Real Estate Nad

How a Foreign National Can Buy Real Estate in America

2010-12-17T09:42:00.001-08:00

How a Foreign National Can Buy Real Estate in America
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Maria_Gudelis]Maria Gudelis

Opportunities for real estate investment for foreigners is wide and varied in the United States. It doesn't matter where you're from and what currency you'd be using to purchase a property, you have a property waiting for you.

There are generally three kinds of real estate investment available to foreigners. These investments include the commercial estate investment and residential property investment. Residential properties are further classified into single family properties, apartments or condominiums and recreational properties. Regardless of what kind of real estate you are interested in, there are all sorts of tax ramifications, financing options and legal requirements that you have to deal with.

Why Should You Invest in the U.S. Real Estate Market?

You've probably heard of the increasing number of foreign real estate investments in the United States. This is not surprising. With the troubles that the real estate investment market is facing in the United States, greater opportunities in real estate investment were opened to foreign investors.

With the dollar's value in its all time low, foreign investors are finding real estate bargains all over the United States. There are no shortages of deals in this market. More and more distressed properties are being sold everywhere and foreigners are pouring in millions buying these foreclosed or distressed properties. The United States real estate has become a fairly attractive long-term investment for foreign investors.

In November of 2006, the National Association of Realtors released a report entitled "Foreign Investments in U.S Real Estate: Current Trends and Historical Perspective". The report showed that there has been a steady increase in foreign real estate investment in the United States. This is especially after the euro and the loonie became stronger in the face of the continuous devaluation of the US dollar. Prime bargains were opened to foreigners. Many foreigners have now looked into the possibility of retiring or settling in the United States.

If you're a foreigner, you would find a lot of reasons why you should invest in the United States real estate market. Aside from the fact that the floating exchange rate has given you a lot of leverage over the bargaining table, the financial market is a pretty good reason why you should invest in the US real estate.

The financial market in the United States in relation to the real estate market is quite liberal and the restrictions against foreign investors are pretty reasonable. This is ideal for foreign companies that are seeking to invest in the real estate market in the United States in order to avoid tariff restrictions and are considering setting up an office or a company in the United States.

Furthermore, despite the devaluation of the US dollar and the wide foreclosures of a lot of property, the real estate market remains to be stable, though slightly shaky, due to foreign investors' capital appreciation. Domestic real estate buyers may not necessarily share the same opinion, but the market has remained to be strong for foreign real estate buyers. This may be largely credited to the fact that there is minimal risk for them.

Why are Foreign Real Estate Investments Safe and Profitable?

There are a lot of investments you can make, but the safest you can make right now is investing your money in real properties. This is another good reason aside from the fact that you can make a pretty nifty profit, if you like, particularly now with the widespread property foreclosures and seemingly continuous US dollar devaluation. This is especially true if you are going to use the euro or the loonie when making your investment.

But why is US real estate investment safe for foreigners?

It is undeniable that stock investments are not a safe avenue at this point. The recession has not only affected the US economy; the same recession has greatly affected worldwide stock investments. Stocks values are dropping. It is also a fact that even without the current economic situation, stock values fluctuates.

On the other hand, real estate investments are pretty stable if you would compare it to stock investments - or even bond or mutual fund investments. With real estate investment, you'd be putting your money in an investment that would grow in value as years go by.

What are the Benefits of Foreign Real Estate Investment?

US state government supports foreign investments and along this line has formulated various tax breaks to encourage foreign investment on real estate. Many of these tax breaks are not available in many countries. In fact, most countries would frown at foreigners owning real properties within their territory.

Foreign real estate investment in the United States is open to everyone. As long as you can afford to buy the property or at least comply with the mortgage requirements and payments, you can secure for yourself a pretty good property in the United States. Again, with the current economic situation of the United States, this is the perfect chance for you to make an investment.

Another great benefit that you can take advantage of is the availability of mortgage financing. Lenders have opened their doors to foreign investors who are looking into purchasing a property. So, you don't have to actually deplete your bank account. You can actually secure a mortgage loan and gradually pay it off.

I'm Canadian, What Are My Financing Options?

There is a steady increasing rate of Canadian real estate investors in the United States; and accordingly, the government has made certain that they have attractive financing options available to them.

If you're Canadian - or if you're a foreigner - you'd find a lot of reasons why you should buy a piece of real property in the United States. For Canadians, the parity of the currencies or the apparent devaluation of the US dollar is a pretty good reason itself. But how do you finance your purchase?

There are various financing options available to you depending on which state you are in. In Arizona, for instance, you'd get favorable financing terms if you are purchasing a property for recreational purposes, that is, you do not derive any income or benefit from your purchase or ownership. You will be required, however, to sign up a disclosure agreement and give a 30% down payment for your loan. To qualify though for a loan, you may be required to show availability of liquid reserves for a period of three to six months. You may also be required to present a minimum of 3-month bank statement.

If you are purchasing a property for investment, you'd probably meet stricter terms. Requirements may be more stringent. For instance, you could be required to give a down payment of more than 30% and you may be required to show one year worth of liquidity reserves.

Regardless of your reasons, if you feel like you can fulfill the requirements of a financing loan, you can then proceed to actually applying for a mortgage loan. Also, keeping yourself updated with the financing terms flux may be a wise idea.

Understanding the Tax Ramifications of Real Estate Investment

The first foreigner to have ever bought a real estate property in the United States was Peter Minuit. This opened the doors to foreign real estate investors. After a couple of centuries later, foreign real estate investment has grown into huge proportions, accounting for billion-of-dollar worth of industry.

The low risk attached to US real estate market, the availability of countless properties, and the steady market liquidity attract foreign investors in droves. The initial snag, however, is the process of understanding the legal ramifications of foreign real estate investment.

What you have to understand is that foreign investment in the United States can take a lot of forms. A foreigner has various options. He can acquire direct interest. He can acquire an interest in the real estate through a partnership, a corporation, or a limited liability company. The latter is the typical structure used by foreign investors.

Limited partnership or Limited Liability Company offers financial protection or indirect asset protection, especially in cases of bankruptcy, law suits and taxes. Foreign investors are generally taxed on the property as if they hold the property in direct interest.

Ideally, you should secure the services of a real estate accountant to help you out with the tax ramifications, but it would help if you, at least, know the basics before you actually talk to an accountant.

There are tax consequences that you have to deal with when you buy a real estate in the United States. You would need an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number which you will use with all your tax transactions. Your investment in real estates can be treated as a portfolio investment and will be accounted for as an investment income which can either be fixed or a periodic income. This is typically taxed at 30% on gross revenues. This tax though does not apply though to all foreign investors. Tax rates would vary depending on the tax personality the foreign investor opted for. For instance, a corporation would be taxed differently.

Other things that you should take note of are availability and requirements of tax refunds and state tax laws on real estate properties as they may differ from federal laws, among other things.

By knowing all these things, you may save yourself from a lot of hassles when you finally approach a real estate accountant. You'd be in same wavelength when you finally get down to talking business. It is, however, very important that you secure the services of an accountant. You'd have an easier time dealing with the taxes ramifications. You'd also have assistance ensuring that you comply with all the accounting aspect of your investment. This is especially true if you are purchasing a real property for investment purposes.

Do You Need to Secure the Service of a Real Estate Lawyer?

If you are considering buying a property in the United States, you need to secure the services of a real estate attorney - someone who could help you with the legal issues concerning your purchase. It is tempting to forego securing the service of a lawyer to save money, but this could cost you a lot of money in the long run. Make sure that you have an experienced and trustworthy lawyer to help you out. Make sure that you have thoroughly checked out his credentials, profile, history of successful cases handled by him, and other factors that would influence your decision. You could check online and look for a lawyer working within the state where you are considering purchasing a property.

Functions of a Real Estate Lawyer

There is no actual distinctive function for a lawyer in a real estate case. However, you would really need the assistance of a lawyer for various tasks. A real estate lawyer would review the sales contract for you. He would also check on the title and other documents relating to the property. A lawyer would also review your mortgage contract and make the necessary adjustments or corrections. You could also get him to review with you the legal and tax issues concerning the purchase. A real estate attorney could also make the necessary adjustments relating to various expenses and costs involved in the purchase. He would assess your eligibility for tax refunds and draft the documents and statements relating to this.

Putting it simply, a real estate lawyer will be your watchdog. He would guide you through the whole process of purchasing a real estate in the United States in order to make sure that you will be legally protected. You will have a capable and trustworthy liaison to help you out with the contract. He will also face legal disputes if any arise.

Tips on How to Invest in Real Estate Successfully

Now, if you've fully bought into the idea of real estate investing in the United States, you might just want to know how to go about investing in real estate successfully. If you want to be successful in this venture, the first thing that you have to avoid is overanalyzing. Of course, it is a good idea to carefully think through your actions but it is a bad idea to overanalyze your investment to nonexistence. You might lose a great opportunity.

Before you purchase the property though, it might be wise to check the property value. If it sits well with you and you can reasonably afford the property, go ahead and make the purchase.

If you are considering the property for a quick flip, make sure that the property is in perfect condition and in good area. This is to ensure that you could double or actually triple your return of investment. If you can inspect the property yourself, do so. If not, a good and trustworthy agent can help you with this task.

