What is Real Estate

Writen by Tracey Kirchain

Whether you're looking for the hustle and bustle of a major metropolitan area or the serenity of spending time in a nature sanctuary, Jacksonville Florida offers an area that suits your lifestyle and will surely please.

Jacksonville, Florida (Duval County) is the largest city in the region and the largest city by land mass in the State of Florida. Because of its large land area, it offers homebuyers a unique opportunity of convenience and a high quality of life.

Currently, Jacksonville continues to go through tremendous amounts of growth in all areas of the city. As with any large city, the more established areas are going through more of a revitalization rather than growth. So rather than focusing on the established areas let's look at the hottest growth areas in Jacksonville right now.

Just as a note they're listed numerically but not by order of importance, that being said let's discover some of the most intriguing areas Jacksonville has to offer.

1. Duval County North
(Including North Jacksonville)

Whether it's fishing, recreational water sports or just enjoying breathtaking views many of the developments in this part of Jacksonville offer waterfront communities and easy access to the St. John's River. Its close proximity to the Jacksonville International Airport makes it ideal for those who like or need to travel. Furthermore, this part of Jacksonville remains the best-kept secret in the entire state. The amount of home you get for your money makes it an absolute bargain. Appealing neighborhoods include Broward Cove, Hidden Lake Estates and Biscayne Bay Town homes.

2. Duval County East
(Including Arlington,Atlantic Beach,Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Intracoastal West)

The Arlington area,home to Jacksonville University, is a staple of this part of Jacksonville. Additionally some of Northeast Florida's most precious environmental and historical landmarks reside in this area as well. Although much of the Arlington area is already well developed, a new and exciting growth area is beginning to emerge.

Informally known as Intracoastal West many new multifamily projects are popping up everywhere. These include Harbor Town, Mira Vista and Waters Edge.

The beaches, which include Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Jacksonville Beach all form one continuous coastal city. Fun,lively pubs and restaurants attract affluent homebuyers who enjoy a laid-back environment, upscale condominiums and oceanfront property.

3. Duval County South
(Including Southside,and Mandarin)

As one of Northeast Florida's largest concentration of office parks hotels and apartment complexes, it has naturally evolved into a hotbed of condominium activity. Some of the notable areas for condominiums are Point Meadows Place and Villagio. Lastly, Mandarin contains some of Northeast Florida's most affluent riverfront developments and home sites.

4. Duval County West

This area of Jacksonville has plenty a room for growth. Depending on your price range, you should have no problem finding a home that fits your needs. On the low end Academy Park or Brighton Park, offer two and three-bedroom two-story floor plans with square footage of up to 1682 feet. On the high end, there's Dawson's Creek and Emily's Walk that price into the 300 thousands. No matter what your budget you should have no problem finding a home in this area.

5. Clay County
(Including Argyle Forest,Fleming Island,Green Cove Springs, and Orange Park)

Located south of Jacksonville, Clay County has experienced an amazing 32.9% growth rate over the last decade. With many for Fortune 500 companies establishing a presence in the area, this becomes an ideal spot to live. The same principles apply to Clay County as they do with Duval County West. There are homes that should fit any budget and lifestyle. Some of the most popular developments include Doctors Inlet Reserve, Spencer's Plantation, and Fleming Island plantation just to name a few.

6. St.John's County
(Including North St. John's County,Ponte Vedra Beach,and St.Augustine)

St. John's County enjoys many different amenities whether your passion is playing golf or spend time at the beach you should have no problem finding fun outdoor activities. Along the shores of Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine Beach, you'll find multimillion-dollar oceanfront mansions and condominiums. Further inland to the SW the World Golf Village is becoming an ever-increasingly popular destination and in demand place to live.

Home prices generally start in the upper one hundreds and top out over the million-dollar mark. Renowned for its high-level school system this area is becoming very popular for those with a more liberal budget.

This just highlights some of the most popular areas of Jacksonville Florida. It gives you a broad overview of what's available. Depending on your budget it should be no problem finding a suitable home for you and your family.

Are you tired of having to search on your own? Tracey Kirchain works as an agent for Prudential Network Realty in Jacksonville, Florida. She will help you find the home you're looking for quickly and easily. Selling can also be challenging. Enlisting the help of a professional agent saves time and money.

Visit http://www.homesalesofjax.com for more great Jacksonville Real Estate information.

Writen by Lee Dobbins

Having your house appraised can be a scary step in the moving process, especially if you don't know what to expect. Will your house pass muster or will they find some hidden defects and problems lurking in the basement and attic? Should you scrub the house clean?

Don't worry – this isn't a test of how clean you keep your house or even if your house has problems (that will be for the home inspector to find out). The appraiser is there to determine a fair market value for your home. Whether you are selling the house or refinancing, this is a common part of the process and the inspector is quite used to traipsing about peoples homes in all kinds of disarray so you need not be embarrassed if your house is messy and it will not affect the value the appraiser puts on the property.

Determining the market value of your home is necessary so that your lender knows the home is valued at or above the amount of money you are borrowing. An appraisal is an estimate of worth. It is an opinion but is not entirely a subjective process. The FNMA, Federal National Mortgage Association sets up the guidelines and assigns values to certain assets of your home to ensure a fair sale.

The value of your home will be determined by comparing it to similar area properties that have sold in the past few months. The appraiser looks for properties that have the same number of bedrooms, baths, square footage and amenities like a fireplace or garage in your neighborhood or town. They start by looking at your neighborhood to find comparable sales or properties in similar neighborhoods that share similar characteristics of lifestyles, income level of residents, surroundings, average age and home values. A valid appraisal can be done when 3 or more properties similar to your own have been found.

Once the appraiser has these homes, there will be some adjustments made to take into consideration features that your home has the others don't or features they have that you don't. These features have nothing to do with your décor – they are based solely on house size, rooms and amenities so your hot pink kitchen will not affect the value of your home appraisal!

The process is quite methodical and done to standard practices so you need not worry. If you are moving and you have hired a realtor, you will find the appraisal will come in right on the button for what they have valued your home at. Most realtors know the market quite well so you needn't worry that your buyer won't be able to secure funding because of your home appraisal.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.moving-and-more.com where you can learn more about moving and selling your house.

Writen by Raynor James

Whether you are selling a house, townhouse, condo or apartment, there are universal tips that will help it sell. Primary among those tips are making sure your home "shows well."

First impressions of a home go a long way to determining how quickly it will sell. Here are a few suggestions that will make your home show well.

1. Be sure the approach to your home is clean, tidy and well groomed. Any brass should be polished, paint on the door should be in good condition and the door should be washed clean of fingerprints and paw marks.

2. If your home is a single family house, be sure the grass is cut, leaves raked, plant beds mulched and weeded, etc.

3. If your home is in a multi-family building, be sure the approach and hall to your home is clean even if it is not your job!

4. Be sure your home is tidy and uncluttered. This includes closets, cabinets, garages, and other storage areas. When "stuffed," no amount of storage "shows" as adequate. When really messy, no room looks charming.

5. Make any repairs that are noticeably needed. Door handles and locks should fit well and firmly. Exterior doors should shut and lock solidly. Drains and downspouts should be firmly attached and clear of debris so water flows freely. Attached light fixtures should be firmly attached. All switches should turn on whatever they were designed to turn on -- light, fan, disposal, etc.

6. Conventional wisdom dictates your home should be "neutralized." You can't really go wrong following this advice. You know the drill -- beige or soft gray carpet, beige, gray, or taupe walls, white or off-white woodwork and ceilings. Sometimes a very soft gold or a soft sage green can also "read" as neutral.

7. If you have a sure sense of decorating (you probably do if family and friends frequently ask your advice and you enjoy making decorating decisions), and especially if you plan to leave color coordinated window treatments, you might leave more definite colors in place understanding that a potential buyer with no imagination might be put off by them and not think to request a "redecorating allowance" in a contract offer. Still, beautiful decorating which is not neutral undeniably attracts some buyers.

8. If your carpet is in poor condition, but you cannot afford to replace it, get several neutral samples in a mid-price range from a local carpet store, spread them on the floor, and add a note stating that you will be glad to provide a carpet allowance from the proceeds of settlement.

9. Dark homes show badly. Make sure lamps are on and lampshades are straight with the seams toward a wall. Make sure there is as much natural light as possible; have curtains, shades and blinds open.

Buyers are looking for a home they can see themselves living in. Follow the above tips and you will position your home to sell quickly.

Raynor James is with http://www.fsboamerica.org - providing FSBO homes for sale by owner. Visit our "sell my home" page at http://www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm to list and sell your home for free for one month. Visit http://www.fsboamerica.org/buyer.cfm to see homes for sale by owner.

Writen by Christine Hancock

Much of the condo hotel market in the U. S. started in Florida. The residences there command 600,000-800,000 for a studio. I bedrooms start around $750,000. $1,000,000. 2 Bedrooms Start over the 1,000,000 price range.

These permanent residences feature all the furnishings and amenities of a luxury hotel — such as world-class restaurants, 24-hour concierge, security, valet, housekeeping, and room service.

