What is Real Estate

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.