What is Real Estate

Jacksonville Florida Real Estate Six Areas Of Growth

2009-03-03T09:00:00.001-08:00

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.

What To Expect From Your House Appraisal

2009-03-02T09:00:00.001-08:00

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.

Selling Your Home Be Sure It Shows Well

2009-02-28T09:00:00.001-08:00

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.

The Condo Hotel Craze

2009-02-27T09:00:00.001-08:00

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.

The Ten Biggest Mistakes Everyone Makes When Buying Or Selling Real Estate

2009-02-26T09:00:00.001-08:00

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

Spain Excellent Choice For British Sipp Investors

2009-02-25T09:00:00.001-08:00

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

Buyers Agents Advantages Of Working With One

2009-02-24T09:00:00.001-08:00

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

The Home Buying Process How And Why To Use The Buddy System

2009-02-23T09:00:00.001-08:00

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!

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!

Why I Love Country Living

2009-02-22T09:00:00.001-08:00

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.

Do You Really Own Your Spanish Property Or Are You Merely A Tenant In Waiting Pt 1

2009-02-21T09:00:00.001-08:00

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.

Real Estate Ensure The Home Is Insurable

2009-02-20T09:00:00.001-08:00

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.

Changes To Come

2009-02-19T09:00:00.001-08:00

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 (18831946) 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.

Sticking With The Experts When Its Not A Sellers Market

2009-02-18T09:00:00.001-08:00

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

Fort Lauderdale MLS

Fort Lauderdale Condos

Is Your Realtor Giving You The Representation That You Deserve

2009-02-17T09:00:00.001-08:00

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

Selling A Mortgage Note

2009-02-16T09:00:00.001-08:00

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.

How To Use Color Psychology To Prepare Your Home For A Topdollar Sale Part 1

2009-02-15T09:00:00.001-08:00

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!

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

Real Estate Condos Are Becoming Single Family Vacation Homes

2009-02-14T09:00:00.001-08:00

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

Used Mobile Homes Be Careful

2009-02-13T09:00:00.001-08:00

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

Property A Key Element In A Balanced Portfolio And Earlier Retirement

2009-02-12T09:00:00.001-08:00

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!

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/

Successful Property Letting And Management

2009-02-11T09:00:00.001-08:00

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

Selling Property Valuing Your Property

2009-02-10T09:00:00.001-08:00

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

Retiring In Costa Rica Why You Should Consider It

2009-02-09T09:00:00.001-08:00

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

Should You Buy A House Or A Condo

2009-02-08T09:00:00.001-08:00

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.

How much time do you spend at home?
Do you want to shovel walks and mow lawns?
Are you used to having your neighbours far away from you?
Is the condo association that you're considering favorable to your children's lifestyle?
Do you want a low maintenance home, or do you like tinkering in the yard and garage?
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

Bulgarian Property Market Update 17 March 2006

2009-02-07T09:00:00.001-08:00

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.

Austin Apartments Association

2009-02-06T09:00:00.001-08:00

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.

Flipping Houses Common Mistakes That Flippers Make

2009-02-05T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Donald Lawson

In my profession as a home inspector, I get to witness some amazing flipping deals. Some are profitable, some aren't. Here are the common mistakes I see flipper continuing to make.

#1. Falling In Love With The Home: Hey, it's just a house built out of sticks and clay. There are thousands more. If you can't keep from falling in love with every home you see, then flipping homes isn't for you. Never forget it's a business, treat it that way.

#2. Keep Your Mouth Shut! There's an old saying in the Navy. "Loose lips sink ships". More than once I've inspected a home for an Investor and have the Investor call up a week later saying they lost the deal to someone else. Some people just can't keep their mouth's shut. Wait until you walk away from the closing table to tell everyone what a deal you made!

#3. First Impressions Are The Most Important: Spend the dough on the landscaping and exterior of the front of the home. I've seen more homes sold and more homes fallen in love with (see rule #1) from a great first impression than any other single item. Clean and shiny door knobs, door knockers, coach lamps and address numbers will add to the impression. If it doesn't add cosmetically to the home, get rid of it.

#4. Don't go overbored The simple fact is that most homes can be flipped for a decent profit by cleaning and replacing the carpet and paint. Too many times flippers think they need to sink thousands of dollars on a home to make it sell.

Many times what happens is they will remodel the home and it ends up being priced higher than anything in the neighborhood and sits on the market untill the Investor drops the price. Take a page from the flipping pro's book. Keep it to the basics. You're trying to make a profit, not make the front cover of a glamour magazine.

#5. When In Doubt, Reread Rule #1 Some people need Rule #1 stapled to their forheads!

#6. Don't Get Greedy! If you've priced your home well, then take the first offer that comes along. It's not worth your home setting on the market for months because you're too tight to come off the price a thousand or two. Reread rule #1!

Donald Lawson is a Professional Real Estate Inspector licensed in Texas (#5824) and Oklahoma (#454). He currently owns and operates V.I.P. Home Inspections, a Houston Home Inspection company. If you're interested in investment opportunity's in Houston Tx, see his Houston Real Estate page.

Home Equity Loan

2009-02-04T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dennis Estrada

The Home Equity Loan, which is another term for second mortgage, lets the borrowers to borrow up to ninety five percent of the home equity accumulated. The home equity loan also allows the borrower to spend on home improvements, debt consolidation, home renovations, vacation getaway, vehicles, investments, college education, or other expenses.

The home equity composes of the appraised value minus amount owe. And, the borrower uses the home as collateral for the loan. The collateral serves as property to guarantee repayment of the loan. In case of default of payment on loan, the lender seizes the property. Most of the time, the loan will be repaid in shorter period of time between five to fifteen years. Rarely, the loan is repaid in thirty years.

For example, the home owner bought a three bedroom house for $300,000 with $30,000 down payment. So, the home owner borrows $270,000 ($300,000 - $30, 000). After ten years, the home owner pays off the principal by $42,000. He still owes $228,000. At the same time, the appraised value comes to $500,000. Using the amount owe and appraised value, he calculates the equity to $272,000 ($500,000 - $228, 000). Eventually, he can borrow up to ninety percent of $272,000.

Types of Home Equity Loan

First Rate Loans give a single lump-sum payment to the borrower. And, he pays the loan on regular set of payment periods over time. The payment amount and interest rate stays the same thru out the life of the loan.

Variable Rate Loans, which is also called Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOC), offers more flexible on payment. Some loans offer to pay interest only at earlier periods, and pay the principal gradually at later periods. Some loans offer discounted interest rate temporarily at the earlier periods. And, the interest rates fluctuate thru out the life of the loan. Next, this loan works like a credit card. The lender gives the borrower a credit limit. And, the borrower can use up to the credit limit. The main benefit is lower interest rate than normal credit cards.

Cost of Home Equity Loan

The costs are similar to acquire the first mortgage such as appraisal fee, application fee, and discount points. The appraisal fee is paid for the real estate appraiser to estimate the value of the property, while the application fee is paid upon application. The application fee may include property appraisal and credit report. As for the discount points, it is upfront fee to bring the mortgage payment.

There are also closing costs. The closing costs may include attorney, title search, mortgage preparation, and filing fees. Besides the closing costs, there are also recurring costs such as annual membership, and transaction fee. The annual membership fee is paid for the privilege of line of credit, while the transaction fee is paid for each draw on line of credit.

Facts of Home Equity Loan

In a Variable Rate Loans, periodic cap, lifetime cap, index, and margin are important thing to be aware. The periodic cap tells the limit on interest changes. Next, the lifetime cap tells the limit on interest changes on the life of the loan. Another, the index tells how much to raise or lower the interest rate. Finally, the margin tells amount to be added to the index.

Like any mortgage, the loans have terms and conditions. The terms and conditions tells what happen to the property in case of default, how the repayment carries on the life of loan, what penalties puts into action on late payments, or so. The Federal Truth in Lending Act also protects the borrower. The Act ensures that the borrower is inform on terms and conditions, the fees is return on undecided transaction, the borrower allows for three days cancellation, and terms and condition remains the same on life of the loan.

Dennis Estrada is a webmaster of mortgage calculators website which calculate the monthly payment, bi-weekly payment, affordability, refinance, annual percentage rate, discount points, and more.

15 Money Saving Techniques Of A Professional Buyer Agent

2009-02-03T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Bill Carey

We are all so skeptical we don't believe much of what we are told. We need the reassurance of seeing for ourselves proven results. At the least we require some sort of guarantee or commitment from any salesperson we are dealing with. Real estate is no different.

There was a time not that long ago that all agents represented the seller in residential real estate. As a buyer you had no control and were at the mercy of sellers, agents, title companies, mortgage companies and attorney's (unless you hired an attorney to represent you). "Caveat emptor" Buyer Beware was the law of the land and essentially how the real estate transactions took place. Major changes have occurred over the past 10 years where buyer agency has now become the normal and required practice in real estate transactions.

For a new home buyer hearing all of the scary stories about real estate and how you can be burned in the process its' hard for them to get their hands around the real benefits of buyer agency. With Buyer Agency you now have control you have your agent right where you want them under contract working for you not the seller. Best of all you can cancel the contract easier than the agent. With a phone call and fax to your agents Broker in Charge or by a complaint to the Real estate board you're on your merry way with apologies from every one involved.

What should you expect from your agent when employing the as your exclusive agent?

1.To seek property at a price and terms acceptable to you,

2.Presenting in a timely manner all written offers and counter offers,

3.Disclosing all material facts related to the property and transaction,

4.Accounting for in a timely manner all money and property,

5.Maintain confidentiality of all personal and financial information,

6.Comply with all laws and regulations,

7.Treat sellers honestly and not give them false information,

8.Non-Discrimination,

That's the standard contract stuff, how about the other things that will benefit you in buying a home?

Below are 15 techniques that professional Buyer Agents use to save you thousands.

1.Real Estate Team approach to the real estate business, Buyer agents, listing agents, customer care assistants, and a closing coordinator are needed to properly handle all properly the functions of a real estate agent.

2.Written guarantees, the best agents will put in writing 2 guarantees. A performance guarantee (i.e. Save you $5,000 on your home purchase price or they will pay you $500 at closing). A cancellation guarantee ( If the agent has not done everything they said they would and your not completely satisfied with their performance you can cancel the Buyer agency contract no questions asked)

3.Weekly communication at a minimum. A phone call, email or face to face meeting. With the agent or team member working on your transaction.

4.Multiple forms of contact for you of your agent: office phone number, direct phone number, fax number, email address, website, cell phone number. Names and functions of team members who will be working with you.

5.Emailing you daily or weekly new listings that come on the market meeting your specific buying criteria. VIP Buyers program.

6.Mortgage pre-approval, helping you with the process by giving you information and following up with competent mortgage professionals who can have the mortgage processed, delivered and closed on time.

7.Home Inspection, giving you information and following up with professional home inspectors who will meet your dead lines with complete line item reports and photographs.

8.Title company or Attorney, who can start the process on a timely basis to competently and quickly complete the title work report any deficiencies and work with the sellers and sellers agent to clean them up to meet the closing schedule.

9.Engineers Survey companies, have competent engineers who will complete the survey quickly and professionally and present any problems in a timely manner.

10.Phone numbers for all local utilities gas, electric, cable TV so you can have them transferred into your name in time for closing.

11.Schools phone numbers, addresses, websites and locations of schools public and private in the areas you are considering for your new home.

12.Hotels and apartments complexes convenient for you if there is a delay or while your new home is under construction.

13.Local information on parks, recreation, maps, newspapers, chamber of commerce, banking, shopping, grocery stores, restaurants.

14.Contractors and service providers, lawn service, house cleaning, widow washing, roofing contractors, plumbers, electricians, deck builders.

15.Hospitals, clinics, special needs for your children, parents or you.

Your agent should be in contact with you and be able to offer assistance or direct you to where you can get help without leaving you out on your own. Keeping in contact (communication) is what will make the house hunting and closing go smoother and lessen the complications.

Bill Carey with over 30 years in real estate sales, investments, and home building offers a unique perspective to the buying and selling process of residential real estate for F*R*E*E consumer information and reports log on to http://www.CharlotteNCExecutiveHomes.com and see "Insider Real Estate Secrets Revealed" ...a must-read for Home-Owners and Renters! It's a F*R*E*E 12-lesson e-course covering more than 20 topics exposing the realities behind buying and selling a home. It Could Make(or Save) You Thousands of Dollars

See http://www.BillCareyRealtor.com and sign up for our monthly e-newsletter with tips for buyers, sellers, home owners and soon to be home owners.

(Your Comments are Welcome)

Moving To Tampa Bay Overview Of The Tampa St Pete Clearwater Florida Areas

2009-02-02T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Robert Lipply

Florida's Suncoast is where you will find the picturesque beachfront communities of Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg. It isn't unusual for this trio of pristine coastal real estate to be referred to as one area. In fact, the combination of these municipalities, and their proximity to the bay, is more commonly knows as: "The Tampa Bay Area".

The treasure-trio of Tampa - St. Pete - Clearwater share in having award-winning gemstones like sandy, premier beaches and plenty of water related recreational activities. But each city also has its own eclectic flavor that is reflected throughout the various neighborhoods that exist in these towns, and also via the vibrant residents living there.

Tampa, as previously mentioned, is situated near the western coast of Florida. The city of Tampa is located in Hillsborough County and serves as Hillsborough's county seat. Tampa is bordered by the waters of Old Tampa Bay, and Hillsborough Bay, which converge, forming "Tampa Bay," as it flows towards the Gulf of Mexico. Tampa consists of approximately 112 miles of exquisitely beautiful land and 58 miles of the purest water.

Tampa has world famous attractions such as: South Tampa's Hyde Park, with upscale shops, theaters, and restaurants. The Seminole Gaming Palace: A casino located on the Seminole Indian Reservation. The Tampa Grand Prix: An entertainment complex with two race tracks, a game room, and two separate 18-hole miniature golf courses. These and other attractions help to fuel Tampa's economy.

Employment in Tampa is primarily in the tourism and services industries, although more and more high tech companies are relocating their headquarters here. New homes in the area can be found starting around $200,000. Condos are plentiful in Tampa and prices are reasonable and negotiable. Tampa has many golf course communities and large luxury home sites too.

West of Tampa is the city of Clearwater, located in Pinellas County. Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County and is comprised of 38 miles of land and 12 miles of water. Clearwater is home to two of the nation's top beaches, Clearwater Beach and Sand Key Beach. Clearwater, Florida is steeped in history dating back to the native peoples that inhabited this extraordinarily, beautiful peninsula located on Florida's western coast, and the Spanish explorers who first encountered them in their world explorations.

Employment in Clearwater is bright with many high tech jobs available. The education, healthcare, and manufacturing industries also fuel this cities economy. Small condo prices begin around $70,000 and small single family homes start at roughly $180,000 and can go up into the millions for large estate size waterfront property. The medium home price currently is about $250,000. There are many fantastic properties available in Clearwater for first time home buyers, those relocating from the north or for anyone wanting to upgrade their lifestyle. The cost of living is estimated to be some 5% less than the national average for costs of living.

St. Petersburg, also located in Pinellas County, Florida is most often referred to by its shorter moniker: St. Pete. This city has approximately 59 miles of premium land and about 73 miles of water. The buildings throughout this city display some of the most spectacularly detailed architecture and craftsmanship to be found anywhere else. Downtown's waterfront not only adds charm to this city, it is where you can board a boat to take in some dolphin watching for a fun-filled day. Tourism, education, and healthcare are just some of the employment opportunities in St. Pete. New homes and condos can be found starting at just over $150,000 depending on the area. There are many luxurious waterfront homes in St. Pete and many retirement areas as well.

The whole of Tampa Bay is well served by the world-class air transportation found at Tampa International, and Clearwater / St. Pete Airports. Railways, bridges, and roadways also serve residents and tourist.

The trio of Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg with its combined pristine coastlines, sandy beaches, and the infusion of each city's own unique flavors, creates a treasure chest of gemstones that sparkle brilliantly under Florida's sun-kissed, semi-tropical horizon.

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

Everything A Real Estate Agent Doesnt Want You To Know Part 2

2009-02-01T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jim Hart

So you are thinking about buying a home? Typically, people who are planning to buy a home, and especially first time home buyers, start by looking through newspapers ads and real estate magazines before calling a real estate company and talking to a real estate agent. And that's where the problems tend to begin. As a homebuyer you must understand that real estate agents represent sellers (they have a legal duty to represent sellers) and not buyers (.) The only exception to this rule is in the case of "buyer broker representation" which I STRONGLY advise against using because it's basically a scam designed to squeeze money out of both ends of a real estate deal, money from buyers and money from sellers. You see, the term "caveat Emptor" means "buyer beware". That means the duty to protect your legal and financial interests in a real estate deal falls squarely on YOUR shoulders. If you make wrong decisions, sign stupid contracts and do less than an intelligent deal-it is your fault. In my mind, the term "buyer beware" is a fancy way of saying "cheating is okay".

It all boils down to knowledge. Real estate agents are trained in real estate principles, practices, some real estate law and some (and I mean some) financing. How much training have you had? How much do you know about real estate law? How much do you know about real estate financing? What are your financial options? Are the loans being sold to you in your best short, medium and long-range interest? These are key questions you need answered. So here's a few tips on getting your bearings in the right direction before you do anything.

