If you already own a home or business, now could be the perfect time to buy your first investment property.

The TV shows make it look easy and exciting, and with the right team by your side, it is! But there’s a lot to consider when you’re ready to purchase a home or commercial building as an investment property, especially if you’ve never done it before. It’s about more than a just smooth transaction; it’s also about a smart buy.

Dream Builders Realty and dbrCommercial are here to help. Our residential and commercial divisions have all the bases covered in Central Florida—from vacation homes to undeveloped land to everything in between. Our associates and research teams are equipped to help you through the process every step of the way. Here are five things to consider when buying your first investment property.

The weather is heating up and your calendar should be, too. Dream Builders Realty is sharing three Central Florida events in May that you won't want to miss. We share events like this every month in an effort to show you all there is to do when you call Central Florida home. No one can say living in Florida is ever dull!

Invictus Games 2016

Hosted at the ESPN Wide World of Sports® Complex, the Invictus Games is an international Paralympic-style multi-sport event, created by Prince Harry. At the games, wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and associated veterans take part in sports including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball and indoor rowing. 

The Games will be held from May 8 - 12, 2016. The military competitors will not only be in the spirit of cordial competition, but also in camaraderie among the competitors and nations (with 15 nations being represented during the event). The inaugural Invictus Games took place in London in 2014 and used the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for wounded, injured and sick Servicemen and women.

Figuring out how much equity you have in your home is sometimes the determining factor in whether you're ready to purchase your next home.

More often than not, there's only a number of reasons you're looking to purchase your next home...

• You've outgrown your current home and need something bigger (which most likely means something that will cost more than you originally spent on your first home).
• You're relocating to a new area for work, family, or a change in lifestyle.
• You're downsizing, maybe later in life, as you prepare for retirement.

If you're looking for a larger home or even relocating to a new area (maybe a more costly area than you currently live in), knowing how much equity you have in your home is important. Your home equity is the difference between the appraised value of your home and your current mortgage balance. The more equity you have, the more options you'll have.