces and jointly acquire a plot of land on which they share the land transfer tax and the development and surveying costs. This is usually a large plot, because each of the builders needs enough space to build his house. Such large plots are often not very sought after, as they are far too large for the normal ‘house builder’. Accordingly, the prices are relatively cheap. But here you should make sure that the builders get along well with each other, because they will be future neighbors.

Tip 9: Start a search yourself

Many owners of building plots own plots of land, but do not sell them because they do not need it financially or because they are afraid of the effort. So if you have a certain plot in mind that is simply not sold, you can find out the name and contact information of these people relatively quickly at the city. Asking does not hurt and perhaps one has luck and the building plot is really not used and one can acquire it simply directly with the owner. A rather unusual but often effective way to develop a plot of land, whereby the effort itself is relatively high, but for the perfect property you do this with pleasure.

Tip 10: Acquire land from foreclosure auctions

A rather questionable, but still very effective method. These properties are usually cheap and often very well located. Unfortunately, someone is forced to sell, however, it is for seekers a great opportunity to acquire a super plot. Beforehand, however, one should inform oneself exactly about the property, the bidding and the price. The property should be inspected and approved and you should be absolutely sure that it is the perfect property before you put your money on it. Before the auction, you should set a fixed budget that you do not exceed when bidding, otherwise there may be unpleasant surprises.