Number 1-Get the home financing together first! This is the singular most important element of a real estate deal. Why? Because after the whirlwind of emotion of your new home passes (and it will) you will have a "mortgage monkey" strapped to your back for 15 or 30 years. You want the best interest rate you can get but you also want the best loan program to meet your personal needs. There are a ton of home loans on the market; 15 and 30-year conventional loans, adjustable rate mortgages (ARMS), Government loans like FHA, VA loans and there are gimmick loans like negative amortization loans, nothing down loans, etc. The point is that lenders are in the business of selling loans- that's right they are selling you a loan and you are paying for it in the form of closing costs and interest rates. Nobody can get this information together for you except you (.) You are the one that will live with the loan and that is why you need to get your financing together first! My report gives you the steps you need to take to seek out the right loan for YOU.

Number 2-Get an attorney specialized in real estate transactions (.) People tend to see a lawyer AFTER they have a legal problem. Be smarter than that-see an attorney first and get representation, buying a home is a big business deal right? I cannot emphasize enough the importance of having a lawyer to review your legal documents before you sign anything (.) Not to hype the report but it has some tips on this issue.

Number 3-Avoid real estate agents until you are strategically ready to talk to them. Remember; agents are trying to sell you a property-and they are not your agent-they are salespeople on a commission and they have a legal duty to not only represent the seller but to get the highest possible price on behalf of the seller. People get hurt everyday in real estate deals and don't even know they are bleeding. Why? Lack of information.

My E-Report: 101 Tips For Homebuyers, Sellers And Money Borrowers will help you with more information regarding this article- go to smart Books website, fill out the form requesting a copy and we'll send it to your email address within 24 hours-absolutely free this week! Another Ezine Article Exclusive! Keep reading, theres' more to come! Until next time...

Smart People Read Smart Books!

NAME: Jim Hart TITLE: CEO-Smart Books Publishing SMART BOOKS WEBSITE: http://www.smart67.com FREE PRODUCT: Article offer-per request. PRODUCT: Consumer Books, Kits & Special E-Reports in the areas of Real Estate, Business and Personal Finance. MESSAGE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE OUR PRODUCTS, SEND THEM BACK. HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO SEND A HOUSE BACK? WEBSITE IS A PAY PAL SECURE SELLER: Yes WEBSITE IS A SECURE CREDIT CARD MERCHANT: Yes MEDIA INTERVIEWS Yes-See Bio for bookings.

Trump Towers The New Standard Of Luxury Condo Living

2009-01-31T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Paul Hansen

Trump Towers have been known as the pinnacle of luxury condo living, but now the Trump name has come into the Miami condo market. The first Trump Tower condo to be complete will be the Trump Palace located in Sunny Isles directly on the ocean.

The Trump Palace is a 55 story condominium tower that offers both ocean and intracoastal views and is set to start closings in the beginning of 2006. The Trump Palace condos have units that range in size from 1200 to well over 3000 square feet, and prices range from $600,000's to over $2.5 million. The Trump Palace will have the highest level of amenities for its residents to enjoy along with a convenient location in the heart of Sunny Isles.

The Trump Royale is the sister building of the Trump Palace and will also rise 55 floors with similar pricing, floor plans and amenities. The Palace and Royale will be angled to offer unobstructed ocean and intracoastal views in each building. The Trump Royale, which has already started construction, is set to be complete by the end of 2007. The Trump Royale condo is the final piece to complete the Trump Grande Ocean Resort and Residences in Sunny Isles, Florida.

Trump Towers I, II and III will also rise in Sunny Isles. These three Trump Towers will all be the height of 45 floors with 271 condos in each building. The Trump Tower condos will range in size from 1469 to 2928 square feet with two and three bedrooms. The condos of Trump Towers in Sunny Isles will offer every view, from ocean to intracoastal, bay and city. All three of the Trump Towers will feature Italian cabinets with granite or marble counter tops in the kitchens and bathrooms, Miele and Subzero appliances, floor to ceiling glass and designer fixtures through out the condos.

The amenities of the Trump Towers will include 250 linear feet of ocean frontage, beautifully appointed three story lobby, 24 hour concierge and valet, state of the art fitness center and health spa as well as beach front cabanas. Trump Towers in Sunny Isles have experienced phenomenal sales, and resales should be starting very soon.

Just a little north of these Trump projects is the new and exciting Trump Hollywood project. The Trump Hollywood is the newest and most luxurious of all the Trump projects. The finishes and views will be second to none, with one of the last locations on the beach that still has much room for appreciation.

The Trump Hollywood condo tower will be 40 floors with a modern glass design that will make it a landmark on Hollywood Beach for many years to come. The Trump Hollywood will offer 200 units that range in size from 2070 to 4350 square feet with pricing expected to start at about $1.5 million and up. The Trump Hollywood is now taking reservations and expects to be going to contract within the next few months.

There is no doubt that all of the Trump Towers will offer the finest in luxury oceanfront condo living. The hard part is deciding which Trump Tower to choose. Each of the Trump projects has its own unique design and style to suit every desire.

With over 14 years experience between the two, Paul and Carole have the knowledge and experience to help with all of your Miami real estate needs. Carole is a native of Miami Beach and Paul has made Miami home for the last 15 years. They have both seen and experienced the dramatic changes that have taken place in the Miami real estate market over the last several years. This knowledge of the real estate market makes them the perfect choice whether you are looking for a primary residence, second home, investment property or pre construction opportunities. With millions of dollars of closed transactions, they have the experience to avoid the pitfalls of buying and selling real estate.

For expert information visit http://www.hansenhomesaventura.com or call 786-586-4778

Afford A Dream Home In Belize

2009-01-30T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Rhiannon Williamson

Shopping for property in Belize is not as simple an undertaking as you might initially expect!

Firstly, real estate agents as we know them are non existent! Real estate brokers that do exist are likely to be unlicensed, unregulated and certainly not trained or insured.

Secondly, the majority (and I mean the majority) of property for sale is not advertised!

But with property prices remaining affordable, the quality of property available attractive, the climate beautiful, the people welcoming, the quality of life incredible and the opportunities in Belize plentiful, more and more people need to know HOW they can go about procuring themselves their dream home in Belize.

This article should cover the tips, tricks and important points for your consideration, and go some way to helping you locate and purchase your ideal piece of Belizean real estate!

Part One: House Hunting.

As mentioned, many properties that are for sale often go totally unadvertised.

Sure, there are the occasional adverts in the San Pedro Sun or in the Belize City newspapers and some estate agents exist who keep up to date listings - either available upon request of via their internet sites but seriously, the majority of properties that are for sale are not advertised and I'm talking at least three quarters.

The only way to find out what's really available is to travel to Belize and spend time there among the local people and the expats.

You see, properties that are for sale are generally put up by their owners and they often choose to skip the middle man the real estate broker. Therefore, with no brokers and no signs, the only way you'll learn about what's on the market is to get to know the local people and expats in the particular areas that you're interested in, and via word of mouth you'll begin to hear about what's really available.

As soon as word gets out that you're in the market, chances are you'll be inundated and have more properties and deals to choose from that you can cope with! Be prepared and don't agree to the very first opportunity presented to you!

Part Two: Real Estate Brokers.

Because anyone in Belize can be a real estate broker the quality you come across will vary immensely!

So please be careful - to become an estate agent there is no license needed, no insurance necessary, no experience or training required: therefore what you will find on the whole are expats, hoteliers, shop owners and taxi drivers as estate agents on the side.

Yes there ARE some professional agents who are honest and knowledgeable and whose agency businesses are legitimate, but there are also those out to make a quick killing selling anything and everything to unsuspecting tourists.

Listen to the experiences of others and if someone is recommended to you by a trusted adviser then all the better.

If you do purchase via an agent, commissions in Belize are typically 7% on residential property, and about 10% on land deals chargeable to the vendor: and in some cases you as the purchaser may be charged for viewing property if it is remote and requires travel expense outlay. Make sure you're aware of any such charges that you may be liable for from the outset.

Part Three: Property Prices.

Despite a steady 20 year appreciation in real estate prices in Belize, property remains attractively priced especially when comparing prices for similar real estate on sale in America or Western Europe.

There are still bargains plentifully available in this beautiful Central American country. But it isn't so much what you know as who you know when it comes to getting the best deal for your money.

There is a commonly held sentiment among the expat community in Belize something along the lines of "the second house you buy or rent is twice as large as the first and costs half as much" so don't part with any money until you are totally sure you know what you're doing!

Be prepared to spend time in Belize and be prepared to invest time in getting to know and making friends with the local people, any influential lawyers and business people and also the local expat community. It is through these people that you will find the best real estate at the best prices.

Another point worth considering is that Belize is a country where there are two prices the local price and the foreigner price. Yes, from an expat's point of view this is unfair. But from a local's point of view the 'rich' foreigner who gets paid far more for his work in his country than a Belizean in Belize for the same work can simply afford to pay the higher price.

A way around this is to ask a Belizean friend to ask the price and do negotiating for you! Simple!

And yes, negotiation is key - property prices vary massively from region to region and city to city and vendor to vendor. There isn't really a set valuation structure on which someone can base the price of a property or piece of land.

This means that it is hard to say exactly how much real estate is worth and how much property prices have actually risen over the last few years. It is harder still to say what a property investor in Belize could expect year on year in terms of the appreciation of any real estate asset. So much so that the saying "you almost always make your money when you buy, not when you sell" goes doubly in Belize.

As a very general guide to property prices they are highest in Belize City, on Ambergris Caye and in Placencia, and lowest in the remotest most rural areas.

House prices go from USD 15,000 for a basic traditional home in a small undeveloped village to USD 500,000 and upwards for luxury beach front villas in San Pedro say.

Any agent or vendor you speak to is likely to talk up the potential returns on an investment in property or land in Belize this is only natural! But what you need to consider is that: -

a) the economy of this country is linked to the US economy and b) the time it takes to sell a property in Belize can be very long and drawn out (I'm talking years not weeks or months) which is something you must bear in mind when considering purchasing a property you may one day want/need to re-sell

This shouldn't necessarily put you off after all you can still buy far more for your dollar in Belize than you can in the US, UK, Mediterranean region or Western Europe but it is important to have a realistic overview of the property market in any country you are considering investing in or relocating to. That way you enter with your eyes wide openit's always better to be a savvy buyer!

Part Four: Foreign Ownership.

The Belize authorities are open to foreign investment and actually welcome it which means they impose very few restrictions when it comes to foreign ownership of immovable property in their country.

In Belize it is even possible for non-nationals to freely purchase prime beachfront property. There used to be a license requirement for a foreigner to buy land over 10 acres or 1/2 an acre in a major town or city but this requirement has been revoked.

The only rules and restrictions are: -

Foreign purchase of any island has to have Government approval via the Ministry of Natural Resources.

In certain protected coastal and caye areas purchase of land and property by non-locals has to be approved by the local village council.

Part Five: Legal and Financial Considerations.

I always suggest people seek qualified legal advice when it comes to such a large and far reaching undertaking as purchasing real estate!

Belize is no exception!

In fact, in Belize lawyers are usually considered to be trusted, well-connected, pillars of the community with real power! And their fees are usually in the region of 2 percent of the purchase pricethis should cover title searches and the drawing up of transfer documents.

In terms of affording your real estate dream the onus is going to be on you! It is extremely difficult for non-residents to get mortgages from banks in Belize therefore most purchasers are in the position to pay in cash for their purchase or they have finance from a non-Belizean financial source.

However, some new developments are springing up with mortgages attached by the developer property developers are usually the first to be aware of a potentially untapped market.

Basically terms currently are available to purchasers of such properties are: - The developer retains the title to the property until the purchaser has paid in full for the property. The purchaser makes a 10% down payment with the remainder being paid back over 10 years at 10% simple interest per annum. Terms will of course vary from this to say 50% down up front and the remainder payable over three to five years at 12 -15% interest.

Be aware however that the best prices will be for cash deals.

You'll need to factor in an additional 12 15% on top of the purchase price for fees and costs.

You have the land title transfer fee which is also known as "stamp tax." This is 5% compulsory for every purchaser regardless of nationality, with an extra 5% payable by non Belizean nationals making 10% in total.

This is apparently being increased to 12% in the near future.

If you have become a Belizean resident via the Qualified Retired Persons Incentive Program you are exempt from the second 5% stamp tax for non-citizens.

Then you should have your lawyer's fee which will be around 2% of the purchase price.

Finally you'll have property taxes which actually vary from area to area based on the type of land or property purchased. Generally expect to have to pay around 1% annually of the value of the undeveloped landbut speak to your lawyer for more exact figures pertinent to the property or land you are interested in purchasing.

Rhiannon Williamson is the publisher of http://www.shelteroffshore.com/ - the online resource that guides you to a low tax, dream overseas lifestyle!

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

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

Home Selling Advice Think Of Your Home As A Product

2009-01-29T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jeanette Joy Fisher

It's not easy for most people to do, but the moment you decide to sell your home, it becomes something else -- it becomes a product, to be sold like any other product. It can be a sobering thought, but it's a necessary mental step to take if you're going to sell your home quickly, and for as much money as possible.

The first step in that process is to look at your home with a new set of eyes: the eyes of a buyer. They don't have the emotional attachment to all of your knickknacks and family photos that you do. To them, a shelf filled with various trinkets and souvenirs is merely a collection of clutter; something that prevents them from seeing the real house underneath all your stuff.

In order to attract a buyer in today's marketplace, you'll need to increase its attractiveness as a product. That can involve adding a new coat of paint, getting rid of excess furniture and other clutter, and clearing the kitchen countertops of a variety of items that aren't used on a day-to-day basis.

You don't have to do any expensive remodeling. You simply have to show off your home to its best advantage. After all, it needs to look good on the shelf, to attract a buyer's attention, then it needs to interest them enough to take a closer look, and finally, it has to fill their needs to the point where they want to purchase your product.

Of course, price is important to homebuyers, just as it is to anyone who is looking to make any major purchase in their lives. But buyers can generally find several houses that are similarly priced, so your product must have an advantage over the competition if you're to get a sale. And that begins with market research.

You can do your research by simply walking around and through your house, looking at it as if you were a buyer, seeing it for the first time. You may be surprised at what you discover, but it's a necessary process, and shouldn't be overlooked. Often a few minor repairs and touch-ups can make a huge difference--both in time of sale and in the price paid by the buyer.

Make your home as warm and inviting as possible, because more than most major purchases, people buy homes according to their emotions. That process begins by making your home feel homey without feeling cluttered. It's a fine line, but important to your overall success. If you have a wall filled with family photos, take them down. They may be your ancestors, but to buyers, they represent clutter. Whenever you can't decide whether something should stay out or not, it's best to take it out of a room. Buyers can imagine their own furnishing in rooms that aren't filled to the brim with your stuff.

So, in order to sell your home faster and for a higher price, start thinking of it as a product you want to sell to a willing buyer. It will help your get the home ready for sale, and it may even help you detach your emotions, making it easier to move once a sale has been made.

Jeanette Fisher, interior design instructor, helps home sellers with color psychology advice to make their homes more saleable. Jeanette Fisher, author of interior design, real estate investing, and home staging books teaches home sellers five ways to get more money from their home sale. http://sellfast.info/home_selling_articles.htm Free home selling reports Sell Home Fast

Real Estate Investing The Job Escape

2009-01-28T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Dr.Phil Speer

Real estate investing is pretty unusual in lots of ways. Real estate investing is creative. Real estate investing is risk-taking excitement. Real estate investing is diverse activity. Most of all, real estate investing is very profitable.

I'll never forget the words of one of my professors who said, "2% think, 8% think they think, and 90% would rather die than have a thought."

Boy, is that ever true!!!

According to surveys, 75% of the workforce hates what they do every day at their job. The survey was unneeded. Common sense and observation tells you that.

Why don't people love what they do every day?

They hate the commute. They hate the demanding routine. They hate being demeaned by their superiors. They hate some of the people around them. On and on it goes, but most of all, they hate their limited salary payment per what the job pays rather than payment according to their personal contribution.

The locked-in salary cap is most despicable because it pays an employee what the job is worth and not what the person is worth. The color of your skin is not the problem. The fact you were born as a female is not the problem. Your lack of superlative educational degrees is not the problem. The problem is that a job pays what the job is worth and not what the employee is worth.

Entrepreneurism is not for everyone. It takes guts to "go out on your own." It takes guts to work on commission or for projected profit-per-job. It takes guts to live in the unknown. Some can't make the transition from salaried job to entrepreneur.

But think about it. The beauty of real estate investing is that you can do it on a shoestring budget, and you can do it part time until full-time is justified! Real estate investing is possible without cash reserves and without good credit. Real estate investing doesn't require a big bank account or an 800 FICO score on a credit report. Real estate investing can be initiated without ever walking into a bank to request a loan and without ever filling out a mortgage app.

When I started investing in real estate, I found it incredible that I could buy a $500,000 rental property with a $10 bill, and without a credit check or income verification! And that's exactly how I launched my real estate investing career 25 years ago. It's even easier today because credit is the easiest to obtain ever in history. Today, someone can be released from bankruptcy and even get 100% financing the next day! We are in an amazing period of opportunity for entering real estate investing.