Another important thing to remember when you're buying real estate is good financing. You should take your time to carefully consider all your financing options. Foreign investors can email in their queries to various lending institutions. It is a good idea to make sure that you've had their terms and rates on paper because they tend to change these terms and charge you with a lot of junk. Your real estate agent can help you with reviewing the escrow charges.

The bottom line, however, is that it is very important that you do your homework before you actually buy a real property. Investing in real properties in the United States can be profitable especially during these times. In fact, it may be the wisest and most perfect investment you can make right now.

Maria Gudelis has been a real estate investor and entrepreneur for over 10 years. She has investigated or bought properties all over the world including Mexico, Ecuador, Canada and the U.S.A. Past co-founder of the Southern California 'Forum for Women Entrepreneurs', her passion is to help other entrepreneurs leverage technology and real estate to be successful in their businesses. Her website is at http://www.maria-gudelis.com

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-a-Foreign-National-Can-Buy-Real-Estate-in-America&id=1068016] How a Foreign National Can Buy Real Estate in America

How a Foreign National Can Buy Real Estate in America

2010-12-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

Things to Remember When You Want to Sell Your House Fast

2009-12-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

Things to Remember When You Want to Sell Your House Fast
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Alon_Farnendo]Alon Farnendo

Reports suggest that in the past one year, in real estate people have been finding it pretty hard to sell their houses. Real estate agents claim that decline of this nature haven't been seen in the last 10-20 years. As the pressure is mounting on the house sellers for quick house sale with every passing day, many of them are experiencing panic attacks. Even if your house is not located in one of the best and most desirable neighborhoods, still it can be sold quickly with ease if your house conditions are good.

Here are few pointers to remember quick house sale-

CLEAN AND DE-CLUTTER: Before you hire any real estate agent, make sure to de-clutter your home and give it a more sellable look. Clean out the garage, attic, and basement beginning with the largest items.It will be best if can rent out a space in a storage facility so you can keep items out of the way so that your home doesn't look filled up. Unusual colour schemes and loud wallpapers can turn off the buyers and lessen the chances of a quick house sale.

LANDSCAPING AND OUTDOOR IMPROVEMENTS: When prospective buyers come to look at your home the first thing they see is the outside of your home. It really pays to keep a neatly manicured lawn and clean property when it comes to selling your home quickly. If you have a pool, make sure it is tidy and dirt free.

REMODELING AND RENOVATION: If your home needs renovation, then it is most likely to get less money from the market. Also, remember if your home is in good condition, the buyers won't hesitate to pay you more. Try giving your bathroom and kitchen a very modern look because these two areas are considered as the most important selling point.

FOR SALE BY OWNER VS HIRING AN AGENT: Some homeowners are of the opinion that they can sell their home faster by listing "home sale by owner" but in actuality, it is much easier and quicker for a real estate professional to sell your house. The real estate agents usually have a database with them which helps them search for client whereas you on the other hand don't have such kind of a facility.

PRICING AND TIMING: Pricing and timing plays a very crucial and deciding role in quick home sale. If you have got your home listed at the wrong time, then it is very much possible that not even a single possible buyer will take a look. Avoid putting your home on sale during scorching summers or in the dead of winter.

It is very important that you don't ask for an exorbitant price. Also, if required keep your options open for negotiations. If you offer your home at 10-20% below the fair market value, you are most likely to sell quickly.If a seller follows the above suggestions, it will surely increase the chances of quick house sale.

For any help on [http://www.housesforcashuk.co.uk/QuickHouseSale.php]Quick House sale, check out the info available online; these will help you learn to find the [http://www.housesforcashuk.co.uk/QuickHouseSale.php]Quick House sale!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alon_Farnendo http://EzineArticles.com/?Things-to-Remember-When-You-Want-to-Sell-Your-House-Fast&id=3331612

Sell and Rent Back - The Best Way to Earn Profit

2009-12-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

Sell and Rent Back - The Best Way to Earn Profit
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andrew_V._Wilson]Andrew V. Wilson

In past few years the real estate industry has boomed out drastically. Earlier it was only the people in the profession of building and construction where the one to invest but as time passed the every second person have started investing in property to earn profit. They are very smart investors they buy the property when the prices are low in the market and sell them when there is a high demand for it at an double times the amount or even more than from the face value of the land.

There are many individuals who are involved in this business of sell and rent back. The possessor of the property sells it to a purchaser and then again takes it on rent from them this is the basic scheme of every sell and rent back company but every company rent it back to the seller it might differ also.

This deal is made very privately without the knowledge of the neighbors also. The deal takes place without the intrusion of the surrounding houses and neighbors. Unregulated firms are one of the main disadvantages connected to this type of contract. The house is bought at an amount lesser than the market value meaning that it is bought at discounted price. Large companies buy land from the possessor at an on sale price and rent out it to the possessor or someone else at market rate of the possessions. As a result, the advantage or profit received by the company is in the amount outstanding form. If a home holder faces financial calamity, he is always able to earn from this opportunity of sell and rent back property.

In reality, you can sell your respective home and go on with also residing their. This helps you to conclude your agreement exclusive of revealing any information to neighbors or any other individual. This plan of sell and rent back came to the marketplace in 2006 due to the anxiety of quite a lot of homeowners of losing their own residences. The plan in the wake of this system is to save your house from reclamation. This proved helpful for the under pressure home possessor. On the other hand, if you have decided to sell and rent back your property, it is very necessary to study about the troubles and the way to put a stop to them.

You must be aware from top to bottom that one time the deal is through a new homeowner he will able to make a second time sales of the house forcing renter to check out of the house with a notice of two months of time. Even though there are a lot of drawbacks in this plan of rel=nofollow [http://www.rapid-property-solutions.co.uk/]sell and rent back property, there are a lot of advantages and benefits too.

Andrew Wilson is a SEO copywriter for Sell and Rent Back, Sell House Fast and Buy and rent back. He has written many articles in various topics like [http://www.rapid-property-solutions.co.uk/sell-fast.html]Sell Home Fast, Sell and buy back and Sell home online.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_V._Wilson http://EzineArticles.com/?Sell-and-Rent-Back---The-Best-Way-to-Earn-Profit&id=3360247

Seven Ways to List & Sell a Home

2009-12-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

Seven Ways to List & Sell a Home
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lindsey_Maestas]Lindsey Maestas

When it's time to sell your home remember these simple ways to ensure a successful real estate sale. Contact a Real Estate Professional in your area for more information and tools for selling a home. Nashville realty is seeing a change in the way sellers are preparing their homes for a listing. The dragging market is requiring much more from sellers and their marketing skills.

1. Make sure your home is ready when you put it on the market.

When you put your home on the market, it needs to be in its best condition possible. Selling a home is all about the presentation. A buyer will know whether it will be a consideration within 8 seconds of walking through the door. You only have one chance to make a first impression, so make it count!

2. Don't over-improve your home for the neighborhood.

Be careful with additions, bump outs, upgrades, etc. that can make your home stick out from the competitors in the neighborhood. For example: A neighborhood with homes ranging from 1000-2500 square feet has this one particular home that has an addition that makes it 6000 square feet. It is now priced out of the market for this neighborhood. Other homes in the neighborhood play a big role in determining the sale price of your home, so make sure you keep it comparable.

3. Price your home according to the market, not what you want to net.

Whether you want to make a certain amount on the sale of your home and whether you can make that amount are two totally different things. The market determines what a home will sell for. If a home is priced on what you (the seller) wants to net, it might be for sell for a very long time or until the price is lowered to be more comparable to other homes in the neighborhood.

4. Hire a Real Estate Agent with a good track record.

Knowing who you are hiring to sell your home is very important. Be sure to research Real Estate Agents in your area. Set up an interview with your Real Estate Agent and talk about what they will do to market your home.

5. Don't get emotionally involved in the sale of your home.

This is a common problem with most sellers. When you put your home on the market, it becomes a commodity-and it should be marketed that way. Don't get caught up in what you love about the home (or its furnishings), because chances are buyers may think the same way you do. Your home will not sell for more simply because you love it. It will sell for what the market allows.

6. Disclose all problems you know about your home.

Most states provide Property Condition Disclosure forms for sellers to note everything they know about the home's condition. Buyers need to know if there are problems with a home before they enter a purchase contract. Disclosures and disclaimers may not keep every seller from being sued for whatever reason, but it is the safest way to go.

7. Have all financial matters sorted out before putting your house on the market.

Not only should you have your home prepared to be listed, but before selling a home your finances should be in order. You should know the specifics of their current mortgage and whether there is a prepayment penalty. Also, know the market what your plans will be once your home sells.

Putting your home on the market before you are ready is the biggest mistake you can make. It can affect the sales price, number of days on the market and so much more. Remember, there are multiple resources that will help you through this process. The best help you can receive when selling your home is from a Real Estate Agent in your area. These professionals will provide you with the tools and information you need to complete a very successful real estate transaction.

I want to carefully guide my clients through the process of buying and/or selling, while offering them the tools they need in order to make informed decisions. Call me to schedule a showing or an appointment: 615-714-3665 or visit my site: http://www.YourNashvilleHomeFinder.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lindsey_Maestas http://EzineArticles.com/?Seven-Ways-to-List-and-Sell-a-Home&id=3352397

Pop Quiz Commercial Real Estate Investing

2009-11-29T07:49:00.000-08:00

Pop Quiz Commercial Real Estate Investing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=R._Kymn_Harp]R. Kymn Harp

I read once that if you took all the real estate lawyers in Illinois and laid them end to end along the equator - it would be a good idea to leave them there. That's what I read. What do you suppose that means?