Joel Greene of the Condo Hotel Center says a rental option provided by the condo hotel management company allows owners to receive a portion — often about 50 percent — of the rental income of their specific unit when away.

Taylor says developers favor waterfront, mountainside, and downtown areas with strong demand for upscale lodging. Myrtle Beach, S.C.; South Florida; and Las Vegas have fast-growing condo-hotel markets that favor high-end travelers and boomers looking for a high-amenity pied-à-terre. Chicago, Washington D.C., and Phoenix are starting to get in on the condo hotel market, the most notable is the Trump Building in Chicago, studios are starting at $800,000.

"Boomers are looking for a vacation lifestyle of spacious accommodations, dining activities, and entertainment," Taylor says. "They demand extra services and luxurious amenities."

Here's how the Condo hotel concept works. You purchase a condo/hotel in a world class hotel. Use the residence whenever you like. When your away, put the residence in the hotel's rental program and share the revenue with the hotel. The hotel's management company takes care of all the management issues such as cleaning, renting and maintaining.

These residences offer the best of both worlds, a hassle free residence in a world class luxury hotel with rent revenue that you receive helps offset the costs of owing a 2nd or 3rd home. As well as the potential for appreciation.

Christine Hancock
http://www.getanewhome.net

Christine began her real estate career proving herself a top producer on a new high rise development. This experience gave her valuable knowledge of construction as well as the buying process and resulted in 4-million dollars in sales during her first year.

Writen by Ahmed El-Naggar

Real estate is one of the most important subjects today, but there are a lot of people buying and selling real estate randomly and wasting thousands of dollars. This article will let you know what are the ten mistakes that a lot of people made when buying or selling their real estate.

So if you are going to buy or sell your real estate then you should read this carefully. These are the biggest ten mistakes everyone makes when Buying or Selling Real Estate:-

1. Not finding the right real estate agent.
2. Not knowing what the buyer or seller wants.
3. Not pricing a property properly.
4. Not knowing how to structure a more profitable transaction.
5. Not knowing how to sell a property quickly & easily.
6. Not knowing what clauses to use or avoid in a real estate contract.
7. Not knowing how to save substantially on taxes when selling a property.
8. Not offering seller-financing when selling.
9. Not offering seller-financing when purchasing.
10. Not understanding how to safely earn 20% or more with trust deeds and mortgages.

Now after you read these ten big mistakes you are protected and now you can save your money, but always remember these mistakes. You may save them in paper or something so you can always remember them.

For more information about real estate, please visit
Real estate information

Writen by Marcel Van Dijk

Second homes in favourite holiday destinations such as Spain are likely to be top of the shopping list when the pension rules change April 6th 2006, allowing individuals to invest in residential property through Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs).

Research shows that Spain's mature market makes an excellent choice for SIPP investors, with capital growth still high and forecast to grow at 10% a year for the next five years at least. Year-round sunshine and the high numbers of world-class golf course developments makes 30 weeks or more annual rental a realistic goal, with potential gross yields of 10% plus. This rental income would be immediately reinvested back into the SIPP and used to pay off any mortgage.

Off-plan purchases at discounted rates still offer the best opportunity to maximise profits. It is possible to buy off-plan today and then assign the contract to the pension after the rule changes, as long as the completion date is after April 6th 2006.

SIPP investors will benefit from full UK income tax relief on the purchase price of the property, before going on to collect rental income tax-free in the pension fund. Any profits made from the sale of the property will also be free from UK capital gains tax but may incur Spanish tax – however, there are ways to reduce this to 15% of the gain. What's more, the pension fund will be able to borrow to invest, so buyers will be able to gain access to holiday homes that would have otherwise been out of their reach.

So, for example, if you are a 40 per cent taxpayer, this means that the government will be paying 40 per cent of the price of your house. That's a pretty good deal. Secondly, generally the income and capital gains generated by the property will also be tax free in the UK. That, also is a pretty good deal.

Southern Spain, with its abundance of world-class golf resorts, makes an excellent choice for SIPP investors who are looking to pay off a mortgage with rental income.

Marcel Van Dijk
Spanish Property and Real Estate Spain

Writen by Michael McClure

One of the biggest decisions you will be faced with when you decide to purchase a home is this: what TYPE of agent do you want representing you? In other words, what "agency affiliation" do you want your agent to possess? In real estate, there are seller's agents, dual agents, transaction coordinators, non-agents and buyer's agents. Discussing the differences between these various forms of agency is a large enough topic to warrant a separate discussion outside the more limited focus of this article. Once you do this research and learn the basics of agency law, you will more than likely come to the same conclusion that most buyers reach: your preference will be to be represented by a "buyer's agent." The goal of a buyer's agent is to find the perfect point of connection between the homes available in the market and the needs and financial capacity of the buyer. A buyer's agent, under a "Buyer Agency Agreement," acts solely on behalf of the buyer. Buyer's agents have a duty to disclose to the buyer known information about the seller which may be used to benefit the buyer.

The duties a buyer's agent owes to the buyer include:

• Promoting the best interest of the buyer

• Fully disclosing to the buyer all facts that might affect or influence the buyer's decision to tender an offer to purchase real estate

• Keeping confidential the buyer's motivations for buying

• Presenting all offers on behalf of the buyer

• Disclosing to the buyer all information about the willingness of the seller to complete the sale or to accept a lower price

Having said that, on a more practical level, a good buyer's agent will:

• Respect the price range that you have established (they will never show you homes beyond your price range)

• Be completely dedicated to the buyer

• Take whatever time it takes to find the buyer the right home

• Help the buyer get the best terms

• Utilize a "Buyer's Contract" to afford the buyer the greatest contractual protection

• Prepare a "Comparative Market Analysis" (CMA) to show the buyer recent comparable sales and give the buyer the information they need to identify the proper price to pay for the home

• Help the buyer negotiate the lowest reasonable price

• Advocate the buyer's interests, and only the buyer's interests, throughout the entire buying process

• Make recommendations with respect to quality, competitively priced lenders

• Make recommendations with respect to inspectors

• Attend the inspection with the buyer and make recommendations based upon the results of the inspection

• Make recommendations with respect to radon testers

• Make recommendations with respect to attorneys

• Obtain and review the closing documents prior to the closing and follow up on any errors or unusual items that they discover

• Review the closing documents with the buyer prior to the closing

• Attend the closing with the buyer

• Follow up with the buyer after the fact to ensure their complete satisfaction

When you are interviewing agents to potentially represent you in purchasing a home, I would suggest that you use the list above as a "scorecard" of sorts. Ask the agent you are considering if they will do all of the things detailed above. If they won't, I would suggest you keep looking until you find an agent that will. Given that a home is usually the single largest investment that you are likely to own in your lifetime, you owe it to your self to work with someone that is truly committed to doing all they can to protect your interests and find you the best possible bargain on the market.

The bottom line: a buyer's agent represents the purchaser. Take the time to find a quality buyer's agent. It may be the best decision you'll ever make in real estate. Please visit the Professional One Real Estate website for a more detailed discussion of buyer's agents at Professional One Real Estate website.

• Michael volunteers on the Professional Standards Committee (a self-governing body of the local association of realtors that acts in a judge-and-jury-like fashion regarding ethics complaints and arbitration disputes) of Western Wayne Oakland County Association of Realtors.

• Michael sat for and passed the State of Michigan's Associate Real Estate Broker's examination in December of 1996, and

• Michael is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, National Association of Realtors, and Michigan Association of Realtors.

• Michael and his team have developed one of Metro Detroit's top ranking real estate websites http://www.professionalone.com

Writen by Brandon Cornett

"I didn't notice that the first time I saw the house."

This is a common house-hunting phrase that usually leads into a tale of home buying heartache. How a home buying process went bad because of something overlooked -- a feature of the home, the location, the schools, or maybe the new construction going on practically in the back yard.

Home Buying "Blindness"
Buying a home gets people excited, and nothing fuels that excitement more than walking through a home that might someday be yours. That's perfectly normal. But this excitement can also cloud your objective / analytical vision. First-time home buyers in particular fall victim to this condition.

Solution: Use the Buddy System
One solution is to bring a friend along on your house hunting trips. That way, you'll gain an objective pair of eyes. Of course, you'll have to find somebody whose schedule matches your own, but the logistics are well worth it.

An objective friend is less likely to get over-excited about a house because they're not shopping for themselves. Having a calm, collected co-inspector provides endless value and will help you remember things about a house you might not otherwise recall.

Tips for Using the Home-Buying Buddy System

• Try to pick somebody known for their strong opinions and outspoken nature. This type of person is more likely to spot the details ... and voice them.


• It's also helpful to have somebody with tastes and preferences similar to your own.


• Ask your friend to bring a notepad, digital camera, or anything else that helps collect data and remember it later.


• Conduct a "debriefing" after each visit. Compare notes and talk about the pluses and minuses of each house.


• Reciprocate by buying your friend lunch or doing something else nice for them.


• Prescreen homes to narrow your list. Then bring the friend along. This will reduce the number of times you have to impose on them.


• Encourage their honesty and openness. Ask them to point out everything they like and dislike, regardless of how much you might like it.