True, you have to know what you're doing. But you can learn what to do. Know-how savvy in real estate investing can be learned like any other skill. And it doesn't require one of those complicated $3000 real estate investing seminars or costly $25,000 real estate investing coaches. Many of these "graduates" finish their education and don't know where to start! And real estate investing doesn't require full-time activity.

What it takes to transition from a job to a real estate investing career is "know-how savvy" and guts. After that, the sky's the limit.

You can investigate the possibility of "escaping the job" at Real estate investing is not in any list of high school electives. You can't get an accredited degree in real estate investing. You won't find a high school or college guidance counselor who recommends a career in real estate investing (if the guidance counselor understood real estate investing, he or she probably wouldn't be a guidance counselor!)

The public school system and educational curriculum in the U.S. is only a feeble attempt to prepare students to just "get a job." Unfortunately there is no class in "Making Money 101." You don't have the opportunity to take a class in "How to Become Financially Independent." No teacher ever taught a class in "How to Succeed When Everyone Else is Failing." I never learned anything about succeeding as an entrepreneur or becoming wealthy during my 10 years in the university classroom. I only became a multi-millionaire when I learned the skills of real estate investing, and I paid the price out-of-pocket and out-of-the-classroom for that education. I learned these skills in the ole University of Hard Knocks through trial-and-error.

Never disparage the cost of education. There ain't no free lunch. You've gotta get this know-how outside of a classroom, and learning how to make money is gonna cost you. But if you think the cost of education is expensive, you should calculate the cost of ignorance!

However, learning real estate investing doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. Yes, I know, the real estate investing TV infomercials and the real estate investing seminars held around the country charge big bucks for those 3-day seminars and week-long Boot Camps. But that's pocket change compared to the fees they want to collect from you later. Catch this fact: all the real estate investing infomercials and seminars target you as a candidate for "real estate investing coaching." That's where they charge you up to $25,000 and over $50,000 per year for "coaching." And often you are assigned to some kid "still wet behind the ears" to call you each week or month to hold your hand and whisper in your ear what common sense and a persistent drive should already tell you! I'm not exaggerating the real estate investing educational system, because I know it inside and out. I personally know many of the so-called "gurus." I've been close to it for 25 years. My opinion is that the fees charged are exorbitant because the promoters have found deep pockets in the marketplace.

When I started my real estate investing career 25 years ago, real estate investing TV infomercials were unknown and real estate investing seminars were extremely rare. Back then, Mark Haroldsen followed an emerging trend started by Al Lowry and Nick Nickerson by holding occasional real estate investing seminars across the country. Later Robert Allen expanded the industry. Robert Allen promoted real estate investing conventions in the major cities across the U.S. He found a market for costly real estate investing packages of information with cassette tapes and note books. TV infomercials, expensive seminars, and outlandish coaching fees followed in subsequent years. Would-be real estate investing aspirants today who want more than an inadequate salary from a job in Dullsville often conclude that they have to "pay through the nose" for real estate investing know-how.

However, through diligent searching, these wanna-bees often find that this education in real estate investing is more readily obtained from other sources than they previously imagined.

Real estate investing is probably one of the most easily learned skills never taught in school. Real estate investing is probably one of the most prolific careers available on Planet Earth. Because families now live in houses instead of caves, houses available for fix up are everywhere. And probably nothing contributes to upgrading the deplorable housing conditions across America comparable to real estate investing in fix up properties.

The entrepreneur-minded aspirant who discovers the real estate investing industry often catches a vision of life-beyond-a-job. Books and online courses offer an alternative to expensive seminars and coaching.

Some employees should hold on to their job because that's where they are best suited. But part-time real estate investing is an opportunity for anyone to check out personal congruity in the entrepreneurial world.

Phil Speer, Ph.D., started his real estate investing career 25 years ago. Without the availability of credit and using only a $10 bill, he purchased $1 million in properties in his first year, and had accumulated $10 million in properties by his fourth year. He was featured in a Wall St.Journal editorial as most successful investor in the Nothing Down Real Estate Movement, and was honored with a Caribbean cruise as top investor of the year. In his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, he has been a businessman and Human Resources Consultant for 30 years. He is an author, speaker and seminar director. To learn how to profit in real estate investing, even without cash or credit, read his report at at http://www.CashinHouses.com/. Subscription is free to his Fix-up Ezine. He and other contributing authors provide free articles and resources on real estate investing at his online "Academy of Advanced Real Estate Investing Techniques" - http://www.AAREIT.com.

An Often Overlooked Secret Of Marketing And Negotiating For Real Estate Investors Looking For Deals

2009-01-27T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jason Van Orden

When you call sellers, what do you say? When you sit down to write a marketing postcard to find deals, what do you write? When you go to negotiate price and terms, how do you present it?

These are scary situations and it is not unusual to be at a loss for words at such times. In fact, you may avoid these situations all together just so you don't have to face the overwhelming fear.

I want to help you erase that fear and find the words that will give you confidence to call sellers, write advertising, and present offers. The concept I am about to present is fundamental in developing a successful marketing message.

Have you ever read an ad like this?

"The Braun® Multiquick Hand Blender offers a 200-watt motor, stainless steel shaft, five-blade chopper attachment, and aerator head." (Karen Thackston 2004)

Why in the world would I buy the Braun® Multiquick Hand Blender after reading this description? Why should I care about a 200-watt motor or a stainless steel shaft? I am sure this is an accurate description of the product's features, but why do I care? What if it read like this?

"The Braun® Multiquick Hand Blender is a priceless tool for any cook with a busy schedule. Its powerful motor enables you to chop, whip, puree and blend with lightning speed. Its stainless steel shaft holds up to years of use without bending or breaking. The Multiquick's five-blade attachment gives you the ability to finely chop or grate even the hardest cheeses and nuts with ease. And the specially designed aerator head incorporates air into the liquids and sauces you blend, making them light and fluffy. You'll create delicious meals with ease and be out of the kitchen in record time." (Karen Thackston 2004)

OK. So if I want to blend at lightning speed and make my sauces light and fluffy or if I want to finely chop the hardest of nuts without breaking or bending my blender, then it sounds like this is the appliance for me.

What was different between these two descriptions? The first only listed features. The second communicated the benefits. The first is more about the product. The second is more about what is in it for me.

A feature is simply an attribute of a product or service. A benefit is what/how the feature adds value to the customer. Successful salesmanship communicates benefits.

Let me give you just a couple more examples.

"Open 24 Hours" is a feature.

A benefit that speaks value to your prospect is, "When your pregnant wife craves pickles and ice cream at 3 a.m., you know where to get it."

Here is a real estate example:

"We buy houses subject-to" is meaningless. Try this: "I can take over your payments starting next month and help you avoid paying two house payments when you move." That speaks to what the prospect wants & what keeps him up at night. Communicate your benefit in a way that brings emotion, fear and desire to the surface.

Now think about what you tell someone when they ask you what you do. Do you just say, "I buy houses"? Or do you say something like, "I buy houses in ten days or less without closing costs or cleanup for the seller."

Do you see the difference? I often say that you are not in the business of buying and selling houses. When it comes to your customers/clients, when it comes to marketing, when it comes to negotiating, you are in the business of stress relief and solving impossible problems. With that in mind, what are the specific benefits that you offer? Here are five types of benefits to consider:

1. Convenience: People love to save time, energy, and effort. Can you make someone's life easier and more convenient?

2. Economy: People respond well to saving money or increasing how much money they have. Show them the money.

3. Peace of Mind: We all have a tendency to seek pleasure and avoid pain. People like to relax. Can you relieve their stress?

4. Ego: Can you appeal to the human desire for recognition or better image?

5. Fun: People need a break. People like to form memories. People don't like to be bored or constantly work. Can you provide a diversion?

Think about each of these categories. What benefits can you offer a seller or buyer in each of these areas? Use meaningful specifics when you write benefits. Don't just say that you can buy their house fast. How fast? How much money can you get them?

To take it one step further, which of the benefits that you offer are unique to you? The key to cracking the marketing code and attracting volumes of leads and deals is to answer this:

"Why should your prospect do business with you over any and every other option available to him/her?"

If you have a good answer to this question, your business, marketing, and negotiation will become tons easier and you will increase the stream of money into your bank account significantly. This is the message that you must communicate.

The answer to this question lies in the benefits that you offer that are unique to you. This answer to this question is what is called a Unique Selling Proposition.

By better understanding and communicating the benefits that you offer, you will become a powerful salesperson. You will find that your marketing and negotiating become significantly easier bringing massive returns in your investing.

Jason Van Orden was the President of the Salt Lake Real Estate Investors Association in 2004. He also teaches investors marketing systems to find more deals and make more money with a minimum investment of their time and money. For more tips on how to market to get motivated sellers calling and begging to do business with you go to: http://www.find-real-estate-investing-deals.com/index.htm?article1

The Most Critical Aspect Of The Short Sale

2009-01-26T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Deb McMillan

Good news. As a real estate investor, you've found a home in pre-foreclosure. You know the owner has missed three mortgage payments, and he now owes the bank more than he can sell his home for.

With the bank poised to begin the foreclosure process, you're ready to step in and begin negotiating a short sale. You're ready to convince the bank to take less on the property than is owed in order to save the homeowner's credit, save the bank time and money in lawyer's fees and court costs and buy yourself a property at a great price.

But before you can begin the negotiation process with the bank, you must first take the most crucial step in the short sale process. Unless you do this, any fee you negotiate with the bank is irrelevant. Do you know what I'm talking about? If not, you better keep reading.

The one step you never want to overlook is getting the property under contract with the seller.

You could do everything else right. You could determine that the house is worth the remainder of the mortgage: $85,000. Only it needs $15,000 in repairs to get it's real value to $85,000. And you have estimates from reputable contractors to prove that the purchase price of $50,000 is indeed the as is value. (Don't forget to leave room for your profit!)

You have done your homework so well that the bank wants to take the $50,000 and avoid the year and a half foreclosure process and expense. Now this property is on the verge of becoming yours at an amazing price.

If, however, the owner hasn't signed a contract giving you permission to negotiate the short sale with the bank, you have no authority whatsoever. Although the owner is not current on his payments, he is still the owner of the property. As the owner, he has to authorize you to make the sale.

So how do you get the owner to sign a contract?

Simply approach him with the same numbers you would take to the bank. Show him how selling the property for less than its worth will benefit him. Show him how it will keep a foreclosure off his credit report as well as prevent him from owing back payments, legal fees, interest and penalties.

When he agrees to your deal, get him to sign a contract authorizing you to buy the property by way of a short sale. Thenand only thendo you approach the bank with your negotiation tactics.

Keep in mind that vacant houses in pre-foreclosure are tougher to deal with. Because you have to track down the owner. He may be living with a sister, a friend, a parent or any number of other options that are not easy to track.

Just remember that taking the time and making the effort to get a signed contract are well worth it. For that contract with the owner is the most critical aspect of a short sale.

Deb McMillan, OPHP, CMI, is a real estate investor and writer living in Hamilton, Ohio. She has written a home study course on Short Sale Success Systems, which teaches investors how to get deep discounts from the bank when buying pre-foreclosures. She has been investing in real estate since 1986 and buying, selling, and teaching short sale strategies since 2000. In Deb's home study course and seminars, you'll learn how to talk to sellers to get them to do what is necessary to save their credit. In addition, you will become familiar with bank negotiation strategies that will lead you to incredible savings when buying real estate. You will also learn about bankruptcy and what you can and can't do once a homeowner files. That, and so much more knowledge that will help close your deals awaits you! Log on to http://www.shortsalesqueen.com for more information and a free report.

29 Critical Questions To Ask A Realtor Before You List

2009-01-25T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Sean Spencer

Because Finding the Right Real Estate Agent Can Make All the Difference in the Success or Failure of Your Home Sale

Selling a home involves many critical and personal decisions. However, one of the most important decisions is the first decision you need to makea decision that impacts your entire home sale:

Which real estate agent should you work with?

Unfortunately, many people make this decision based on the idea that all real estate agents are basically the same. They sign with the first agent to come along, only to realize too late that they should have shopped around.

This article is designed to help you avoid that mistake by equipping you with what to look for in selecting your agent.

Start by asking your friends and family for the names of agents they know. Look around your neighborhood for the signs, ads and marketing materials of active agents in the neighborhood. Once you've compiled a list of several names, use this guide to help you determine which agent is best for you.

Here are the questions you should ask each agent:

Question 1

"Could you send me some information about yourself?"

You can often get a good idea of which agents are most professional and most committed by looking at their personal marketing materialsbrochures, direct mail, listing presentation book, etc.

Call each name on your list and ask them to send out any information they can before you actually meet with them for a listing presentation. When you get the personal brochure or other materials, look them over and determine your initial impression of this person.

Are the materials they presented professional?

If not, you might ask yourself,

"If they don't have the wherewithal to properly market themselves, how will they market my home?"

Also, keep track of how quickly and efficiently they respond to your request for information. Are they friendly and helpful? Or just pushy and hungry for a listing?

Does this seem like someone you'd be interested in talking with? If they aren't organized and professional enough to respond promptly to your first request to find out more about them, they'll probably handle potential buyers for your home the same way.

If you like the way they respond to you and are impressed with the information they supply, call them and invite them to make a listing presentation to you.

It's always a good practice to meet with more than one potential agent before making a final decisionusually three to five for sellers.

Just make sure that you don't meet with more than one from the same company. This could cause internal strife which would be counterproductive in marketing your home.

Question 2

"How do you approach your work?"

What you should be looking for, first and foremost, is an honest and knowledgeable individual, who works full-time, represents a solid and reputable real estate agency, and will treat your best interests as paramount. Length of time in the business, track record of success, previous experience, expertise in and knowledge of the local real estate marketall of these are factors to consider.

While the right agent to market your home may not be number one in every aspect, you want to make sure that the person you hire is a well-rounded individual whom you can trust and respect as a professional.

Question 3

"How many homes have you listed in the past six months?"

Look for an agent who is active in your area and has experience dealing with homes and situations like yours. This is especially critical if your home or transaction has special features or terms that may make it more challenging than the typical home sale.

Question 4

"How many homes have you sold in the last six months?"

Beware of agents who simply gather listings and let them sit and wait for someone else to sell them.

Your agent should have a good track record getting homes sold, which is, after all, your ultimate goal.

Question 5

"What is the average length of time your listings are on the market?"

You may automatically assume the shorter time on the market, the better. But take note:

If an average length of time on the market is significantly faster than the average for homes in the area, is it because this agent is more effective or because he or she likes to low-ball the asking price in order to get homes sold more quickly?

Also, take a look at what the original asking prices are for homes the agent lists versus what the homes finally sell for. This "swing" number will tell you how effective the agent is at helping clients determine the right asking price and doing what it takes to help them get it.

Question 6

"How long have you been in the business?"

Depending on the agent's background and track record, there is no hard and fast rule for what to look for here.

An agent may have been a licensed real estate professional for 15 years, but only selling part-time and never really an active sellermaybe only handling one or two transactions per year.

Whereas another agent may have only just become licensed one or two years ago, but has a background in real estate finance, worked in real estate law for a number of years or has been a private real estate investor and has bought and sold more than 20 homes himself in the last 10 years.

Either way, you need to find someone who has an in-depth knowledge of the legal ins and outs of the business as well as the characteristics of the local market, and has demonstrated competence and professionalism in getting homes sold.

Question 7

"What professional organizations do you belong to?"

The minimum here should be a fully licensed professional who's a member of the local real estate board and multiple listing service as well as the state and National Association of Realtors.®

Local community groups and business associations may also be pluses in terms of networking and insight into the community

However, make sure your agent is focused on what's importantselling your home.

Question 8

"Do you have a personal assistant or other

support staff working for you?"

Some agents employ an assistant or staff. This doesn't necessarily mean better service, but it can be an indicator that the agent treats selling real estate as a business.

By employing someone to handle the small details, he or she can devote more time to serving your needs.

However, be sure you know up front how much involvement you can expect directly from your agent, and how much is usually handled by someone else. It may be fine that most of your interaction after the listing is with an assistant or other staff member as long as you don't feel passed off onto someone else and you are kept informed of exactly what the agent is doing to get your home sold.

Question 9

"Do you have any questions for me?"

In the interview, look for an agent who asks pointed, specific questions, not someone who's just filling in blanks on a form.

That's the sign of someone who is already thinking about your situation and is creating a plan of action specifically for you rather than just using a cookie-cutter approach for every client.

Make sure you feel comfortable being around this personyou will be relying on his or her expertise.

Question 10

"What marketing approach will you use for my home?"

Despite having the same basic marketing tools at their disposalMultiple Listing Service, company tours, Board of Realtors® tours, fliers and brochures, for sale signs, MLS lock boxes, public open houses, advertising, direct mail and personal networkingevery real estate professional has a different marketing strategy.

Learn each agent's marketing philosophy, and determine what will work for you.

Make sure the agent you choose doesn't rely on the same marketing tool for every sale. What worked for yesterday's seller may not get the results you want. The key is to find an agent who will use all the tools available to your best advantage.

Question 11

"Will you produce a flier or brochure for my home and what will it look like?"

Take a careful look at the materials the agent has produced to market their current listings. Do the quality, design and wording of the materials seem to present each home in the best light?

Put yourself in a potential buyer's shoes: Would you be interested in the homes after seeing these materials?

Question 12

"How often will you hold open houses? Will they be public, broker-only or 'by appointment only?' How do you feel open houses will work best for my home?"

