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investments. These types of properties primarily consist of apartment buildings, shopping malls, office buildings, retail outlets, industrial parks and vacant plots of land.

The money involved in such investments is more, not to mention the various legal and other technical specificities. There are provincial and local zoning laws to be considered; then there are the permits and insurance which need to be acquired before leasing the space to tenants.

There are building permits which property owners need to obtain from their country’s zoning commission. Vacant lands need to be inspected upon purchase before any construction can take place, as well as conduct due diligence to ensure properties are zoned for commercial use before submitting a purchase offer.

There are some instances where several investors join forces and invest in Okanagan real estate, be it commercial properties or underdeveloped pieces of land.

The management, that is, maintenance, rent collection, or tending to the needs of the tenants is different in different types of property.

Residential real estate such as apartment buildings has on-site managers, while smaller apartment building management is often dealt by leasing agents. Commercial malls and office complexes however have off site management through an independent office.

If there are not enough occupants to fill up the vacancies in a commercial property, the operating expenses exceed the rental incomes. Investors should keep that gap in mind when determining the actual cost of the commercial Okanagan real estate. Operating costs cannot be ignored when investment in a commercial property is involved.

Investors of a commercial property have to be well versed with the nuances regarding legal statutes, landlord/tenant laws and property management.

There are many legal formalities involved and contracts need to be executed by experienced lawyers who deal with such laws.

There are higher profits as well when investing in commercial properties. Take for example the high lease rate which rises up to 10-15$ per square foot, as opposed to the $ 5 per square foot in residential real estate. But there are higher risks involved as well. Profits are hard to come by as a minimum 50% occupancy rate is required merely to break even. Then there are possibilities of foreclosures, lawsuits and defaulting tenants. It is advised only people who have knowledge about the various aspects of commercial Okanagan real estate get involved in this high risk investment opportunity.

Author’s bio: Lisasalt has expertise in writing and researching, related to real estate. Through her article she has given lot of information on Condo for sale, Vernon condo for sale, Vernon condos.

Tags: commercial malls, Land, landlord tenant laws, legal formalities, office, Okanagan