“West Coast is best coast” – is that also true for real estate investing? When it comesto investing in real estate you want to invest in an area that can generate cash flow and guarantee positive returns. Long Beach, California is thriving in that sense. With a fusion of industries, culture, and tourism, the “International City” is blessed with everything that one could ever want in a locale. Long Beach’s strong economy means that investment property owners are continuing to reap the rewards of their long term investments. And since it is a beach city with a great State University and community colleges, rents have always been in high demand making it perfect for real estate investing. Let us take a look at what attracts investors to Long Beach real estate investing.
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Long Beach Homes
You don’t really have to look too hard to find Long Beach investment property and Long Beach homes. Encompassing a total area of 65.9 square miles, Long Beach has roughly 52 neighborhoods to choose from. Whether you are looking for a condo, townhouse, single family home, or property by the water, you’ll be able to find it in Long Beach.
Due primarily to the city’s location close to Los Angeles, investors can benefit from the sure returns of their rental properties. Besides renting out to professionals, investment property owners can also rent out their beachfront homes to seasonal visitors. As the population of the city is fairly large, there is also a good demand for commercial and retail spaces.
Seller’s Market
Long Beach is considered to be in a seller’s market. With current low interest rates and a low inventory of homes, sellers should be able to sell quickly and for more money than they could’ve gotten a couple of years ago. The most popular type of properties that are on the market includes condos and single-family homes. Ocean Boulevard was the hottest street in Long Beach for home sales. The rate at which properties are being sold is impressive. It was shown that houses were selling from between one to three months, which is fast considering the continuous increase on house prices.
Foreclosure in Long Beach
Long Beach real estate has an X factor for real estate investors – foreclosures. While we would never wish foreclosures upon anyone, we cannot deny that there’s a great opportunity in foreclosures for the investor. The first benefit to foreclosures is that you are able to start fresh. To obtain a property in this city at a lower price is a huge advantage. You can save some money on the purchase price and if played right, save some money on the repairs.
Secondly, when buying a foreclosure in this city, flipping it is one way to make a quick profit. One the other hand, holding on to the property and renting it out is also a lucrative strategy. Vacation rentals also do very well in this city, which might be a better strategy to making your money back faster.
Take a look at the average returns in Long Beach and the top neighborhoods. Keep in mind these averages are city and neighborhood averages, and reflect only single-family homes, condos, and apartments. Property averages are higher.
- Median Property Price: $576,220
- Traditional Rental Income: $2,223
- Airbnb Rental Income: $2,429
- Traditional CoC Return: 2.45%
- Airbnb CoC Return: 2.51%
- Traditional Cap Rate: 5.11%
- Airbnb Cap Rate: 5.18%
- Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 55%
Related: How to Buy a Foreclosure as an Investment Property
Best Neighborhoods in Long Beach
1. North Valley
- Median Property Price: $675,475
- Traditional Rental Income: $2,952
- Airbnb Rental Income: $2,770
- Traditional CoC Return: 2.93%
- Airbnb CoC Return: 2.5%
- Traditional Cap Rate: 5.48%
- Airbnb Cap Rate: 5.02%
- Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 39%
2. Cambrian Park
- Median Property Price: $839,950
- Traditional Rental Income: $3,143
- Airbnb Rental Income: $3,511
- Traditional CoC Return: 2.08%
- Airbnb CoC Return: 2.54%
- Traditional Cap Rate: 4.47%
- Airbnb Cap Rate: 4.96%
- Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 50%
3. Alum Rock-East Foothills
- Median Property Price: $599,975
- Traditional Rental Income: $3,045
- Airbnb Rental Income: $3,555
- Traditional CoC Return: 3.58%
- Airbnb CoC Return: 4.59%
- Traditional Cap Rate: 6.22%
- Airbnb Cap Rate: 7.29%
- Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 49%
The bottom Line
Long Beach real estate investing is rapidly growing every year. This city is known for its diverse population, culture and modernization. It attracts tourists and people from all over the country allowing real estate investing to be in demand. The demand for housing and real estate properties will not slow down due to the growing population in Long Beach.