Simply putting a sign on your lawn and holding an open house every Sunday afternoon will not get your home sold.

In addition, a house held open too frequently can begin to look like a loser, making it a prime target for low-ball bidders.

Your agent should have a carefully-planned rationale for each open house and it should be just one facet of a complete marketing plan.

Question 13

"What is your advertising plan for my home?"

Most people believe that advertising a home in the newspaper is the way a home gets sold. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. The truth is: Good real estate agents sell homes. And they do this through their own personal advertising, networking, skill, and creative advertising methods like the Internet, toll-free hotlines and fax marketing that give potential buyers 24-hour access to information about your home.

Don't be concerned with traditional methods of advertising houses. Make sure your agent uses innovative, cutting edge methods that make your home stand out from the rest.

Question 14

"How else will the property be exposed to other agents?"

Exposure is the key to any home sale. In many cases your home will be sold because another agent knows a buyer who is looking for a home like yours.

Beyond simply listing your home in the MLS, your agent should be using a wide variety of techniques to let those other agents know about your home and keep them aware of it until it is sold.

Question 15

"Are you going to help me in staging my home?"

Preparing a property for sale, or "staging" it, is very important in maximizing the value and minimizing the time on the market.

If a prospective agent does not mention this aspect of the sale on his own during the listing presentation, he probably has no plan to offer this service to you.

Or he may be afraid of bringing it up for fear of offending you by telling you about negative aspects of your home that should be changedor positives that need to be highlightedto increase its appeal to potential buyers.

A confident and competent agent will find ways of broaching the subject and let you know of specific ideasbeyond baking bread and putting out fresh flowers for open housesto make your home more salable.

Question 16

"What will you do to keep me informed?"

Do you want weekly, daily or hourly reports from your agent? Are you comfortable with letters, phone calls, or do you want to discuss matters in person?

Determine how much communication you want, then find an agent who will give you the attention and time you deserve.

Question 17

"What listing price do you recommend for my home and what is that price based on?"

Pricing your home is the most critical step to selling it, and you should choose a Realtor® who has the knowledge to price your home wisely.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

Don't go with a "yes man" who will promise a high price in order to get your listingyour home may languish on the market.

Don't let an agent talk you into an artificially low price designed simply to sell as fast as possible.

Do have each agent justify the price through comparable properties and facts about the market.

The selling price should attract prospective buyers to your home, get you top dollar in the current market and reflect the condition of your house.

Be realistic. A good Realtor® will be honest with you about the value of your home and have the cold, hard facts to justify that valueboth to you and to prospective buyers.

Question 18

"Can you provide me with further resources that I may need?"

Most agents work with a team of professionals in many fields, including title, escrow, mortgage, home inspection, pest control, carpet cleaning, etc. While you are not obligated to work with an agent's team, often you may find it is the optimum way to go.

The best agents have built strong relationships with their "teams," and can often get expedient service or be able to "cash in a favor" for your transaction should a crunch or problem arise.

Question 19

"Can you give me some references from other clients you have worked with?"

Don't be afraid to ask for references. This is not confidential information, even though many sellers would never think to ask for it.

Real estate transactions are a matter of public record, and if you want to take the time to go down to the courthouse, you could compile your own list.

However, any agent who provides good service and is proud of his or her work will be happy to provide references.

If possible, contact a few of these references directly. Check to see how well the situations described by these previous clients fit your situation, particularly if you have a complex transaction or special circumstance that requires specific expertise.

Question 20

"What does the listing agreement entail?"

Have the agent go over every detail of the listing agreement with you before you ever sign it.

This is a legally binding document and your agent should be open and up front with you about exactly what you're signing.

Ask to know exactly what each portion means and be aware of what the contract will legally obligate you and the agent to do.

Question 21

"What are the beginning and expiration dates of the listing agreement?"

This information should be included on the agreement itself and, should a dispute arise later, could be crucial in determining commission payments.

Beware of agents who want you to agree to a very long listing period.

Unless they can provide compelling reasons why your sale should take longer, generally three months is a good amount of time for a listing agreement.

Also remember that the listing agreement is designed to protect not just you but the agent as well.

Good agents work hard for their commissions and deserve just as much open communication and straightforward dealings as you do.

Question 22

"What are the amount of brokerage fees I will be paying?"

The customary fee generally ranges between five and seven percent although brokerage fees are not fixed by law and are negotiable.

However, whether you pay a fee that is higher or lower, you generally get what you pay for.

Especially beware of agents who are willing up front to take a reduction in their commission. It may well mean that they never intend to spend much time, effort or money in selling your home to begin with.

Question 23

"What other fees or charges do need to be aware of?"

Title insurance, escrow charges, closing costs and prorated insurance, taxes, rent, home owner's association dues, etc.the individual circumstances of your transaction and the needs of your buyer will all impact your final financial obligation.

Be sure your agent goes over all the costs that may be incurred so that you'll be prepared.

Question 24

"What disclosure laws or special zones apply to me and what do I need to provide?"

You and your agent will both need to provide specific disclosure forms regarding your transaction and your property. Also, if you live in an earthquake-, flood- or other disaster-prone area, special statementsor special study zones reportsmay be required.

Your agent should be able to help you locate professional inspectors for the various mandatory home inspections.

Most agents will help you organize a home marketing fileincluding a property fact sheet, a property transfer disclosure statement, pest control report, applicable C.C. & R.s, applicable special study zones report, available soils or structural engineering report, property profile from the title company, applicable plans for alterations or additions, any home warranty plan offered and applicable special equipment report for pools, spas, sprinkler and alarm systems, etc.

Question 25

"What is a home protection plan and should consider purchasing one to facilitate my sale?"

There are many ways to enhance the salability of your home and sweeten the deal for prospective buyers. You may not need them, but you should know what they are and how they may or may not benefit you.

Question 26

"How will you determine the qualification of potential buyers?"

Ask what procedures the agent will use to make sure that you don't waste any time dealing with dead-end offers or escrows that can't be closed.

Question 27

"What happens if my home doesn't sell in the allotted time or if I decide not to sell my home?"

Much of the answer to this question should be spelled out in the listing agreement. Make sure your agent goes over every part of it with you.

Be sure to find out whether your contract contains a "liquidated damages" clause.

These are designed to specify a dollar amount you would be liable for should you decide to take your house off the market before the expiration date of the agreement.

Question 28

"What's the best way for me to get in touch with you?"

In this age of expanding technology and instant communication, most agents have pagers, voice mail and voice messaging services.

You should know exactly how to get through to your agent, his or her assistant, or a messaging service in case of an emergency 24 hours a day.

Your agent should not only provide you with prompt responses to your calls, but also should have a step-by-step plan regarding how he or she will keep you informed about the status of your home sale, including daily, weekly or monthly written reports on the actions that have been taken to sell your home and the resulting response from prospective buyers and other agents.

Question 29

"How would you like for me to give you feedback?"

As important as it is for your agent to keep you up to date, you should give regular feedback to your agent as to how satisfied you are with his or her service.

The best agent is one who makes it easy for you to communicate your satisfaction as well as the things you would like to see changed about the way he or she is handling your transaction.

Perhaps all you need is an explanation of why things are going the way they are or why your agent is handling things a certain way, but the more you can get all of these feelings out in the open, the better the two of you can communicate and work to change things if need be.

An organized professional will provide you with service questionnaires both at the beginning of the relationship so you can outline your expectations and at the end of the transaction so you can let him or her know how well those expectations were met, as well as regularly during the course of the sale so you can deal with any positives or negatives that occur along the way.

Sean L. Spencer, Realtor

http://www.SeanLSpencer.com

Where Can I Buy Homes For As Little As 10000

2009-01-24T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Tim Lee

The last couple of years have seen a spurt in attendance at government real estate auctions. The concept of buying bank or government seized real estate from these auctions has gained popularity due to the realization that many kinds of real estate including family homes, multiple unit houses, apartments, townhouses, commercial properties, land and vacation homes at very high discounts. Buying from these auctions can take off almost 80-90% of the market value.

A seized property is a property which has been repossessed by the lender (could be a bank) since the owners defaulted on mortgage payments. This process is also called foreclosure. In addition to this, home or property may be seized by the government due to criminal activities or for evasion of taxes. It is difficult to believe but, properties seized annually are a few hundred thousand.

Since the volume of seized properties has risen, the banks or the government feel the burden of maintenance and resources needed to keep them secure, not to mention the enormous amount of capital involved, they try to recover some of the money by conducting government real estate auctions. This facilitates the bidders to purchase a property of their choice well below the market prices and some time up to 90% discounts on the market value.

Owing to limited publicity, the attendance at these government real estate auctions is on the lower side. Since the banks and government are trying to recover money, they are not willing to spend on publicizing and advertising these auctions. As a token, they only give a small advertisement in the local newspaper. This works out to be a great advantage to the bidders who attend since they would not have much competition to bid against and the prices will remain low as a result.

However, the year 2004 saw more publicity being attributed to these auctions on the internet. Seized property listings are now available and updated on a daily basis for members of certain websites. The details offered have descriptions, and photographs of the properties coming under the hammer.

Provided you do your homework and research well, there is no reason you can not buy a house for as little as $10,000.

My site provides listings of seized real estate auctions

Illinois Real Estate Chicago And Rural Areas

2009-01-23T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Raynor James

Illinois can be divided into Chicago and rural areas. Alas, the same can be said for Illinois real estate prices.

Illinois

The birth home of President Lincoln, Illinois is a state with two identities. Chicago is an overwhelming presence and essentially a state unto itself. The rest of Illinois can be classified as much more rural with the down home atmosphere such places take on. This presents you with a unique living opportunity as you can choose to live in low stress towns and venture into impressive Chicago on weekends or for word. On the other hand, you can live in Chicago and take tranquil weekends outside of the bustling city. In short, Illinois offers a little something for everyone.

Chicago

Known as the "Windy City," Chicago really need no introduction. Gothic architecture. The home of the blues. Da' Bears. Sears Tower. John Hancock Building. Water Tower Place. Navy Pier. Shedd Aquarium. Frank Lloyd Wright. The Wrigley Building. Chicago Botanical Gardens. Wrigley Field. The list just goes on and on when talking about Chicago and I haven't even mentioned the food. Chicago is simply a world unto itself.

Food is a central theme to Chicago. If you're looking to stay thin, good luck. The legendary eating establishments are to numerous to list, but a good way to introduce yourself to the delicious delicacies of Chicago is the Taste of Chicago Festival at Grant Park in late June. 10 pounds. No, maybe 20 pounds. That's what you'll gain at this slice of eating heaven attended by thousands of people.

The third most populated city in the country, Chicago is immensely impressive. Despite the number of people, you'll find getting around fairly simply due to excellent public transportation and excellent planning. Little shops and ethnic neighborhoods dominate the city and it is really a place to just get out and explore. A major economic power, Chicago is home to numerous major corporations and typically has a strong job market.

If sports are your thing, welcome to nirvana. Chicago residents are mad about Da' Bears, Bulls and Blackhawks. For baseball, there is the lovable loser Cubs and the World Champion White Sox. For the non-professional, recreation leagues throughout the city contribute to a thriving sports scene.

If you're looking for the big city life, Chicago should be near the top of the list. You could spend years exploring the city and still be missing out on gems.

Springfield

The state capital, Springfield is known best as the hometown of President Abe Lincoln. You'll find all types of attractions related to President Lincoln including his home, burial location and so on. Roughly 200 miles south of Chicago, Springfield is a quiet town with a relaxed atmosphere. When you think of the Midwest, this is the place. The town has plenty of open areas and can best be described as a fairly basic town. Outside of it, you'll find beautiful lakes and prairies giving rise to lots of outdoor activities.

Illinois Real Estate

Illinois real estate prices range dramatically depending upon the location. At the low end of the scale, you'll find homes in Springfield costing roughly $200,000 while Chicago real estate averages in the $800,000. The average for Chicago homes is deceiving as prices are highly dependent upon the particular part of town you are in.

Overall, Illinois real estate has appreciated at a rather disappointing 9.5 percent in 2005. These numbers, however, can be misleading since the rate is dependent on the specific location.

Raynor James is with the FSBO site - FSBOAmerica.org - homes for sale by owner. Visit our home buying page to view and buy Illinois real estate.

What Is A Cma

2009-01-22T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Scott Boulch

"CMA" is an abbreviation real estate agents use for a Comparative Market Analysis. A CMA gives an estimated sale price for a property given current market conditions. It's prepared by a real estate agent and it usually comes in report form. Most residential real estate agents don't charge a fee for preparing a CMA.

An agent needs to walk through the property in question before preparing a CMA. Unless the home is enormous, the agent inspection part of the CMA shouldn't take long, nor does the home have to show like a model home. However, property condition does affect price. So if you plan to do work on the property, let the agent know.

After the agent previews the property, he or she researches the Multiple Listing Service for information about similar properties in the area that have recently sold. In order to arrive at a current price estimate, an agent should analyze information about listings that have sold and closed, those that are sold but haven't yet closed (the pending sales), active listings and expired listings.

Pending and sold listings give the most reliable indicator of current market price. Active listings are a gauge of the current competition in the marketplace. Expired listings are properties that were listed for sale but didn't sell. Usually expired listings didn't sell because they were priced too high for the market.

The agent then compares the property with listings found in the MLS search and by so doing arrives at a probable selling price. Keep in mind that the price derived from a CMA is somewhat subjective. Also, a CMA is not an appraisal. You need to hire a licensed appraiser to complete an appraisal.

Sellers should have a CMA done before listing their home for sale. Sellers who don't have a real estate agent often ask several agents to complete CMA's. This gives the seller an opportunity to meet different agents and to see how they work.

You may find that you want a CMA even if you aren't planning to sell. For instance, before embarking on a major renovation you might want to know how much you can spend without over-improving for the neighborhood. The agent who sold you the property should be happy to prepare a CMA for you if he or she is still active in the local housing market. If not, ask an acquaintance whose opinion you trust to recommend an agent.

Buyers should ask for a CMA on a property they are considering buying, particularly if they are new to the area and haven't had the opportunity to see many listings.

First-Time Tip: Regardless of whether you are a buyer or a seller, the agent who prepares your CMA should work actively in the area where the property is located. The Internet has made it possible for virtually anyone to access comparable sales information. However, this information could be inadequate without firsthand knowledge of the comparable properties and the local marketplace.

For example, property upgrades usually have a positive effect on sale price. But if the upgrades are inferior in quality or design they can lower rather than increase the price. Suppose the information on a sold listing shows a remodeled kitchen. Without having seen the property, it's difficult to know how the remodeling affected the price.

The Closing: Don't be surprised if a CMA gives a price range rather than a set price. You're more likely to see this in markets were there is variation in terms of property size, age, architectural style and condition.

For More Information on Selling your home quickly visit http://www.webuyhouseshome.com Unlike other so called We Buy Houses websites, Rescue Real Estate gives you every available option for selling your home. Simply complete our short 1 page form, and get anonymous online access to our team of specially trained REALTORS®. Then, in as little as 48 hours, you will begin to receive offers to purchase your home from our nationwide network of real estate investors. Click Here to sell your home quickly and compare agents.

Types Of Real Estate An Investors Choice

2009-01-21T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Steven Gillman

There are different types of real estate, and different ways to invest in them. Which way is best is for you to decide, according to your particular needs. Here are a few ways to consider, with their advantages and disadvantages.

1. Rental houses. Advantages: One of the easier ways to get started, and good long term return on investment. Disadvantages: Being a landlord isn't much fun, and you typically wait a long time for the big pay-off.

2. Rent-to-own houses. Advantages: When you buy, then sell on a rent-to-own arrangement, you get higher rent, and the buyer is usually responsible for maintenance. Disadvantages: The bookkeeping is tricky, and most tenants don't complete the purchase (this can be an advantage too, but it does mean more work for you).

3. Low income rentals. Advantages: The same as with any rentals, but with higher cash flow. Disadvantages: The same as with other rentals, but with more repairs and tenant problems.

4. Fixer-uppers. Advantages: A quick return on your investment, and it can be more creative work. Disadvantages: Higher risk (many unpredictables) and you get taxed heavily on the gain.

5. Buy for cash, sell for terms. Advantages: You get a high rate of return by paying cash to get a good price, and selling on easy terms to get a high price AND high interest. Disadvantages: You tie up your capital for a long time.

6. Buy land, split it and sell it. Advantages: It is simpler than most real estate investments, with the possibility of great profits. Disadvantages: It can take a long time, and you have expenses, but no cash flow while you wait.

7. Boarding houses. Advantages: You can get a lot more cash flow renting a house by the room, especially in a college town. Disadvantages: You can get a lot more headaches renting a house by the room, especially in a college town.

8. Commercial real estate. Advantages: Long term triple-net leases mean little management and high returns. Disadvantages: Tough market to break into, and you can lose income on vacant storefronts for a year at a time.

9. Buy, live in it, and sell. Advantages: The new tax law means you can fix it up, and sell for a big tax-free profit after two years, then start the process again. Disadvantages: You have to move a lot.

10. Speculation. Advantages: Buying in the path of growth and holding until values rise can yield large profits, especially if you buy low to start. Disadvantages: Prices aren't that predictable, you have expenses with no income while you're waiting, and transaction costs can eat much of the profits.