• Weigh your friend's input against your own instincts and impressions. In the end, you'll be the one living in the home and making the payments!

The home buying process stirs up a lot of emotion. And that's fine, as long as it doesn't cloud your analytical judgment. A home is probably the biggest investment you'll ever make, so you need to be objective and thoughtful. The buddy system can help!

* Copyright 2006, Brandon Cornett. You may republish this article if you keep the byline and author's note, and also leave the hyperlinks active.

Learn more!
To learn more about the home buying process visit HomeBuyingInstitute.com, the Internet's largest library of home buying advice. Visit: http://www.homebuyinginstitute.com today!

Writen by Rick Rouse

As somone who has lived in both places, I can tell you that country living certainly beats the hustle and bustle of city life! Living in a rural area has advantages that simply can't be bought at any price.

In the city I was bombarded with the sounds of horns blowing and sirens blaring. In the country I'm soothed by a chorus of whippoorwills, bullfrogs and crickets, along with the pleasant sound of a cool breeze flowing through the trees.

On congested city streets I had to deal with frustrated drivers and careless pedestrians. On winding country roads I have to try my best to ignore the postcard-like beauty of the farmland and forests so I can keep my eyes on the road.

Yes, country living is the lifestyle that I, like most people who have had the opportunity to experience it, prefer. Instead of pushy salespeople knocking on my door hoping to leave with some of my money, I have warm, friendly neighbors dropping by with baskets of fresh vegetables from their gardens. Not to sell of course - they simply enjoy sharing the rewards of their country lifestyles with others.

Living in the country means that I can get up at 8:00 in the morning and enjoy a leisurely jog down a deserted lane or simply sit on a riverbank under a huge shade tree with a fishing pole in my hand.

City folks have the convenience of a store on every corner. I get to enjoy the tranquility and peace of mind that results from watching colorful birds flitter around my lawn or deer grazing in my neighbor's pasture field.

Yes, I do enjoy my country lifestyle very much! Having spent much of my life living in various cities around the world, I can now enjoy the peace and tranquility of my country home. For me, a country lifestyle makes it easy to look forward to the next day!

About The Author

Rick Rouse is the owner of RLROUSE Directory & Informational Resources, which features hundreds of interesting and useful articles on a wide variety of topics. Visit him at http://www.rlrouse.com.

Writen by Vince Barnes

In light of the Valencia Land Grab Law is the Valencia Region worth investing in?

Many have invested in previous years and have seen terrific returns on their money. For example a property bought 4 years ago has grown in value by some 300%. However in light of the recent coverage of LRAU – Valencia's land grab law – is Valencia a safe place to buy?

What is LRAU?

LRAU is a law ratified in 1994 to release land for development for social good. Initially the Law was drafted with good intentions. One of the fundamental powers it bestows is expropriation – compulsory purchase, of the property and it is this area where much of the abuse occurs.

LRAU ONLY applies Rustic Land (Suelo Rustico). If you live on urbano land you will not be affected.

Development in Valencia and the role LRAU plays.

The Valencian economy has thrived on Agriculture, textiles, ceramics, fishing and shipping. However, recent years have seen a dramatic reliance on tourism and construction. Fuelled primarily by foreigners seeking a "cheap" place in the Sun, a development boom has taken place to the detriment of these industries.

The textiles industry is facing stiff competition from cheap Chinese imports – witness recent reports of €70M worth of textile imports into Valencia and in Elche demonstrations held against the import of cheap Chinese shoes.

The Citrus industry is under threat from its own government by the introduction of the Golf Law and has been wholeheartedly welcomed by the Valencian Government – although the existence of such a law was emphatically denied by Rafael Blasco until his own office leaked a report to the press.

So what?

The introduction of this law and its association with LRAU brings the threat from the costal areas inland. Why – because there is little land left there to site a golf course by the coasts anymore. Where do the developers now look to build – Inland.

The basic premise of the law is that it gives carte blanche permission to build golf courses and adjoining urbanisations. But the building of these is likely to be the core of the next regional elections in order to maintain any sort of economic activity, since all other factors are in decline. The proposed golf law makes it possible to use rustic and even protected land, for this "high social purpose", which would be of interest to very few property owners, let alone the current population.

So what again?

Town halls have already proven largely incompetent of making decisions. Benissa is in debt to the tune of €33M, growing by around €3M annually. The Valencia region €10Bn and growing at €500M annually. These figures illustrate fiscal imprudence by those very offices who would be given more powers – perhaps to fill their ever decreasing coffers to landowners detriment.

More seriously – town halls have proven to be innately corrupt. For example, in Pego the former mayor has been in prison for such offences. The mayors of Javea and Fleix have been reported for reclassifying land on which they owned a substantial amount.

Conflict of interest? You bet there is.

Is it not somewhat worrying the very people who have previously shown such dereliction of duty are now being given even more power to abuse their electorate?

Where does LRAU fit in?

What is a "poor" town hall to do? Little money from Central Government, rising debts, declining tourism and industries dying rapidly. The previous solution of devaluing the Peseta is no longer an option.

The quick fix solution lies in re-classifying agricultural land and making it suitable for building. Once town halls apply for reclassification they expropriate land from the owners and ensure the development goes ahead.

Inland we're all right Jack – aren't we…?

Think so? Ask yourself this question

Where could you place a golf course?

Take a look at the greenery around that give so much pleasure. How long before you'll be looking onto the first tee from your new apartment you involuntarily swapped for your nice house and beautiful orchard?

Is it likely to happen?

There are plans to build a further 67 further golf courses in the Valencia region. Already 30+ are awaiting approval. Where are these golf courses going to go?

More worryingly, should the construction industry fail, then the Valencian Economy will falter. And this will have dire consequences.

So the Valencian government pushed by promoters and constructors have a vested interest, if not an absolute need, to promote development and overcome the resistance of owners who naturally, if naively, believe what they invested their live savings in, is actually theirs. Shouldn't landowners realise the benefit to the community as a whole and make their "social contribution", even if the community turns out to be developers and cash strapped town halls

Who are the main players and how do they benefit?

There are 4 main players
1. The Local Town Hall – Benefit short term from building licences long term, more local taxes
2. The Generalitat of Valencia – Building and sales tax
3. The Developer/Promoter – benefit from exceptional profits. The more landowners are charged the more profit, setting aside prime land and later selling this
4. The Land Owner – The increase in value after urbanisation compensates for lost land and fees paid – well it does if you believe the Hype. But what if the land owners wish to remain? – how do they benefit?

The Process – how it should be

• The Town Hall decide they need more land
• The Land Owners are informed about plans
• The Town Hall request permission from the Generalitat of Valencia
• The Generalitat of Valencia order a feasibility and Environmental impact study
• Once complete they grant permission to Reclassify
• The Town Hall inform The Owners and announce plans in local, regional, National press and the European Journal (in accordance with EU contract law for public service contracts) in order to ensure competitive tenders
• Once tenders submitted The Town Hall select winning Developer based on price, ability, financial solvency etc
• The plans are announced to The Owners who have an opportunity to respond
• The Owners can present an opposing plan
• The Owners are presented with the bill and how much land they will lose
• The urbanisation proceeds

What actually happens?

In most cases the above procedure is completely ignored - owners are told about the plans once approved and then have 18 days to respond. Many are absent or don't speak the language, so don't know until it's too late. Town Halls make no attempt to inform the owners - it isn't in their interests.

Environmental impact studies are seldom conducted leading to water shortages, immense traffic and parking problems, sewerage and rubbish. Most towns have a problem dealing with current rubbish let alone added future burden.

These studies are important for the rights of residents to basic services. Isn't this what living in a European Country grants us?

EU contract law is continually flouted. Town Halls DO NOT announce plans nor make them available for competitive tender. Where there is no competition the cost is highly inflated and questionable.

This impact on costs owners pay and the land they lose.

And where is the social benefit - the reason for enforcing LRAU – oh yes green areas, new shiny town offices, police stations – to deal with the influx of new residents, who've paid a tidy sum to developers who ultimately profit along with Town Halls.

And the landowners. Why should anyone care about them – weren't they stupid enough to buy a plot of rustic land and who cares if every law to protect them has been broken in the process.

Well actually we all should because by doing nothing we are helping to promote these abuses.

This article is continued read article "Land Grab Abuses - LRAU PT 2, or to see the article in its entirety visit http://www.spanishproperty-direct.co.uk/article_LRAU.htm

Vince Barnes is the owner of http://www.SpanishProperty-Direct.co.uk – a website aimed at informing buyers about the process of buying in Spain and keeping up to date with news and regulations affecting the Spanish Property Market. He has also just published the book – "The Insiders Secret Guide To Buying A Property In Spain – The Book Estate Agents Don't Want You To Read" – available at http://www.spanishproperty-direct.co.uk/book.htm.

Writen by Will Daly

All the problems that the insurance industry has experienced recently are now adversely affecting home owners. And I don't just mean in the way of higher insurance premiums. Because insurance companies have been hammered with claims they are now forced to look extra hard at which properties they will insure and they are denying coverage on more and more homes sometimes AFTER the homeowner has closed on the purchase of the home. When a soon to be new home owner applies for hazard insurance many companies are reviewing the home's history to learn what claims if any had been filed or paid in the past. These companies then base their decision as to whether or not they will insure that home on that history.

