Sunday, February 23, 2014

What Are Trust Deed Investments?

By Krystal Branch


You can derive substantial returns with limited risk with trust deed investments. To acquire these high returns, you should take care with the type of property you invest in and ensure that adequate valuations are done. There are usually two options available to investors.

The one option is to make a direct loan. The second option is to purchase an existing promissory note. Although the process is similar to a traditional mortgage, trust deeds involve three distinct parties, rather than two.

The entities that partake in this contract are the lender, trustee and borrower. The trustee performs the duties of an independent third party. The trustee will hold legal title to the asset on behalf of the lender. This title is retained until the borrower is able to settle the total loan amount. If the borrower is unable to meet the obligation, the lender is able to take ownership of the property.

You may be given promises by mortgage brokers of the potential high returns with trust deed investments. This is normally very tempting, however, you should ensure that you take care with your money. It is advisable to research the status of the property title, as well as the exact market value before you make an investment. A report dated during the past 90 months can be obtained fairly easily. You should inspect the property to ascertain if there are defects or disrepair that could have an effect on its market value.

You should carry out your own due diligence and not simply take another person's word for it. You should ascertain if there are any legal issues related to the property and the owners. If there is a distinct difference between the assessed value and the appraised value of the property, you should investigate it further.

These types of deeds are not insured by government agencies. This makes it susceptible to negative movements in the economy and borrower default. This issue puts your funds at extreme risk of loss. If the borrower opts for bankruptcy, you may have problems when it comes to the foreclosure on the property. This could cause you to lose a huge amount of money.

You may be able to buy a part or the entire trust deed. If you opt for a whole contract, you will obtain total ownership of the promissory note. You need to have adequate funds available to cover the entire loan amount if you wish to enter into this type of deed. A part deed offers you a portion of the investment, along with other investors. The number of investors allowed to partake in this type of deed is limited to ten. In this case, the amount of the investment is split between the investors.

When you make the decision to partake in trust deed investments, a decision will have to be made to enter into a first or subsequent contract. A first note offers you precedence over any other claimants to the property. This is the safest investment as a second or third deed would be at risk if the available funds are insufficient to settle the total debt. This type of promissory note should be raised by means of a bond. The bond instructions should stipulate all the conditions to be met before the funds are finally made available to the property owner or borrower.




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