Steve Gillman has invested real estate for years. To learn more, and to see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

Buying And Selling Home In A Balanced Market

2009-01-20T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Andrew Webber

Over the last several years most buyers and sellers have dealt with either a buyer's or seller's market. A buyer's market is what the market is called when there are more sellers than buyers, so the listings take longer to sell and buyers can really shop around until they find exactly what they have been looking for. A seller's market occurs when there are few homes for sale and buyers have a lot of competition for homes. For the first time in a long time, the market is shifting toward a balanced market, where it favors neither buyers nor sellers. When the market is more balanced buyers and sellers need to approach the buying and selling of real estate a bit differently.

Great Tips for Those Buying and Selling in a Balanced Market

Most of the time, those that are selling their home can afford to buy a new home before they sell their old home. In a balanced market this is a very risky move because you may be able to find a home that you like before you are able to sell your home. A balanced market often causes homes to sit on the market for a bit longer, so you should be sure that you can afford to have the home sit on the market for a few months before it sells. When the market is balanced you also cannot count on the selling price of your home, so buying a new home before you sell can leave you in a bad place if you don't have savings to fall back on.

On that note, it's important not to count on a specific selling price in a balanced market. Because homes sometimes take a bit longer to sell, it's important to be open about the selling price of your home if you want it to sell. Buyers are often more picky, so you may have to drop the price of your home if you want it to sell quickly. If you count on the selling price of your first home when you buy your second, you can end up in some serious trouble. For this reason, it is often best to put off buying a new home until you sell your current home.

Another option when you are selling and looking to buy at the same time is make a new buy contingent on the first home selling. This can be a risky move, but if your offer is good many sellers will accept the conditions of your offer. Your Realtor can write up the offer so that you have six months to sell your home before you close on the new home. This will allow you some time to attempt to sell your current home before you officially get in over your head with a new home. Again, it's risky to put this into your offer, but if you are careful it can work for you.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that in a balanced market it is risky to buy before you sell. Depending on your specific market it can take months to a year to sell a home, so it's best to wait it out. A good tactic that many people use in a balanced market is to sell your current home first. This will give you plenty of time to decide what sort of home you want, so that you aren't rushing through the home selection process. By the time your home sells you will know exactly what you want and you can go for it. If it happens that your home sells really quickly in the balanced market, that's okay! An interim rental will cost you very little and will allow you to sell and move out of your first home, but continue to keep looking for that perfect home to buy. You will also know exactly how much money you have to put into your new home if you sell first, so you can buy a new home with confidence.

Another option is to sell your home, but allow 30 or even 60 days to close on it so you can take that time to either find a decent rental or find something to buy without rushing. Long closes are often best for all parties, so don't be afraid to ask for a long close to give you and your family time to decide where you are going from here.

Selling first just makes the most sense. Because you don't know how long your home will take to sell in a balanced market and you cannot determine how much it will sell for, it is just the safest route to take. If you are a risk taker, than you don't have to go this route, but most people find that the sell first philosophy works better in the balanced market.

Andrew owns a website that provides tips on buying and selling a home and more. You can visit his website at: http://www.buy-and-sell-house-fast.com/

A Few Easy Ways To Take The Headache Out Of Moving

2009-01-19T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by W. Troy Swezey

Moving from one house to another is always a challenge, but it doesn't have to be a nightmare. Here are some simple tips on how to get it done with minimal stress and strain.

Look at all the alternatives: hiring a moving company, for example, versus renting a truck and doing it yourself. Whichever alternative makes most sense for you, get bids from more than one vendor.
A few days before the moving company is scheduled to arrive or you're supposed to pick up your rental truck, call to confirm that everything is on track to happen when it's supposed to.
Prepare your change of address cards in advance and send them out as soon as it's appropriate to do so. The post office, utilities, companies and people you do business with, city hall, friends, relatives all should be notified of your move.
Get an early start on packing by concentrating on seldom-used items first. Each box should have its contents and the room those contents belong in written on it clearly.
Take a hard look at things you seldom or never use and throw away as many of them as you can. The more you throw away, the less you'll have to move. Every item you throw away is one less item to clutter up you new home.
Use your extra towels and linens to protect breakables. When your supply of these things is exhausted, crumpled newspaper makes an excellent substitute. Write "Fragile" on all appropriate boxes.
Put your valuables (such as jewelry) and important documents (birth certificates, car titles, etc.) aside in some safe place where they won't be misplaced.
When the house is empty, go back for a thorough final inspection. Check closets, crawl spaces, basement, attic, out-of-the-way nooks and crannies of all kinds. Have a second person make the same inspection separately.
Clean your new home thoroughly before moving in. It's infinitely easier that way.
Decide in advance where you want the heavy furniture. Changing your mind after the movers have departed is no fun especially for your back!
Locate all fuses, circuit breakers, and water/gas and electrical valves. Record the meter readings and check the smoke detectors.
List the phone numbers of the local police and fire stations, doctors, nearby hospitals, etc. Put a copy of your list near each phone.

Above all, plan, plan, plan and plan some more. Make a schedule you can live with, and then stick to it. Preparation and forethought will help you to keep everything under control and finish the move with your sanity and your nervous system intact.

About The Author

W. Troy Swezey is the author of "A FEW EASY WAYS TO TAKE THE HEADACHE OUT OF MOVING." As a Realtor at Century 21 Paul & Associates, he has helped many individuals with their real estate needs. Visit his web site to download his free e-book, "REAL ESTATE SECRETS EXPOSED." http://www.TroyIsMyRealtor.com or mail to: TroyC21@usa.net

How To Start Your Own Property Letting Business With Little Capital

2009-01-18T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by David Carter

Starting your own property business from home with little capital can be done, and this enterprise can be built into a substantial company in quick time if you really work at it, and go about it in the right way. If you don't have any property of your own, it doesn't matter, as initially we concentrate on letting other people's property.

But first things first. You need to decide on the name for your business, then set targets and goals, and thirdly you must carry out adequate Market Research (MR). All these are very important to the future success of your business. Don't skimp, and don't rush it. Your name first. What are you going to call your organisation? Most property agencies choose either to operate under the principal's name, e.g. Jack Jones & Co and then may add the word "Lettings" or "Property", or alternatively a completely different name to your own, such as Oak Properties, or Star Rentals, or Hufftown Lettings. Hufftown is where you live, for the purpose of this article.

Take a little care and time over your choice, because it is very difficult and expensive to change the name at a later date. Have a look in the local papers and see who is operating already. You wouldn't want to choose Hufftown Rentals if there is already a Hufftown Properties operating locally. That would only confuse and annoy people unnecessarily.

Another thing to bear in mind is a website address. Sooner or later you will need a web presence and it would be nice if the name you choose were also available to register on the Internet. For example, imagine you were toying with the name Oak Properties. I've just run a check to see if Oak Properties is available on the net. As it happens it isn't, but Elm Properties and Ash Properties are, so it might be sensible to choose a name where you can immediately bolt on a website address. By the way I use Lycos to check. They are a massive first-rate company and yet their prices are very reasonable. You can register a co.uk name for as little as £1.99 and that is cheap. Ten years ago that would have cost fifty quid. You can quickly check out if the name you want is available at www.partnershop.co.uk/shop/1598 .

If you find a still available web name you like, register it ASAP. You don't need to use it immediately, but once you've got it, it's yours. Names are being snapped up all the time, and you might be surprised at how few suitable names are still available. Once you have decided on a suitable business name, test market it on a few people. Ask the kids, or your family. They will soon tell you if it's too cheesy or naff! You want a name that is easy to remember, that you are comfortable with, and reflects what you do.

So we've decided a name. Let's call ourselves Little & Keen, Property Letting Agents. Onward, to setting targets and goals. Let's set ourselves a modest little target too. Let's aim to become the Biggest and Best letting agency in Hufftown! There is no point in setting targets too low is there? Set them high, aim high. No one wants to achieve a piffling goal. And a time scale too, what shall we say, 10 years? 5 years? How about 2 years max! That's it, our target is to become the biggest and best letting agent in Hufftown within 2 years. We'll start from home to keep costs down, and we may well stay at home, but that doesn't matter. It's a tough target, but by no means unachievable. So let's get started, time is of the essence.

Task 3: Market research. What are we researching and where? These are the things you need to know. Who are your competitors? What do they charge their landlords and their tenants? Where do they advertise? Do they have a website? What properties do they currently have available for rent? What rental cost are they? What are your competitor's weaknesses and their strengths? And how are you going to find out these things? You're going into mystery shopper mode, that's how.

Imagine you have applied for a job at the CIA or MI5 and as a test they have set you that same little task to complete, to obtain all that information within 3 days (always and only by legal methods.) You'd do it wouldn't you? Your job application depends on it; course you would. Get yourself a large sheet of paper and a ruler and make a chart. Primitive I know, but effective. Sometimes pencil and paper is still better than technology.

In the left column list all the competitors you have discovered in your area. Your local paper is a mine of information. Leave the bottom line free for your own business name. You can fill that in when you know what you are up against. Column two is for how much each agency charges their tenants. By the way you can only charge a tenant to process their tenancy application. You cannot charge a tenant just to register their requirements. That is illegal and a definite no-no. (That's the law in England, don't know about elsewhere, you would need to check that.)Column's three and four are how much the competition charge their landlords. Column five is their website address, and column six for any other relevant notes. Now you know what's required, let's dig! Do you perhaps feel a little uncomfortable prying into other business's affairs? Why? Don't!

It's normal business practice to strictly monitor the competition. To not do so would be foolish in the extreme. Tesco's monitor Sainsbury's who monitor Asda-Walmart every single day of the week. Indeed Tesco even boast of their website where they advertise and compare prices on thousands of products within their rival's stores. Do you think Sainsbury's and Asda willingly supply this information? I doubt it. It's market research, and it is what you are doing here.

The first place to find information is on their websites. You can glean an enormous amount of market intelligence through your rival's (and yes these companies will soon be your rival's) websites. You'll be able to fill in and complete quite a few of the boxes on your chart, but probably not all. You might then need to put on your best shoes and smile, and head down to the town and raid their shops.

Some agencies will pester the life out of you as soon as you walk in. They'll want to know everything about you, you might need to be creative, while others will let you pick up all their brochures and lists, and might not even look up from their vitally important work. When they do speak to you, what do you say? The truth of course. Tell them you are considering buying a buy-to-let property and renting it out, and do they have any information that you can take away and browse at your leisure. Most agencies have information in spades. You will be burdened with all the guff 'n stuff they'll give you. Take it all, the whole blinking lot and return home and read it thoroughly from cover to cover. You'll learn a great deal about property letting through these papers alone.

And is that a fib you told about buying property? Of course it isn't. You ARE thinking about buying and acquiring your own properties, and if you aren't, you jolly well should be, otherwise what are you doing in the property business? Your ambition must be beyond simply working for others. As soon as you have the necessary deposits you will consider buying, of course you will.

You return home and gleefully complete your chart. It's looking good, almost every box is filled, except yours at the bottom of the page. You now know how much all your competitors are charging for their main services, so how much are you going to charge? Undercut them of course, massively! NO, YOU ARE NOT, because you don't need to and no one ever made a great deal of money by massively undercutting. You have several important advantages coming your way, so make the most of them.

In England the first advantage is that you are not registered for Vat. You don't need to be until your turnover tops £60,000, and that's fee turnover not rental turnover. It will be a little while before you need to register for Vat, so make the most of your Vat holiday it won't last forever. So if your competitor is charging 10% commission to their landlords PLUS Vat on collected rents, if you charged the SAME percentage fee, without the VAT, you already have a significant pricing advantage. Imagine a property is let at £1,000 per month, (nice easy figure) and you both charge 10% commission. The landlord would receive from you £900 net. But from Big & Swanky, your local puffed up rival, the landlord would only receive £882.50. A small advantage you might think, but over a year that tots up to £210, and if the landlord had ten properties, it's then £2100.

Landlords rent out property for one reason and one reason alone, and that is to make money. They notice things like that, believe me. If you are cheaper, they will start to become interested in you. You could in your initial period always reduce your price slightly by say 1% to attract extra instructions. You could do the management for 9%, that's perfectly possible, and it would make quite a difference to a landlord with multi properties. But be careful about reducing your fees too much. You'd be much better off thinking of ways to increase fees. It's your first USP, Unique Selling Point, courtesy of the Vat man. You're Vat FREE.

Most property Agents offer two separate services. Find a tenant only, OR Find a Tenant and Manage the property on an ongoing basis. Make sure you have the two distinct services clear in your own mind, for if you are confused, your landlord will certainly be too. Service A is to locate and reference a suitable tenant, prepare the paperwork, collect the first month's rental and deposit, book them into the property, take a fee and Bob's your uncle, that's it. (Yes I know there are other matters to think about like gas safety and reading meters but we'll come back to that). It's quick, it's clean, and you have no ongoing worries or responsibilities. But after your one-off fee, you have no ongoing income either.

Service B is much better from that point of view. Here you find and reference a suitable tenant, prepare the paperwork, you book them into the property, and then you manage it on an ongoing basis. That means collecting the rent forever, and a fee every month for doing so. Some tenants stay in the same property for twenty years, more than you might think. All you have to do is check the property occasionally, and generally oversee that the letting is running smoothly and satisfactorily for both parties. If you can keep increasing the number of properties you manage each month, you will see your fee total, your income, steadily rising. These regular fees will also provide you with fallback income which is especially reassuring when times are quiet.

Think back to your chart. Column 3 is for your competitor's charges to landlords for finding a tenant only; column 4, their charge for ongoing management. Two distinctly separate things. Don't confuse them. Once you have completed your chart, you can pencil in your own charges. You now know how much you will be charging your clients and how much you will be receiving on any particular let, from landlords and tenants, they BOTH pay you fees. Incidentally some agents charge a set fee for Service A, find a tenant only. Perhaps £300, or a fraction of the monthly rental, say half or three quarters of a month's rent. Half of a thousand pounds is obviously preferable to a set fee of £300. Make sure you set your fees as HIGH AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN, while always remaining competitive.

Think about it, check and recheck what Big & Swanky charge, and Sleepy & Dull too. Then fix your prices accordingly, and remember they are NOT cast in stone. You are a small independent. You can always haggle and/or adjust your fees at any time as it suits you. Big & Swanky would probably have to have three board meetings and refer to head office before they could or would amend theirs. It's another advantage of being small and independent, of owning your own business, of controlling your own destiny. You can be quick on your feet, you can compete at all levels.

Look out for the next article in this series entitled "Finding Properties To Rent" and best of luck with your business.

David Carter's latest published work is SPLAM! Successful Property Letting And Management. Splam! Contains over 240 pages of hints and tips on how to start your own property business on a limited budget, and how to successfully let residential property. You can view actual extracts of the book at http://www.splam.co.uk and order a download or hard copy at this site. He also runs a holiday cottage website where you can access over 7,000 cottages, apartments and villas worldwide at http://www.pebblebeachmedia.co.uk

Has The Whistler Property Market Bottomed Out

2009-01-17T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Henry Schlee

Everyone has a property investment story, and in Western Canada the stories often have a pretty strong Whistler element. Whistler has in the past offered spectacular payoffs for property investors. You could in 1980 have bought a prime waterfront property on the lake in Whistler for $10,000. Today the land alone would command $2m upwards, and other plots of land can sell for $3-4m. Add a house and you could be looking at up to $20m (the ludicrous - price being asked for 'The Couloir', a ski-in, ski-out location on Whistler Mountain. Prices have at least doubled in the last 5 years. Talk to realtors in Whistler and you will invariably be told that there is still considerable upside. Is there any mileage in buying in at these prices?

The quick answer is: probably not. Rental yields in Whistler are currently hovering around 1% net, with many people not even making enough to cover their taxes, let alone make a positive return. Add debt into the financing structure and you are looking at an asset which costs you significant money every month you own it. You are essentially speculating on either a continued decline towards 0% in the yield that other investors are willing to accept, or a dramatic turnaround in occupancy levels and rates to compensate. There is no reason to believe in either of these events.

The facts are that while the rest of the property market in British Columbia stagnated for years, Whistler grew like crazy, peaking at about the same time that the rest of the BC market bottomed out, circa 2002. The market is almost entirely divorced from the factors which drive prices in the rest of the province (interest rates, unemployment levels, wages, general optimism about the strength of the economy). Rather, the market is linked to demand for Whistler skiing from the international community which can afford the elevated prices that Whistler requires. And this demand has declined precipitously, made up for by demand from the local (Vancouver) market as well as the Seattle market. So while visitor numbers are up, the value to be extracted from these visitors by property owners is well down, since local visitors stay for less time and are way more price sensitive.

So the canny investor should continue to stay out of the market. Economic fundamentals suggest that this market will stagnate or decline for quite a few years to come. However, that is no reason to avoid visiting Whistler, which continues to offer fabulous skiing and excellent restaurants, as well as all its other attractions. If you're looking for accommodation try this link for a range of Whistler chalets in all parts of the resort.

Author is the owner of Holiday Whistler which has an extensive range of chalets, condos and townhomes for rent, from one to seven bedrooms. Try this link to explore their range of Whistler lodgings, or, if you are still interested in buying into the property market, try this one for information on Whistler property management.