If you are in the market to buy a home, here is a quick list of things you should do to protect your interests:

1. Require the Seller to provide you with a written five-year premises claims history from their insurance company OR a Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) report (with any reference to date of birth or social security number obscured) as a condition to your purchasing the home. Require that this be provided during the home inspection period which is USUALLY the first ten days following acceptance of the sales contract between Buyer and Seller. Share the report with your insurance provider and discuss any findings.

2. Submit your insurance application as soon as possible, ask questions and obtain written confirmation of the availability and cost of homeowner's insurance for the premises.

3. Laws in some states allows an insurer to CANCEL a new insurance policy based upon the condition of the property after an inspection of that property. For this reason, confirm that the insurer conducts any inspections BEFORE the expiration of the home inspection period mentioned above. If you discover EARLY in the home purchase process that the insurer found conditions which warrant unusually high premiums or denial of coverage altogether then your Realtor will still have time to either get you out of the deal or negotiate that the Seller correct the conditions at his or her expense vs. yours.

4. Make sure that your Realtor negotiates that you may cancel the contract without penalty in the event that the claims history contains any adverse information that would prevent you from obtaining insurance.

By now you probably recognize that insurance issues alone can truly complicate a real estate transaction and potentially hurt you financially. Do yourself a favor and hire a seasoned and experienced Realtor.

Will Daly, a Realtor with RE/MAX Excalibur in Phoenix and owner of the marketing labels http://WeKnowUrban.com/, http://CondosPhx.com/, and http://WillDaly.com/, combines years of experience, a thorough understanding of current real estate markets, and cutting edge technology to provide his clients the best advice for proven results. He specializes in Loft and High Rise Development/Sales and Condo Conversions. You may reach him directly at (480) 510-8755 or by visiting one of his web sites.

Writen by Luigi Frascati

Predicting the future is always a risky business, often confused with prophecy.

But whether prophecy is in fact in a broad sense the prediction of future events, it often implies the involvement of supernatural phenomena, whether it is communication with a deity, the reading of magical signs, or astrology. Conversely, in a scientific context, a prediction is a rigorous, often quantitative statement forecasting what will happen under specific conditions. This is the reason why Economists generally speaking prefer to substitute the expression 'anticipatory forecast' to the term 'prediction'. Anticipatory forecasts enable Economists to make quantitative predictions on the basis of probability – and with no need to use a crystal ball. Economics is, afterall, the science concerned with the study of human activities involved in meeting needs and wants within the context of the equilibrium between scarcity and wealth. John Maynard Keynes (1883–1946) once remarked that "Economics is the science of thinking".

There are in the making at this very moment three socio-economic variables that are destined to forever change the way we think of residential real estate in North America. This is so because all these three events will profoundly impact consumers' demand for housing products. Ultimately, the basis for the real estate market is the demand by households, businesses, governments and institutions for space and shelter to conduct activities. Consequently, as demand changes in direct function of human activities and economic and demographic variables, conditions within the real estate market change. The variables that will affect demand for residential housing products in the next few years are:

[ ] Cost of energy.

[ ] Aging population.

[ ] Globalization.

[ ] Cost of Energy

Prices of gasoline are higher today anywhere from twenty to twenty-five percent than they were in 2004 and there is looming on the horizon the expectation that price of crude will top the $80 per barrel in the relatively near future. Researchers peg the cost per bbl at a staggering US $100 by 2010. If this condition will occur, the average consumer will pay $50 for a tank fill up in 2010 as opposed to $25 today. Additionally, the oil industry anticipates that the world global output will have peaked by the year 2015, which then is a sure sign that from then on the US $100 per bbl. price tag will be there to stay for a very long time. Those dramatic increases, former Feds Chairman Alan Greenspan declared almost a year ago, will create a significant drag on economic growth

The silver lining, added Greenspan, is that as oil gets more and more expensive other technologies that use less oil will become more and more competitive. And that seems to be exactly the case. Hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol from vegetable matters, solar cells, wind power, synthetic gasoline from coal – all could make a dent once they are available in sufficient quantities. But the real question is: are we moving fast enough? As consumers we need time to make adjustments – often very expensive ones – to the new technologies. Not everyone can afford to junk a two-year old SUV to buy a new hybrid.

Likewise, most people can't afford to abandon houses built in developments 100 miles out in the countryside at a time when oil was cheap. And although governments, energy and power companies are investing in new technologies, they can't create a massive new infrastructure overnight. The problem with the free market, as it has been always the case, is that while it may sort out things over the long run, people have to cope in the short run. As a direct and proximate consequence, therefore, the likelihood is high that we may have to endure a tremendous amount of economic and social hardship that could have been averted had we acted sooner.

In light of the foregoing, cities in North America, which are already energy inefficient, are destined to become even more and more so. It is going to cost too much to commute from one side of town, where you live, to the other side of town, where you work, even if you carpool or use public transit. It will become too expensive to heat and light 2,500 square foot homes when, in fact, most people can enjoy them only in their free time over the week-end. A recent study undertaken on behalf of the US Department of Energy details that home heating costs can be expected to skyrocket in the forthcoming years. For example, the Department of Energy predicts that homes heated with natural gas could see their fuel costs explode by as much as 48 percent by 2007. And the cost of home heating oil could surge by up to 32 percent.

It is the general consensus of those involved in economic anticipatory forecasting, therefore, that by the end of the decade consumers will mostly demand smaller living quarters, and more affordable.

[ ] Aging Population

Ever since the first baby of the post-Second World War generation arrived in the world, Baby-boomers have influenced every aspect of society and have pretty much had and done things their own way. But now the 'boomers' are getting old. In just five years' time 77-million Baby-boomers will start collecting Social Security benefits in the United States. In eight years they will start collecting Medicare benefits. By the time they are all retired the US will have doubled the size of its elderly population but increased by only 18 percent the number of workers able to pay for seniors' benefits. The implications of all this for the real estate industry are staggering. For one thing most Baby-boomers will have become empty nesters with children already out of the house and, as such, five-bedroom homes will no longer be neither wanted nor needed. Which in turn means that large, sprawling cities are once again destined to become outmoded, as vertical construction (also known as elevation construction) will take strong precedent.

In Canada, a report of the Urban Futures Institute outlines that the aging Canadian population will consistently dominate real estate markets just about everywhere in the country. Unlike previous generations who were more likely to move into smaller homes, eliminate mortgages and cash in their equity as retirement approached, the Freedom 55 generation, as it is sometimes called, is more likely to upgrade to more expensive properties, while assuming new mortgages. More expensive but not bigger properties. There is a trend identified by the Institute for the boomers to make their way out of the suburbs and back into the city. The Urban Futures Institute prognosticates that as retirement age approaches they will trade down their large mansions in the suburbs for high-class downtown condo living, thus driving prices upwards especially in the most expensive category. More and more the adult lifestyle component will be the major force impacting how condominium complexes will be conceived and built. It will impact developers, architects and contractors alike, not to mention real estate agents.

The Urban Futures Institute report concludes that it is going to be both a lifestyle and a financial choice for the Baby-boomers — closer to downtown means closer to established shopping, restaurants and entertainment and boomers are of the mind the location will offer more liquidity in the long-term.

[ ] Globalization

Globalization is unquestionably a democratic concept that puts all mankind on the same platform. In Economics we have a special phrase to describe this process of equalization: we call it 'Democratization of Wealth'. The distribution of wealth throughout all nations would be a flawless concept – in a perfect world, that is. But even at the risk of appearing a little too cynical, it must be said that a closer scrutiny reveals one great advantage as well as one great disadvantage associated with democratization of wealth. The great advantage is that as limited wealth resources are being democratically distributed throughout the planet, poorer nations become richer. The great disadvantage, on the other hand, is that as limited wealth resources are being democratically distributed throughout the planet, richer nations become poorer. Poorer and with aging populations too, it might be added, whereas developing countries all seem to be enjoying the benefits of the eternal fountain of youth.

There is a hidden cost to globalization that is beginning to manifest itself more and more in our daily lives. Increasing interest rates, which are now beginning to affect, first and foremost, the real estate market are possibly one of the best examples of it. The emergence of China and India as new players in the international economic arena comes with mixed blessings. China and India taken together represent close to 40 percent of the world's population. The end result of a supply of outputs created in China and India destined to quench the huge demand of the pre-eminently American consumerism has generated large trade imbalances. The flip side of these imbalances has been a sharp rise in the net foreign liability position of the United States and a massive accumulation of foreign exchange reserves by the Asian countries. China has amassed more than US $450 billion of reserves. India too has seen a marked rise in international reserves, to roughly US $150 billion. Even more striking, as of the end of 2004, all of Asia (including Japan) had accumulated US $2.1 trillion in foreign exchange reserves.

