What is Real Estate

Writen by Casey Coke

Although most widely known as the Dinosaur Capitol of Texas and for its travel and tourism appeal, Glen Rose, Texas is quickly gaining a reputation as a highly sought after city to live in. As recently as 2004, Glen Rose was voted as America's Dream Town, an honor bestowed upon the city that best exemplifies small town values, civic pride and embraces its heritage. As a result of the town's recent exposure and its proximity to the Dallas/ Fort Worth Metroplex, families and retirees are flocking to this picturesque small town located 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth and snatching up real estate at a rapid pace.

A recent story from the Journal of the Real Estate Center of Texas A&M noted that the demand of exurban housing projects, which are housing projects in rural areas that have convenient access to major urban areas as well as attractive terrain, are on the rise. Glen Rose is a city that is reaping the benefits of this growing real estate trend.

Marilyn Phillips of Sunrise Properties states, "Many times as a realtor it is my job to sell someone on the town or community. I am fortunate in that respect. Glen Rose easily sells itself. When you add excellent schools, wonderful people, proximity to the metroplex and quality of life to the great location, you see why people love it here and want to live here."

The Real Estate Center of Texas A&M (recenter.tamu.edu) also notes that the groups leading this charge to the exurban areas are retirees, second homebuyers and the largest group- nonlocal, suburban working families. Developers of the exurban communities report that this group is generally seeking a lifestyle change. They are disenchanted with the suburbs, which they feel are too dense and "cookie cutter", with congested roads, dangerous schools and too complex quality of life. They want a peaceful rural life in a country chic setting.

Hank Jones from Quad J Realty adds, "The real estate market in Glen Rose is definitely on the rise, especially among families coming here from the big city. Aside from the fact that Glen Rose is the gateway to the Texas hill country and we have these great rolling hills and clean, clear rivers, families are moving here for the fantastic school system and the incredibly low crime rate." Mr. Jones goes on to state, "Our retirement population has also been on the increase. We are seeing the retirees coming to Glen Rose because of the Squaw Valley Golf Course, which is rated as one of the top 10 public courses in Texas and because of our new medical facility, which has some of the finest medical technology available."

Its not only realtors who are enjoying the rise in the areas popularity, but builders are also experiencing heavy workloads trying to keep up with the real estate demands.

Jim Gartrell, owner of Jim Gartrell Builders, says he has seen consistent, steady growth over the past few years in terms of new homes built. One trend he has noticed is that people are buying several acres of land at a time, but are not doing anything with it.

"With the Glen Rose real estate selling so quickly, a lot of people are buying land now for use later in life for things like retirement or to pass along to children" states Mr. Gartrell. One such example is a developing subdivision just outside of town called Cheyenne Hills Estates where tracts of multiple acreage are being bought up quickly.

Another appeal to people moving to Glen Rose is the style of homes that are being built. Mr. Gartrell refers to them as "hill country" style homes. These homes are characterized by rock facades, wrap around limestone porches and metal roofs. An excellent example of this style is on one of the local hotels. The Dinosaur Valley Inn and Suites (www.dinosaurvalleyinn.com), which was featured in Southern Living magazine, was built by Jim Gartrell builders and features all of the classic elements of the "hill country" style home, but on a larger scale, and lends a down home charm to the facility and provides an excellent example of the style of homes in Glen Rose. For visitors interested in seeing this hotel, it is located directly adjacent to the new expo center.

For an area of its size, Glen Rose and the rest of Somervell County stand tall in the great state of Texas. There are really no other towns of similar size that can compare to the amenities, attractions, entertainment and relative location that Glen Rose boasts. For those reasons and many more it is clear why real estate in Glen Rose continues to be a hot commodity.

For more real estate information contact Marilyn Phillips at www.sunriseproperties.net or contact Hank Jones at www.c21quadj.com.

For builder information contact Jim Gartrell Builders at 254-897-4063.

To learn more about Glen Rose, Texas visit www.glenrosearea.com.

Casey Coke is a writer for Glenrosearea.com, a travel and tourism website for Glen Rose, TX and the surrounding communities.

Writen by Andrew Larder

Interested in investing somewhere other than your back yard?

Management companies have made it as easy to have a revenue property across the world as it is to have it across the street. You don't want to be collecting rents and plunging the toilets no matter WHERE it is!

Different laws in different countries means some research is definitely in order. Some countries don't allow you to own the land, you have to lease it. Check on title insurance to make SURE you really own it.

And just as people have bought swamp land in the United States, you need to actually VISIT your property - look at it, make sure that it is in a good area, and looks to be a good investment.

Pictures can be VERY deceiving, and if your lot is next to the city dump, for example - it'll be hard to make a profit on it! Put at least as much effort into buying a $200,000 piece of real estate as you would into buying a $10,000 used car. You'd definitely want to see it, inspect it closely, go for a spin around the block and see how it performs on the highway. Okay, that's tough to do with a piece of land, but take a walk around, get in an inspector, ask the neighbours what they think.

Probably the most important aspect of buying a property in another country is the managment company. If it is rented out, and rents rise, over time, the property will pay for itself, and pay off the mortage. In other words, with rising rents, you basically get revenue properties for free, over time. The renters pay your mortgage.

BUT.....

If you have tenant troubles, people moving in and out and big costs for re-renting, repair and renovation on an ongoing basis, let alone outright destruction - you may never see that happy day when the mortgage is paid off and some appreciation has occurred. The management company is either really good, concerned about your investment, or it is careless. Over time, THIS is the most crucial part of your investment, and should be VERY closely looked at. Talking to other clients is a quick way to get a read on their performance, and you should ask for these types of references.

Any real estate investment needs to be held on a long term basis to allow rising rents and rising property values to almost automatically make you money. A short term hold goes against these trends, especially when you factor in realtor fees, and development company profits if it is new construction. Make sure that it will truly be a "hands off" investment, and hopefully it will yield some headache free profits!

Andrew Larder International Real Estate Investing, Investments

To receive free info on no or low money down real estate investing, send a blank email to: monopolyinvestments@getresponse.com

Writen by Thomas Kish

My system teaches people that the proper use of credit is the fastest way to speed up your profits in real estate investing.

And you can use this system no matter what your own credit score is.

What you must understand is how to use a newly created business name to go out and get business credit cards and lines of credit for your real estate investing activities.

My step by step program shows you exactly how to do this the right way. So you can get the cash you need to buy and flip property for a quick profit.

Some people wonder why it is so good to get cash for real estate investing with this trick.

Well here are a few reasons -

1. No matter how much cash I get with these business cards, this debt has no impact on my credit score. It is invisible and will not show up on anyone's personal credit report.

2. Low cost to access cash from business lines of credit, unlike your typical refinance charges.

3. I want to defer any expense I can with a business credit card until the property is sold, even if that is not for 5 years.

4. Everyone gets a much better cash on cash return when you defer expenses with business credit.

5. In many cases my mortgage forces me to make a principal payment every month. So now I can return that cash flow back into my pocket without costly refinance charges every 2 years.

6. And finally, I can triple my cash flow every month, which lets me purchase more great real estate 3 times faster, and retire in luxury 20 years faster than the average american!

HERE ARE THE TRICKS ---------------------------

But, you need to know some of the dirty tricks the credit card companies try to pull on you when you are following this system.

---some business lenders will randomly pull credit to see if you are personally carrying a lot of debt as it relates to your available credit. If you do not keep most of your debt shifted to the name of a new business you create you can get a nasty surprise.

The bank will sometimes raise your interest rate when you begin to carry a lot of debt in your own name. This is another great reason to keep debt out of your own name when possible.

---some business credit cards will lock down your line of credit during the first month you start using it while they wait for you to make the first payment. So if you think you will need all the cash before the first monthly payment is made, just take all the cash out at once when you get the card.

---and my favorite way to use these cards that no one else talks about is to transfer an existing personal credit card balance onto a new business card you just received.

You can call up the bank that issues you a brand new business credit card and tell them you want to make a balance transfer. Then you can give them the account number for one of your maxed out personal credit cards and they will put that debt into the business credit card.

This is the best way to make your personal debt disappear from public records and improve your personal credit score!!!

Of course you must still pay this debt back the same as if it was still in your personal name. But when it's on your business credit card it's invisible and your credit score will jump up!

------------------- --------------------

And see why my HOW TO BEAT THE SYSTEM in real estate investing, is the ultimate NO MONEY DOWN system that will make you rich quickly.

When you buy real estate with cash from a business line of credit you are a CASH BUYER, but you have not used any of your own money for the down payment.

My system shows you how to do this no matter WHAT YOUR CREDIT SCORE is!

Don't limit your real estate investing to gimmicks like creative financing.

Buy anything you want with real CASH. Just go out and get it using my HOW TO BEAT THE SYSTEM in real estate investing.

Sincerely, Thomas Kish
President of CashFlowExperts.Biz

Tom is a full time real estate investor. He has purchased and sold over 5 million dollars worth of real estate in less than 2 years.