Terror And Real Estate

2009-01-16T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Luigi Frascati

In general lines, terror endangers life such that the value of the future relative to the present is reduced. Hence, due to a rise in terror activity, investment diminishes and in the long run income and consumption go down as well. This is, in a capsule, the experience of the countries where terror and its derivatives were the least aimed at: Islam.

To counter the negative effects of terrorism, Islamic Governments such as those of Saudi Arabia and Egypt have tried to offset terror by putting tax revenues into the production of security. Facing a rising tide in terror, so was the idea, a government that acts optimally increases the proportion of output spent on defense. Thus, when terror peaks, given the scarcity of available economic resources, the long run equilibrium is of lower output and diminished welfare. Which, as many Muslim countries have discovered later on, results in a drop of aggregate demand and a general economic slow down as well.

European Union members, on the other hand, have and are experiencing the economic impact of terror in a different fashion. Here too, as the massacres in Madrid and London have demonstrated, terror, among other things, endangers civilians' lives. Fears, bewilderment, and different types of uncertainties proximately created by terrorist activities have been responsible in Europe for altering and redirecting individuals' economic choices. Insecurity manifests itself in the daily life by increasing uncertainty such that, as terror or even just the threat of terror increases, life itself becomes less certain. In reaction to the rise of insecurity levels, European Governments too have tried to offset the threat of terrorism by increasing defense spending. Thus, the total cost of terror has emerged from both the individuals and governments response to terror. Individuals have changed their consumption and investment decisions in response to the change in their perceived sense of security. Governments have responded by increasing defense expenditures. And in many member States, counter-terrorism measures carry what economists call a "security tax" - higher costs associated with longer waiting times, additional shipping charges and other ways of making the economy less efficient.

By contrast, this is not what happened in North America. Whereas, in fact, defense spending in Europe has been kept down to minimal levels for decades, even during the times of the Cold War, defense spending has taken invariably a substantial portion of the American budget. As a result, therefore, European countries had to allocate resources ex novo to guarantee the security of their citizens and safety of their institutions, while instead all America simply had to do was to shift already existing and available resources for different purposes.

Surely enough, also in North America consumers had to redirect their economic decision-making processes, but to a far lesser extent. Besides the debate of a few years ago involving restrictions of civil liberties, a closer scrutiny on who is coming in and going out of the country, the plan announced by the Bush Administration of eavesdropping on people's private telephone calls and the 'infamous' ban on carrying nail-clippers into aircraft, North American consumers cannot say they have been subjected to much else.

Since safety does not come for free, governments must use real resources to 'produce' security and, unless they run the risk of magnifying their defense budgets specifically to address security concerns, governments must take those real resources from the private sector. Therefore, the decision of governments about how much to spend on defense is based on comparing the social costs of resources, i.e the costs of forgone consumption and of forgone future consumption (investment), which are used to provide security, with the benefit that emerges from making life safer, that is the benefit of reducing terror. This decision, however, is much less drastic when the private sector already has plenty of resources that can be allocated for security purposes.

And, in fact, the privatization of security, always under government's supervision, serves as a catalyst to domestic economic activity and growth. It is an undisputed fact that market economies, in Capitalism, are moved by the supply and demand for goods and services. Specifically as it relates to capital markets such as real estate, furthermore, the production of output depends essentially on the accumulation of capital. This is so because the propensity to invest in production (construction of new inventories) depends a lot on expectations of future profitability and on the present perceptions of market risk.

Growth is derived by the equilibrium of capital and investment with labor and employment. And since production is in direct function of consumer spending, which increases as unemployment falls, it follows that capital accumulation increases as employment rises and capital accumulation decreases as employment falls. The development of and privatization of security, therefore, has worked in North America as a stimulus to growth by increasing employment levels and subsequent consumer spending, as proven by the levels of the Index of Consumer Confidence reported by the Feds in recent years, which levels remain very high. Since Capitalism is commonly understood to mean an economic system in which the means of production are predominantly privately owned and operated for profit, and whose primary objective is to promote capital growth, North America's response to growing terrorist threats has had a beneficial effect on capital markets, including real estate.

Luigi Frascati

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Achieving Positive Cash Flow From Your Real Estate Investments

2009-01-15T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jeanette Joy Fisher

Even if you're counting on rising property values to eventually make a profit on an investment property, it's far more desirable to have a positive cash flow each month. If you're losing money on a property every month, it may not take long until your future profits will have been lost. Owning investment property is much more enjoyable if you're making money along the way.

Here are a couple of ideas for keeping your investment property cash flow in the black:

If you don't already own your own home, your first goal should be to live in your first "investment" property. Interest rates and down payments are considerably lower for a primary residence, and you won't have to deal with finding and managing tenants or absorbing the cost of an occasional vacancy.

Once you begin looking for your first "official" investment property, you'll want to concentrate your search for less expensive homes, because they're generally easier to rent for a profit than higher cost houses. You can also purchase two or three smaller homes for about the same cost as one larger one, thus giving you an even greater cash flow.

One of the easiest ways to achieve a positive cash flow is by obtaining a loan with a very low interest rate for the first several years. One example is known as a "payment option" loan, although these types of loans may not be available in all states.

These loans allow you to set up an optional minimum payment, which can result in low monthly payments, often for the first five years. During that period, your minimum payment will increase by a small amount every year, although it's usually no more than a factor of 1.075. During the minimum payment period, your interest will still continue to accrue at whatever rate you've agreed on (such as 4.5%), but the interest that your payments don't cover will be deferred. At the end of the first five years, that deferred interest is then added on to the loan, and the loan becomes a standard variable rate loan. Normally, that's not a problem, however, because the property's value probably will have increased enough to cover the deferred interest.

Another way to minimize monthly interest payments is through an interest-only loan. The period of most such loans is usually 5-10 years, during which time, you'll be paying only the interest on the loan. To make this type of loan work most effectively, it's best to sell or refinance the property by the end of loan period.

There are many other ways to realize a positive cash flow on your investment properties, depending upon the financing options available in your area of the country. But regardless of where you live, it's always desirable to have your investment properties pay for themselves, and can move you a long way toward your goal of financial success as a real estate investor.

Jeanette Fisher, Design Psychology Professor, is the author of "Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars: Using Design Psychology to Increase Real Estate Profits," the only book to reveal interior design secrets on how to make top dollar investing in real estate. For real estate and interior design psychology books, articles, tips, and newsletters: http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com.

Robert S. Kramarz is a loan officer for a major loan brokerage. He has over 20 years experience in finance and business management and comes from a family a long background in real estate investing and banking. He specializes in providing financing for purchase of investment real estate. He can be reached by email at MrFunding@22cv.com. Further information is available at the website http://www.sweetloan.info.

Buying Spanish Property What Happens Once Youve Agreed Your Price Some Very Important Points

2009-01-14T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Vince Barnes

When you have located your property, agreed a price and satisfied yourself (or your solicitor) that the property is free from all encumbrances and debts and or planning problems, it is structurally sound, bank guarantees are issued if it is a new build and that you are getting a good deal, then it is time to draw up a private contract.

This is a document that states in simple terms that you agree to buy and the seller agrees to sell the property as mentioned. It also stipulates the terms and conditions of the sale, what the price is, what is included in the price, when the completion date will be, what the amount of the deposit will be, how this will be paid, what the total amount to be paid is and how this is to be paid and anything else that is deemed important. Your solicitor will either draft this up for you or the agent will have drafted it so you need your solicitor to check it out.

Now then one piece of advice well worth heeding.

If the purchase of the property is dependent on anything anything at all - ensure this is in the contract. If you need a mortgage and you cannot purchase the house without it and you subsequently don't complete because you couldn't obtain a mortgage You LOSE your deposit. In total.

I have seen it happen only once the gentleman in question bought a house without having sold his first. He was convinced he would easily sell his house. He had bought cheap, and done lots of reforms to it, it was in a good location. But he took too long to complete the reforms and put his house on the market in the meantime the UK market fell considerably affecting the Spanish Market and he couldn't sell his house. His 5 months (an unusually long time from private contract to notary) was up and he lost in the region of 40,000.

Had he have listened to advice and stipulated in the contract that the purchase was dependent upon the sale of the house (something the seller would have agreed to at the time) then he would have been safe. But he didn't listen and thought he knew best.

Let me repeat this just once more.

IF THE HOUSE PURCHASE DEPENDS ON ANY FACTOR PUT IT IN THE PRIVATE CONTRACT

Once the private contract is signed you will then pay the 10% deposit (or whatever the deposit agreed is). Failure to meet the conditions of the private contract will lose you your deposit.

If the seller backs out then he must pay you your deposit back plus the same again.

If you want more useful advice about buying property in Spain - including how you can potentially reduce the cost of your proeprty by some 3-25%, then go visit www.spanishproperty-direct.co.uk/book.htm. For more interesting articles on buying in Spain visit www.spanishproperty-direct.co.uk/articlepage.htm

Quottimequot Is A Major Real Estate Wealth Growth Tool So Use It And Watch Your

2009-01-13T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Colm Dillon

In Real Estate "Time" is a Wealth Development Tools

Real estate wealth,

From The Desk Of Colm Dillon

Hello, Colm here ...

In this report I use figures from my area of the world ... I know they don't apply all over the world, but they should encourage you to get the figures for yourself.

After all no report is going to make your money grow ... it's the knowledge you gain and "Your Application Of The Knowledge" that makes your financial wealth Grow.

In another report I gave you a concept I borrowed from Phil Ruthven, a truly wonderful speaker on economics, on how he looks at Home Ownership.

Now I want to look at the Tools we have available to help us Grow!real estate wealth,

So folks, if you want Real Estate Development, you must use all the tools available to you to get some. Of all the tools you have, the single most important one is TIME.real estate wealth,

1. Time is your greatest friend. Time to buy good investment property and let it double in value every 8 to 10 years or better.real estate wealth,

2. Federal Government Real Estate Investment Tax Deductions are another tool the Government uses to tell you in Words, Dollars and Cents that they want you to get wealthy so you can look after yourself to your final days. real estate wealth,

3. Correct Financial tools are also vital to your wealth development. See my report of Finance. I will go into some further detail in this section on the use of Evergreen Lines of Credit and how they work.

4. Good Real Estate Management is the next tool. Well-managed and well-maintained real estate investments, that houses good quality tenants is also essential. Trying to do this work yourself, is a mistake. See my report on Property Management. real estate wealth,

In Australia, it has been instilled in our consciousness, that we must all own our own home. And there is nothing wrong with the concept. It's just that we should have been told to rent it out; Don't live in it.

By buying a house TO LIVE IN, while we are young, we are wasting the wealth creating tools of Time, Double Income, (if married) Property Income and Tax Deductions. No wonder so many people have to play catch up later in life. real estate wealth,

So the first clue to Real Estate Wealth Development is don't buy a residential property for you and you partner to live in. You buy a house as an investment and you rent elsewhere.

Growth Tool No. 1 Time

Time is your greatest friend. Real Estate is a long-term investment and by being loyal to it, the real estate will reward you handsomely all through your life. real estate wealth,

You can prove this to yourself, as I did, by getting the figures of average house sale prices, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for Brisbane, the largest City in Australia.

To save you the trouble I got the figures and I painstakingly went through them in order to validate the old wives tale that, "real estate doubles every seven years."

Well, it does better than that, you'll be pleased to know.

I was able to get the figures from 1973/74 to 1994/95. I think I started there because that was when I arrived in Brisbane on transfer from Melbourne. real estate wealth,

That is a twenty-two years period, during which we had several credit squeezes, a few recessions and a few good times as well.

In 1973/74 an average house price for the whole of Brisbane was $23,234.00. That average includes the best and worst house and suburb.

Seven years later, in 1980/81, it was $43,470.00 an increase of 87%.

However by the next year, the eight-year, it had risen to $56,757.00 giving an increase of 144% from 1973/74. So you see that it more than doubles by the eight year. real estate wealth,

Going on a further seven years from 80/81 to 87/88, the $43,470.00 went up to $83,679.00; a further 92%.

Interestingly, going on one more year to the eight year, it had again increased to $113,917.00 giving an increase of 162% from 1980/81.

A further seven years from 87/88 to 94/95, the price of the average house in Brisbane went up to $163,325.00; a further 95% increase. real estate wealth,

Unfortunately the Bureau amalgamated the Shires of Logan and Caboolture into this statistical base and I could not extract the figure for the eight year.

However on the evidence of the previous 22 years I believe it is safe to assume the increase would be at least 5% making it an increase of 100%. real estate wealth,

So these figures prove that over a period of 22 years the asset has increased by seven times its original value and all you would have to do is buy it at the beginning.

I hope this gives you some idea of why TIME is so important to growth. And remember that I am talking about average prices, I am not talking about hot inner suburbs that will obviously do much better.

If you REALLY understand these figures; you should ask yourself why you are willing to miss out on buying good real estate by stopping negotiating for the sake a few hundred or a few thousand dollars. I've seen this done many times because of stubborn-ness. Crazy! real estate wealth,

For goodness sake it's the Real Estate Asset that is in short supply; not money. If you have found real estate that fits your criteria; BUY IT!
real estate wealth,

The Real Estate Development Coach

Colm Dillonauthor of "Residential Development Made Easy" the only 'How To' Become a Developer eBook, selling in 38 Countries, has developed $1.2 Billion worth of real estate - read more on his web site http://realestatedevelopmentcoach.com/realestatedevelopment.html

Bad News For The Boys

2009-01-12T09:01:00.001-08:00

Writen by Luigi Frascati

Hey boys, stop watching the hockey game: I have got news for you. In fact I have got a good news and a bad news. The good news is that you are still classified as the family breadwinners. The bad news is that you don't get to eat any bread no more. And there is a really, really bad news boys but I am going to tell you last, because I am packing up

A recent study conducted by Canada Housing Mortgage Corporation indicates that women across Canada have now more purchasing power than ever. Canadian women, although not paid quite at par as their male counterparts, nevertheless make more money than ever before and are closing the income-gender gap very fast. They also show more remarked entrepreneurial skills and are more likely than men to sign an offer to purchase, especially one involving residential real estate. They also make more responsible property owners and are three times less likely to be foreclosed upon than men. Overall, Canadian women represent an increasingly powerful key market group and are a major force in the Canadian housing market.

More specifically, Canada Housing Mortgage Corporation details the following trait characteristics of ladies buyers:

[ ] Single women are now twice as likely to buy a home as men and they have an expensive taste too. Women are the largest condo buyers by dollar volume in downtown sections of large metropolitan centers, typically Toronto and Vancouver. They love luxury condominiums and, in any event, women will stretch their purchasing capacity to the limit. They believe that, when it comes to real estate, more expensive is a better investment in the long run.

[ ] Women are buying at a faster rate than the general population and are more likely to hold on their capital assets than men. Moreover, Canada Housing Mortgage Corporation reports that young ladies, whether married or not, believe in long term investments, thus proving outmoded the previous finding that the typical Canadian household changes home every seven years.

[ ] In total, all women (single, married, divorced and widowed) control a whopping eighty-five percent of all residential purchase decisions. This includes not only decision making as it relates to cosmetics such as the style of a home, colors and location, but it involves such factors as 'important' financial decisions the likes of type and length of financing, amounts of down-payment and terms of contract of purchase and sale previously the almost exclusive domain of men.

[ ] Canadian women are twice as likely as men to have a credit rating from good to excellent and will go the extra length to keep it that way. For this reason, women are beginning to replace men as the 'preferred customers' of bankers and mortgage brokers alike.

And there is also a fifth trait characteristic of ladies purchasers, a real bad news, boys but I am going to tell you last because I am packing up

At the roots of this substantial change in the real estate landscape is the fact that in the period from 1994 to 2004 the number of males earning more than CAD $75,000 gross per year has increased twenty-five percent, but the number of women earning more than CAD $75,000 has increased sixty-two percent over the same period. This is the main reason why, according to the report, women want to get the best possible investment. They want to build up equity rather than paying rent and a landlord's mortgage a concept that men seem to begin to underestimate.

But wait to hear the real bad news, boys I will tell you in a second, because I am pretty much finished packing up

Furthermore, men are increasingly losing score in a field that has been their own exclusive domain for ages. As Home Depot (Canada) knows very well, fully fifty percent of purchases made there are from women. Canadian women appear to be more and more skilled at such typical 'manly' tasks as sheet-rocking, plastering, fixing plumbing and electrical and even window-framing. Overall, they are no longer intimidated by repairs and maintenance.

There it is. I am finished packing, now. Before I go to the airport to catch my flight, here is the fifth news, boys:

[ ] There are 32,764 single women in Canada who own more than two properties, thirty-eight percent of which are lawyers.

That's it. I'm moving to South America. Hasta la vista, baby

Luigi Frascati

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.

The Quotpsychequot Of The Seller And The Tenant Buyer

2009-01-11T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Sue And Chuck DeFiore

For those of you who were not psychology majors the "psyche" is someone's mind. What motivates them. What are they thinking. How can you better understand them. All of which is important to those of us in lease purchasing. In fact, it is important to any business person. The ability to know what motivates your customer, how your customer thinks, and tapping into their "psyche" is what makes some businesses successful and why others fail.

For those of us in lease purchasing when we make our calls we find out what motivates our sellers. We ask pointed questions to determine why they are selling their home. We build rapport with that seller. By the end of our telephone call we have an insight into what that particular sellers' wants and needs are.