Subtracting this quantity of Dollars from the economic monetary cycles forces the U.S. Government to borrow more and the Federal Reserve System to print and lend more money with the deleterious effect of diminishing the purchasing power of the Greenback by weakening the strength of the currency. Think of a glass of wine where you keep on adding water. Higher international demand for American Dollars created by outsourcing, foreign savings, fixed exchange rates and a huge trade imbalance account for a large proportion of the refueling of domestic inflation and the consequent interest rate increases, the effect of which will be patently felt all over real estate markets in North America in the forthcoming years.

In conclusion, the combined effects of the foregoing three socio-economic events in the making will impact the real estate industry to the extent that demand for inner core, smaller housing units – typically condominiums - will in all likelihood appreciate to the detriment of the single-family dwellings of the suburbs, which are expected to be in lesser demand. And consumers, investors and otherwise real estate market participants can anticipate that interest rates will be on their way up, although gradually, but continuously in the forthcoming years.

Luigi Frascati

Luigi Frascati is a Real Estate Agent based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics and maintains a weblog entitled the Real Estate Chronicle at http://wwwrealestatechronicle.blogspot.com where you can find the full collection of his articles. Luigi is associated with the Sutton Group, the largest real estate organization in Canada, and is based with Sutton-Centre Realty in Burnaby, BC.

Luigi is very proud to be an EzineArticles Platinum Expert Author. Your rating at the footer of this Article is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Writen by John Sabia

If you live in a real estate market such as Fort Lauderdale, Florida you are probably aware that it is not a sellers market right now. The tide has turned, and with it, many people believe that they can't afford to go with a full service broker. The fact is, when it's not a sellers market you can't afford not to go with a full service broker. When it's a buyers market you need all the marketing help and professionalism that you can get and for sale by owner and discount broker options just won't provide you with all the services you need to sell your house in a reasonable time frame at a fair price.

Full Service Real Estate Broker vs. For Sale By Owner

Many nervous homeowners believe that they'll take control of selling their home because they don't want to pay for a full service broker. This may be a good idea in theory, but in the long run attempting to sell your house on your own will end up costing you more time and money than a full service broker will cost. Selling your own home isn't as easy as putting a sign in the front yard. You need to market and full service brokers know where to market and when. A full service broker can take one look at your home and know who your target consumer is so that you can market to the right people at all the right times.

A full service real estate broker also knows how to show your home to accentuate all of its positive characteristics and really downplay its negative features. You won't have to worry about how well your house is shown, or whether the full service broker will show it at all. A full service broker doesn't care if your home has a high price tag or a low price tag; they just want to get it sold! Your full service real estate broker isn't afraid to spend too much time with you and can give you tips to help you sell your home sooner rather than later.

Working with a full service real estate broker just does not compare to trying to sell your home on your own. Yes, the commissions can look a bit steep when you first look at them, but a broker has the ability to expose your home to the maximum of potential buyers and can help you get your house sold sooner at a fair price, which will mean more money in your pocket in the long run.

Full Service Real Estate Broker vs. Discount Brokers

Right now in Fort Lauderdale many homeowners are finding discount brokers very attractive because their services are not as costly as full service real estate brokers. But, the time it may take for a discount broker to sell your home will likely be more costly than a full service broker. Discount brokers offer limited services meaning you may be responsible for portions of the marketing of your home. You will also find that discount brokers focus their attention on homes with the highest price tag, meaning your home may not be showed if there are other homes in the area with a larger price tag. Because your home may be ignored or not marketed enough, the length of time your home will be on the market will increase; costing you time and money that could have been saved with a full service broker.

If you don't want your house to sit on the market for a long period of time, it's best to work with a full service broker. A full service broker understands all your real estate needs and can help you get your house sold much more quickly, even when it's not a sellers market! It is important to remember that you should focus on making your profit at the closing table, not the listing table. The other way around may ultimately cost you many thousands of dollars at closing.

Visit my Fort Lauderdale Real Estate for:

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate

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Writen by Steve Link

When a realtor is listing or advertising real estate, we are hired by the current owner to sell that particular property. The current owner is considered our client, and any person inquiring about the real estate is considered a customer. This means unless a realtor signs a duel agent agreement, we are only representing the seller.

Keep in mind that if you have a realtor represent you as a buyer, the price of the property should not increase. How this typically works is the seller and her/his agent will determine a real estate commission during the listing agreement. When another agent contacts the seller's agent they negotiate receiving part of the predetermined commission for bringing a buyer to the transaction. Any realtor worth his weight should always offer to share the commission with a buyer's agent.

I would even suggest that a seller require your agent to set the buyers agent commission during the listing agreement. I have gotten into situations when calling other agents and they say, "I already have someone interested in that property so you will have to wait - If they don't buy then I will call you". That brings me to a saying from one of my real estate classes, "When it comes to $ for real estate - More is Better than Less and Sooner is Better than Later." That agent could have cost his client thousands of dollars just because he wanted to try and sell the property without splitting the commission. That real estate agent had no reason not to work with me and is doing his/her client a grave injustice. A truly good agent always looks out for their clients' best interest even if it means not earning as much commission.

Okay, back to representation. Why throw someone else into the equation? One simple answer. Money! Your agent should know the market and tell you if that price is inflated or if they can find a better property to meet your needs. There is not a seller's agent out there that is going to tell you that Bob at xyz agency has a better deal, you should go check them out. In fact, a seller's agent can't, they must look out for their client's best interest, which in this case is to present the facts and let the buyer decide if it is a good deal or not. Your agent will assist you in the analysis. Your agent wants your transaction to meet your goals and objectives so you buy another property through him/her. Your agent wants you to tell your friends and family about him/her so they hire him/her as an agent. Having agent representation will save you money and headaches.

Now that we have determined that having someone represent you will give you the loyalty that you deserve, who should you choose. Well, few real estate agents will admit this, but it is impossible to be an expert in "All" types of real estate. When searching for your agent, choose one based on the type of real estate you are looking for. If it is Farm Land for an investment, your agent should have experience in Farmland management. If it is hunting land that you are looking for, your agent should be hunters, (and Easter egg hunting doesn't count) or understands habitat and wildlife management. If it is an Apartment building you are looking for, your agent should have experience managing apartment buildings and know the vacancy rate, and if that trend is up or down from last year. Really it is pretty easy to find out what a real estate agent's expertise is. We have been self promoting our whole career so why would we stop now!

Just as important as learning your agent's expertise, is relating with that agent and trusting them. An agent could have all the knowledge in the world about your particular real estate interest but if you do not trust them that knowledge is worthless.

It is important that you understand who a real estate agent is representing. Having a knowledgeable agent represent you has the potential of not only making/saving you money; it can make your experience more enjoyable.

This article was written by Steve Link. He is an agent for Pifer-Swann Realty and is also a farmland manager. Steve will periodically submit articles for the benefit of Land20's readers. If you have any questions or comments you can email him at stlink@pifer-swan.com

Writen by Troy Fullwood

You don't have to be a sophisticated investor to sell a mortgage, although conventional thinking leads us to believe that only the most astute and risk taking investor will venture into this arena. The fact is that once you understand the process, selling notes is in many respects much simpler than marketing and closing on an actual property. And simplicity of transaction equals consolidation of dollars and reduction of your most precious commodity – time. Taken together, these factors often add up to a shorter path to a greater return on your investment.

Here are some of the things to consider when selling a mortgage note: 1) The note will be more valuable if the interest rate on the loan is higher than prevailing interest rates, because buyers will see it as an opportunity to generate higher returns. Sometimes, for instance, a owner/seller-financed home sale will involve a mortgage with a higher rate, because "owner financed" property sometimes sells to buyers who are otherwise not able to get a loan. This doesn't necessarily mean they are at a higher risk for default, however, and if you find a mortgage with a good payment history and a high interest rate, this can be a wonderful investment opportunity.

2) Balloon payment notes that are about to come due may seem like a great bargain, because you will get a huge payment soon if you own the loan. But often these loans are trouble in disguise, because if the debtor defaults, you can end up in foreclosure proceedings, and perhaps eligible for only a partial payment on the note. Selling this kind of note can sometimes be difficult unless you sell it for a discount, especially if the person paying on the mortgage has trouble making their payments on time.

3) The same can hold true for loans that don't mature for a long time – say for example, a conventional 30-year mortgage – because your potential buyer may want to "cash in" sooner. For that reason, a 5-10 year note will typically be more popular with those shopping around for mortgages to buy, and a 3-5 note may bring an even better price.

4) If you have ever applied for a loan to buy a home, you can apply – no pun intended – the lessons you learned from that process to your knowledge of selling a mortgage. The bank you borrowed from checked your credit rating, did an appraisal of the property, and evaluated your ability to produce enough income to make your monthly payments. When you decide to sell a mortgage, the same kinds of criteria will be involved in determining the value of your mortgage note. If you have lots of equity in the house, and the note as a long history of timely payments, for instance, it is probably a sound investment and will fetch a higher price when sold to an investor. If the property is in disrepair and the payment history is sketchy, investors will be hesitant to buy the mortgage, unless it is sold at a deep enough discount to help them offset any expensive problems. To learn more about selling mortgages – and about buying mortgages for resale – check with a company that specializes in real estate mortgage brokerage work. A skilled professional can answer your questions about selling mortgages, and can also help to introduce you to investment opportunities that meet your immediate needs and fit into your long term financial plan.

