REAL ESTATE INVESTING

Real estate investments have proven themselves to be relatively lucrative in recent years. In today's global marketplace, many more real estate investors are buying properties in areas beyond their local markets. There are several reasons that you should consider investing in real estate markets beyond your immediate area:

• Inventory, average selling prices, and appreciation rates may be more favorable in markets outside of your own.

• Investing outside your market is a sound means of diversification, buffering you against depreciation in your primary home should your local market experience any downturn.

• Internet communication and web-based real estate tools make buying a distant property a much simpler proposition than in years past.

Deciding to buy outside of your home market doesn't mean you have to brave the buying process alone. Real estate professionals in your local area should be able to provide information on investing in new markets or refer you to an agent in the market of your choosing. If the prospect of buying distant real estate makes you uneasy, you may decide to start by buying a property in a city a bit closer to home.