I have written before about the need to exercise due diligence when purchasing commercial real estate. The need to investigate, before Closing, every significant aspect of the property you are acquiring. The importance of evaluating each commercial real estate transaction with a mindset that once the Closing occurs, there is no going back. The Seller has your money and is gone. If post-Closing problems arise, Seller's contract representations and warranties will, at best, mean expensive litigation. CAVEAT EMPTOR! "Let the buyer beware!"

Paying extra attention at the beginning of a commercial real estate transaction to "get it right" can save tens of thousands of dollars when the deal goes bad. It's like the old Fram® oil filter slogan during the 1970's: "You can pay me now - or pay me later". In commercial real estate, however, "later" may be too late.

Buying commercial real estate is NOT like buying a home. It is not. It is not. It is NOT.

In Illinois, and many other states, virtually every residential real estate closing requires a lawyer for the buyer and a lawyer for the seller. This is probably smart. It is good consumer protection.

The "problem" this causes, however, is that every lawyer handling residential real estate transactions considers himself or herself a "real estate lawyer", capable of handling any real estate transaction that may arise.

We learned in law school that there are only two kinds of property: real estate and personal property. Therefore - we intuit - if we are competent to handle a residential real estate closing, we must be competent to handle a commercial real estate closing. They are each "real estate", right?

ANSWER: Yes, they are each real estate. No, they are not the same.

The legal issues and risks in a commercial real estate transaction are remarkably different from the legal issues and risks in a residential real estate transaction. Most are not even remotely similar. Attorneys concentrating their practice handling residential real estate closings do not face the same issues as attorneys concentrating their practice in commercial real estate.

It is a matter of experience. You either know the issues and risks inherent in commercial real estate transactions - and know how to deal with them - or you don't.

A key point to remember is that the myriad consumer protection laws that protect residential home buyers have no application to - and provide no protection for - buyers of commercial real estate.

Competent commercial real estate practice requires focused and concentrated investigation of all issues material to the transaction by someone who knows what they are looking for. In short, it requires the exercise of "due diligence".

I admit - the exercise of due diligence is not cheap, but the failure to exercise due diligence can create a financial disaster for the commercial real estate investor. Don't be "penny wise and pound foolish".

If you are buying a home, hire an attorney who regularly represents home buyers. If you are buying commercial real estate, hire an attorney who regularly represents commercial real estate buyers.

Years ago I stopped handling residential real estate transactions. As an active commercial real estate attorney, even I hire residential real estate counsel for my own home purchases. I do that because residential real estate practice is fundamentally different from commercial real estate.

Maybe I do "harp" on the need for competent counsel experienced in commercial real estate transactions. I genuinely believe it. I believe it is essential. I believe if you are going to invest in commercial real estate, you must apply your critical thinking skills and be smart.

POP QUIZ: Here's is a simple test of YOUR critical thinking skills:

Please read the following Scenarios and answer the questions TRUE or FALSE:

Scenario No. 1: It's Valentine's Day. You are in hot pursuit of the love of your life. A few weeks ago, she confided in you that all she ever dreamed of for Valentine's Day was that her lover would show up at her door, dressed in a white tuxedo with tails and a top hat, and present her with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. You've rented the tuxedo, but now you are concerned about how much money you are spending.

TRUE OR FALSE: Since flowers are pretty much all the same, it is OK for you to skip the roses and show up with a bouquet of fresh yellow dandelions.

Scenario No. 2: For several years you eyesight deteriorated to the point where you can barely see your alarm clock. You are now considering corrective eye surgery so you won't need glasses. Your sister-in-law had corrective eye surgery and has had spectacular results. She recommends her eye surgeon, but mentions the cost is about $5,700 for both eyes and that the surgery is not covered by insurance. A few years ago, you had surgery to correct your hemorrhoids and it cost you only eight hundred bucks.

TRUE OR FALSE: Since surgeons all went to medical school and are all medical doctors, you are being frugal and wise by asking the surgeon who performed your hemorrhoid surgery to perform your corrective eye surgery.

Scenario No. 3: Several years ago, when you first got married, you asked a former classmate who is a lawyer to represent you in the purchase of your townhome. The cost was only $375. A year later, you started a family and decided you needed a Will. The same attorney prepared Wills for you and your wife for a total cost of $700. You started your own business and your attorney friend formed a corporation for you and charged you only $600 plus the cost of the corporate minute book. Years later, when your son was arrested for misdemeanor reckless driving, your attorney friend handled the criminal case and got your son off with supervision for only $1,500.

Your business has been successful and you have built a pretty sizable nest egg, but you are tired of working for every dime and want to try investing in real estate. You have your eye on a strip shopping center. It includes a grocery store, bank, hardware store, dry cleaners (on a month to month tenancy), a couple of fast food restaurants, a gift shop, dental office, bowling alley (with a lease about to expire), and wraps behind a gas station/mini-mart on the corner. The purchase price is $8,000,000, but the net operating income looks pretty good. You figure if you turn the bowling alley into a full service restaurant/banquet facility, and convert the dry cleaners into a 24-hour coin laundry, the net operating income will increase and the shopping center will turn into a spectacular investment. You plan to pull together much of your life savings and put down $2,000,000 to buy this strip shopping center, borrowing the balance of $6,000,000. You remember that your lawyer friend handled the purchase of your home several years ago, so you know he handles real estate.

TRUE OR FALSE: Commercial real estate is the same as residential real estate [Hey, its all dirt, isn't it (?)], so you are being a shrewd businessman by hiring your lawyer friend who will charge much less than a lawyer who handles shopping center purchases several time a year. [What is this "due diligence" stuff anyway?]

ANSWERS:

If you answered "TRUE" for any of the foregoing Scenarios

STOP!

The Quiz is over.

Please find a quite place to reflect upon your life and consider whether the decisions you make consistently give you the results you desire.

If, on the other hand, you understand that the answer to each of the foregoing questions is FALSE, I am available to help you in Scenario No. 3.

For Scenario No. 2, you should follow your sister-in-law's suggestion and contact her eye surgeon, or some other eye surgeon with equal skill.

For Scenario No. 1, you are on your own. [But, if you answered TRUE for Scenario No. 1, you may be FOREVER on you own.]

Investing in commercial real estate can be profitable and rewarding - but it requires good critical thinking skills and competent counsel.

You have a have a brain. It is strongly recommended that you use it.

R. Kymn Harp is a seasoned attorney based in Chicago, Illinois with 30 years experience representing commercial real estate investors, lenders and developers. He is a frequent speaker at continuing education seminars, and is a widely published author on commercial and industrial real estate topics including due diligence, entitlements, commercial real estate financing, and Brownfield development and financing.

R. Kymn Harp can be contacted at:

Robbins, Salomon & Patt, Ltd

25 E. Washington Street Suite 100

Chicago, IL 60602

Dir. Ph: 312-456-0378

Email: [mailto:rkharp@rsplaw.com]rkharp@rsplaw.com

For more information go to: http://www.realestate-law.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R._Kymn_Harp http://EzineArticles.com/?Pop-Quiz-Commercial-Real-Estate-Investing&id=624230

How a Foreign National Can Buy Real Estate in America

2009-11-29T07:47:00.000-08:00

How a Foreign National Can Buy Real Estate in America
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Maria_Gudelis]Maria Gudelis

Opportunities for real estate investment for foreigners is wide and varied in the United States. It doesn't matter where you're from and what currency you'd be using to purchase a property, you have a property waiting for you.

There are generally three kinds of real estate investment available to foreigners. These investments include the commercial estate investment and residential property investment. Residential properties are further classified into single family properties, apartments or condominiums and recreational properties. Regardless of what kind of real estate you are interested in, there are all sorts of tax ramifications, financing options and legal requirements that you have to deal with.

Why Should You Invest in the U.S. Real Estate Market?

You've probably heard of the increasing number of foreign real estate investments in the United States. This is not surprising. With the troubles that the real estate investment market is facing in the United States, greater opportunities in real estate investment were opened to foreign investors.

With the dollar's value in its all time low, foreign investors are finding real estate bargains all over the United States. There are no shortages of deals in this market. More and more distressed properties are being sold everywhere and foreigners are pouring in millions buying these foreclosed or distressed properties. The United States real estate has become a fairly attractive long-term investment for foreign investors.

In November of 2006, the National Association of Realtors released a report entitled "Foreign Investments in U.S Real Estate: Current Trends and Historical Perspective". The report showed that there has been a steady increase in foreign real estate investment in the United States. This is especially after the euro and the loonie became stronger in the face of the continuous devaluation of the US dollar. Prime bargains were opened to foreigners. Many foreigners have now looked into the possibility of retiring or settling in the United States.

If you're a foreigner, you would find a lot of reasons why you should invest in the United States real estate market. Aside from the fact that the floating exchange rate has given you a lot of leverage over the bargaining table, the financial market is a pretty good reason why you should invest in the US real estate.

The financial market in the United States in relation to the real estate market is quite liberal and the restrictions against foreign investors are pretty reasonable. This is ideal for foreign companies that are seeking to invest in the real estate market in the United States in order to avoid tariff restrictions and are considering setting up an office or a company in the United States.