Tom is an expert in using new business lines of credit instead of cash to buy real estate. There is no one else teaching anything like this SYSTEM of real estate investing!

http://cashflowexperts.biz/cmd.asp?ad=137545

Writen by Jacqui O'Brien

The majority of people in the UK who are looking to move house use the internet to find properties for sale. So it makes sense to ensure that your property is on the web if you want to sell. If you are with an estate agent, most will list your property on one of the major property portals. However more and more people, tired of paying thousands of pounds to estate agents who do little work, are voting with their feet and deciding to sell their home by themselves.

There are over 100 websites in the UK where you can advertise your home for sale, ranging from a basic text listing to a full internet estate agent service. However most will have a limit to the amount of information which you can add and the number of photographs which you can include. Often this will be much less information than in an estate agent's details.

The answer is to create your own webpage to sell your house. You don't have to be a great computer expert, and you could do it all in an evening, using this step by step plan.

Where can I host my webpage?

Maybe you have some free webspace offered by your Internet Service Provider. Now is the time to use it! If you know a little about web design you are very lucky, as all you need is some very basic knowledge of HTML and you are ready to make an effective webpage. If not, you can use a word processing package such as Microsoft Word which will convert a document to a webpage.

If you don't have webspace you can use the free webspace offered by well-known search engines such as Lycos Tripod or Yahoo Geocities. Most will have website building packages too, so that you can simply enter the information into a template and you have an instant website.

Write a concise title for your page

Write one sentence using as few words as possible which sum up your property, for example 'For Sale: Three-bedroom semi-detached house in London'. Use this as your page title.

Prepare your details

However you decide to create your webpage, prepare your details beforehand using word processing package. You can do this in your own time, it will check your spelling for you and you won't lose all your work if your browser crashes. Measure all your rooms and give the measurements in both metric and imperial. Remember to add anything interesting or unusual about the house, special about its location and mention if it is in catchment for a good school.

Take your photos

Use a digital camera to take your pictures if at all possible. You can take prints and scan them but there is always a loss of quality. Photograph the front of your house and all the best features, the nicest rooms, the best corner of the garden, the great view if you have one. Take loads. Now choose only the best few pictures and make the image sizes as small as possible. If your image manipulation software allows you to optimise for the web, do it, it makes a very big difference to download times.

Put it all together

Now put together your main webpage. Use a simple design with a pale background, dark text and go easy on the animated icons! You want people to look at your house, not be distracted by a garish design. You also want it to load fast so only put the best picture of the front of your house on this page. Add your written details. Put extra photos on separate pages, only a few to a page. Use informative links, for example 'Click here for pictures of our large mature garden' is good, 'more pictures' won't invite many people to look.

Give them even more!

There are several websites which offer maps of the UK which you can link to. Help prospective buyers find you easily by adding this to your page. If you know a bit about technical drawing you could make your own floor plans and include them in the website – this would be a real bonus as they are still quite unusual. Finally if you are a wizard with a video camera you could have a go at making your own virtual tour.

Finally, add your contact details

Now include your phone number and an email address. You may want to use a free 'disposable' email address for this, because putting your email address on the web will tend to attract spam. Alternatively there are many websites that will produce a scrambled version of your email address which will work perfectly but cannot be read by spammers.

Now all you need to do is upload your website. You can submit the website to search engines and don't forget to include the website address (URL) with your emails, flyers, newspaper advertisements, on your 'For Sale' sign, and link to it from FSBO websites.

Jacqui O'Brien is the owner of http://www.ahomeofmyown.co.uk the directory of UK Private Seller property websites where you can also list your own home webpage for free.

Writen by Raynor James

Taking title to a home can seem like a boilerplate event during escrow, but it is very important. The prime question is how you take title.

Taking Title When You Buy

If you are a first time buyer, you are probably wondering what taking title refers to. It is not the act of accepting a piece of paper from the seller. Taking title refers to who is listed on the title and HOW they are listed. If you are not married and are buying the home alone, you can stop reading now because you simply take the title in your own name. If you are married or buying the property with another person, things get a bit complex.

Most buyers take title in one of three ways – joint tenancy, tenants in common or as community property. Here is a closer look at each.

Joint tenancy is a popular method of taking title. Joint tenancy simply is a co-ownership situation where the purchasing parties are both listed on the title. The advantage of this form of ownership is each person on title has the right of survivorship, meaning that if one of the owners dies, title passes automatically to the surviving owner. Joint tenancy also offers tax benefits in the form of a stepped up basis. It is beyond the scope of this article, but the general idea is that the surviving owner gets to step up the cost of the home, which saves on capital gains taxes.

Tenants in common are essentially partnerships to own a property. They are generally disfavored because of tax issues.

Taking title as community property occurs often, but the buyers often do not realize it. If you are in a community property state, such as California, you pretty much take title as community property unless you hire a lawyer to find a way not to. Community property states have an overriding policy that funds from a married couples estate, not to mention assets, are jointly owned by both regardless of anything in writing. There are, however, some advantages to this approach. Upon the death of one spouse, the other gets a major stepped up basis on the cost of the home. When the property is sold, this results in substantial savings on capital gains.

So, which title should you choose when buying a home? There really is not one correct answer. You simply need to analyze your specific circumstances to make the best choice.

Raynor James is with the FSBO site - FSBOAmerica.org - homes for sale by owner.

Writen by Carlo Caparras

In the recent years since the dawn of man, Real Estate property has been one of the utmost concerns of living beings. Even animals compete for Real Estate and man has developed a ways of Real Estate ownership. In spite of numerous wars and lawsuits over the 5000 year history over Real Estate ownership, technology and economics have made it into a powerful business industry.

In the USA in the last 10 years the online Multiple Listing Service (MLS) have provided Real Estate professionals the most powerful tool ever created since the "title". The MLS removes the need for the 6 degrees theory where someone needs to know somebody who needs to know somebody who knows somebody to make buyers and sellers meet each other.

The MLS has been such a huge success to Realtors in the USA that other counties have tried to emulate the concept the past few years but it never seemed to have enough funding or internet reach to achieve the success that it had in the states.

Recently the US has another innovation in the MLS; it's called an MLS only listing. MLS rules requires that only licensed REALTORS have access to place listings in the MLS a lot of Realtors allowed sellers to place their home in the MLS for a Flat fee and no listing commission

This is a pure list only service, using giving any seller the marketing reach of the MLS while allowing them to save on listing commissions. This irked a lot of realtors since the reduced service pertains to a lot of reduced professionalism in the industry. A lot of states seem to agree as they have implemented a minimum service law preventing the MLS only listing service concept from being served "as is".

Flat Fee MLS only service not only removes the professional in selling the home on one side of the table it also it gives more work for the buyers agent. But the question is. Does everyone really need to have a full service listing agent? It may be true that a lot of sellers are amateurs and require their services. Then if they can afford to pay the extra 2-3% for the seller side, then it's not a problem. But how about investors, developers, retired agents, people who sold properties before and banks that already know what they are doing. Is it necessary to have a Realtor on their end when they sell dozens of properties a month as their profession? A lot of Flat Fee MLS clients are Realtors themselves who let another Realtor list their property in adjacent MLS boards where they are not members. Is there really a natural competition between the 2 services? Or is it a just a whole new innovation to the time tested Real Estate Wheel.

People get what they pay for, more often than not. If they are aware of what they are buying, they will always make the right choice.

Carlo Caparras is currently the executive vice president for American Real Estate and Mortgage LLC. Overseeing day to day operations of the company and spearheading all the expansion and innovation projects. A background in Telecommunications, computers and psychology. The Author spends a lot of his free time as a Director of World Care international. A non-profit organization devoted to giving free education to Americans, Eastern Europe, and 3rd world countries.

Writen by Jimmy Sturo

Among the different real estate options in the market, one of the most popular is the condominium. This is because condominiums have distinct features that make them the ideal option for certain types of buyers, which include single people and retirees. Moreover, there are also a number of advantages in owning condos instead of stand-alone homes, which have also added to their popularity. However, as with other types of properties, there are also different types of condos that buyers can choose from that cater to different requirements and preferences. People who are considering buying a townhouse would do well to look at the different features that each type of condo has so that they can pick the type that would best fit their needs.

Types of condos

Some of the most common types of condos include condominium apartments, condominium townhouses, and freehold townhouses, which all differ with regard to their structure and the type of ownership regulations that come with buying them. One distinct difference is that with condo townhouses, people are given more "freedom" as compared to condo apartments, as some condo townhouses are built in a way that people get t have their own small yard and garage spaces. However, apart from these differences, almost all types of condos provide the same environment given that condominium living is all about communal living, which involve sharing common spaces and following common rules.

Evidence to this is the fact that almost all condominium properties have a homeowner's association, which is responsible for the maintenance of the units and the implementation of the agreed rules among unit owners. The only drawback to this kind of set up is that there are cases wherein homeowner associations tend to promote uniformity among unit owners, which makes it hard for some homeowners to personalize their homes because there are rules that discourage them from doing so.