Troy Fullwood, self made millionaire, nationally known investor, real estate guru, speaker and coach; would like to share with you creative ways to building your own "Money Tree." In 1997, Troy founded a company called Pinnacle Investments. Back then, his main focus was primarily based on buying first lien performing and non-performing commercial and residential real estate notes. However, with the ever changing industry, Troy has begun to refocus his attention toward providing investors with the tools they need to build a successful real estate portfolio. For over eight years, Troy has been whole heartedly involved in the real estate industry. Troy is an investor himself, he has bought and rehabbed homes, purchased rental properties, purchased land, and is currently working on building custom homes and commercial office space.

Writen by Jeanette Joy Fisher

You've decided to prepare your home for sale. Whether you sell by owner or hire a real estate agent, you want to get as much money as possible without spending your profits. The real estate market normally slows down and most homes take longer to sell during fall and winter. Now is the time to apply new real estate marketing ideas to make sure your home sells quickly (and for full price, of course!)--without spending a lot of money or doing unnecessary work.

One of the most effective ways to enhance your home and attract buyers is to strategically add color. This article shares Design Psychology color secrets for marketing houses during cool and cold weather. (Watch for Part Two or email me if you need tips for selling your home in a warm climate or season.)

To prepare your home for sale, make yourself a Marketing Plan for selling your home. Include a Color Plan for attracting buyers during the cooler seasons. In the fall and winter months, you will want to emphasize warm colors such as reds, oranges, and yellows, to convey a welcoming warmth to buyers.

Next, make a list of colors you're stuck with -- those you won't be changing. Which warm colors do you have? How can you enhance these colors with more warm color to entice your buyer?

Look closely at your front door. If it is not gorgeous wood, paint it in a cheerful warm color. For first-time buyers, a cheerful primary red door excites the emotions. Upscale buyers will be attracted to more complex reds, like maroon or terra-cotta red.

Indoors, start with the colors already present and add the colors that attract your target buyers. Remove unnecessary furnishings and accessories with the wrong or clashing colors. (Under-furnished rooms allow the buyers to imagine their furnishings in the space.) To add significant color without repainting all surfaces, paint only one wall with a bold color. Or paint window trim and doors with a color specifically to warm your space.

How to Add Color without Spending a Lot of Time or Money

Besides painting, you can easily add elements of color through accessories. Place pillows, throws, and candles with your chosen color scheme throughout the home. Consider adding flowers, pots and containers in bright reds, oranges, or yellows. Don't overlook the opportunity to emphasize a chosen color psychology scheme through paintings, picture and mirror frames, vases, and lampshades.

When you complete your Color Plan, you will know what steps to take to prepare your home for a speedy sale--for top dollar!

Copyright © 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Jeanette Fisher, Design Psychology professor, is the author of "Sell Your Home for Top Dollar - FAST! Design Psychology for Redesign and Home Staging," "Joy to the Home," and "Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars." For more information on selling your home, and a complete Color Plan see http://sellfast.info

Writen by Nan Wood

Nationally condos have become almost as popular as single family homes for vacation properties. Many families consider their second home as a means of diversifying their portfolio. While the trend is picking up in Wisconsin, the appeal has always been toward cottages and cabins.

Buyers believe that owning homes in two entirely different markets increases the chance that their total equity will continue growing. They also have the advantage of more liquidity. If needed, they could sell one of the homes and live in the other.

Brokers in Wisconsin report the trends are picking up in the area. Buyers in this area are buying cottages and cabins for second homes. Approximately 42% fall in this category while approximately twenty percent buy condos.

The difference in the buying habits today is that buyers are looking for the appreciation in value of the property rather than looking to rent the property. Buyers are also not looking to repair or maintain their vacation property. The trend is leaning toward one of convenience. For these reasons, buyers are vying toward new construction.

Buyers don't want to work. They are buying these properties to visit them and relax in a different environment. Currently Baby boomers are driving this trend. Since they have more disposable income than prior generations had, this trend could continue for some time.

Nan is an Accountant and Real Estate Professional with an information and research site online RealEstateLady and a Business Writer with a blog BusinessTips

Writen by Steven Gillman

Why consider used mobile homes? My own first home was a mobile on a small lot. I bought it for $19,500. With the mortgage payments it was still cheaper than renting, plus I paid it off quickly and later sold it for $45,000. Obviously you can live cheap and build equity with a mobile home. (Buying may be the equivalent of cheap rent, but this article is about mobiles that are on real estate.)

The primary advantages of mobiles over traditional houses are clear for first time home buyers. It may be the only option, for starters. Then there is the lower initial price, the simpler, cheaper maintenance, lower monthly payments, less property tax, lower insurance cost, and perhaps even faster equity build-up (I explain this in another article). Mobile homes do have their own unique problems, so be sure to watch for the following.

Problems With Used Mobile Homes

Sometimes the age of a mobile home makes it tough to finance. If it can be financed, it may be at a very high interest rate. Check into this before making an offer, and take the higher payments into account when comparing your options.

The age of is also a big factor when it comes to insurance. Certain older homes may just be uninsurable. See if you can obtain insurance at a reasonable rate before buying.

Some mobile homes built before 1976 have aluminum wiring. This is a fire hazard because the chemical reaction between the aluminum and other metals cause the wiring to break down, eventually leading to sparking inside the walls (not good). Remove any of the electrical outlet or switch covers, and look inside with a flashlight. If the bare ends of the wires are silvery looking, they are probably aluminum, and you may have to rewire the home to get it insured.

Look for stains on the ceilings. Used mobile homes are prone to leaks. If it is raining and the stains are dry, the leaks have probably been repaired, but if there are many dark stains, at least ask for how long the roof leaked. Leaks that were quickly repaired may not have done much, if any, damage to the supporting beams, but if the roof is seriously sagging there may be rotten wood up there.

Look for wavy walls and crooked door frames. If the mobile is irregularly settling, the walls will sometimes show it. It may also show in the door frames, so see if the gap over the doors is straight in relation to the frame.

Check for spongy floors. Many mobiles have particle-board for floors. If these floors get wet, they can warp and rot. Step down hard here and there to test, especially in the bathroom. I've had to rebuild two bathroom floors in mobile homes. Around the toilet is a common place to find problems, because of the condensation from the toilet running down and soaking the wood around it. Is the toilet level or leaning?

Most of these problems can be resolved, and for much less than in a traditional house, so if there are issues, you may want to see them as an opportunity to make a lower offer. Alternately, you can just avoid the mobiles with problems. In any case, don't give up on owning your own home due to high prices. Just look for good used mobile homes.

Steve Gillman has invested in real estate for years. To learn more about equity building with mobile homes, and to see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500 (not a mobile), visit; http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

Writen by David Wiltshire

I have been an IFA for over 20 years in Europe and Asia. I have met hundreds of clients with different portfolio's of assets, different expectations and different views. Throughout the 20 plus years I have experienced a number of property crashes and booms in the UK, Europe and in Asia. It is interesting to note that those clients with exposure to property are the ones that in general, have seen the best overall returns over the longer term and therefore have been in a position to retire earlier! My experience has shown me that:

You have to live somewhere.

We all need somewhere to live. The simple choice is whether to rent or buy. Renting offers none of the potential capital gains that can be made from owning your home. If you are an expat I would still advise purchasing a property simply as a hedge against future movements in the property market. This investment would make up part of your total asset portfolio but not your investment portfolio. It's important to make the distinction between property brought to live in versus investment property. But still buy it! It is still an investment even if you want to keep it for your own use in the medium to long term.

They don't make land anymore.

With growing populations the demand for housing continues to grow. The demographics indicate that land will continue to increase in value. So the upside potential for freehold or long term leasehold land / property as a long term investment look good. This is a generality take a look at my article on what and where to buy for more information.

Leverage your money.

Due to the relatively secure nature of property/land assets, Banks and lending Institutions are willing to offer finance The process is generally painless and it is normally easy to gear an investment at attractive rates of interest. In fact in many cases the banks do not insist on regular repayments of capital being made. Consequently the yields that can be achieved based on the capital invested can be very attractive and in many cases can be in excess of 10%pa. There are also potential tax benefits in financing a property investment.

An income producing asset

A major attraction of a property investment is that you can turn it into an income producing asset by renting it out. This provides for a regular income as well as the potential for capital growth.. For many retirees the rentals can provide a retirement income whilst the capital growth can provide a hedge against future inflation. All of this makes property an attractive medium to long term investment.

Inflation proof and you can touch it!

Historically property has outperformed inflation. It can be said that stock market investments have outperformed property but in many cases this has only been achieved by an substantial increase in the annual volatility of the asset and therefore an increase in risk. Timing of property acquisition is important but may not be as crucial as many other asset classes. Another major benefit of property investment, unlike stock and Bond investments, is that you can actually physically see it, which gives a certain amount of emotional security that you often don't get with other forms of investment.