Furthermore, despite the devaluation of the US dollar and the wide foreclosures of a lot of property, the real estate market remains to be stable, though slightly shaky, due to foreign investors' capital appreciation. Domestic real estate buyers may not necessarily share the same opinion, but the market has remained to be strong for foreign real estate buyers. This may be largely credited to the fact that there is minimal risk for them.

Why are Foreign Real Estate Investments Safe and Profitable?

There are a lot of investments you can make, but the safest you can make right now is investing your money in real properties. This is another good reason aside from the fact that you can make a pretty nifty profit, if you like, particularly now with the widespread property foreclosures and seemingly continuous US dollar devaluation. This is especially true if you are going to use the euro or the loonie when making your investment.

But why is US real estate investment safe for foreigners?

It is undeniable that stock investments are not a safe avenue at this point. The recession has not only affected the US economy; the same recession has greatly affected worldwide stock investments. Stocks values are dropping. It is also a fact that even without the current economic situation, stock values fluctuates.

On the other hand, real estate investments are pretty stable if you would compare it to stock investments - or even bond or mutual fund investments. With real estate investment, you'd be putting your money in an investment that would grow in value as years go by.

What are the Benefits of Foreign Real Estate Investment?

US state government supports foreign investments and along this line has formulated various tax breaks to encourage foreign investment on real estate. Many of these tax breaks are not available in many countries. In fact, most countries would frown at foreigners owning real properties within their territory.

Foreign real estate investment in the United States is open to everyone. As long as you can afford to buy the property or at least comply with the mortgage requirements and payments, you can secure for yourself a pretty good property in the United States. Again, with the current economic situation of the United States, this is the perfect chance for you to make an investment.

Another great benefit that you can take advantage of is the availability of mortgage financing. Lenders have opened their doors to foreign investors who are looking into purchasing a property. So, you don't have to actually deplete your bank account. You can actually secure a mortgage loan and gradually pay it off.

I'm Canadian, What Are My Financing Options?

There is a steady increasing rate of Canadian real estate investors in the United States; and accordingly, the government has made certain that they have attractive financing options available to them.

If you're Canadian - or if you're a foreigner - you'd find a lot of reasons why you should buy a piece of real property in the United States. For Canadians, the parity of the currencies or the apparent devaluation of the US dollar is a pretty good reason itself. But how do you finance your purchase?

There are various financing options available to you depending on which state you are in. In Arizona, for instance, you'd get favorable financing terms if you are purchasing a property for recreational purposes, that is, you do not derive any income or benefit from your purchase or ownership. You will be required, however, to sign up a disclosure agreement and give a 30% down payment for your loan. To qualify though for a loan, you may be required to show availability of liquid reserves for a period of three to six months. You may also be required to present a minimum of 3-month bank statement.

If you are purchasing a property for investment, you'd probably meet stricter terms. Requirements may be more stringent. For instance, you could be required to give a down payment of more than 30% and you may be required to show one year worth of liquidity reserves.

Regardless of your reasons, if you feel like you can fulfill the requirements of a financing loan, you can then proceed to actually applying for a mortgage loan. Also, keeping yourself updated with the financing terms flux may be a wise idea.

Understanding the Tax Ramifications of Real Estate Investment

The first foreigner to have ever bought a real estate property in the United States was Peter Minuit. This opened the doors to foreign real estate investors. After a couple of centuries later, foreign real estate investment has grown into huge proportions, accounting for billion-of-dollar worth of industry.

The low risk attached to US real estate market, the availability of countless properties, and the steady market liquidity attract foreign investors in droves. The initial snag, however, is the process of understanding the legal ramifications of foreign real estate investment.

What you have to understand is that foreign investment in the United States can take a lot of forms. A foreigner has various options. He can acquire direct interest. He can acquire an interest in the real estate through a partnership, a corporation, or a limited liability company. The latter is the typical structure used by foreign investors.

Limited partnership or Limited Liability Company offers financial protection or indirect asset protection, especially in cases of bankruptcy, law suits and taxes. Foreign investors are generally taxed on the property as if they hold the property in direct interest.

Ideally, you should secure the services of a real estate accountant to help you out with the tax ramifications, but it would help if you, at least, know the basics before you actually talk to an accountant.

There are tax consequences that you have to deal with when you buy a real estate in the United States. You would need an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number which you will use with all your tax transactions. Your investment in real estates can be treated as a portfolio investment and will be accounted for as an investment income which can either be fixed or a periodic income. This is typically taxed at 30% on gross revenues. This tax though does not apply though to all foreign investors. Tax rates would vary depending on the tax personality the foreign investor opted for. For instance, a corporation would be taxed differently.

Other things that you should take note of are availability and requirements of tax refunds and state tax laws on real estate properties as they may differ from federal laws, among other things.

By knowing all these things, you may save yourself from a lot of hassles when you finally approach a real estate accountant. You'd be in same wavelength when you finally get down to talking business. It is, however, very important that you secure the services of an accountant. You'd have an easier time dealing with the taxes ramifications. You'd also have assistance ensuring that you comply with all the accounting aspect of your investment. This is especially true if you are purchasing a real property for investment purposes.

Do You Need to Secure the Service of a Real Estate Lawyer?

If you are considering buying a property in the United States, you need to secure the services of a real estate attorney - someone who could help you with the legal issues concerning your purchase. It is tempting to forego securing the service of a lawyer to save money, but this could cost you a lot of money in the long run. Make sure that you have an experienced and trustworthy lawyer to help you out. Make sure that you have thoroughly checked out his credentials, profile, history of successful cases handled by him, and other factors that would influence your decision. You could check online and look for a lawyer working within the state where you are considering purchasing a property.

Functions of a Real Estate Lawyer

There is no actual distinctive function for a lawyer in a real estate case. However, you would really need the assistance of a lawyer for various tasks. A real estate lawyer would review the sales contract for you. He would also check on the title and other documents relating to the property. A lawyer would also review your mortgage contract and make the necessary adjustments or corrections. You could also get him to review with you the legal and tax issues concerning the purchase. A real estate attorney could also make the necessary adjustments relating to various expenses and costs involved in the purchase. He would assess your eligibility for tax refunds and draft the documents and statements relating to this.

Putting it simply, a real estate lawyer will be your watchdog. He would guide you through the whole process of purchasing a real estate in the United States in order to make sure that you will be legally protected. You will have a capable and trustworthy liaison to help you out with the contract. He will also face legal disputes if any arise.

Tips on How to Invest in Real Estate Successfully

Now, if you've fully bought into the idea of real estate investing in the United States, you might just want to know how to go about investing in real estate successfully. If you want to be successful in this venture, the first thing that you have to avoid is overanalyzing. Of course, it is a good idea to carefully think through your actions but it is a bad idea to overanalyze your investment to nonexistence. You might lose a great opportunity.

Before you purchase the property though, it might be wise to check the property value. If it sits well with you and you can reasonably afford the property, go ahead and make the purchase.

If you are considering the property for a quick flip, make sure that the property is in perfect condition and in good area. This is to ensure that you could double or actually triple your return of investment. If you can inspect the property yourself, do so. If not, a good and trustworthy agent can help you with this task.

Another important thing to remember when you're buying real estate is good financing. You should take your time to carefully consider all your financing options. Foreign investors can email in their queries to various lending institutions. It is a good idea to make sure that you've had their terms and rates on paper because they tend to change these terms and charge you with a lot of junk. Your real estate agent can help you with reviewing the escrow charges.

The bottom line, however, is that it is very important that you do your homework before you actually buy a real property. Investing in real properties in the United States can be profitable especially during these times. In fact, it may be the wisest and most perfect investment you can make right now.

Maria Gudelis has been a real estate investor and entrepreneur for over 10 years. She has investigated or bought properties all over the world including Mexico, Ecuador, Canada and the U.S.A. Past co-founder of the Southern California 'Forum for Women Entrepreneurs', her passion is to help other entrepreneurs leverage technology and real estate to be successful in their businesses. Her website is at http://www.maria-gudelis.com

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Successful Real Estate Investing

2009-11-29T07:38:00.000-08:00

Successful Real Estate Investing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Joe_Love]Joe Love

One of the best roads to wealth in America has always been the acclimation and development of good, solid, income-producing real estate. Real estate ownership is one of the best ways to achieve financial independence for the average person. But in order to be a successful real estate investor, you are must become above-average in your knowledge and understanding of how the real estate market works.

There are five basic requirements that you must follow to succeed in real estate.

1. Write out clear and specific goals that have time lines on them. Set a goal for the exact type of property you are looking for. Do want a single family property? A duplex? A four-unit property. You must be specific. Set a goal for getting the money you’ll need to purchase the property. Always make sure your goal has a time line for when you will acquire the property. Will it be six months or a year? Set goals for the amount of real estate you intend to purchase in the next three, five, and ten years. The very act of writing out set goals for yourself in real estate will make it much more likely that you’ll have the success you are aiming for.

2. Write out a detailed plan of action, listing everything you are going to do, organized by priority. The combination of goals plus detailed plans will give you a blueprint for real estate accumulation that you can begin to follow on a day to day basis.