Among the different types of condominiums in the market, one of the most popular is the condo townhouse, as it provides homeowners with more freedom as compared to condo apartments. However, apart from slight differences, almost all types of condos provide the same communal living environment bound by rules. Given this, homeowners also need to consider the rules that the homeowner's associations have put in place in the condominium property that they are interested in, as this can help them assess whether they can live with such rules or not.

Condos provides detailed information on Condos, Condo Townhouses, Condos For Sale, Condo Rentals and more. Condos is affiliated with Annuity Buyer Payments.

Writen by Sara James

To hold a note means you are accepting payments as a bank would from someone who has signed a promise to pay over a period of time for a certain amount of interest. There are many people holding Real Estate Notes that they never wanted to hold in the first place (ie..seller finance),or may need a lump sum of money due to unexpected expenses. Many people may need cash now to pay medical bills, settle a tax debt, pay for college tuition, or start a business. The list goes on an on.

If you fall into one of these categories and hold a Real Estate Note, but no longer want to get your money in small monthly payments and instead need a large lump sum of money there is help. There are many reputable investors willing to purchase Real Estate Notes at a discount. The investor is willing to buy because they know that they can make a profit from the discount. Without the discount there is no incentive. The seller is willing to sell because they need a large lump some of money for reasons already described.

But there is another factor that motivates individuals to sell their Real Estate Note and that is the factor of time. With time comes risk. The longer an individual holds a Real Estate note then the longer note holder has to wait for their money, and the greater the chances that they will receive only part of it, or even not at all. In addition, the value of money depreciates with time--$1 will buy more now than it will 15 years. That is to say money in hand today is worth more than the promise of money in the future. And the investors are more willing to accept the risk of the payor defaulting in hope to turn a profit.

And if you hold a Real Estate Note and no longer want the risk, but have no need for a lump sum of money you can still benefit by re-investing the money in a secure government bond or other secured investment.

Sara James is a publisher for Cash Note Marketing. Cash Note Marketing works with private individuals to liquidate their Real Estate Cash Notes. Cash Note Marketing has a network of investors that purchases privately held notes across the country. For more information, please visit: http://www.cash4cashflows.com/cashnotemarketing

Writen by Nancy Woodward

As a Real Estate Agent, I read articles from various sources. I read an article today that gave me reason to think. Is safety an issue when you are showing a house?

The article I read indicated the agent gets to an open house and hides the knives and sharp objects prior to hosting the open house. This agent is very safety conscious. She protects herself from the public as much as she can. Her point - I'm doing an open house. Everyone knows it is going on - see the sign and balloons. They know there is a potential to find a Real Estate Agent alone if there are no vehicles in the area.

This agent checks the sex-offender registry before going to an appointment with a potential client she is has never met. Agents in other areas have experienced problems in vacant houses.

Is she right? Well, I think that is a matter of opinion. I agree you must be safety conscious at all times. You must be aware of the potential, the crime rate in your area, the trends going on in the area you work, the neighborhood you are visiting and/or working in regularly. Use good judgment and mostly importantly "be aware".

Nancy Woodward is an Accountant and Real Estate Professional. She is online RealEstate

Writen by Paul Wells

Funding is a critical part of any business, whether it is a real estate investing business or some other type of business. In this article I describe some ways to fund your foreclosure investing deals.

A business won't last long without the funding it needs to stay afloat and to conduct business. In the business of creative real estate it's important to have that funding in place as quickly as possible and as accessible as possible.

Realize, though, that it will take time to find people so start now and remember it will take a track record to get your private money. That being said if you find the right deal you can find the money. The right deal would be 70% Loan-To-Value after repairs. There are many strategies to secure the funding you need to lock in good deals like that.

When I first began as a real estate investor I neglected the importance of having funding in place so I could pull the trigger on deals as they came up. Where was I going to find the money to fund the deals I would always ask myself? I saw many other investors doing deals and having the funding in place.

I went through the basic avenues of where to get money. Where is the one place that everyone thinks they can get money? A bank, right?

I came to find out that is the wrong answer. What is the preoccupation with banks in this country? I can only figure that is the way people have been trained. My thought is that there must be a reason why many of the tallest buildings in any given town have the name of banks on them. I don't want to fund those buildings or those names on them.

In my entire career as a full-time real estate investor I have never used a bank to fund any of my deals. There are other ways you can fund your deals besides a bank.

If your house has enough equity you can take out a home equity loan where you write yourself a check against the equity in your house. You can also open a line of credit on your house. You can create partnerships with other investors where you can share a percentage of the profits.

When I first started in this business my first investor would write the checks for any amount I asked him for--however, he charged outrageous fees. For example, if I borrowed $100,000 and we made $30,000 on a deal, my investor got his $100,000 plus 12% while the deal was in process, as well as half the profits at the back end. In the long term, we would split the profit and the investor would get half the profits, plus 12%. It was very, very high, but you know, I needed the money and I wanted to get my business started and I was willing to do it. Over time I learned that that was very expensive money so I began looking for other ways to fund my business.

One of the first ways you can fund your business is to look for creative funding or financing techniques with the sellers of the properties. A lot of times sellers that are motivated to sell their homes will do just about anything to make a deal happen because they want out of the house. As my business began to grow and the activity began to grow, I knew that the number one activity in my business was to find funding, particularly private money.

Paul Wells has been investing in foreclosures full-time for more than 5 years. For more foreclosure investing secrets like the one in this article, subscribe to Paul's Free Foreclosure Investing course here: http://www.FreeForeclosureInvesting.com

Writen by Kostas Lagopodis

Real estate investing is one of the most attractive ways of making good money (that is if you do it correct). Moreover, real estate investing is also a lot of fun. A lot of people practice real estate investing as their core profession and, in fact, make a lot of money that way.

Real estate investing is really an art and, like any art, it takes time to master the art of real estate investing. The key, of course, is to buy at a lower price and sell at higher price and make a profit even after paying all the costs involved in the two (buy/sell) transactions.

Generally, people are of the opinion that real estate investing makes sense only when the rates are on the rise. However, real estate investing for profits is possible just about any time (and as I just said, real estate investing is an art). Here is a list of tricks that can make real estate investing profitable for you:

1) Look for public auctions, divorce settlements and foreclosures (bank/FHA/VA): Since quick settlement is the preference here (and not price), you might get a property at a price that is much lower than the prevailing market rate. You can then make arrangements to sell it at the market rate over a short period of time. However, make sure that the property is worth the price you are paying.

2) Looking for old listings: The old listings that are still unsold may provide you with good real estate investing opportunities. Just get hold of an old newspaper and call up the sellers. They might have given up hope of selling that property at all and with a bit of negotiation you can get the property for a real low price.

3) The hidden treasure: A really old (and dirty) looking house may scare off buyers. But this might be your chance for real estate investing that can yield good profits. So, explore such properties and check if spending a bit on them can make them shine. You can get these at very low prices and make a big profit in a short time.

4) Team up with attorneys: There are a number of attorneys who handle property sales on behalf of sellers or in special circumstances (like the death of the property owner). They might sometimes be looking to dispose off the property rather quickly and hence at a low price. Be the first one to grab such real estate investing opportunities and enjoy the profits.

5) Keep tab on the newspaper announcements: Property sell offs due to deaths, divorce settlements, immediate cash requirements and other reason are frequently announced in local papers. Keep track of such real estate investing avenues.

For more information and tips about Real estate investing please visit our web site: http://www.3arealestate.com

Writen by Wallace Conway

Seems almost every situation in our lives is centered on communication. Good or bad, the way we express our thoughts, wants, and needs to each other determines how we live, love, and learn together.

As a guy who is a regular on the seminar circuit, does a live radio show, an HGTV television show, writes books, columns, and articles, and all the while runs a thriving home inspection company, I get to do a great amount of communicating. Some of that communication is by transmitting; some of it is by receiving. After much reflection, I have come to the conclusion that nothing is learned when we transmit, but great gains come from receiving. That is to say, we learn when we listen, not when we speak.

Not a day goes by that I am not listening to Realtors. Most days I listen to more than a few, some days more than a dozen, and on occasion, I listen to hundreds at a single seminar sitting. The things Realtors tell me help me get better. Better at home inspecting, better at dealing with customers, better on the radio, just better at every aspect of my professional life! But all that input is not without moments. Those moments range from the amazing to the zealous, sad to humorous, and brilliant to well, less than brilliant!

One of my favorite Realtor quotes follow, complete with my thoughts and commentary. A disclaimer before we begin, if this particular quote sounds like you, know that none of what follows is from a single source, but representative of things I hear on a near daily basis.

"You don't need a home inspection, you're getting a home warranty".

Seems to make sense to some that if items are warranted, their condition is of little importance. But among the problems with this thought are:

1. All items that might fail may not be warranted, and
2. Items presently not functioning would be exempted from coverage as an existing problem.

