Real Estate Information

Are Condo Hotels What the Orlando Real Estate Investor Has Been Looking For?


Earlier this year the Hawthorn suites in Lake Buena Vista quietly sold out all of their units in less than a month. These 540 sq. ft. units were an investor's dream, with a price tag in the mid $100's and an area average occupancy of over 84% these properties to quote one of our investors "make perfect sense".

Many of the people buying these condo hotel conversions had different motivations for buying a second home in Orlando, but all had the same reason for buying a condo hotel conversion, namely the opportunity to cover their running costs with minimal or no effort. Many had sold their single family homes in Orlando, cashed in on the rapidly increasing prices and than reinvested their earnings utilizing a 1031 exchange and bought several condo hotel units. Others simply wanted an affordable second home near Disney which they could use when they wanted, and let the onsite management company rent it for them when they are not using the property.

So the big question is what are the benefits of a condo hotel?

There are many! What most people do is have the management rent the units out for them to offset the costs, and sometimes even creating a positive cash-flow. If you feel like going on vacation, you just call up the management company and let them know that you'll be using your unit on specific dates, and they set it aside so no-one else uses it.

Condotels also have been appreciating in value at rapid rates in the last few years. Many investors have made incredible profits just purchasing and selling these units, which is known as flipping.

And don't forget about the amenities! Think of all those amenities you have when you go to a luxury resort. Many condotels have pools, spas, tennis courts, restaurants, bars, saunas, playgrounds, and more. Keep in mind, however, that different establishments offer different types of amenities and you should research them before assuming that they have everything that you want. Many of the cheaper condo hotel conversions may not have some of these amenities, but if the price tag is less than $200,000, many people can forgo the spa!

For the condo buyer, these types of developments can offer enhanced financial returns when owners choose to place their units in a rental pool. Individual owners usually can put their units in the hotel-room rental pool while they're not using them and get a portion of the proceeds. Better yet, they get access to the same amenities and services as hotel guests.

By capitalizing on a hotel's reservation system, brand recognition and management expertise, unit owners are more likely to receive a higher level of rental income through a rental pool agreement with a recognized professional operator, despite having to share a portion of their units' revenues. Due to the high demand for accommodation near the theme parks, many hotels are dropping their branding as the hotels are showing good occupancy without the extra cost of paying for a brand name.

If you think that a condo hotel near Disney might be for you, or if you want to research condotels more, please visit http://www.orlandocondohotel.net

Marcus Truett is a second home specialist with the office of Ronald P Bressan Real Estate. Visit Marcus Truett's condo hotel website at http://www.Orlandocondohotel.net


MORE RESOURCES:

New York Times

Tough '09 Is Seen for Commercial Real Estate
Washington Post, United States - Jan 5, 2009
By Dana Hedgpeth This year will be among the worst for the US commercial real estate industry, as unemployment leads to a drop of as much as 30 percent in ...
Commercial real-estate market faces worsening slump San Bernardino Sun
Debate over a commercial real estate bailout Journal Record (subscription)
Commercial real estate may be next economic headache NASDAQ
New York Times - PR Web (press release)
all 94 news articles


Sydney Morning Herald

Real-Estate Executive Found Dead in Apparent Suicide
Wall Street Journal - 5 hours ago
By TIMOTHY MARTIN and KEVIN HELLIKER CHICAGO -- Real-estate executive Steven L. Good was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday in ...
Chicago real estate executive kills himself, police say Chicago Tribune
Real estate tycoon found dead Straits Times
Real estate mogul found fatally shot in suburban wildlife preserve Chicago Sun-Times
WBBM780 - The Courier News
all 33 news articles


Boston-area commercial real estate sales plunge
Boston Globe, United States - 5 hours ago
Now, real estate investors don't have data to guide them in pricing properties in the soft economy, making it less likely that buyers will come forward out ...
Office vacancies rise south of Boston The Patriot Ledger
all 4 news articles


Entertainmentwise

Tom & Katie Are Not NYC's Next Real Estate Moguls
E! Online - 11 hours ago
Are Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes trying to give Donald Trump a run for his New York City real estate money? If a new report is to be believed, ...
Katie Holmes spends $14m in six months in New York Telegraph.co.uk
Katie Holmes: Final Week On Broadway! The Gossip Girls
TomKat: Nobu Dinner Date Night The Gossip Girls
all 112 news articles


New York Daily News

New York City neighborhoods with the best real estate bargains
New York Daily News, NY - 1 hour ago
Now the tides may be turning, according to a new real estate study by Streeteasy, a website that tracks real estate trends. The good news: there are a lot ...
Manhattan housing up in 4Q, but luxury market down BusinessWeek
Streeteasy study finds home sales in Manhattan drop 34% New York Daily News
all 40 news articles


Overseas Property and Investment News

Striking Declines Seen in Manhattan Real Estate Market
New York Times, United States - Jan 5, 2009
By JOSH BARBANEL For those New Yorkers who wondered what the Manhattan real estate market might be like without the ever-rising bonuses of Wall Street’s ...
Manhattan's Sterling Real-Estate Market Begins to Tarnish Wall Street Journal
NYC real estate defies gravity - so far CNNMoney.com
More Confirmation Real Estate Market is Tanking Gothamist
AHN - Sun-Sentinel.com
all 102 news articles


PerezHilton.com

Shaquille O'Neal boxed in by drop in real estate values
Los Angeles Times, CA - 15 hours ago
As everybody knows, the real estate market has tanked since then and Shaq just relisted his Miami home with a dramatically reduced price of $25 million. ...
Shaq' home back on market Bizjournals.com
Shaq Settles For Less PerezHilton.com
all 13 news articles


New York Times

International Real Estate For Sale in Mexico
New York Times, United States - 10 hours ago
Oceanfront homes on Cozumel start at about $1 million, said Nancy Edwards, a broker with Cozumel Living Real Estate; condominiums sell for around $500000. ...


BusinessWeek

Confessions of a former real estate bull
CNNMoney.com - Jan 5, 2009
I never thought the whole national real estate market would burst. Q. The NAR's latest forecast calls for a slight increase in home prices next year. ...
Birmingham Economic Forecast: Commercial Real Estate Birmingham Business Journal
Former housing industry economist who famously said there was no ... BusinessWeek
Admissions of Spin at the NAR Examiner.com
all 8 news articles


Business briefs: Real estate company moves to Dallas from San Diego
Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX - 3 hours ago
The Allen Group, the real estate company behind the Dallas Logistics Hub south of Dallas, has relocated its corporate headquarters to Dallas. ...
The Allen Group moves to Dallas Bizjournals.com
Allen Group moves headquarters to Dallas from San Diego 9:59 AM CT Dallas Morning News
all 18 news articles

Real-Estate - Google News

home | site map
© 2006