3. Make a plan to learn every detail of the real estate business. Because the potential rewards are so high in real estate, they will go to those who have done their homework and paid their dues. It’s very important for you to become an expert at real estate before you begin investing your time and savings in real estate acquisition.

4. Be prepared to back your plans with hard work, sacrifice, and persistence. Going into real estate is very much like starting a business. There is a tremendous amount that you have to learn and you can only learn by experience. There will be ups and downs, successes and failures, and you must be willing to persist patiently throughout, knowing that you will be successful in the end.

5. If you are really serious about building something lasting and worthwhile in real estate, resolve to get into real estate for the long term, for a minimum of ten to twenty years. Real estate investment is not something that you jump into and out of. It is something that you step into very carefully, and should be prepared to hold onto for a long time.

Many people who purchase real estate, hold it for a long time and then sell it just before it starts to rise rapidly in value. They become impatient when they hear about other people making quick or easy money by flipping real estate properties.

The definition of investment real estate in its simplest term is: “Real estate is its future earning power.” Let me put this another way: “Real estate is nothing more and nothing less than its future earning power, its value at some future date.” In other words, the value of any piece of real estate is determined by the income that can be generated by that property when it is at its highest and best use, from today and on into the indefinite future.

An important question that you should always ask when you are considering any real estate investment is, “When and how will income or wealth be generated on or by this piece of property, and in what amount?” The correct answer to that question tells you how much the property is worth today and how much it is likely to be worth in the future.

Even though interest rates are at all time lows and property values are increasing at record levels, there are still foreclosures happening at record levels today, because of so many people losing their jobs. Having said this as a warning, there are many things that you can learn and do, starting with very little money, to begin building your financial independence in real estate.

If you do not have much money but have lots of time, and you sincerely desire to enter into the real estate field, the simplest way for you to start is to buy homes that need work and fix them up, thereby increasing their value. This is where many successful real estate investors and entrepreneurs begin their careers.

Here are six basic steps you need to follow if you are going to buy properties and fix them up.

1. Do your market research thoroughly and look at houses until you find one that is under priced relative to the neighborhood, because it is run down and needs a lot of work. A house that is under priced is one that is selling for 20% or more below what similar houses are selling for in the same area, based on the cost or sales price per square foot. For you, this type of home could be what is called a “Sleeper.” It can be more valuable than it appears on the outside.

2. Purchase the house at the lowest possible cash down-payment and get the seller to carry back a second mortgage or deed of trust for the property. Your ideal purchase of investment real estate is always to get the very best price and terms. Price and terms are often more important than any other single factor. If you can get a low enough price and generous terms you can make almost any property into a successful investment.

3. Move into the house and begin working on it on the weekends to renovate and refurbish it, doing all or most of the work yourself. Many husbands and wives have launched themselves toward financial independence by working as a team to buy and fix up houses, approaching this as a family project.

4. When you have fixed up the house and yard so that it is attractive again, you can then do one of three things. You can sell the house for more than you paid and take the profit from the sale and buy another house to renovate. You can rent out the house at a rate that covers your mortgage payment and hopefully gives you extra cash flow. Or you can rent out the renovated house and then refinance the property, often for as much as you paid for it, based on the higher earning power of the property when you rented it.

5. You can then repeat this process with another house, again doing the renovations yourself until you have fixed it up and you are ready to sell, rent, or refinance the second house as well.

6. As you increase your assets, your cash flow, and your experience, you move up to buying and fixing duplexes and eventually apartment buildings.

There are two main advantages to buying properties and then fixing them up yourself: First, you can do it while you keep your full-time job, continuing to generate cash flow from your job for repairs and renovation. Second, you can start small, with little or no money, little or no risk, and expand your activities as you gain more knowledge and experience.

Making money in anything, especially real estate, is hard work and requires persistence. Everyone with a property for sale wants to get as much of your money for it as he or she possibly can. Your job is to see that they don’t. So, if you are willing to do your homework and take your time, you can make prudent and profitable real estate purchases and sales.

You make your money when you buy real estate, not when you sell. You make your profit in real estate by buying right, by buying the right property at the right price and at the right terms. When you sell, you simply realize the profit that you made at the time of the purchase. Another important rule for investing in real estate is this: don’t become emotional about a property that you are purchasing for investment. Always look at the property from the viewpoint of a critical purchaser.

Purchasing real estate of any kind requires careful thought and analysis. Just remember that you are buying the long-term future earning power of a piece of property. You are purchasing the property as an asset and nothing more. Always remember, real estate is only an asset if it puts money into your pocket.

These rules are all food for thought if your are planning to become a real estate investor. These are some basics that you need to know to get started in the field of real estate. Read books and attend seminars on a regular basis in the field of real estate. Go out and look at properties every week that are for sale, even if you are not ready to buy. By doing this you will be gaining valuable experience. Nothing can take the place of knowledge and experience, especially in the field of real estate.

Millions of men and women have become financially independent by investing in real estate, and with the proper knowledge and experience, there is no reason why you cannot do it as well.

Copyright© 2005 by Joe Love & JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many of America’s largest corporations, on the subjects of leadership, self-esteem, goals, achievement, and success psychology.

Reach Joe at: [mailto:joe@jlmandassociates.com]joe@jlmandassociates.com

Read more articles and newsletters at: http://www.jlmandassociates.com

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Selling a Home in a Buyers Market - Real Estate Agents Tips

2009-11-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

Selling a Home in a Buyers Market - Real Estate Agents Tips
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=GA_Anderson]GA Anderson

Today's real estate market, a buyer's market is very different from the seller's market of three to four years ago. Today: property values are depressed, there are less available buyers due to restricted credit access, there is an abundance of properties on the market, and listing prices are showing drastic cuts. So how do you increase your chances for getting a fair value when selling your home? You need a plan of action that addresses that all-important buyer's first impression. The picture a buyer gets when they see your property for the first time can make or break a deal.

It is the small things that influence a buyer's first impression of your home or property. It is all the little details that form the picture a buyer sees when they first get out of the car. It's your property's "curb appeal". For someone buying a home, that first impression will be a factor in every consideration of the deal. It can be the deciding factor in a buyer's mind when considering the desirability of your property versus another property for sale in the same price range. Enhancing your property's curb appeal can be an important step in creating a good first impression. Cosmetic details, like a freshly painted front door, and clean sidewalk, can help your potential buyer decide to consider buying your home instead of buying a house down the street, or they can make them get back in the car to look somewhere else..

Evaluating your property's curb appeal should be the first step in your plan of action. Look at your property from a buyer's point of view, as if you are seeing it for the first time. What is your home's curb appeal?

Is the lawn and landscape well maintained, or do you need to cut the grass and put down some new mulch? Is the lawn décor and furniture neatly arranged, or is it hap hazard and disorganized? Is the sidewalk or walk-way clean? Are the flowers and shrubs neat and trimmed? What about your roofline, is a gangly antenna the first thing you see? What about your side yard and outbuildings, is the trash can and junk around the garage the first thing you see? Does your front entrance need painting or sprucing up, is it cluttered with décor items that a buyer might not find appealing?

Grab a pad and pencil and walk around your neighborhood. Look at the homes from the curb, make notes about houses with things you find appealing, and also note those houses that don't look so good. What didn't you like, what looked bad from the curb, what affected your first impression? Now take those notes and stand in front of your home. Look at it honestly, as if you were a buyer seeing it for the first time. What is your first impression?

You will probably see things you had not noticed before, like the weathered and faded mulch in the flower beds. Little things that you had taken for granted or assumed weren't important. Now you can make a list of the things to do to improve a buyer's first impression. There may be a semi-major project or two, but more likely you will end up with a to-do list of smaller tasks that will only take a little time and effort, not a lot of money. You can use this list to improve your property's curb appeal so that when a buyer steps out of the car their first thought will be; "This looks nice". That first impression could help get you an offer, or perhaps even seal the deal.

G.A. Anderson is a freelance article author specializing in topic-specific requests. You can see the complete version of this article at: [http://hubpages.com/_anderson/hub/selling-a-home-buyers-market]Selling a Home in a Buyers Market. To see more G.A. Anderson articles, visit his [http://hubpages.com/_anderson/profile/Appletreedeals]HubPages articles.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=GA_Anderson http://EzineArticles.com/?Selling-a-Home-in-a-Buyers-Market---Real-Estate-Agents-Tips&id=3295574

HOME :: Real-Estate / Marketing How to Work Real Estate Internet Leads Without Going Crazy

2009-11-23T10:39:00.000-08:00

So you've finally figured out a way to generate real estate leads through the internet?

Congratulations, you're rich!

Except for one tiny little thing, of course: actually closing your leads and generating sales.

Without a solid system, the only thing you'll be generating is a lot of work and heartache. In fact, I would say it's better to avoid online leads all together unless you're willing to invest the time upfront to set up proper systems.

What exactly do I mean by a system? A proper lead follow up system consists of three parts:

1. Customer Service/ Follow Up at Internet Speed

Everything is faster on the internet. Think of the last time you shopped for anything online. Were you willing to wait even half an hour for an answer from an online store, or did you just move on until you found the answer immediately?

Online customer service is an entire article in itself, but here are the basics:

Make it easy for them to contact you - post your phone # prominently and use an online form - just posting your email address is worthless.
Respond within 5 minutes - after 30 minutes you may as well not even bother.
ALWAYS provide something of value in every phone call/ email/ tweet/ note on rock thrown through their window, etc. This could be market news, useful links, answers, etc.
2. Use a CRM System (even if it's just an excel sheet).