When explaining the relationship of the home inspection to the home warranty, consider the home inspection to be a physical exam and the warranty to be health insurance. Would you ever expect to hear someone say, "you don't need a physical exam, you've got health insurance"? Doesn't seem to make much sense, does it? That is essentially what we are saying to our customers with the "you don't need a home inspection, you are getting a home warranty" comment!

Let's flip it around now. How about "you don't need a home warranty, you are getting a home inspection". Here's the medical equivalent, "you don't need health insurance, you just had a physical exam"!

Insane!

In so many instances, when I have been able to explain a new or complex home related issue to a customer in equivalent medical terms, they suddenly get it. They seem to understand and are now comfortable. Clearly, most homebuyers are not in the medical profession, but the language is familiar to them. Must be from watching ER or Marcus Welby reruns!

So be clear in your communications with your customers. Be ready and able to clearly articulate a compelling argument for anything you wish to say. And above all, EDUCATE your customers. Educate them on why they need a home inspection, a home warranty, or whatever the subject is. Teach them how to choose a qualified home inspector. Teach them how to make a good decision on any real estate subject or issue. They will love you for it!

This subject and more about the interactions and relationships in real estate are discussed in Wally Conway's book, "Secrets of the Happy Home Inspector", available at GoHomePro.com or Amazon.com. As a speaker, writer, instructor, and host of The Happy Home Inspector radio show every Saturday at 3 PM on WOKV 690, Wally blends the right amount of up-to-date information with just the right amount of humor, insight, motivation, and real-world application.

Visit WallyConway.com or GoHomePro.com for more information!

Writen by Jeanette Joy Fisher

To make the maximum profit on your investment properties, you'll need to save money wherever you can. One way to save significant amounts of money is to mix your own paint.

I recommend that you use only water-based paints. Technology improvements in latex and acrylic paints have made painting easier than it was with the old fashioned oil-based paints, and the new acrylics provide a great-looking finish. Purchasing "oops paint," marked down at home improvement and paint stores, can save hundreds of dollars on your painting projects.

By mixing your own paints, you can also guarantee a harmonious result for the entire house, blending the colors from the exterior to the interior and from room to room. For instance, during one of our projects, we purchased ten assorted gallons of paint from the Restore thrift shop. The paint hade been donated by Lowe's after having been returned by the original buyers, and included a lot of blues, greens, and grays. We used a fifteen-gallon plastic kitchen trash can to mix all the paint together, and then poured it back into the original cans. The color ended up a complex sage-green, which perfectly complemented the existing teal-green tile floor.

We used the original trash-can paint outside first, and then added white interior paint as we continued our color scheme inside, first painting the living room and a bathroom. Then I added a little green to the remainder and painted a bedroom. For each room, we added a little more white semi-gloss paint. As we went along, we saved a glass jar full of each paint blend for touch ups.

Paint experts suggest mixing only the same type of paints: exterior latex with exterior latex; interior acrylic with interior acrylic; interior latex with interior latex, and so on. But we routinely mix exterior and interior paints, and have never experienced any difficulty. The amount of sheen makes little difference in mixing paints, either, unless you're looking for a particular finish.

For one project, I started with five gallons of thrift store baby-blue paint, and then added a quart of black, in order to "gray down" the baby-blue. As we progressed through the bedrooms, I added a little more white semi-gloss latex paint to the mix. When I was done, the entire upstairs of the home blended harmoniously, yet each space had its own color and personality.

For another doghouse transformation, I added amber pigment, which you can pick up at most paint suppliers (but use it sparingly, because a little goes a long way), to five gallons of boring beige paint. We started in the main bedroom with the darker color and added white as we went along. The lightest shade ended up in a living room with a 23-foot-high ceiling.

Remember: oops paint is no different from regular paint. It was just a mistake, for whatever reason, and in case you're wondering how long oops paint can last, we recently drove by our very first doghouse-to-dollhouse home in Apple Valley, California, and the paint still looks great, even though that home was originally painted in 1979.

(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm

Writen by Jeanette Joy Fisher

If you moved before selling your home, you might be left with a vacant house costing you double mortgage payments. Here are some home staging tips to help you.

Home staging has proven to sell houses in less time and for more money.

According to a report by the Christian Science Monitor, March 2006, staged homes sell for 7.4 percent more and twice as fast. Many home staging services will furnish your vacant house with their furniture and charge you a monthly fee, with prices ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 per month.

These high fees may be worth the investment. However, if you don't have the extra cash, there are simple was to get the staged home advantage without spending a lot of money.

New marketing and interior design psychology ideas help you stage homes for sale to motivate buyers and generate top-dollar offers. Instead of leaving investment houses vacant, add a few props to increase your profits.

To gather interior design ideas, visit nearby model homes and take a close look at the way the interior designers dressed the homes to sell. Notice how the designers under-furnished the model homes by using just enough accessories to make a superb marketing presentation, without over doing it to make the rooms seem crowded or small.

You don't need to add as much furniture to your vacant home to encourage buyers to visualize their own furniture in the home. That's the key to your selling strategy--to make your home FEEL like the buyer's dream home.

Use a few props to dress up your vacant house. This helps you sell quickly for more money in many ways:

• Props chosen with your target buyer in mind help reinforce the desired emotions.
• Props add perspective with visual depth -- vacant rooms look flat.
• Props, especially fabric cover round tables, soften the hollow, echo sound.
• Props help to keep property in the mind of buyers who view many houses in a row.
• Props create focal points for buyers to imagine their own furnishings in the home and get them thinking about living in the space.

Learn how to take advantage of interior design psychology home staging. Find out how to profile your target buyer and use interior design details proven to turn houses into buyers' dream homes.

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Jeanette Fisher, America's "Dream Home" Maker, invites you to join a free home sellers teleseminar http://sellfast.info/free_home_sellers_teleseminar.htm. Visit HomeStaging.US for free Home Staging Information.

Writen by Rhiannon Williamson

Are you one of a growing number of people considering buying a second home in the sun, an idyllic home from home abroad or a lucrative investment property overseas? If so you're not alone! Statistics show that globally we're all on the move with a recent survey by YouGov revealing that 55% of adult Britons were "seriously considering settling in another country" and the British Centre for Future Studies predicting that by 2020 one tenth of the current British population will be living or working abroad!

Add to this the fact that there was a 250% increase between 2000 and 2004 in the number of Britons buying property abroad solely for investment purposes, that over one and a quarter million Brits own second homes in Spain and France already and that the Office for National Statistics in the UK recently revealed that 200,000 Britons go overseas yearly with the intention of remaining for at least twelve months, and you can see that the passion for buying that dream home abroad is universal.

But what's fuelling this ever growing interest in the overseas property market?

Well, despite reports to the contrary the UK housing market is seemingly ever on the up and those Britons who're acquiring massive levels of equity through their residential property are considering selling up, buying abroad and establishing a pension fund simply on the back of what they have left over from their house sale. Others in Britain can't actually afford to get on the first rung of the property ladder and some are looking abroad to find more affordable housing. Then of course there's the state and confusion surrounding the pensions market which is getting ever worse meaning that a growing number of Britons are considering the option of buying a second property abroad to let out for an income towards retirement. Others just share a commonly held dream of owning a holiday home in the sun or escaping the rat race to get a new life overseas.

Whatever reasons you may have for considering buying property abroad one thing is for certain; before you go ahead and buy you should understand some of the far reaching legal, financial and taxation implications of buying abroad. This article examines ten top points worthy of your consideration.

1) The British national obsession with property prices, equity and re-mortgaging is as foreign a concept in many other countries as mushy peas or vinegar on your chips so don't just assume that your second home will rise in value and don't assume that it'll be easy to sell. Do your homework to see whether the property market you're interested in can support and sustain your particular hopes and ambitions for it. In countries such as Northern Cyprus and Bulgaria the real estate market has been suppressed for so long that property prices remain highly competitive and many can see the room for substantial growth in the market. In other countries such as Spain, France and Portugal where the property market has been soaring for years can you expect the same levels of growth to continue? Know that every country's property market is different. If you decide to compare overseas markets to the UK housing market some may not appear as buoyant, however consider examining the longer term trends. Speak to established estate agencies in your country of choice to find out whether the market is stable or stale. If it's stable then you're more likely to enjoy a steady, realistic increase in your property's value rather than the extreme peaks and troughs that the UK market tends towards. If on the other hand the market is stale you need to consider the economy of the country and whether it's due a positive correction any time soon.

2) Factor in regular travel costs needed for visiting your second home when you establish your budget. Keep in mind any extra visits you might have to make occasionally to organise repairs and renovation for example. This sounds so obvious but sadly many people are caught out and find that they cannot holiday in their new home as often as they like: or worse still - once they move abroad they find they can't get 'home' for visits to the family etc. Budget wisely and don't get caught out!

3) If you intend to rent out your second home you must declare this income to the tax man in your country of residence I'm afraid! Furthermore it may be necessary to declare it in the country in which the new house is located depending on the double taxation agreements in place between the two countries. Make sure you seek solid tax advice before making any concrete buying decisions.

