Why Invest in the USA?

The Global financial crisis has presented an incredible opportunity for investors to profit from the depressed US housing market.

There is a limited window of opportunity available for investors to purchase USA properties at hugely discounted prices, up to 70% off previous sale prices. With an Australian dollar at all time highs and strong rental yields available on USA housing there has never been a better time to build up a positive cash flow real estate portfolio.

These opportunities are rare and will not be around forever. Get started today and create an income for life.

Why Invest in Atlanta?

Atlanta is a major business city and the primary transportation hub of the Southeastern United States. The city is a centre for services, finance, information technology, government and higher education.

With a gross domestic product of US $270 billion, Atlantas economy ranks 15th amongst world cities and sixth in the USA.

Atlanta contains the countries third largest concentration of fortune 500 companies, and more than 75% of Fortune 1000 companies have business operations in the Atlanta metro area.

Metro Atlanta is the world head quaters of corporations such as Coca-Cola, Turner Broadcasting, The Home Depot, AT&T Mobility, UPS Warburg and Delta Airlines.

With one of the most affordable housing markets in the USA , milder climate and picturesque rolling hills Atlanta is a popular choice for inmigration.

(Source: Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta)

For more information on Atlanta, visit the Metro Chamber of Commerce at:

http://metroatlantachamber.com/content/IntPage.aspx?Level=1&Id=42&SId=6

How do I determine the last sale price of a property or what a property was listed for?

I would like to share with you a very useful website which will assist you greatly if you choose to invest in the USA

www.zillow.com

This website allows you to type in any property address and identify some important information including the original list price, last sales price and rental estimate.

Here is an example property that we purchased to illustrate the use of this site, we paid $58,750 for this property and it was the lowest sale price ever recorded in the subdivision at the time of purchase.

Address: 138 Bedford Park Newnan GA 30263

Zillow Link: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/138-Bedford-Park-Dr-Newnan-GA-30263/61219022_zpid/

You can do this with any property in the USA just by entering in the address.

At the bottom of the price history be sure to click on "more entries" to get further information.

Wholesalers in the USA prey on international "uneducated" investors. Many Australian buyers agents source properties from USA wholesalers, not directly from the banks. These wholesalers are also known as flippers. They are investors that purchase properties at low prices, renovate them and tenant them and on-sell them as a turnkey property for a significant mark up. I have seen mark ups as high as 100% off the original purchase price.

How do I determine if the property is good value for money?

Select American Homes provides a comparable sales report and cash flow analysis report with every property we recommend to clients. Investors are able to view data on the attributes of neighbouring properties and what they last sold for and compare these to the property they are purchasing. The cash flow report lists all the known yearly expenses such as county taxes, insurance, and Home Owners Association Fees.

What structure should I use as the buying entity?

Most investors of real property, including Australian investors choose to purchase property through a corporate entity for liability and creditor protection reasons. An LLC (Limited Liability Company) is owned by its members and operated by its managers. Members can be an individual, partnership or even an Australian Discretionary Trust.

We can refer you to USA attorneys and tax professionals as well as Australian Accountants to assist you in selecting the right structure for your situation.

What are the tax implications of Investing in the USA?

In most cases where the preferred method of investing in the USA property market is through the establishment of a Limited Liability Company (LLC), the member (s) (owners) of the LLC would have to lodge tax returns with the IRS in the USA and the IRS would tax any profits made. This would be the case irrespective of whether the member(s) is an individual, trust or any other entity.

The Australian Taxation Office would also require the resident individual, trust or other entity to lodge a tax return in Australia, but as a consequence of double tax treaty agreements, between USA and Australia, a credit would be given for any taxes paid in the USA in order to avoid double taxation.

What is included in your services?

Select American Homes charges a facilitation fee per property.

This includes the following services:

*Locating a suitable property and negotiating the best purchase price for our clients.

*Securing the property under contract.

*Providing photographs and video footage of the property.

*Due Diligence inspections as required.

*Referrals to taxation and legal professionals both in Australian and the USA.

*Co-ordinating the renovation to get the property to rent ready standard. Full set of photographs provided on completion.

*Hand over to a reputable management company with a great track record for leasing and managing Atlanta rental properties.