37 signals, a hugely successful software company has a great saying: make half a product, not a half a**ed product. The same goes with leads: it's better to work half your leads well, than try to work all your leads and do a half-a**ed job of it.

To do it right, you'll need to track your leads. For no frills, make an excel sheet with their info, how/ why the found you, and what you've sent them so far. Don't forget the most critical part: prioritize your leads (I can't argue with the time-tested "A, B, C" system, but feel free to get creative if you need a little flair in your CRM).

My personal favorite for real estate CRM is Highrise, by the aforementioned 37 signals (just Google "highrise, they're #1). It's free up to 250 contacts, it's drop dead simple to use, and it plays nicely with your email.

3. Give The People What They Want.

Ask yourself why they contacted you in the first place: what do they want? Figure that out, then create or find those resources and put them all in a folder called "resources" on your computer. For example: buyer's guides, market statistical reports, recent neighborhood sales, advice articles about picking lenders, etc.

That way, every time you email a lead you can either attach something useful, or link to it in your email. It also gives you a great reason to call them, so you can ask permission before sending them an attachment.

In all honesty, there is simply no way to get the same success rates from online leads as you do from referrals and personal connections - that's simply the nature of the beast. Done properly, though, you can generate a solid amount of business without letting online lead follow up take over your life.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go research the pet weight restriction of a condo building for a random lead who just called... hey, I never said it was easy!

Michael is an active real estate broker, and has both a California state salesperson's license and a California state broker's license. Michael is also the founder of My Single Property Websites. You can also read more marketing tips on Michael's real estate marketing blog.
Article Source:www.Real Estate Nad

Different Kinds of Student Loan Options

2009-11-17T04:20:00.000-08:00

How good is your credit history? Have you wanted to apply for a student loan, but felt your credit history would prevent you from being accepted?

While standard loan companies are more than willing to hand out loans to people with good credit, those who fall short of the mark are left without approval. The good news is, there are some student loans available that do not take your current credit history into consideration.

The Stafford Loan which is from the U.S. Department of Education does not review a person's credit history for consideration when approving the loan. This is in large part because these loans are given to students who fall in the young age category where they have not yet had a chance to develop any type of credit history.

The Perkins loan as well, does not take into consideration any credit history. It is a federal loan for those who are generally in dire financial need. A PLUS loan is an option if you have bad student loan credit. So even in the event of your having defaulted on a prior student loan you can still get financing through a PLUS loan.

This loan is actually taken out by your parents on your behalf. Therefore you would still be able to benefit from financial aid. If you are someone who has a negative credit rating, but would very much like to enroll in school then checking into the federally funded loan programs would be the way for you.

If you have defaulted on a student loan, the good news is that if you begin to make payments even though you can't repay the entire loan, you can still become eligible again to apply for more student aid. In the long run, if you can obtain a personal loan for a degree which will earn you a sizeable income upon completion, this may be something you might consider also.

John has been writing articles online for nearly 4 years now. Not only does this author specialize in a variety of subjects, but you can also check out his latest website on Water Filter Cartridges which reviews and lists the best Whole House Filter.Article Source: http;//www.Real Estate Nad.blogsport.com

HOME :: Real-Estate / Building-a-Home Connect to the Future Through Your Home

2009-11-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

A home that you build today may become obsolete tomorrow. The lifestyle choices and technological options of tomorrow may ill fit even the most modern home of today. But does it mean that all homes are fated to become obsolete with time? Definitely not. You can future-proof your home by making prudent choices regarding infrastructure and interiors, thereby protecting your financial investment in the house and also helping your personal future.

If you want to future-proof your home, be prepared to invest time in thoughtful planning. How you are planning to use the home in future becomes the most crucial factor in deciding how to go about future proofing it. So, a vision of where and what you will be in future and what role the house will play then has a lot to do with planning for future proofing. Location is also important, maybe your house is located near a school, hospital or other utilities. Even if you are not interested in the benefits at the moment, you may begin to appreciate them in the future or perhaps the next buyer will.

Future proofing is prudent especially when you are buying a new home. simply because of the inherent opportunity and flexibility that you have when it comes to deciding the location, infrastructure, and other features of the house.

Ask yourself the following questions when you decide to future proof your house.

Is there a chance that you might want to start a home office and start working from home?

Are you planning to start or raise a family?

How long do you plan to stay in the house and how will you ensure that as you grow, the house also grows with you?

Are you likely to prefer any particular utility or service in the future, perhaps a nearby hospital for an elderly couple or a school for children?

Experts advise that it is a good move to invest in an extra room in the floor plan, so there is always the flexibility in future to move into the additional space when the need arises.

A loft can be converted into a kids play area. A basement can be converted into a recreational room or a workout studio. An extra room can always serve as a home theatre or even as a library.

Look Forward

Today's families are spending more time together in their homes. The requirements are also different than how it used to be. A home needs to be well wired and should have good communication capability including home entertainment options. Entertainment and technology are two most important things a modern home owner looks for. They are better if pre-installed in a new home, once the family moves in it may be difficult to make the required modifications. Homeowners need to think this through before they settle on the features that they opt for in new homes.

A well planned and structured wiring system can provide for present and future plug and play access points for various facilities like phone, multimedia, computer networking, internet and even security camera systems.

Future proofing a home guarantees the long life and adaptability of your home. Ensure that the building material and the design of the home are long lasting and has a timeless appeal. Plan for future storage space requirement and ventilation. The right interior options go a long way in preserving the life and value of a home for years to come.

Par Development is the popular new home builder in Illinois and Wisconsin. We know the Chicago and surrounding areas better than anyone else, and we have some great offers on Illinois vist www. Real Estate Nad.blogsport.com

A Word About Apartment and Commercial Real Estate Seminars

2009-11-10T01:43:00.001-08:00

A Word About Apartment and Commercial Real Estate Seminars
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Darin_Garman]Darin Garman

There are a lot of real estate seminars out there. Being offered day after day. Even in the mail, you probably get a pitch at least once a week or once every two weeks for a real estate seminar that you can attend in your area or maybe even a product that you can buy - like some CD's. So, should you go to these seminars? Should you take advantage of the "next" huge investment opportunity that you have a chance to get involved in? Yes and No.

I have always recommended getting as much knowledge as possible. That is one of the reasons why you are even reading this article. And you will usually always walk away with at least one idea or strategy that you can use. But, don't necessarily get sucked into buying the next big thing. In other words, don't fall for the "grass is greener" syndrome and buy the $5,000 seminar or the $4,000 home study "get rich by Tuesday" course. Think it through first, the question to ask yourself is, "Am I Really Going To Put My Time And Effort Into This?"

If the answer is Yes, by all means move forward but, if the answer is no or I don't know, then, move along. It human nature for us to see something else and think that is the way to go, drop what we are currently doing and jump 100% into the next great opportunity. Don't fall for it. Nothing is ever as easy as it seems and if you jump on every great real estate investing opportunity that comes up, well, you will never acquire any real wealth.

Want more Renegade commercial real estate investment tips? APARTMENT & COMMERCIAL INVESTORS ONLY: FREE NO MONEY DOWN REPORT & TELESEMINAR "How to Buy Apartments and Commercial Real Estate With No Or Low Money Down." Darin Garman Shows You How Based On $411 Million in Experience. Click Below And Get This Free, No-Obligation Report Emailed To Your Inbox Today. Commercial [http://www.MyPlatinumClub.com/wealthy-investors]Real Estate Investing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darin_Garman http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Word-About-Apartment-and-Commercial-Real-Estate-Seminars&id=3179583

Attention Real Estate Brokers - It's Time to Get Green

2009-11-10T01:08:00.001-08:00

Attention Real Estate Brokers - It's Time to Get Green
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kelly_J._Kim]Kelly J. Kim

In the process of attaining your Broker's license, gain the knowledge you need to assist clients looking to improve on the energy efficiency of their homes.

With green building issues becoming increasingly important to buyers and sellers as well as businesses, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) now offers a Green Designation to help its members meet this growing demand. Real estate professionals who have earned this designation are prepared to provide valuable aide to their clients in the search for environmentally-friendly properties and work to incorporate green principles into their own practice.

The NAR's Green Designation indicates knowledge of industry rating programs and standards, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, ENERGY STAR qualifications, and the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index.

During recent testimony before the Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee, the NAR expressed support for the approach and overarching goals behind the Green Resources for Energy Efficient Neighborhoods (GREEN) Act, H.R. 2336.

In addition to creating incentives to promote energy efficient building, rehabilitation and upgrades, the bill also provides a loan fund for states to put into action renewable energy projects and would encourage a number of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development demonstration and pilot programs to provide best practices for promoting energy efficiency.

"We know that many of today's consumers want homes and communities that are sensitive to the larger environment, and we are pleased that the GREEN Act would offer resources and incentives to help them improve the efficiency of their homes," said David Wluka, a member of NAR's Global Climate Change Presidential Advisory Group. "The consumer education efforts funded by this legislation would also increase public awareness of the availability of energy efficient mortgages and encourage movement toward green housing."