Low risk long term investment that you can enjoy.

If you can hold onto a property through the downtimes the good times will come back. Property has been a cyclical market that normally outperforms it's previous highs (barring pivotal events such as war or storms!) A good long term investment that, in the case of holiday properties, you can also enjoy.

So property should be part of your portfolio here is a check list of key items to consider when investing:

How much do you invest into property?

Asses the % of your portfolio you want to have in property. The % changes depending on your risk profile, your age, your income, your wealth. My broad advice would be at least own one property, either the one you live in or the "hedge" for where you may want to live. Maximum make it 50% of your gross assets. If you want to retire early then get close to this level.

Think liquidity

Property takes time to sell. You should view it as an illiquid asset. In some cases this won't be the case but better to look on it this way. The people who loose in property are the forced sellers. It is not always possible to time the market so make sure you have the cash to wait out any market downturns. It will come back!

Think Currency hedging and gear it!

I would suggest gearing any property investment with a mortgage or where mortgages are not available then using other securities. This hedges against currency movements if you are buying abroad.

Work out expenses

You will need money for the expenses involved in the purchase. Initial purchase costs, maintenance, covering void periods. be realistic about these cost and make sure you have the liquidity to cover these and the income to cover interest payments etc.

Keep focused on your goals

If you are buying for investment purposes then try and keep focused on this. The key is to get good yields and occupancy. Also have an eye for the opportunity for capital appreciation.

So I would conclude that you need to get property into your portfolio, it's generally a low risk but higher yielding asset and offers the security of income. If you get the where to and what to buy equation right then it will lead to good gains and that early retirement.

Where to buy and what to buy are the other key issues? I deal with this in other articles.

Good investing!

Copyright 2005© Dave Wiltshire. All rights reserved.

David Wiltshire has been an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) for over 20 years, running successful practices in both Europe and Hong Kong. He has worked on property financing and purchasing. He is a Director of VestaLand a boutique property developer focused on emerging European markets. http://vestaland.com/

Writen by David Carter

Successful Property Letting And Management is not something that just happens, it is something that has to be worked at, and planned professionally. When a landlord or an agent has a problem let, it is almost certainly to do with the suitability of the selected tenant. If you do not have sufficient expertise in letting property, then acquire some, or buy some. Speak to your Law practitioner; buy some relevant books, both of these work out far cheaper than the costs involved in dealing with bad tenants.

Many professional letting agents are called in by amateur distressed landlords part way through the tenancy because the tenant might not have paid the rent, they might have refused to leave the property, or they may be damaging the building or abusing the neighbours. The first thing the agent asks is, where is the tenancy agreement?

All too often the agreement has been hastily put together, even scrawled on the back of a cigarette packet. I have seen that. Sometimes there is no discernable agreement at all, sometimes the property has been let to the owner's best friend whom they just happened to have recently met in a local bar, and sometimes it is let to a distant and barely known relative. Surely that would be safe enough, wouldn't it? No, it isn't. Letting a property involves a professional contract between two parties and it should be treated as such. There is no room for making exceptions for "friends" or "relatives" here. All tenants must be dealt with in the same professional manner, regardless of who they are.

The vast majority of problem lets occur because the tenant has not been selected carefully enough, and the references have not been exhaustively followed through. Perhaps the references haven't been taken up at all. Worse than that, occasionally desperate landlords still proceed and insert a tenant into a property even while they are clutching a bunch of bad references, because the tenant has promised not to be a bad boy in future, or girl. How stupid is that? Bad references mean one of two things. Forget it, the preferred option, or insist upon a first class guarantor to sign the tenancy agreement, as well as the tenant.

Landlords may also experience problems because the property is not sufficiently well maintained. This policy is hard to figure out too. It may be a fact that generally properties are much better maintained than they were say twenty years ago, but there is still a swath of landlords who will not spend any money maintaining their property, ever. Talk about pulling hens teeth, and this is such a ridiculous attitude!

Imagine if you owned a manufacturing business that depended on the smooth running of the machinery and equipment for the business's wellbeing. You'd have it regularly serviced right? So what is the difference with maintaining your own property? It belongs to you, it is your asset, and it is probably the biggest asset you will ever own. So why prevaricate when it comes to spending a little money ensuring that it is in full working order? That doesn't make any sense at all, and as everyone knows, a small maintenance problem ignored today, will develop into a bigger and more expensive problem tomorrow. Deal with maintenance problems quickly, and you will always end up paying less for it in the long run

If you intend to embark on a career in property, make a pact with yourself that you will always carry out your business as professionally as any big city agency. If you are thinking of doing it on the cheap, by cutting corners and taking chances, then please don't get involved at all. You'll surely regret it. Taking risks and cutting corners is a sure-fire way of meeting disaster head on. Sooner or later your enterprise will slip into the mire of self-destruction and that will be fatal for your business. Remember the rule, total professionalism always. Anything less, and you'll fail. Guaranteed.

David Carter has written many published articles. His latest work is SPLAM! Successful Property Letting & Management. This 240 page book looks at property letting starting out at finding properties. How to obtain them, how to gain the landlords trust,right through to letting and protecting ongoing lets. The book was written after 10 years successful property management, and after completing 1,000's of successful property deals. SPLAM was originally written for property people operating in Britain, but it is crammed with useful property information and ideas for property people everywhere. A bad tenant is a bad tenant whether they are in Wolverhampton, Winnipeg, Wichita, Wellington or Wagga Wagga! There is an extensive section on how to deal with problem tenancies, and more importantly, how to avoid them in the first place. This book is not marketed and remarketed by everyone this side of the Orinoco,it is only available online from David's publishers though it will soon be found at Amazon and in your local book stores. Check out http://www.splam.co.uk ISBN 1-4116-3444-6

Writen by Nicholas Marr

Selling property privately has many advantages over using an estate agent. However estate agents can provide useful local information not available from the internet. Despite this many who have sold there home privately have benefited from the following:

• Saving thousands in commission
• Savings in time spent selling home

• Experience a wider choice of online services
• A feeling of remaining in control
• Reduction in stress
• A sense of achievement.

Selling property-What is your home worth Selling property privately means that you will have to arrive at the correct price to sell your home.House prices and the value of your home is a major topic for potential buyers and those already on the property ladder. There are now ample resources enabling you to value your own home, making it easier to sell your property privately.

Before you value your property you must arrive at two important figures:

1. The lowest price you will accept for your property
2. The ideal price you would like to achieve

Research Gather all the facts before arriving at a realistic price for your property by:

• Using online House Price calculators which will give you a guide price

• Using the internet to find prices of similar properties in your area

• Looking at House Prices statistics this can help identify the trend over the last 12 months.

• Using house price websites to discover exactly the prices that properties had sold for in your neighbourhood

• Research local paper and estate agents windows.

UK Housing Market Price Data

Halifax & Bank of Scotland House Price Data: www.hbosplc.com/home/home.asp

Nationwide House price index: www.nationwide.co.uk/hpi/default.asp

UK House Price Calculator
ww.nationwide.co.uk/mortgage/tools-and-calculators/hpi.htm

UK House Price-Websites

Net House Prices: Instant online house prices throughout the UK
http://www.nethouseprices.com/index.php?ref=99924

Mouseprice.com Find the price paid for every house sold in England & Wales
www.mouseprice.com

Our Property: Millions of prices direct from the Land registry:
www.ourproperty.co.uk/

UK house price predictions
http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/

Nicholas Marr
Director of Marr International Ltd a Uk based property marketing company Selling property worldwide on behalf of private sellers,estate agent worlwide http://www.homesgofast.com/sell_your_home.php

Writen by Stephen Todd

Many people are now seeking to retire in Costa Rica - often called the "Jewel of Central America", and its popularity is growing.

So, why are more people than ever looking to retire in Costa Rica? The major reasons for retiring to Costa Rica are:

. Close proximity to the US

. Climate

. Natural beauty

. Culture

. High standard of living for a very low cost

Quite simply, social security checks go a lot further in Costa Rica than they do in the US.

Geographical Location

For many people retiring to Costa Rica, one of the major advantages is its geographical proximity to the US.

Costa Rica is only a few hours flying distance to the southern U.S. mainland. Flights from Costa Rica to the US and Europe are frequent - making traveling easy. In addition, the time difference between Costa Rica and most US cities is just a couple of hours.

Cost of Living

Another reason for retiring in Costa Rica is that the cost of living is so much less than in the US.

For example, dining out will cost you around $12, and a maid will cost you just $150 a month. General household items are about 60% cheaper than in the US, and utility bills are also far cheaper.

In fact, you can quite easy live comfortably on a couple of thousand dollars a month.

Tax Status

When retiring to Costa Rica, one of the major advantages for Americans is its tax haven status - Americans retiring in Costa Rica do not pay income taxes on social security received from the U.S.

Cost of Real Estate

When you retire in Costa Rica, you'll enjoy affordable housing - houses of an equivalent standard to those in the U.S. are available at a far cheaper cost.

While real estate has risen in price over the last few years, you can find small, basic homes from around $80,000 – with a choice of homes to suit your pocket and your lifestyle.

