Market research firm GfK Custom Research North America conducted the survey on behalf of Move from April 11-15, 2011. adults, of which about 200 were identified as real estate investors. Data was weighted by age, sex, education, race and geographic region. The survey included telephone interviews of 1,200 U.S.
A third of real estate investors are planning to buy in the next 24 months, compared to 8.6 percent of typical homebuyers — those planning to purchase a primary residence, vacation home or retirement property. Another 9.1 percent of typical homebuyers, and 28 percent of investors, plan to purchase between two and five years from now.
More than half of investors, 53.5 percent, expect home prices to remain the same in the next six to 12 months. About 69 percent expect it would be easier to find properties in the next six months, though 43.5 percent expect it would be harder to find bargains. Of the rest, 23 percent expect prices to fall.
Most, 59 percent, of investors said they were new to investing; only 36.5 percent had experience with more than one property transaction. Nearly half (48 percent) said they expected a profit of 20 percent or more from their property investments, equal to a 4 percent annual rate of return over five years, the survey said. Another 40 percent expected a profit of 10 percent.
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