4) If you're intending to let out your property make sure you know how much it's going to cost to have an agent manage both the day-to-day running of your property together with organising the rental side of things for you. You'll need a good agent to make sure your best interests are always protected especially if you're not going to remain resident in the country the property is located in. Factor these extra costs into your budget or reduce them from your projected rental income to get a realistic idea of the income potential of your property. Remember you'll still need to pay a management agent during any weeks and months the property remains unoccupied.

5) Consider the local tax implications of buying, owning and selling your property as property and land tax in some countries can make UK stamp duty and council tax pale into insignificance. In Northern Cyprus for example tax rates are not currently excessive but they are subject to change, therefore always get up-to-date tax and fee facts and figures from your estate agent – furthermore, make sure you check the figures with a local lawyer or accountant.

6) Make a will to cover local inheritance tax laws and make sure your overseas property is also detailed in a will held in your country of residence. Specialist legal advice should always be sought when you hold property in more than one country as inheritance laws not only differ greatly depending on the country, but certain local inheritance laws can completely contradict and invalidate your main will.

7) Factor the legal bills that you will incur when buying, renting or selling your property into your overall budget. You can be charged all sorts of extras like notary fees, valuation fees, translation fees etc., and if you factor them in you shouldn't get any nasty surprises.

8) Be aware of the legalities of any contract you enter into. Find a reputable lawyer, get key documents translated, and know that ignorance is never a valid excuse! Not understanding the language in which your key legal contracts are written is a problem, don't ignore the problem! Don't blindly sign on the dotted line; it's your responsibility to get informed.

9) Buying through an offshore company to avoid certain taxes, expenses and laws is sometimes an option open to an individual interested in purchasing abroad. Whether this route is actually the best route is massively debateable! Firstly it depends on the country in which you're buying. Secondly, local agents may be incorrectly advising foreigners by basing their advice on the local situation. This method of approach can be beneficial but it could land you in a whole lot more taxation mess both abroad and at home! There are specialist companies out there who can advise you based on your individual situation and as it's not a case of one method suiting all, be careful and get informed. Find out the following, if you do buy through an offshore company and wish to take the property out of that company in the future how easy will that be to do, will you incur an expense, will there be further tax liabilities if you decide to sell your company owned property, and what happens if you try to take the profit from the sale, will you be taxed? Also consider the taxation situation from the UK point of view and the local situation in your country of choice.

10) What option would you like to take when it comes to financing your purchase? Are you considering equity release or a second mortgage, cash or a mortgage in the local currency? Know the pros and cons of each option. Cash may seem like the easiest and best way to go but do you want to have all that money tied up in a relatively slow to liquidise overseas asset? So what about a mortgage in the local currency? You need to consider the stability of the currency and fluctuating exchange rates. When moving money overseas either in a lump sum or to meet regular monthly financial commitments there are options available to you to reduce currency fluctuation risks – consider spot or forward transactions, speak to a financial adviser or foreign exchange risk expert to find out the options available. If you're considering equity release or a second mortgage this might be a cheap option at the moment – but remember you'd risk losing one or both homes if you fell behind on payments!

When it comes to the considerations you need to make when exploring the idea of purchasing a second home abroad these ten top tips are not exhaustive but should provide some food for thought. Going forward from here you should remain informed; don't enter into an idea abroad that you wouldn't entertain 'back home' and seek professional legal, financial and taxation advice at every step of the way.

Rhiannon Williamson is the publisher of http://www.shelteroffshore.com/ - the online resource that guides you to a low tax, maximum investment profit lifestyle abroad.

Shelter Offshore features three main channels - offshore investment, property investment abroad and overseas lifestyle.

Rhiannon Williamson is also the author of 'The Offshore Advantage' http://www.shelteroffshore.com/index.php/shelter/offshore_advantage/ which teaches readers how to build secure wealth using their secret offshore advantage.

Writen by Matt Morrison

If you are interested in purchasing one of the many Florida mobile homes that are currently for sale, you should be sure you know what to look for in a mobile home purchase. A mobile home can be a great way to own property of your own without the excessive costs of traditional housing. However, knowing what to look for in buying Florida mobile homes is essential to protecting your financial interests.

One of the first things you should know before you purchase any one of the Florida Mobile homes you are considering is that you need to be aware of both the exterior facets and the interior facets of whatever mobile home purchase you make. Buying a mobile home is more than just the features you can see on the inside and out. You want a mobile home that will last a lifetime. As a result, you need to choose one that has been built out of solid construction materials to keep you and the occupants of your mobile home safe. Durable homes will last much longer and will make you a happier mobile home owner in the long run.

Another thing you need to consider before purchasing one of the many Florida mobile homes on the market is the location. Are you planning to purchase one of the many Florida mobile homes that are already located on a lot you can purchase for additional money? If so, be sure to factor in the cost of the lot to your budget projections. If you intend to purchase a home without a lot, don't forget that you will also need to find the perfect lot to fit your new Florida mobile home. You need to check zoning requirements for the lot you purchase to make sure that mobile homes are allowed in the area. Moreover, you will need to make sure the home will fit on your new lot. The cost of the lot as well as the cost of any water, sewer, or gas hookup fees should also factor into your budget for purchasing your mobile home.

When you get ready to make your purchase choice from the many Florida mobile homes, consult with several banks to get the best deal on the mobile home loan. It is important to keep in mind that many banks don't have mortgage options for mobile homes, so checking around might be essential to your mobile home mortgage.

There are many factors when you decide to purchase one of the many Florida mobile homes available on the market today. Taking all of those factors into consideration will help ensure a smooth purchase process.

Matt Morrison is a regular author for Florida South Homes and California Real Estate Pierce

Writen by Michael Turner

Getting your real estate website more traffic is easy if you know how Internet marketing works, not to mention search engine optimization. Your goal is to get as much traffic as possible to your website, but not just any traffic, targeted traffic. Targeted traffic is the traffic that might actually have some interest in your product or service, in this case real estate, and be more likely to buy than untargeted traffic you might pick up. Fortunately, there are five easy steps to help you crush the competition and double your business.

Step #1 - Links

Links to your real estate website on the Internet are very important marketing tools because not only do they increase your rankings with the search engines, they also expose you to more potential traffic. Because of this you must do everything you can do get your site linked to from many different complementing websites. The more links you have, the more traffic you'll receive, and the more sales you'll make.

Step #2 - Keywords

Knowing the keywords that apply to your campaign and using them effectively is very important for driving targeted traffic to your realty web pages. When you use keywords efficiently and someone searches for those precise keywords, your page will be displayed as a result. Search engines give preference to keywords so you should know what you are doing when you start putting keywords in your content.

Step #3 - Directories

Find all of the real estate directories that appeal to your services and your market and submit your website to them. People searching real estate directories will come across your site listing and visit you. This is a great way to increase traffic.

Step #4 - Pay Per Click Advertising

Pay per click advertising is an affordable way to market your real estate site based on keywords and paid advertisements. You only pay for the PPC advertisement when someone clicks on it and visits your website. Many search engines offer pay per click advertising and you simply bid on the keywords you want advertising for. If you are the high bidder you get the first slot, and so on and so forth.

Step #5 - Articles

Place articles on your website about specific topics pertaining to the current real estate market in your area, nationwide, or current interest rates. New and informative information will keep visitors coming back.

If you follow these five tips you will see higher traffic on your website not to mention increased interest in your products and services. You will realize that these marketing tips are easy to use and following them will put your real estate website above all the rest. Don't delay any longer or lose anymore potential clients. Start to work on your Internet marketing campaign immediately and start enjoying the fruits of your labor!

Michael Turner reveals his foolproof way to increase website traffic in his free 7 part mini-series. Grab it free right now at http://www.powertraffictactics.com/

Writen by Joe Cline

Decide to Sell
Deciding to sell your home is a big decision. The first step in this process should be to understand your motivations, expectations, financial considerations, goals and what you plan to do upon the sale of your home. Many people begin the sale process with unrealistic expectations or unclear goals. It then becomes difficult to meet their goals because these goals have never been clearly defined. You must begin to view your house, no longer as your home, but as an investment property that you want to market.

Setting the Price
Of course one of your most difficult questions is the listing price of your house. What price should you ask? This is an important part of the sales process. If you set the asking price too high, you may scare away buyers. Agents who feel that your house would not be a good investment may not even show the house. After the house sits on the market for a while, people begin to feel that there is something wrong with it because it hasn't sold. Even if you could sell your house for an inflated price, many times a lender won't approve a loan on a house that doesn't appraise for that amount and the sale might fall through at the last minute. If you under price the home, you won't realize the maximum potential of your investment.

Many people do a quick comparison of price per square foot, but that does not take several variables into consideration and can sometimes be misleading. Take into account many different factors including other comparable listings, special features of your home, neighborhood and local school information, current market conditions, availability of mortgages and insurance, supply of homes in your area and price range and recent sales.