Sometimes you need to educate the seller. For those of us in lease purchasing we can explain the various advantages of lease purchasing. The advantages we emphasize will be determined by that particular sellers' psyche. We can find out what is in a seller's psyche by how she or he has answered the questions that we have asked them. Their answers to our questions is what gives us a pretty good feel for that seller.

In general, of course, a seller has a particular mind set. He or she wants to sell their home. They want to get a particular price for it. Their emotions are strong. They have very strong attachments to what they are selling, especially if they have lived there a long time.

Depending on what their reasons for moving are: divorce, death in the family, birth of a child, job transfer, etc., remember they are going to be feeling certain things. Put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if you were in their place?

If you can not get inside the psyche of your seller you are not going to do deals. You must have empathy with the seller. Be a good listener. Ask questions and let the seller talk. This will give you the best insight into what the seller is thinking and what is motivating them.

While many of the above points are going to carry over into getting into the tenant buyers psyche there are also other considerations. You have to be able to understand what it is like to have credit problems, possibly a bankruptcy, medical problems, divorce, and a multitude of other bad things that might have happened to that tenant buyer. If you cannot relate to these issues, you will have a problem connecting with the tenant buyer's psyche.

Tenant buyers are looking at a dream. You have to feel that dream with them.

So to truly be successful in business you need to learn about the "psyche" of your customer.

For those of us in lease purchasing that means the "psyche" of the seller and the tenant buyer.

If you want to learn more on how to deal with sellers and tenant buyers check out our Lease Purchasing As A Home Based Business Manual at:
http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com/products/LPHB%20Manual.htm

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com

Investor Banned From Offering Property For Rent

2009-01-10T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Mark Walters

Do you realize that you might be prevented from renting your investment home? Prohibiting property owners from leasing their properties is a trend that is growing increasingly popular with some developers and many Homeowners' Associations (HOA).

It's rare that you can buy a new home in a development that does have a HOA. As a homeowner you are bound by the HOA restrictions found in the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs).

The CC&Rs regulate your use of your property, restricting everything from the color of the house, window coverings, holiday decorations, sports courts, pets, to landscaping and etc.

One of the most recent restrictions that builders are including in their CC&Rs is a restriction that prohibits the homeowner from leasing their property. Builders have a provision in their sales contracts stating that the home will be a primary or secondary residence and that the purchaser will occupy the home. The owner is strictly prohibited from renting the home.

Why this trend? The idea is to limit the number of rentals in a subdivision because lenders believe that a high number of rentals in a community affects the value of the property and can erode the security of their loans.

Existing HOAs like the idea of no rentals and there seems to be a growing movement to amend their CC&Rs to add the "no leasing" provision.

Investors Beware!

The new homebuyer should be made aware of the no leasing restriction when they buy. But what about the investor who buys a home a few years later? If the investor fails to read and understand the CC&Rs he or she may end up owning a property that they cannot rent.

You can't count on the home seller alerting you to the restriction. They may be the third or fourth owner of the home and not even be aware of the restriction.

Oh sure, you could buy the home, rent it and hope you are not discovered violating the CC&Rs.

However, anyone who has ever dealt with a HOA soon discovers that there are always a few other homeowners with an eagle eye out for the slightest infraction of the CC&Rs. They delight in notifying the HOA management company,,, and the management company is bound to investigate and enforce the rules. For you the investor is no appeal... and there is no recourse.

This is a strong reminder that every investor should have a clause in every purchase contract that says the purchase agreement is contingent upon you receiving, reading and approving a copy of the CC&Rs.

This is a potential ulcer-creating situation that no investor can afford to ignore.

Mark Walters is a third generation real estate investor and he shares his experience from his Web site at: http://www.cashflowinstitute.com

How To Build A House Without Losing Your Mind

2009-01-09T09:00:00.003-08:00

Writen by A. Greg Dickerson

It is very important to choose a builder early on because you will be in a business relationship, a partnership really, for the next year or so depending on the scope and stage of the process you are in. You owe it to yourself and your family to make sure you choose someone you can trust and rely on as well as someone with the experience to get the job done right.

This is crucial because the right builder can save you thousands of dollars by guiding you throughout the entire process. For instance when you are choosing a site there are lots of things you need to watch out for that could be very costly down the road. The materials you choose can make huge difference in terms of costs and energy savings as well as down the road repairs and maintenance. The way the home is designed can cost you a lot of money unnecessarily if you don't have the proper guidance and finally the type of loan you choose can make a really big difference. This one consideration alone could potentially cost or save you hundreds of thousands of dollars over the life of your loan.

Building a custom home is a very big undertaking. It can be one of the most difficult and stressful ventures you ever take on or it can go very smooth and be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life. There are hundreds of details that need your attention and lots of opportunity for things to go wrong. Having an experienced dedicated custom home builder working for you is key. This will make or break your experience.

When you build a custom home you are dealing with a lot of variables that are out of your control like materials suppliers, sub-contractors and local municipalities. Each of these entities will do the best they can to help get the job done but they are all independently owned and operated and they all have their own agendas to accomplish. Add weather to the mix and things can get pretty interesting. You need a builder that knows how to work the system and that has a positive working relationship with these entities. Your builder should use only the best sub-contractors and suppliers in the area and they should have a proven track record for quality and financial success. You need a custom home builder not a spec or trac builder that only does things there way. Your builder should be open to your ideas and suggestions but they should also have the experience to guide and advise you every step of the way.

Greg Dickerson has gone from zero to millions by investing in real estate. To hear his incredible story check out the hottest real estate investing web site on the internet today!

Finding Fixing Financing And Flipping The Short Course

2009-01-09T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Steve Majors

Most people get involved in Real Estate investing to make money.

Pretty self-evident - or, is it?

What would you say if I told you that everything you have been taught about Real Estate investing and making money "rehabbing" your real estate investments is wrong?

Well, at least, much of it!

Let's take a look at something that all too many people don't think about in their real estate investing - something that seems to be a secret formula to bringing in the most cash from your real estate investments.

While it is often true that the total price of a property that has had a lot of work done on it is more than one that hasn't, what has that "price difference" really cost you, the Real Estate Investor?

With enough time and effort, we could go through dozens of scenarios to figure out just what a loss of time, money and effort it is to go through a house and "rehab" it, but let's keep it short and talk about some things that really happen in real estate investments - a "reality check" if you will...

I like to be sure to get everything out of a real estate investment that is possible, but, there is a balance between the Time, Money, Effort and Appreciation the customer will get out of what you put in, as opposed to what they would rather do themselves...

And they are willing to pay you for the privilege!

I call this the "M-E-A-T" of a real estate investing deal, and it is a simple equation you can apply to all your real estate investments.

In the table below, look at the M.E.A.T. result for each Function.

____Function____ _M_ _E_ _A_ _T_ _Total_

Painting (full) _2_ _5_ _5_ _6_ __18__

Kitchen Redo _7_ _4_ _3_ _6_ __20__

Bath Redo _6_ _6_ _3_ _4_ __18__

Landscaping (full) _4_ _6_ _4_ _4_ __18__

Painting (LAZY) _1_ _2_ _4_ _3_ __10__

Landscaping (LAZY) _2_ _2_ _4_ _3_ __11__

You can see from these figures, the appreciation factor of the customer is often the same - whether you put lots of time, effort and money into this real estate investment or not.

The reasons for this are as varied as the people looking at any given house, but how many times have you heard of people going into a house - just after it was fully "rehabbed" and they turned right around and put the paint they liked throughout the place?

So, why did you waste your M.E.A.T. on doing it yourself?

Because you thought it would be prettier?

That you would get more money from it?

Because you think that's what real estate investing is all about?

I challenge you to think about this - every time you get involved in any real estate investment... Just how much more M.E.A.T. did you really get from your real estate investment - your total return?

The cash you got was more - maybe - but so was the WORK. You can sell houses just like you get them - and get 90% or more of the price you will after all that effort, even without ever seeing the place! When you use the LAZY way, you put very little extra into any given real estate investment, but raise that return by another 5% (which means that it brings in almost the same total as you get otherwise - without the added cost and work!

So, who makes more profit from their real estate investments?

Those that do less work!

Plus, there's more time, energy and money available to put into the next real estate investment - while those other folks are still remodeling their last deal! In a year's time, you can do 30-50 houses this way - by yourself!

How many can you rehab in a year - by yourself?

Now, where is the bigger profit?

By now you can see just what I meant by the training you had before being 'wrong'... You've been taught to "fix and flip" your real estate investments - but, unless you are doing the fixing directly at the request of the end user, you are likely wasting your time, money and effort for no additional appreciation factor, so, overall, you are wasting it for nothing.

You are throwing away the M-E-A-T of the deal!

Just how much did painting that living room in your last real estate investment cost you? Since you missed another deal that might have $20,000, $30,000 or more in it, I would suggest you spent a LOT on it!

Think about this before you start your next real estate investing "rehab" project - just how many other deals could you do if you didn't put all your time in on fixing?

Then, add on the energy (effort) that it saves you.

Most people think about the money part of real estate investing, but leave out the rest of the equation when calculating the total value of their real estate investments.

I think that is a big mistake.

When you can get 90% or more of the same price from any given real estate investment, but do 1% or less of the work, keep 95% of the energy for other projects and 95+% of the money it would cost you - why would anyone want to do any "rehab" job - ever - in their real estate investing business?

Now, there may be times you find a house you want to live in that needs some work. That is a fine time to consider doing a "rehab" job - you aren't doing a real estate investment (other than for appreciation), but any time you are working your real estate investment business, take a serious look at the M.E.A.T. of the deal - before committing to spending all your time, money and efforts.

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Profit from Real Estate Investment Articles, Real Estate Investing Information & News from One of The Most Creative Investors On The Planet ~FREE MEMBERSHIP & Real Estate Training Course~ http://SteveMajors.com

Real Estate Investing Infomercial And Mentoring Scams

2009-01-08T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jeanette Joy Fisher

Flipping through late-night infomercials recently, I saw two real estate get-rich quick schemes, and I couldn't help but wonder--why do people still fall for those old scams? Has anyone really talked a seller out of his home for no money down with owner financing lately?

Real estate infomercials do great harm to beginning investors, who waste hundreds of dollars on old information. Worse yet, those beginners soon get discouraged and miss out on the true (and profitable) adventure of real estate investing.

One of the most popular late night infomercial shows tells beginners that it's possible to make a fortune by buying houses with no money down and then renting them out to cover the monthly payments. It's true that you can buy a home for no money down, but the requirements include having good credit, good income, and the home should be owner-occupied.

Rentals don't normally qualify for no money down financing. Institutional lenders aren't supposed to make no money down loans on investment properties, and even if you could buy an investment home with no money down, the monthly payments would generally eat up the rent.

Late-night scammers also claim that investors can get owners to pay the closing costs, including the down payment. But when a lender asks where your down payment will be coming from, saying, "the seller" is not the right answer! Today's sellers are also fairly savvy, and understand that with no money invested in a property, a buyer could easily walk away and leave them with a home that's been ruined by careless tenants.

Another TV program offers a bogus system for buying houses at ridiculous prices, but think about it: has anyone bought a home, free and clear, for $345.00 at a tax sale recently? Hordes of investors flock to the tax sales in the area where I live, bidding up the prices of foreclosure properties far beyond a few cents on the dollar. It just doesn't happen.

Today, another real estate investment scam is popular in Southern California. Here's how it works: a young person we'll call Charles charged $4,000 on his credit card to hire a real estate "mentor," after the mentor wined and dined him at a fancy Beverly Hills restaurant.

In exchange for the fee, the mentor instructed Charles to find distressed houses by driving around the area and writing down the addresses of ugly houses in nice neighborhoods. Once Charles had given him the addresses, the mentor obtained the owner's address and sometimes a phone number. Then it was up to Charles to call the owners and talk them into selling their houses for no money down, and carrying the paper (mortgage), too!

I met Charles when he called me about buying a property that my husband and I had on the market for $1.2 million. When I asked him how such a young man was going to make the payments on $1.2 million home, he told me that he planned to rent the house out for enough to make the payments.

As a real estate investor myself, I tried not to laugh at his naivete, and after talking to Charles and listening to his frustration about trying so hard to follow his mentor's advice, I offered to help him find a property, and I'm happy to say that Charles now owns his own home. But he'll still have to spend years paying off a $4,000 credit card bill.

If you want to make money as a real estate investor, a good first step is to buy your own home, like Charles did. You can do that for no money down if you have good credit, or for a relatively little amount of money down if your credit is poor. Once you've purchased your own home, fix it up and then either sell it or refinance it and use your profits as the down payment on an investment property.

Don't pay hundreds of dollars for out-dated methods that may have worked in the middle of last century! They're a waste of your time and money. Real estate investing is truly a great way to make a fortune, but you must stick to tried-and-true proven strategies, ones that work in today's real estate market.

Get started today making money in real estate without worries about the "pending" real estate crash. Free real estate investing business plan from Jeanette Fisher and free ebook, The Truth about Making Money Flipping Houses: http://doghousetodollhouse.com

Moving Preparation Key In Home Purchase Or Sale Frenzy

2009-01-07T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Mark Nash

Moving is like life, what you make it. Organization in packing and moving can save you time and limit stress at the end of an long process that transitions you into or out of your home. It's easy to delay the laborious task of getting three moving company quotes, finding temporary storage and deciding what to move, donate and throw away. Even the throw away items might need special attention such as paint, old gasoline or computers. As an experienced real estate broker who has seen the right way to move and the all-nighters the last five nights before moving, I can tell you it's much easier on relationships and pets to become proactive in the moving department of your next residential real estate transaction.

Mark Nash author of 1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home offers your readers or viewers streamlined tips to make even the most disorganized person have a lower stress experience. Moving day is not packing day, rental moving trucks are in big demand all the time and what's behind you isn't ahead of you should be your mantra for your next move. Put those last three statements on a piece of note paper on your refrigerator as soon as you have a closing date on your home.

- Plan ahead for your move five weeks before moving day. Begin pricing and cleaning items for garage sale. Register children in new school. Verify with insurance agent that your possessions will be covered during your move. Obtain new homeowners and automobile insurance in your destination community.

-Research how moving costs for national moves are calculated. Weight of shipment. Time involved in transport of household goods. The cubic footage of the shipment. Any combination of the above.

-Research moving days and times that are the least popular. Weekdays. September through April. First three weeks of a month.

-1 Month before closing or lease expiration. Fill out change of address order form for the post office. Make moving company appointments for bids or reserve rental truck. Make travel arrangements for you and your family, pets Obtain medical records, including dental, eye, and prescriptions. Set up savings and checking accounts in your new community. Inventory household belongings. Create a photo or video record. Record serial numbers. Start using up inventory of household products and non-perishable food.

-2 Weeks before moving. Inform utilities at current address of disconnection date and forwarding address. Order utilities in destination city. Electric, disposal, newspaper, magazines, telephone, cable, Internet, gas. Confirm travel reservations. If moving out of a condo or apartment building reserve elevator. If moving into a condo or apartment reserve elevator. If moving into condo pay moving in deposit if required by association. Clean rugs or carpets if required by contract. Close bank accounts. Visit and close safety deposit box. Make copies of important documents. Verify insurance coverage during transition from one property to another. Purchase new coverage in destination city. Homeowners and auto. Defrost freezer and deep clean freezer and refrigerator. Send email change of address to family and friends.

-Learn how to move your computer. Make backup copies of all your files. Store and move original program and backup disks separate from your computer. Prepare your hard disk for moving by placing in park and lark position. Pack your computer in the original box and materials. Remove ink cartridges from printer. Insert piece of paper in platen to secure.

-Moving day. Clean house, hire cleaning service if it is too much to do yourself. Check closets, cabinets, basement, and attic one last time for missed items. Carry valuables with you during move. Make sure you have extra cash or traveler's checks for emergencies during move. Leave welcome note for new owner or tenant.

-Arriving at your new home. Renew auto related registrations, including drivers license. Find services that you will need in your new community. Day care, veterinarian, doctors, hospitals, train/bus, police/fire stations, and lawn/pool services.

-Remember to create an essentials kit for your family that goes with you in transit. Change of clothes.Towels.Over-the-counter and prescription drugs. First aid kit. Toilet paper and paper towels. Flashlight. Pen, pencils, and paper cups.

-Be prepared for your first night in your new home. Post an emergency phone list for your new community on your refrigerator. Change the locks. Change batteries in smoke detectors. Have flashlights handy. Check to see whether all blinds and shades operate correctly before nightfall.

Mark Nash's fourth real estate book, "1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home" (2005), and working as a real estate broker in Chicago are the foundation for his consumer-centric real estate perspective which has been featured on ABC-TV, CBS The Early Show, Bloomberg TV, CNN-TV, Chicago Sun Times & Tribune, Fidelity Investor's Weekly, Dow Jones Market Watch, MSNBC.com, The New York Times, Realty Times, Universal Press Syndicate and USA Today.

Real Estate Marketing With A Niche Focus

2009-01-05T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Brandon Cornett

In real estate marketing terms, a niche refers to a certain segment of your audience (or perhaps your entire audience). If you market your services primarily to buyers, then buyers represent your primary niche -- albeit a broad one.

You might also have sub-niches under your main niche. For instance, buyers can be broken down into first-time buyers, second-home purchasers, local buyers, relocations, etc. Each of these groups has slightly different needs, so you wouldn't want to speak to all of them in the exact same way.