Knowledge of our nation's green initiatives and how they pertain to your buyers and sellers will provide your real estate career with a vital competitive edge. Enhance your broker license education with a green real estate training course. Choose a convenient, online program and obtain the green housing knowledge you need in your free time.

Kelly J. Kim is marketing specialist of [http://www.training4green.com]Solar Training for real estate careers. Allied's career training in today's emerging green technologies prepares you to realize new and exciting career opportunities. Learn about solar energy and green building -- [http://www.training4green.com/solar.asp]online solar business training and renewable energy courses will prepare you start an environmentally-friendly career.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelly_J._Kim http://EzineArticles.com/?Attention-Real-Estate-Brokers---Its-Time-to-Get-Green&id=2520982

Green Real Estate - What Homes Qualify and Which Don't

2009-11-10T01:07:00.001-08:00

Green Real Estate - What Homes Qualify and Which Don't
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mark_Gavalda]Mark Gavalda

There is an uprising trend in the number of green homes. Perhaps the much insisted eco-friendly solution have finally caught up with real estate as people are now adopting to using renewable energy sources and materials without residual toxins inside their homes. But if you are a newly celebrated eco-friendly folk and you are on your way to buying your new eco-friendly home, there are a few things that you need to look out for.

The first thing to look for is the type of flooring. Hardwood floors are important in not only maintaining the aesthetics of the house, but in house warming as it conserves heat especially in the cold seasons of winter. It eliminates the need for carpets which are usually prone to dust.

The windows have to be orientated towards the sun, so that much natural light as possible can get into the rooms. They should also be large and preferably double paned. When there is an adequate source of natural light, you cut back on the need of artificial lighting, and in the end, you save up some money in the electric bill.

The location you choose for your eco-friendly home is of the essence. It should be away from any source of pollution, and instead, be as deep in nature as it can be. If it's near the city where there are a lot of carbon emissions from vehicles, or near some factory, then it is inappropriate. Choose instead a place where there is an abundance of trees, and nature is in its fullest.

The design that the house has is essential too. The bigger a house is the more power hungry it's going to be. That's in respect to the amount of electrical power supply needed in running the systems, and in heating and cooling it depending on the environmental temperatures. If you don't need too much space, go for a medium sized house that will be easier to maintain.

As the housing crisis bottoms we'll have plenty of one in a lifetime [http://www.RealtySamurai.com]real estate investment opportunities. If you don't want to miss out on them, visit my [http://www.RealtySamurai.com]real estate blog today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Gavalda http://EzineArticles.com/?Green-Real-Estate---What-Homes-Qualify-and-Which-Dont&id=3208676

If Real Estate Investment Is So Great, Why Doesn't Everyone Do It?

2009-11-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

Oh, that's an easy one. I can answer that in one word. FEAR.

Real estate investment is a great way to change just about everything in your life, but it's one of those things where doing it for the FIRST time is the toughest. In fact, the second is exponentially easier!

It's fear folks, plain and simple! And why doesn't make much sense to me. Consider that:

- "Everyone knows that the surest path from low income to millionaire is through real estate." This appears to be a well-documented truism. I've seen a similar statement in some of the most prestigious financial resources on the planet.

- I rarely hear of someone losing it all from real estate. I might be living in la-la land, but for the most part I only hear of folks prospering from real estate investing. Sure, occasionally I hear of deal going bad or growing complicated, but not to the point of ruining folks.

- There are a lot of properties available. Folks are still divorcing, dying, or just not paying the bills and getting foreclosed on. Much of the foreclosure activity is not SEEN by the public, but most of it is available to the public.

- There are a lot of properties available at below market prices. That's been my experience anyway. Of course, I have folks right here in my area that tell me they can't find properties. I just smile and nod my head.

- Rental demand is strong and rents never go down!

So with all this common knowledge and raw opportunity out there, why isn't everyone investing in real estate?

Here's my theory.

* Real estate transactions are more involved than going to Wal-mart for a pair of undies, so that scares people. You have to learn a little bit. Mind you, this isn't a lot of learning, but it is apparently enough to keep some on the sidelines.

* The numbers are big. I've seen folks nearly CEASE UP mentally talking about large amounts of money. Merely talking about a $100,000 mortgage causes some people break out in a sweat.

* Horror stories. Everyone's heard about some scam, sink hole, meteor or something else on the fringes of believability that has happened somewhere at sometime. I mean, there is SOME risk involved.

* Fear of taking action! It's hard to do something you've never done, and harder to do something you've never done before in a subject matter on which you aren't an expert! People fear something, which makes facing that fear hard. What I'm referring to is what I call, "IT'S EASIER NOT TO."

So what does one do to face fear and make a change in their life,

Ah, that's just as easy as the last question. I can also answer that in one word…KNOWLEDGE.

Once properly armed with the knowledge they need, most folks can overcome their fears to the point of taking action.

So if you are contemplating taking your financial future into your own hands by investing in real estate, FOCUS on one thing for the next 3-6 months. Buy books or courses, got to real estate investing club meetings, visit websites and get on discussion groups. Let those things be your action steps for awhile. I suspect you'll be ready to dive into the market with the knowledge you'll gain.

I have a motto.

"Knowledge Always Precedes the Money."

California Real Estate

2009-11-04T10:06:00.000-08:00

The process for purchasing a home in California is different from the procedures that are used in other states. Unlike the East Coast, attorneys are not used to complete the sale of real estate. Instead, an escrow is used. Once you have located a home you want to buy, you will begin hearing people talk about the escrow. In California, there are no closing meetings. It is not common for sellers and buyers to meet each other on a regular basis. If you want to buy a home in California, you will want to make sure you have a loan before you begin the process of looking for a home.

All real estate agents in California must be licensed to buy or sell real estate. Every agent you deal with should either have a Salespeople or Brokers license. Brokers are allowed to receive payment for the sale of a property, while salespersons must work under the broker. Multiple brokers are allowed to work together, and are called sales agents. Sales agents must answer to a Broker of Record, and this is the person who will supervise them. There are three agencies that will be found in California, and these are dual-agencies, buyer's agencies, and sub-agencies.

Before you decide to get a loan or broker, you will first want to find the right home in the best possible neighborhood. You will also want to consult an agent to find out what type of home is best for your income level. The agent will want to know what home you're interested in. You should always be ready to buy a home when you visit the agent. If you are truly ready, you will be given a better deal, because agents will often have to deal with people who are just "looking," and are not commited to making a purchase. Once the agent knows what type of home you want, they will begin driving you around to show you the different homes that are available.

The agent will not want to drive you around until after they've interviewed you. As the buyer, you will want to make sure the agent is experienced. When you deal with agents in California, they should put you in the loan qualification process as soon as possible. By getting approved for a loan, you will be placed in a powerful position where you can negotiate. Once you have found the home you want, you will want to make an offer to the agent. In California, the offer should always be made in writing. The paper that it should be written on is named the Deposit Receipt.

You will want to place all the information about your offer on the Deposit Receipt. The agent will help by providing you a list of homes that are much like the one you're interested in. When an offer is made, it is also customary to write a check which is about 3% of the offer that you are making for the home.

A Checklist For Selling a Home

2009-10-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

A Checklist For Selling a Home
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_R_Richards]Jonathan R Richards

Selling a home can be a very labor intensive undertaking. It definitely will be loaded down with stress filled problems. This automatically means that it could be very easy for the homeowner to overlook a few very important tasks that should have been taken care of. Therefore, it is vitally important that the first thing he or she does is to create a "to do" checklist. This will ensure that all the proper steps in this home selling adventure will be completed in the right time frame.

For example, the all important decision has to be made; "who is going to sell the home?'. There are two options; selling it by him/herself or using an agent. This decision is left to the sole discretion of the homeowner.

The second hurdle is this; what should the asking price be? This is probably is the most important thing to be considered. Usually it is beneficial to hire a professional appraiser to provide this information. It involves evaluating the present home market condition, the location of the property, its condition and age and quality of the nearby schools. Even the location of shopping malls and public transit facilities can have a huge bearing on the salability of the home.

Properly staging the home is next on the list. The homeowner must give the home an enticing facelift; applying fresh paint and making all necessary repairs. Once the property is dressed up, advertising and marketing techniques need to be resolved. Right behind that, the owner should make absolutely sure that he is familiar with all the financial needs and legal requirements.

Finally, they should determine how to choose an offer and also how to close the deal.

The checklist should be closely followed until everything is complete; the homeowner should be as informed as possible. It may be advisable for them to hire a real estate attorney for their own protection during these legal proceedings.

Jonathan is the owner of [http://www.bloomingtonflatfeemlslisting.com]Flat Fee MLS Bloomington, a Flat Fee MLS company that specializes in placing For Sale By Owner (FSBO) properties on the Realtors® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for a low one time flat fee. Please visit [http://www.bloomingtonflatfeemlslisting.com]Bloomington Flat Fee MLS to learn more about their services and the Flat Fee MLS packages they offer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_R_Richards http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Checklist-For-Selling-a-Home&id=3168816

UK Home Owners Turn To Cash Sale To Stop Repossession In Credit Crunch

2009-10-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

UK Home Owners Turn To Cash Sale To Stop Repossession In Credit Crunch
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=David_Bradley_Homes]David Bradley Homes

People faced with financial difficulties may be overlooking a quick and stress free way to alleviate money worries.