Marketing Plan
Decide on incentives that to be offered to buyers, determine the best places to advertise, and determine how to show the home. Remember that that goal is to sell the home for the highest price, in the least time, with the fewest hassles.

Prepare the Home for Showing
There are two important ways that you can have an impact in making your house attractive to buyers: property condition and listing price. After deciding on a listing price, setup an appointment with a decorating company. They will give you some suggestions for making your house look its best. This process is called "staging." The suggestions might be simple such as clearing cluttered counter tops. Or they might be more involved such as painting front doors or repairing obvious defects.

The staging company will look at your house from room to room and will offer advice on how to make each room show great. They will also look at the exterior street appeal, backyard and garage. They have a lot of tips that can make your house shine. After this meeting, you will have a list of what you should do to prepare your house for sale. Following these suggestions in a timely manner will ensure your home shows at its best.

Remember that "staging" addresses the appearance of the house and not necessarily other problems, which might become evident during an inspection. An inspection will uncover most defects that eventually may have to be repaired. In this way you can have the repairs done before a potential buyer's inspection uncovers a defect that might cause a buyer to either change his mind or to want a substantial repair allowance deducted from the price. It is a signal to buyers that you are a responsible, reputable seller. It also allows you to have plenty of time to schedule any work that might need to be done.

Offer a residential service contract to buyers. This guarantees the major appliances in your home as well as other systems and structures. You can also include coverage for your house while it is on the market so you don't have to pay for any unexpected repairs.

Marketing the Home
Now the fun begins. Here are some ideas that can be used to promote your home.

• Arrange for a professional evaluation and staging of the home
• Offer a pre-inspection
• Offer a Home Warranty
• Do any necessary repairs
• Put up a yard sign
• Put a "lockbox" on your house
• Take digital photos
• Put listing into MLS
• Prepare Color Flyer
• Send out just listed cards
• Prepare virtual tour
• Arrange Realtor tours
• Send flyers to other Realtors
• Place ad in Buyer's guide
• Place ad in paper
• Consider doing an Open House
• E-mail alert sent to potential buyers and other Realtors
• Showcase house on internet sites

It is important for you to keep your house in perfect condition everyday because buyers or agents might come by at any time. Keep the kitchen clean, make your bed every morning and keep clutter out of sight. It is especially important to keep pets and pet odors under control. Some wonderful added touches are fresh flowers and potpourri or freshly baked cookies.

As agents and potential buyers begin visiting your home either virtually on the Internet or in person, try to obtain feedback from the buyers. Make changes to the showing state, condition, and price as feedback deems necessary.

The Offer and Negotiation
You have an offer, now what? Sometimes the buyer will offer you the asking price and have no special requests. In this case, you sign that you accept the offer. Sometimes, the buyer's offer is a lower price and might have other requests. You should consider what is best for you and make a counter offer. Consider carefully your response because if you counter offer, there is no guarantee that the buyer will respond again. Also remember that, once agreed upon and signed by all parties, an offer becomes a legally binding contract. Never get involved in oral offers and negotiation. If you verbally accept an offer, a buyer has no legal obligation to buy the house and may want to continue to bargain with you to see how low a price you will accept.

No matter how well you have prepared your house and how fairly you have priced it, there is always the possibility of receiving a low offer. It could be a limit to the buyer's ability to purchase. Don't take it personally and react angrily. This is business, it's not personal. You can either reject the offer or make a counter-offer. Try to find out as much as you can as to why the offer was low. Certainly if other offers come in very low or if your home is not being shown or not receiving any offers consider adjusting the pricing.

Once the buyer and seller agree on the terms, the buyer will have the home inspected. If there are any problems that are found during this time period then the buyer can withdraw from the contract. The buyer might request that you complete certain repairs before closing or that you contribute a certain sum of money at closing to cover these repairs. If this happens, try not to let contract fall through. After the limited time period is up, the buyer is legally bound to buy your house unless they are denied financing. In the event of cancellation, the buyer would lose any earnest money. One exception to this is in the case of the buyer not receiving funding from the lenders. In that case then the buyer is not held responsible. For this reason, always ask the buyer's agent for a letter showing that the potential buyer has been prequalified for a loan and, once a contract is signed, ask the buyer's agent to keep you informed of the buyer's loan application progress.

Closing
The exciting day is finally here! Verify in advance that all of the paperwork is in order. Request a copy of the HUD1 statement sheet so that you can read over it before closing. Feel free to ask any questions either before the closing or during the closing itself. Typically this is when you relinquish possession of the house so take the keys to give to the new owner.

Joe Cline is a professional real estate broker, investor, and REALTOR with Coldwell Banker in Austin, Texas. Joe believes in providing world-class service to his clients through educating and coaching them through their real estate transactions.

Joe's committment to education and service is reinforced by his achievement and participation in the Austin Board of Realtors, Council of Residential Specialists, Accredited Buyer's Representative's Council, Texas Association of Realtors, and National Association of Realtors.

Joe holds his Broker's license, the Accredited Buyer's Representative designation, the Certified Residential Specialist designation, the Certified Home Marketing Specialist designation, Cendant Mobility Marketing Specialist designation and the Cendant Mobility Referral Specialist desgination.

You can find out more about Joe and Austin real estate at Joe Cline's personal website at http://www.joecline.com

Writen by Ken Marlborough

If you are looking to move to Florida and don't know where to start, fret no more. All you need to do is to contact a Florida real estate agent, and it is highly likely that you will be able to get all the information that you need. Florida real estate agents have access to most all real estate listed with the multiple listing services. The real estate agents will also be able to give you feedback on the current Florida real estate market, and also advise you on the best locations to live or invest in.

The multiple listings are normally subdivided into different categories, such as residential for sale (which includes single family and condo home); residential rentals (which means long term or short term rentals of condos or single-family homes); lots or acreage, which means residential and commercially zoned lots and acreage; residential income properties, which covers apartments and condos; commercial improved, which means commercial properties for sale; commercially unimproved, which covers commercially zoned land for sale; commercial space for lease, and business opportunities for those who are seeking established businesses for sale.

The Florida Association of Realtors would be the ideal place to obtain the full listing of all properties available in Florida. The listings will give you complete information, like the property owner, the size of the property, details of the property like number of rooms, halls, bathrooms, fixtures and fittings, whether it comes with a swimming pool, if it has a beachfront or hilltop view, the price and other pertinent information that you would need before considering a purchase.

The real estate listings will also list all the available real estate agents that specialize in certain areas in Florida, which would be most helpful to you if you already have an idea as to where in Florida you would like to purchase or rent the property.

Florida Real Estate provides detailed information on Florida Real Estate, Florida Commercial Real Estate, Florida Real Estate Listings, Florida Beach Real Estate and more. Florida Real Estate is affiliated with Florida Time Share Promotions.

Writen by Nan Wood

Given the rising rents in Philadelphia and the surrounding area, many students and parents are finding it more reasonable to buy a condo. Rents in the city are at $1300.00 to $1350.00 a month for a one bedroom unit.

Since students tend to be in the area for at least three years, they are good potential buyers. They are using their time in the city to advance their education and great an appreciated investment. Real Estate currently is a better investment than taking a chance in the stock market which has been under performing in the last few years.

There are many advantages to home ownership for students and their parents –

1. Stable housing costs
2. Location of your choice
3. Reduced transportation costs
4. Lenders are willing to finance the entire purchase
5. Future income rentals
6. Ease of sale of units

My daughter attended Drexel University for five years to pursue her Engineering Studies. At the time, buying condominiums was not 'vogue'. Had I done so, the value of the property now would be more than double.

If you have students going to College in the future, this would be a good idea to consider. The obvious reason is the appreciation will help in the future to offset the cost of your 'pricey' education.

Nancy is an Accountant and Real Estate Professional. Visit RealEstateLady

Writen by Robert Lipply

Belleair Florida is a sophisticated city that portrays class and elegance. The homes in Belleair range from stunning mansions on the water, to older homes near downtown Clearwater. Many of these homes have undergone extreme renovations replenishing the charm and beauty these older homes convey. Hardwood floors, architecture and larger rooms are just a few of the features you will see in these homes. They are the type of homes you drive by and dream of living in! Shaded trees, large palm trees, and brick streets are prevalent in the downtown area. The beach is within walking distance to most neighborhoods in Belleair. Belleair truly is a gorgeous place to live!

There are many great dining options in this city. E&E Steakout Grill and Bonefish Grill are exceptional steak and seafood establishments. Their superb chefs cook up delicious entrees and nightly specials. There are also many chain restaurants in this area, as well as boutique and antique stores. Uncover an old treasure that will add that extra appeal to your home.

The tropical Belleair Beach is a tranquil setting to enjoy a walk by the water, relax in the sunshine, or dine at a seaside restaurant. This shoreline is much less congested than nearby beaches and provides residents and visitors a place to get away from it all. But if you want a night on the town or a little more excitement, Clearwater Beach offers live entertainment and nightlife and is just a few miles from Belleair. If you are looking for a captivating place to call home or a new vacation spot, check out all that Belleair has to offer.