To get more out of your marketing message, make it unique for each niche:

If you want to reach apartment dwellers thinking of buying their first home, talk to them as apartment dwellers thinking of buying their first home -- not just as buyers. Offer them a first-time buyer's guide, or show them how their monthly rent stacks up against an average monthly mortgage payment in the area. Open their eyes to the possibility of home ownership.

The point of all this is partly psychological. When you segment your audience into smaller groups, you're able to present them with something they really want (because you know exactly who they are). Whereas with a general message to a broader audience, your offer will apply to some but not all. A more specific message and offer will result in a greater desire (and response) among your individual audience segments.

Practice niche marketing. Talk to different groups in different ways. Be relevant, and you'll be appreciated.

About the Author
Brandon Cornett is the author of The Modern Guide to Real Estate Marketing and the founder of ArmingYourFarming.com. Read more articles or sign up for Brandon's free newsletter by visiting: http://www.ArmingYourFarming.com.

From Your Rooftop To Ground Zero Home Inspections

2009-01-04T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Elaine VonCannon

Home inspections are an important part of the real estate process whether you are buying your first home, retiring to a second home or relocating to a new area. Real estate agents must work with a home inspection company that is both reputable and trustworthy. Attention to detail and knowing how to report the facts are essential to a thorough home inspection. In this article I have asked Kevin Salva of US Inspects in Virginia to explain some of the basics of home inspection to help answer the questions many homebuyers and sellers are asking.

No Stone Left Unturned

Home inspection covers many areas of the house. According to Kevin, a home inspector must "objectively evaluate every angle of the home". The first consideration for any home inspection is the age of the house. New homes fall under stricter laws and regulations. Therefore, the inspector must pay attention to the safety features and be certain the home is in compliance with the current safety requirements. Older homes are only expected to meet the safety standards and regulations current in the year they were built. However, older homes must be carefully assessed for potential problems. "The structure of the house must be analyzed along with the utilities, roof and heating and cooling systems," states Kevin. "I do a number of different inspections," continues Kevin, "including termite, Radon, septic systems, private wells, and more." As a potential homebuyer it is important to know what the basic home inspection includes, and when you may need specific services such as termite, lead paint or asbestos inspection. Your real estate agent can advise you on what types of inspection are necessary.

Knowledge and Planning Lead to a Successful Purchase

Kevin suggests all homebuyers "become familiar with the average life span of particular household appliances and systems". For example, a typical heat pump works for approximately fifteen years. If you buy a home and the heat pump is fourteen years old this repair expense may come in the near future. As a homebuyer, knowledge and planning are the keys to avoiding unexpected costs and a lack of funds to complete important repairs. Kevin also believes that an experienced and reputable home inspector will offer the homebuyer a walk through of the property. This allows the home inspector the opportunity to "begin a dialogue about home maintenance" says Kevin. This dialogue will be a valuable asset to the homeowner in the future. Homebuyers should also talk to their real estate agent about home warranty programs. Many systems or appliances that are potential future repair costs can be covered by a home warranty that is renewable each year. A home warranty is a great strategy for any homebuyer, but especially for those purchasing older homes.

The Language of Home Inspection

Home inspection reports are not difficult to understand. "The body of the report talks about the systems of the home," states Kevin. The home inspector should know the difference between "a defect" and "a related item" and be able to identify these items clearly. The home inspector must speak the language of real estate so the agent can fully comprehend the report. This allows the real estate agent to advise the buyer in the best way possible. A "defect" is an issue about the home that must be addressed immediately. The buyer should expect the real estate agent to budget the repair of the "defect" into the closing contract. A "related item" is simply a typical maintenance item that the homebuyer may need to be prepared to cover now or in the future.

The relationship between a real estate agent and a home inspector is built on trust. The real estate agent knows the market and typically what items the sellers and the buyers are financially responsible for at closing. The agent understands trends in specific regions when looking at the home inspection report. They analyze the buyer's concerns and close the best deal they can for their clients. A home inspector must know the real estate business and pay attention to the details. Kevin says, "A home inspector must provide impeccable service and do everything necessary to educate the real estate agent and the buyer about the home." To learn more about real estate topics such as renovations, homeowner's insurance or mortgages please visit my website at www.voncannonrealestate.com. For more information on US Inspect contact Kevin Salva at 888-US-INSPECT or visit www.usinspect.com.

Elaine VonCannon is an award winning REALTOR with RE/Max Capital in Williamsburg, Virginia, and she specializes in retirement and relocation in the Williamsburg South Eastern Virginia area. She is an Accredited Buyer's Representative as well as a Senior Real Estate Specialist. Elaine VonCannon also works with real estate investors and home sellers. Elaine is very active in the community, and serves on two committees with the local board of REALTORS.

I Have A Buyer For Your Property And I Can Sell It Now

2009-01-03T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Mr Jody Hudson

A Realtor has just talked to you and said, "I have a buyer for your property and I can sell it now; perhaps for more money than the price your current real estate agent has it listed for." Have you heard this or a version of this? Or, "I have a buyer for your property and I can sell it now; for Big Bucks (with an incredibly high figure named) perhaps for more money than that."

In the fiercely competitive real estate business, it is a too common practice for one real estate agent to entice a seller to re-list their property with the new Realtor. It is also against the Realtors regulatory requirements in several ways.

If the Realtor will break the rules in his own professional organization where he has been and will be for years perhaps... how honest and ethical will he be with YOU a one time relationship? Frequently, the wording used to entice is vague and the idea insinuated rather than spoken plainly but the intent is clear. Realtor B suggests or insinuates to the seller "Get rid of Realtor A and list your property with ME as I have several buyers who will buy your property right away." As a seller you want to sell your property and for more money, right? BUT, Do you want a liar to represent you?

This practice of enticing a seller to change listing agents is more common in some places than in other places. There is another version of this which occurs when the seller communicates with several Realtors to decide which Realtor to list his property for sale with. One of those Realtors being interviewed or spoken to by the seller may offer to list the property as much as double or triple the market value in some market places. In others it may be only 2% or 5% more than the others are suggesting. Usually, with more unique properties, at least one Realtor will offer to list the property at 20-40% above market value, in order to get the business. Those are the same Realtors who, knowing the value of billboards, have signs all over the place that are erected to stay for a while. Those same Realtors may have no signs on their properly priced properties as a rule; so that they can sell those properties without splitting the commission with another Realtor in a co-brokerage arrangement. If you hear this type of language or see this type of operations from a Realtor; realize you have just connected to one of the 2% or less who are not fit to deal with and move on to another; don't let your own greed cost you dearly.

A property should be listed very close to market value or better yet, at market value. There IS such as thing as market value and that value can be found by a competent appraiser to within less than 2% and by a competent Realtor too in most cases - but not as an appraisal, as an opinion of value. Market value can also be shown with an honest comparative market analysis, done by a Realtor.

Nearly all buyers are intimately aware of market values for the type, location and price range of property they seek and buyers want property that is below market value not above it. Or at least they want a better property at market value. In other words most buyers are expert at the price range and location they have decided on and they will just ignore properties that are overpriced.

It is not only the Realtor who is isolated from factuality. Frequently the seller pushes the listing agent to put the property on the market far above the market value; in fact that is the case about 70-90% of the time, if a property is overvalued. An honest Realtor will advise the seller of the real value of his property and suggest that he list the property for sale, within 10-15% of the market value.

For a slower sale the property can be listed at or above market value. For a quicker sale, which saves monthly mortgage payments if the seller still makes payments, listing the property at or even a tiny little below market may be what the seller needs. It is the Realtors job to advise the seller honestly and then to abide by the sellers decision.

Now back to those who encourage sellers to change Realtors so that the buyers they have will buy the property. They are liars. If they really had a buyer, other than themselves, they would sell that property to the buyer right now and not dare wait to get the property relisted and risk losing the buyer as timing is everything. IF they did really have a buyer they would sell the property to that buyer now and co-broke with the sellers current Realtor. And if they say they can get more money than your current Realtor has it listed for or more than market value then if they were not misleading, they would go ahead and sell it now for the lesser amount and be a champion to their buyer -- wouldn't they?

THINK ABOUT IT!

Jody Hudson has been a Realtor for 35 years across America and in Delaware.

Source for this article is: http://www.kate-jody.com/essays/whatdidyousay.html

A Possible Bargain Foreclosed Properties

2009-01-02T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Srini Saripalli

In the superheated San Francisco Bay Area property market, foreclosed properties are available at as much as 40% below market value, writes Srini Saripalli.The last few months of a calendar year are considered sluggish for transacting real estate, but Silicon Valley seems to be an exception to this. Properties are appreciating rapidly at this time of the year and this year has been one of the best years for selling real estate.

Understanding the marketplace and rationalizing the escalating prices has become difficult for investors and homebuyers . At a time when real estate prices are soaring there are still many opportunities to buy properties that are 30 percent to 40 percent below market value. Foreclosures are one of the best ways to find great bargains.

So what is a foreclosure?

A foreclosure is a legal process that a lender initiates after the borrower fails to repay the loan as per the terms of the contract. The lender initiates the foreclosure process to reclaim the possession and ownership of the property. For example, let's say a borrower has a mortgage of $1 million on his property that is worth $1.5 million. Let's assume monthly payments on a $1million mortgage are about $9,000. If the borrower misses three consecutive monthly payments, then at the end of the 90th day or third month the lender will file a "Notice of Default" at the county recorder's office. This is the notice that indicates pending foreclosure proceedings. It also indicates the auction date. At this time the borrower will have the following options:

Pay off all the back payments, penalties and legal fees if any and make the loan current

As the borrower in the example has equity of $500,000 he can convert a part of that to cash by re-financing the property. Re-financing a property in foreclosure is usually difficult.

Sell the property and payoff the mortgage, provided the proceeds from the sale equal or higher than the mortgage amount.

The opportunity to buy a pre-foreclosure property opens the day the "Notice of Default" is filed. The opportunity ends on the day the property is sold at the auction. The time between these two events enables a buyer to work with the homeowner and the lender to negotiate and structure a deal that could be extremely profitable. This is the only time in the entire foreclosure process where the buyer can use conventional mortgage, hard moneylenders or creative financing techniques to buy the property.

Once a "Notice of Default" is filed it becomes public information, and usually there is a lot of competition from other investors due to this filing. Hence to avoid competition experienced investors use various farming techniques to spot owners before the "Notice of Default" is filed. Properties can also be bought in auctions at bargain prices too, but one would need cash for the purchase. Bidding in an auction sale is extremely risky and one needs lot of experience and skill.

What is the motivation of the seller?

Once a borrower defaults on a loan his credit is at serious risk. A foreclosure stays on the credit report for a minimum of seven years. This is the prime reason why people who have defaulted their payments are extremely motivated to avoid a foreclosure proceeding.

Borrowers in foreclosure are sometimes difficult to deal with, as they are confused and scared. Their self-esteem is low and they are in need of support from someone who understands the process. As a buyer your motive should always be to help them in their tough times. If any time during the transaction a seller perceives that you are taking advantage of his or her situation, he/she always walk away from the deal.

Srini Saripalli is a real estate investor and business development consultant to Fortune 500 companies. He lives in San Jose, Calif. Srini can be reached at: http://www.srinisaripalli.com

Real Estate For Beginners Residential Property Taxes

2009-01-01T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Nicole Soltau

Whenever you own a piece of land, you will be taxed for it. Whether it is commercial property or residential property, there is still a tax to pay, whether it is for a village, town, city, county, or state. Most residential private property taxes are handled on the local level, going no higher than the county. Depending on the nature of the business, it may be handled by a variety of entities, including state and federal agencies. Each specific area and state has its own way of levying property taxes.

This article is intended as real estate for beginners and will focus on property taxes as they relate to residential private property. Your Credit Union financial advisor can also provide a good deal of valuable information; call today to schedule your free consultation.

How property taxes are used. Each locale uses the revenue earned from property taxes for different purposes. It can be anything from road repairs and utility upkeep to firefighter salaries and emergency response. Most areas, however, use the money received from property taxes for school districts. Taxes are levied and then distributed to schools in a district according to the amount of money received from property taxes. This often puts homeowners in a bind, as most of them want quality education for children, but are reluctant to vote to pass measures that will result in a property tax increase.

How property taxes are determined. Before buying a home, it is important for real estate beginners to understand how the amount you pay in property taxes is decided upon. Everyone pays a different amount, depending upon how much a home is worth. The tax rate for an area is the same throughout that area, but due to varying home values, the property tax you pay may be a little higher or lower than your neighbors.

If the property tax rate in your area is 9 percent, and your home is assessed at 250,000 dollars, your yearly property tax would be 22,500 dollars. If your neighbor's home were only assessed at 235,000 dollars, he or she would pay 21,150 dollars in taxes per year. Many areas have specified periods of time required for a new assessment. Most places require a new assessment every five to seven years. This means that your taxes could go up or down as your property value changes.

What goes into a property assessment? There are some guidelines assessors use when determining the value of your home. By being acquainted with these, you will be more likely to understand why your home has been given a certain value. Here are the most common benchmarks taken into consideration when determining a home's value.

Sale price of similar properties in the area: the assessor will know how much other homes in your immediate area are selling for, and will assess your house to reflect the value of the neighborhood.

Property's historical value: records of the property's value through the years will help the assessor determine whether the home's value keeps with current trends, and whether the home increases in value over time as a general rule.

Cost of replacing the property: it is possible to determine how much the materials to replace the property, or to add improvements to increase value, would cost. This can figure into the value of the property.

Potential value of the property if it is used to make money: many people use their property as income through rental or sale, and this value can be used to help the assessor decide how much he or she should value your property for.

Disputing an assessment. Because home values are subjective, it is possible to dispute a value. You can speak with neighbors and realtors to discover what homes in the area are valued at. Recent home buyers and sellers can give you a good idea of what others are paying in property taxes. Visit your tax board or the local tax assessment office to find out what the procedures are for dispute an assessment you feel is unfair.

Paying your property taxes. As a real estate beginner, you want to be sure that you are paying the taxes on your property. There are a number of ways to do this, including paying to the tax commission quarterly or yearly. However, the simplest way to pay your taxes is to have them integrated into your home loan. They can be added to your monthly mortgage payment, making it a relatively hassle-free way to make sure everything is taken care of.

With a little savvy, even a real estate beginner can have a good handle on what it takes to get a fair value assessment and know the ins and outs of paying property taxes.

Nicole Soltau is the President and Founder of CreditUnionRate.com.
The Leading Credit Union Directory.
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Glen Rose Real Estate Market Growing Thanks To Demand For Exurban Subdivisions

2008-12-31T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Casey Coke

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Purchasing International Real Estate

2008-12-30T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Andrew Larder

Interested in investing somewhere other than your back yard?

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

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

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

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

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

BUT.....

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

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

Andrew Larder International Real Estate Investing, Investments

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

Business Credit Card Dirty Tricks

2008-12-29T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Thomas Kish

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

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

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

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

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

Well here are a few reasons -

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely, Thomas Kish
President of CashFlowExperts.Biz

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

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

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

Create A Great Webpage To Sell Your Home

2008-12-28T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jacqui O'Brien

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

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

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

Where can I host my webpage?

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

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

Write a concise title for your page

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

Prepare your details

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

Take your photos

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

Put it all together

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

Give them even more!

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

Finally, add your contact details

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

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

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

Taking Title When You Buy

2008-12-27T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Raynor James

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

Taking Title When You Buy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Getting What You Paid For

2008-12-26T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Carlo Caparras

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Condo Townhouses

2008-12-25T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jimmy Sturo

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

Types of condos

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

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

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

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

Selling Your Note For Cash

2008-12-24T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Sara James

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

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

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

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

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

Real Estate Agents Safety Is An Issue

2008-12-23T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Nancy Woodward

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

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

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

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

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

Foreclosure Investing Funding

2008-12-22T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Paul Wells

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 Tricks To Make It Big With Real Estate Investing

2008-12-21T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Kostas Lagopodis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You Dont Need Health Insurance

2008-12-20T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Wallace Conway

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Insane!

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

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

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

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

Fixing Houses Mixing Your Own Paint For Savings And Harmony

2008-12-19T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jeanette Joy Fisher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Home Staging Your Vacant House Without Moving In Truckloads Of Furniture

2008-12-18T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Jeanette Joy Fisher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 Top Considerations For Those Buying Property Abroad

2008-12-17T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Rhiannon Williamson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Florida Mobile Homes A Purchase Guide

2008-12-16T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Matt Morrison

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

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

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

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

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

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

Real Estate Website Marketing 5 Steps To Crushing Your Competition And Doubling Your Business

2008-12-15T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Michael Turner

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

Step #1 - Links

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

Step #2 - Keywords

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

Step #3 - Directories

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

Step #4 - Pay Per Click Advertising

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

Step #5 - Articles

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

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

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

The Residential Real Estate Selling Process In Austin Texas

2008-12-14T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Joe Cline

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Florida Real Estate Listings

2008-12-13T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Ken Marlborough

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

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

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

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

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

Rising Rents Grad Students Buy Condos

2008-12-12T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Nan Wood

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nancy is an Accountant and Real Estate Professional. Visit RealEstateLady

Be Mesmerized By Belleair Florida Real Estate

2008-12-11T09:00:00.001-08:00

Writen by Robert Lipply

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

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

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

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