Costa Rican law and its constitution protect private ownership of land - and foreign nationals get the same rights as citizens. Costa Rica has a history of stability and democratic government.

The comfort of a stable political environment - as opposed to other Latin American countries, means retiring in Costa Rica gives you peace of mind, due to your legal rights.

Of course, if you buy a house when retiring in Costa Rica you become part of the real estate boom, that has seen houses bought for $30,000 15 years ago, rise to around $700,000 today.

Healthcare

For many years, Costa Rica has provided healthcare services to visitors from around the world - where they've been able to get world class healthcare at a fraction of the cost of that available in the US and Europe.

When retiring in Costa Rica, most people take out the medical insurance offered by the government's insurance company - this offers cover at just $900 per year for an adult male, aged between 45 and 50 - and this covers 80% of medical costs!

In fact, the United Nations consistently ranks Costa Rica's health services the best in Latin America - and in the top 20 worldwide.

When retiring in Costa Rica, it's nice to know that as you get older, you can enjoy some of the best healthcare around - at a fraction of the cost of the US or Europe.

The Country

Costa Rica is a very small country of around 32,000 square miles - and a population of only 4 million.

Many people retire to Costa Rica for the slower pace of life - and because it's one of the safest countries in the world. In addition, the infrastructure is first class.

Costa Rica is also a beautiful country with diverse scenery. With stunning sandy beaches, mountains, rolling hills, beautiful lakes and huge volcanoes - Costa Rica is truly a country of beauty and wonder.

Another attraction for many retiring to Costa Rica is the climate. For example, if you want the heat of the beach you can have it. However, if you like a cooler, less humid climate - then you may prefer the "Eternal Spring" of the Central Valley and San José. Here the average year round temperature is in the 80's during the day – falling to the 60's or 70's in the evening.

You Deserve It!

Retiring in Costa Rica offers people a different, less stressful way of life, in a beautiful country - and at a cost that will allow you to get much more for your money.

When you retire, you deserve a quality lifestyle - and that's what Costa Rica can offer you.

Discover Costa Rica today!

FREE Guide! - The Secrets of Building Wealth in Real Estate and Land.
How to invest in land with low risk for long term capital growth. Visit our website and grab your free report now!
http://www.CostaRicaLandLots.com/free-wealth-report.php

Writen by John Carle

A big debate these days is whether or not to buy a house, or buy a condo. Most of this debate comes from a lack of understanding about condos, and what they are. Hopefully, the following information will prove to be helpful.

When Buying a condo, are you a tenant?

No. That simply isn't true. When you buy a condo, you are buying a part of the corporation, and are thus an equal owner. It is true that you can be forced to move, if you are really disturbing the other owners, or causing problems. But this is true of residential homes as well. If your neighbors complain repeatedly about smell, health concerns, or criminal behavior, then you may be forced to move. The same holds true in condos and houses alike.

The board can force you to pay thousands of dollars arbitrarily, and without notice.

At first glance, this may appear to be true. But keep in mind that the condo association is made up of owners who have the same goal as you… Having a comfortable place to live that is building equity. The members of the condo association do not make any money from their positions. They are owners like yourself, who are volunteering their time. There can, however, be "special levy's" brought about by unexpected maintenance in the building. The same holds true of a house as well; the expenses just come from a different place. Ask anyone who owns a house how much it cost them for their last furnace. Or how much they spent repairing the water leak, and replacing the shingles. The advantage in a condo association is that you share these costs with the other owners, and are forced to save money in advance for these repairs, through the reserve fund.

Condo fees cost too much each month!

Again, not necessarily true. If you were to add up the amount of money that a family spends over 5 years on the maintenance of their house, you'll usually notice that it equals more than 5 years worth of condo fees. Also, many condo associations pay for their monthly expenses as a group. Heat, water, insurance, and maintenance are examples of such expenses. By purchasing as a group, they can often get these services at a lower rate than a single home owner can.

I could never live in such close quarters

That's probably true. Condos aren't for everyone. Every person has to make their own decision, based upon their own lifestyle; now and in the future. If you have 3 large dogs, 3.5 children, and 4 cars… a condo probably isn't for you. But, if you're a single young executive who works 80 hours a week, or you're retired and travel most of the year, then perhaps a condo is the right choice for you. Only you can make that decision, as it is a lifestyle choice. Here are some factors to consider in your decision.

1. How much time do you spend at home?

2. Do you want to shovel walks and mow lawns?

3. Are you used to having your neighbours far away from you?

4. Is the condo association that you're considering favorable to your children's lifestyle?

5. Do you want a low maintenance home, or do you like tinkering in the yard and garage?

6. Who's going to be living there? What are the neighbors like?

In fact, these are issues to consider on any home, not just a condominium. It's just as easy to get "bad" neighbors when you buy a house as it is when you buy a condo. The best advice that can be given is to research your choices, and be objective when choosing a home. My favorite example of this is as follows:

"A friend of mine asked me to help him find a home. He's a single young man who travels 75% of the time for his job and is rarely at home. When he is home, all he wants to do is sleep and watch TV. He wanted to buy an acreage so that he could have privacy. After looking at the amount of continuous maintenance required for an acreage, he realized that acreage living wasn't for him. He's very happy in his apartment style condo."

Make your own decisions, based upon what's best for you. If a condo is where you'll be happiest, then buy a condo. If a house is what's right for you, buy a house.

About The Author

John Carle & Sharon Gregresh are Realtors with Royal LePage - ArTeam in St. Albert, AB. They pride themselves on providing more than just real estate sales and listings. Their clients benefit from a much larger spectrum or real estate services. Contact them any time at information@workingtogether.ca or through their website at www.workingtogether.ca. They can be reached by phone at (780) 458-5595

Writen by Timothy Wright

Brits moving permanently to Bulgaria

It has been reported that many Brits are falling for Bulgaria 's charms with a growing number choosing to move there permanently. In recent years investment has been the main driving force behind the number of Brits buying property in the country but many have decided to buy and live outside the Sunny Beach area and a few miles inland as well as other village areas around the country.

There are a number of factors for those choosing to move but the low cost of living and the seemingly peaceful surrounds are the most likely reasons so many Brits are making the move. Many have also been able to rent out there properties back in the UK , and live very comfortably off the rental income in Bulgaria .

As more companies relocate to Bulgaria to take advantage of the low wages and to strategically place themselves for the countries' expected accession to the EU in 2007, many British employees are expected to relocate with their employers. Tourist areas have seen recent year-on-year growth of between 25% up to as much as 100% however those opting to live in to move permanently prefer to be based inland.

Many Brits are buying around the Veliko Turnovo region with home prices starting as low as GBP 10,000. There are still cheaper homes available however many will require additional funds to provide for renovations. The move is been made by both retirees who find they can make their pension stretch a lot further and younger people looking for new business opportunities and finding it difficult to get on the property ladder in the UK.

EU Final word on Bulgaria to be known soon

Oli Rehn, European Enlargement Commissioner is soon expected to present his report on Bulgaria Romania's accession to the EU in January 2007. It is generally believed that the planned memberships will go ahead however the accession treaty does contain a safeguard clause allowing membership to be postponed by one year if further reforms in each country are deemed necessary.

Tim Wright is an international property investor and regular article contributor. He is the author of "Bulgarian Property - The Overseas Buyers' Kit" available at http://www.bulgarianpropertybuyer.co.uk.

Writen by Alison Cole

There are many trade associations in Austin that deal specifically with apartments. These include the Austin Apartment Association (AAA), the Texas Apartment Association, Inc. (TAA), and the National Apartment Association (NAA). There associations are non-profit institutions dedicated to the service of the rental housing industry. With growing demand for rented apartment in and around Austin, these associations play a key role in protecting the interests of both property owners as well as renters.

The Austin Apartment Association (AAA), established in 1964, is affiliated to the Texas Apartment Association and the National Apartment Association. AAA members include property owners, builders, developers, property managers, REIT executives, management companies and on-site staff and vendors who supply products and services to the industry. The AAA represents more than 155,000 rental units in Austin and ten other counties in Central Texas. AAA members represent more than 100 units in the Greater Austin area. They represent nearly 98% of the total rental properties in Austin. AAA has a membership from more than 500 apartment communities in the area of Greater Austin. AAA offers advise and consultancy services for renting and leasing of apartments.

The Texas Apartment Association, Inc. (TAA), founded in 1963, is also a non-profit organization committed to the development of the rental housing industry. The main objective of TAA is to educate and advocate the members, who comprise mainly of property owners, developers, builders and property management companies. TAA is affiliated to the National Apartment Association and other local associations in 25 cities in Texas. TAA has a membership base of over 10,000 members and represents close to 1.6 million rental units across Texas. On the whole, the TAA represents property worth more than $150 billion in market value. TAA provides standard forms and applications for lease contracts, rental contracts and other property issues.

Austin apartment associations are great for both property owners and residents. These associations can protect owners and provide valuable information to prospective residents.

Austin Apartments provides detailed information about Austin apartments, Austin apartment guides, Austin apartment locators, and more. Austin Apartments is affiliated with Home Furnishings.