Bob Lipply is a top Real Estate Broker Associate in the Tampa Bay Real Estate area. He and his team have been helping families relocate to Florida and on the selling end get top dollar for their homes with great success. Lipply Real Estate also specializes in Belleair Real Estate visit his website where you can search the MLS for up to date available homes for sale.

Writen by Virginia Zignego

If you plan to become a landlord through investment homes, do your homework before you buy to find out what type of homes are in most demand in the area.

How to become a landlord with investment home rentals

1. Talk to rental agents. An agent who handles a large number of rentals can tell you what type of full-time or vacation homes renters are looking for.
2. Read newspaper classifieds to determine which types of properties seem to be most popular, and how much they are renting for during the different seasons.
3. If the area attracts a lot of senior citizens, one-level living may be the best choice, or at least a house with the main living quarters on the first floor. Avoid homes where renters must climb stairs to reach the entrance.
4. Look for a property within a reasonable distance of shopping and area attractions.
5. Before buying investment homes in a development, make sure the restrictive covenants allow rentals.
6. Talk to an accountant to verify that the income you can realistically expect to receive is appropriate for the purchase price of investment properties and the projected maintenance fees.

What to look for when purchasing investment homes as vacation homes

• Make sure the investment homes are within 10 minutes to the attractions (for example, the most popular vacation homes in Orlando are close to theme parks).
• Vacationers will expect a screened and heated swimming pool.
• Look for a home that is easy to maintain. Ceramic tile is easy to maintain, has a classy appearance and will survive wear and tear better than carpet.
• A pool Jacuzzi, or jacuzzi bath tub is a nice features.
• The more privacy the yard provides, the better. People like to sunbathe on their vacations. Water views and conservation area are always a plus.
• Larger homes of four to five bedrooms are designed to accommodate more than one family. Having a fully functional kitchen is important, as these customers will be looking to save money on daily maid service or restaurant dining.

Turning investment properties into a business

Property management companies come in two types - those that manage the property and those that rent and manage the property.

• Management services: hire individuals to do repairs, property key disbursement and retrieval, make phone service available 24 hours a day for problems that arise and are responsible for the general inspection of the property.
• Rental and management services: include all of the above, as well as advertising and finding renters for the property and handling rental payments.

Monthly expenses and additional costs

Your monthly expenses will generally include the following:

• property maintenance company
• pool maintenance
• lawn care
• pest control
• electricity service
• water service
• trash pickup
• cable service
• phone service
• Internet service

Additional costs will generally include the following:

• property taxes
• insurance
• advertising and marketing fees
• cleaning fees at the end of a rental period

Inside Ann Arbor Real Estate is a network entirely devoted to real estate information. The entire Inside Real Estate network has more than 100,000 pages of real estate for cities allover the United States. Inside Real Estate covers several topics from the basic "how to's" of real estate to city-specific real estate information.

Writen by Johnny Mayer

Are you in the market to buy a home in Chicago? Do you know where you plan to live? Chicago's many neighborhoods have their own unique identities and customs. Which Chicago property is right for you? The only way to know is get out and view some Chicago real estate in different areas. Here are a few communities to visit in your Chicago properties search.

Skokie - Chicago Real Estate

Skokie (formerly Niles Centre) is a suburb of Chicago about 15 miles from the famous "Chicago Loop". If you are looking for a Chicago property it's a great place to live. There are about 65,000 people in area. Have your Chicago real estate agent show you homes on Old Orchard Road, Golf Road, Dempster Street, Main Street and Touhy Avenue. Also, check out people that want to sell a home in Chicago on Skokie Boulevard, Crawford Avenue, and McCormick Boulevard. Major diagonal streets are Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center Road, and Gross Point Road. Happy house hunting

Rogers Park - Chicago Real Estate

Rogers Park began as a farming community in about 1830 with immigrants from Germany. There are excellent Chicago properties that reflect German, English, Irish and Jewish families that moved to Rogers Park. The 2000 census showed Rogers Park is one of the most diverse American communities. If you're into diversity, have your Chicago real estate agent arrange some house showings in Rogers Park.

Oak Park - Chicago Real Estate

Oak Park offers easy bus and train service to downtown Chicago, a good place to start your Chicago real estate quest. About 50,000 people live in Oak Park. Some famous Oak Park residents are Carl Rogers, Ernest Hemingway, Betty White. Got that? There's going to be a test when you close on your Chicago property! (just kidding)

Evanston - Chicago Real Estate

Evanston is located right on Lake Michigan just north of Chicago also belongs on your Chicago real estate house hunting list…. It's close to Wilmette, another popular place for buying a Chicago property. A few famous people from Evanston include Marlon Brando, John Cusack, Joan Cusack and Charlton Heston. As soon as you close on your Chicago property, I'll add you to the list!

Rising Realty is a full-service Chicago Properties brokerage, investment, management and development company for Chicago and the surrounding area. Contact Rising Realty - your professional Chicago Properties Agency. For more info, visit Rising Realty.

Johnny Mayer is a content writer for Compucall Web Marketing Ltd.

Writen by Ispas Marin

Generally, when you are willing to rent a furnished apartment, you will be asked to fill in an application form by the landlord or the property management and you are ought to be asked to pay an amount of money for them to look over your application form($20 or $30 which should cover the costs for running your credit card). The application form for the furnished apartments is a typical one asking you to relate your name, current address, Social Security Number, workplace and monthly wage. These may vary from one apartment to another, yet these are the aspects of interest in what you are concerned, because this way they can decide if you are able to pay the rent.

In the case of Americans, you should know that they spend 20 up to 30 percent of their monthly wages for the rent. Of course, no landlord would accept you spend more than 30 percent on it as there are other costs you must pay for the furnished apartment and a higher percentage would be unacceptable. If you do not have a stable wage or income another person must guarantee for you and consign the lease so that he or she could cover the payment if you are not doing it. The contract for renting is a type of list for rights and duties involving both parts:you and the administrator. You must be very careful and read it before you sign it.

If they agree on your application form than you have the right to enter in possession of the furnished apartment for the agreed period of time. This lease or contract for renting fixes the obligations for both parts and the duration of the contract which is in between 6 months and a year. You and the landlord must agree to respect all the terms of the contract or the contract may be released. You should know that the landlord may ask for a damage account which renders the value of a month's rent and if you decide to bring a pet with you the value of the deposit may be higher.

After the contract is finished the administrator is sure to check the actual state of the apartment and may take a sum of money from the damage deposit if he considers that the apartment was not looked after appropriately. Of course, the situation of 'normal tear and wear' is encountered every time but the damages may be worse this being the cause for the necessity of a damage deposit.

All in all, no problems should appear if you stick to the terms of the contract and do not bring damages to the furnished apartment. You cannot leave the apartment before the deadline of the contract, as this is a main term of the contract. Be very careful to comply with the terms of that lease so that you could not be found responsible for any mistake.

For Dubai furnished apartments & villas for rent for business or holiday use just visit us at http://www.dubaifurnishedapartments.com

Writen by Raynor James

Condominiums tend to be a love it or hate it subject with property owners. Here are the advantages of owning a condominium.

Condominium – Advantages

Condominiums provide a unique living opportunity in the United States, one that many people have jumped on in this hot real estate market. Although not for everyone, condominium ownership does have some distinct advantages over stand alone homes.

1. Condominiums are cheaper than stand alone homes. Universally, you will find the lack of a yard makes condominiums a cheaper buying option when compared to the rest of the real estate market. This makes condominiums a good real estate option for first time buyers, as they are often able to get into one when they otherwise would not qualify for a loan for a tradition home.

2. Condominiums are also excellent options after the kids are gone. Once kids are out of the home, you'll find the space in your home is no longer necessary. Many parents will downsize to a condominium and use the cash windfall from a home to take early retirement. This trend is occurring with greater frequency as the baby boom generation begins to retire.

3. Condominiums are also excellent options for people that travel a lot. If you have to travel for work, you know the problems that can arise from having a home sitting empty for weeks or months on end. Burglaries, graffiti and so on are natural results of leaving a home empty. With condominiums, it is much harder for someone to tell if a person is home or not. This makes condominiums very popular with pilots and certain sales people.

4. A detached home requires a lot of maintenance to keep it in good shape. A condominium also requires maintenance, but the homeowners' association is responsible for the upkeep. Generally, the constant attention provided through the homeowners' association makes condos a better long term maintenance option.

Condominiums are not for everyone, but they have definite advantages over detached homes in certain situations. While guidelines are a solid method of determining if a condo is a good option, you really need to consider your personal circumstances to determine the best choice for you.

Raynor James is with the FSBO site - http://www.fsboamerica.org - FSBO homes for sale by owner. Visit our home buying page - http://www.fsboamerica.org/buyer.cfm - to view and buy homes, houses, condos, land and real estate.

Writen by Eriani Doyel

Have you ever heard of a log cabin kit? No, this is not the Lincoln Logs you played with as a child. It is a kit to build a real, life-size cabin. If you have fond memories from your childhood of staying in a cabin with friends or family and getting away from it all to get back to nature, this may be the way for you to relive those memories for yourself or to pass them on to your children. A log cabin kit is a way for families of nearly every income level to achieve their dream of owning a vacation home.

When people think of a vacation home, they often think of something that you may have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on, only to use it a few weeks out of the year. Most people just cannot afford this type of investment. However, if you have access to some fairly inexpensive land with water and other utility rights, a log cabin kit may be well within your means. You will need a little carpentry know-how, and you may need to contract out some of the more difficult work like plumbing or electric-but you can even build it yourself if you desire. Or, you can hire a builder to use the materials and blueprints from the kit to do it for you.

You can find a log cabin kit online easily that will fit your needs, but first you will need to determine what your needs are. How many people will be using the log cabin? Will those needs change in the future? Can you make additions to the log cabin kit plan if you need to? How big is the lot? Do you want a deck or patio added on? What appliances, electronics and plumbing features do you feel are necessary?

Once you have decided what features are necessary in your log cabin kit, you can begin shopping for one. Check out the company offering the kit with the Better Business Bureau to make sure that they do not have a large number of unresolved claims or complaints. How long have they been in business? Do they have a log cabin kit with all of the features you are looking for, and if not, will they customize one for you? Are their instructions easy to follow? Are the materials of top-quality? Each of these questions is important to consider when you are looking for a log cabin to live out your dreams.

Eriani Doye writes articles on Real Estate and Finance. If you would like to find more information on a log cabin kit visit http://www.dotcabin.com

Writen by Lanard Perry

Many real estate agents begin and sometimes sadly end their careers without a plan. And as the saying goes, failing to plan is as good as planning to fail.

Sure, some do the usual and expected things to cultivate new business, like mailing letters and post cards to friends and relatives, phoning acquaintances, and giving out business cards to any and everybody they meet.

Heck, some are courageous enough to "cold call" prospects, the most dreaded of all tasks! And while all of these activities are good things to do, they don't necessarily translate into new business opportunities - now or later!

And while these may be good strategies you need more. But instead of working harder why not work smarter?

The most successful Realtors and Real Estate Agents have "lead generating systems." Some Farm Expired Listings for huge profits.

A good listing system can:

jump start new or average real estate sales career; bring in real estate listings on a regular basis; week after week generate prospective buyers and sellers; give you marketing exposure in months rather than years; and position you to know the best real estate investment buys

Personally, I love Expired Listing Systems and their laser beam like focus on warm, responsive sellers. Sellers that are typically still Realtor friendly, eager to sell and will do what it takes to get their properties sold.

Owners of expired listings are motivated for many reasons; double mortgages, vacant properties, terrible tenants, recently married and combining households, recently divorced and liquidating real estate assets, and on and on.

Plus, they have gone through a listing cycle and may be anxious to get on with their lives. But, as you know, or will soon learn, all listings aren't worth having.

As for me, I initially listed every property that I could; vacant land, single family homes, condo's, triplexes, mobile home parks, mobile homes, homes in top notch condition, fixer uppers, whatever.

And I got to feeling pretty darn good (and just a little smug) as my listing portfolio grew to more listings than I could manage.

So, I first hired a part time clerk/assistant to help me market my listings, then took on a newly licensed salesperson as a partner and split the listing fees 50/50. Pretty soon my listing system was humming and I was averaging 1-2 listings a week.

I then had an army of agents working for me day and night, as almost all of my listings were in the Multiple Listing System. Working to get me paid, even when I was chaperoning field trips, getting a haircut, or just taking a day off!

That's what a good real estate listing system can do for you!

So, if you don't have a good listing system you should get one. After all, if real estate listings are the lifeblood of the industry then how successful can you be without them?

Lanard Perry is the author of "Farming Expired Listings - Your Personal Guide To Listing Success." Visit his website at http://www.farmingexpiredlistings.com for more real estate sales and marketing ideas.

Writen by Don Suter

Often people fail to make a profit from property investment when they do not understand the true market value of their chosen property, both in terms of resale and rental income.

Investors hoping to purchase a run-down home or off-plan development and sell it on at profit when the work is complete; a practice known as flipping, are often caught out by over-inflated prices or under-estimated renovation costs.

On the other hand, buy-to-let investors can be seduced by suggestions of high rental values and then disappointed when these do not materialise.

Whether you're planning to flip a property or buying-to-let, it is important to ensure that you do not pay over the odds, as money saved on the purchase price will lower your mortgage costs and increase your profit margin.

Understanding the local market

One of the best ways to estimate the potential value of a property is to understand the local market. Fortunately there are a number of tools to help you do this:

Use the internet - The Land Registry (landregisteronline.gov.uk) now provide information on all properties sold in England and Wales since 2000. Through this you can access information on the property's value when the registration took place. Remember this information will not be up-to-date, but it may give you a broad idea of what the current owner paid.

Browse estate agent listings - Using the internet and local papers, you can soon get an idea of the market value for different types of property in the area. It is also worth arranging a couple of viewings, allowing you to make suitable comparisons when you have decided on a place to purchase.

If you are planning to buy-to-let, it is also worthwhile speaking to a few letting agents to try and gauge the general rental prices that could be expected. Again rental listings on the internet and in local papers will help to verify the amounts tenants will be prepared to pay.

Seek professional advice

Once you have decided on a property and feel confident that it reflects the true market value, it is advisable to carry out a full survey.

Although it is a requirement for mortgage lenders to inspect the property, the surveyor will not look at inaccessible parts (such as the roof, floors and drains), unless there is reason to believe that there may be a serious defect, in which case it is likely that a recommendation for a more in-depth survey will be made.

The risk of relying on this basic inspection is that the surveyor could miss an important defect which will be expensive to repair. By having a more in-depth survey, the surveyor will be able to identify such defaults and advise on the potential cost of repair, allowing you to negotiate a discount on the purchase price to cover this.

Take your time

Unfortunately there is no silver bullet approach to accurately valuing property and one of the secrets to running a profitable property business is investing time and money to ensure your buy your property at the right price.

UK property search - Search for homes to buy and rent, plus information on property investment, buy-to-let, mortgages, insurance and plenty more - http://www.ukpropertyportal.co.uk.

Writen by Damon N. Burgess

Driving down a familiar street, as houses are passing by, you see it - For Sale. The real estate company wedged their sign into your neighbor's front lawn. The gossip swims around the neighborhood as common remarks like "I wonder how much they are selling for?" or "I wonder why they are moving?" intrigues our curiosity. But the real question we should all be asking is - "what kind of furniture do they have?"

Yes that's correct, I said Furniture. Why you ask? Well, let's jump to it. When selling a home, there are a lot of anxieties, preconceptions, and all sorts of things to get done. In this process people often get carried away in the actual preparation of selling their home opposed to the ultimate goal of making it appealing to the buyer. Let's forget all the real estate company's jargon, and break it down to 4 rough main points that come into the minds of buyers.

1. Money
2. Location
3. Appearance
4. Property

These are the 4 main things that need to get tossed around inside the mind of a buyer. All subcategories of buyer concerns like what type of school district does the area have, or taxes, that would fall into location, money, and other main categories. So not to make our buyers lemmings that walk around uttering these four mantras in zombie like fashion; all minor questions get placed into these four. Lets move on. So where is our furniture? You ask.

So now we have our buyer, ready for action, and really looking for what he, she, or they want in their dream home. Buyers will compromise these four main categories, not by leaps and bounds but enough for you to sell your home happily. The furniture connection to selling your home is a simple one - Value. Having expensive furniture does not mean, you can up the price on your home, since you will most likely take it with you, and the buyer knows that. The value I am talking about is what I call "Creative Value".

Creative Value is a fundamental attraction to selling to a consumer/buyer. Why would someone pay an enormous amount of money for a movie prop, or Babe Ruths baseball card? - Created Value.

Technically you can say well it's just a card, piece of clothing, plastic, metal, or whatever it is, just like money is made of something. No, it's the value you can show people its worth, its imagined and is worth whatever someone will pay, right? Well, Yes. The aim to get a little more for your house is to show people the value, that atmosphere it has, whether it's earthy, modern, homey - whatever. Create the value, by welcoming buyers into the world you make for them.

Furniture is just one step in the process of selling your home; commonly overlooked it is an integral part of "Created Value" that will lure buyers into something they can imagine, and be happy with. This is going to be a place that they rest, live, and dream in, your first priority to selling your home is showing them the world you create in your home. Your imagination can be inspiring and create a value all on its own with whatever decor you decide; it just might be the type of place someone would want to call home.

Damon N. Burgess is a search engine conceptualist, writer, and an award-winning designer. The founder of Verse Designs, a Long Island web design company, where his concepts come to life. Also the marketing manager of one of the largest online furniture stores on the net – One Way Furniture, he sleeps standing up.