Property is the most valuable asset to home owners across the nation but turning bricks and mortar into cash can be a challenge in the current climate. Even with the assistance of large well known property companies the times involved and bureaucracy can compound mounting stress levels.

Searching the internet for quick sale property companies can also be overwhelming. Many new companies are jumping on the 'cash offer guaranteed' bandwagon. It is essential that you research these companies thoroughly. How long have they been established, is it a family business or a fly by night organisation. Who responds to your enquiries? Is it a call center, a junior sales executive or is it someone senior who you can put your trust in?

After all your property can make you money, your property can help you out of difficult financial circumstances. Be sure that accepting assistance will mean ALL your costs are covered, that there are no hidden charges, no small print.

Proceeding with caution contact an established family business with a proven track record. Rest assured as you ensure your property is turned into cash, get a quote. This is a positive step in the right direction but remember a reputable company will not pursue you if you are not 100% happy, and if the cash offer is not to your liking you are not obliged to continue negotiations.

When you are happy with your cash offer and confident in a quick sale be aware that although the end to your financial worries may be near you must still be assured that an experienced property professional is guiding you comfortably through the process.

Using a quick sale specialist doesn't mean that corners a cut it means that the weight is taken off your shoulders.

End your money worries, turn your property into hard cash, swiftly, professionally and without the stress of volatile property chains. Stop repossession today pay off your debts and let David Bradley Homes show you that selling your home can be easy. http://www.davidbradleyhomes.gbr.cc

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Bradley_Homes http://EzineArticles.com/?UK-Home-Owners-Turn-To-Cash-Sale-To-Stop-Repossession-In-Credit-Crunch&id=3150071

How to Sell a Home by Your First Open House

2009-10-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

How to Sell a Home by Your First Open House
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Dolon]Michelle Dolon

1. Make a Good First Impression
Little things can make a huge difference. First and foremost, make sure everything is clean and tidy. No one is impressed by a messy exterior. Rake the leaves. Sweep the porch. Dust for cob-webs. These are the basics and the musts. But why not take it a little further? Infuse a little color. How about adding some colorful, potted flowers or flower baskets to the windows? Paint the front door an eye-catching color. Design a flower bed in the front of your home. Studies have shown that people are drawn to color so take a little time to add a little color.

2. Clean it Up
The most important thing you can do to the interior of your home is make sure it's clean. Wax the floors. Clean the carpet. Scrub the baseboards. Clean the fireplace. Touch up the trim, or better yet, repaint the walls if the paint is fading. Remember that the majority of home buyers will respond to neutral shades inside. So stay away from the deep, jewel tones no matter how much you may like them.

3. De-Clutter
Unless you already maintain minimalist approach, gather up half of your home accessories and put them out of sight. I'm talking about family photos, souvenirs from your vacations, dog toys, children's toys, books, magazines, doll collections, etc. This will accomplish two things - 1) your home will appear larger, and 2) the prospective buyer will be able to imagine their belongings in the home. This is imperative because the better someone can visualize making it their home, the better the chances that you'll get an offer.

4. Re-Arrange the Furniture
In a smaller home, make sure that your furniture is arranged in a way that creates the perception of open space. This will make the rooms appear larger. Don't block entry ways or place too much furniture in the center of the room. Create attractive living areas that best express the room the way it was intended. If your home has nooks and crannies, get creative and show prospective buyers inventive ways to use the space that maybe they wouldn't think of. If your home has large, expansive rooms, focus on creating multiple gathering areas with your furniture arrangements, as opposed to one large sitting area.

5. Check Bulbs and Faucets
Remember, light and bright sells homes. Help add to the natural light by ensuring all the bulbs are replaced and are working. And when the property is being shown, turn them all on. Fix any leaky faucets. The dripping sound will be a nuisance, and a prospective buyer may wonder what larger problems may exist if you couldn't even fix the minor ones.

6. Closet and Cabinet Doors
All closets should have doors. If you've hung curtains in the bedroom closet where the doors should go - put them back. It looks tidier and "finished." And make sure that all of your doors and cabinets open and close smoothly. As far as door handles and pulls, if yours are seriously outdated consider updating them. Kitchen handles and pulls are generally pretty easy and inexpensive to replace and new ones will instantly create a more modern look.

7. Hide the Cords
Keep unsightly cords hidden from view. Run them along the wall, bundle them together with fabric covers from your local home store. Or buy pieces of fabric that match your wall color and wrap them yourself. And hide the extension cords. Or better yet, remove them altogether.

8. Storage Space
If your home has an attic, basement and/or garage, make sure they are tidy and de-cluttered. If it's short on storage space, utilize a closet to create an effective storage area.

9. Consider Your Closets
Organize the closets. Get the shoes off the floor. Fold the sweaters on the shelves. If possible, pack half of your belongings and get them out of the closet. Remember, the idea is to create the impression of space and organization.

10. Make Your Bathrooms Sparkle
Bathrooms sell homes, so let them shine. Make sure the grout is clean and the countertops sparkle. Clean the cabinets and door handles. Remove supplies from the counter. Add a pretty soap dispenser and a fragrant candle. Invest in quality, fluffy towels to coordinate with the bathroom's color scheme.

11. Create Dream Bedrooms
Make your bedrooms fresh and inviting. Arrange the furniture in a way that compliments the design of the room. Eliminate excess furniture to make the room appear larger. If the bedroom has hardwood or tile floors, add a rug for coziness. If possible, create a sitting area. It could be as simple as a comfy chair and ottoman, an afghan and a reading lamp. Pay attention to your bedding - it should be clean and fresh looking. Add a few decorative pillows to finish the look.

12. Pets are Family, too
We love our pets and it's certainly their home, too. Take the time to insure their areas are clean and tidy as well. When you're showing your home, make sure they're contained somewhere out of the way for the comfort of your guests, as well as for their own protection.

13. Outdoor Spaces
Pay attention to your patios and decks. Remember, these are an extension of your home and should be viewed as another room to enjoy. Create comfortable sitting areas where the prospective buyer could imagine relaxing. Utilize flowers, pillows, outdoor lighting, and candles. Add a water feature to create a tranquil environment, especially if your home is in a noisy area.

14. Finishing Touches
Create a warm, inviting environment to showcase your home. Light some fragrant candles and play soft classical music. Bake chocolate chip cookies. Provide water infused with lemons, oranges or cucumbers. In the winter, offer hot chocolate or apple cider. Treat prospective buyers as your guests and create the type of ambiance that will appeal to their senses. Remember, buying a home is most often an emotional decision.

14. Keep a Low Profile
It's better to let your Realtor handle showing your home, once you have it prepared. After all, this is their specialty and one of the things they're being compensated to do. If you must be home, keep a low profile and allow prospective buyers to view your home with a minimum of distraction.

15. Discussing Price
If you do happen to be showing your home - when prospects want to talk price, terms, or other real estate matters, always refer them to your Realtor.

Remember, your Realtor is a trusted resource not only for selling your home, but also for helping you get your home staged and ready to sell. Follow these steps and you will be well on your way to getting your home sold by your first open house!

My personal mission is to provide you with an exceptional experience in real estate by offering unique solutions that are customized to your individual needs and situation. I believe in the power of commitment, communication and integrity, and continually strive to offer incomparable service - not just to my clients and partners, but also to my community.

As your Los Angeles area Realtor®, my foremost goal is to understand your real estate needs, desires and dreams. I will listen to you, and empower you through knowledge, education, and support to conceptualize your real estate goals. Together, we will formulate a plan for your success.

I adhere to a strong code of ethics, and I believe in representing my clients honestly, conscientiously, and authentically. My commitment to you is that I will work tirelessly and professionally on your behalf, keeping your goals and success in mind at all times. Ours will be a partnership, and I will be by your side throughout the whole process - from start to finish.

If you are currently interested in buying or selling a home, or would just like to get information for the future, please email me at [mailto:realestate@LosAngelesCAHomeSource.com]realestate@LosAngelesCAHomeSource.com. I will be happy to help in any way that I can.

Be sure to ask about my guarantee to sell your home in 30 days or less. For more information, please visit http://www.LosAngelesCAHomeSource.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Dolon http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Sell-a-Home-by-Your-First-Open-House&id=3152525

Luxury Real Estate Offers Luxurious Lifestyle

2009-10-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

Luxury Real Estate Offers Luxurious Lifestyle
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Eliza_Maledevic]Eliza Maledevic

Miami is one of the best cities when it comes to real estate and particularly the Miami luxury real estate. It has flourishing real estate industry. Sales statistic shows that the prices of the condo units increase in value and this indicates that if you are interested to buy a luxury property in Miami, you will not find any bargain prices.

But you have to keep in mind that it does not mean that the properties in luxury real estate are not suitable with the budget of most consumers. You just have to learn on how to search the right neighborhood in the region of Miami and where those second hand or rental properties are can be found. And most of these properties are affordable and available at reasonable price.

Buyers usually ask where and what to expect with those Miami luxury real estate properties. These luxury properties are usually found in every neighborhood and it offers several options and amenities.

One of the neighborhoods in the Miami luxury real estate is the Downtown Miami. This neighborhood is full of retail business offerings. This is considered as one of the booming neighborhood in Miami. So if you are looking for the right home or investment property you can check out the different neighborhoods in Miami.

Brickell is one of the neighborhoods in Miami luxury real estate that consist of financial, legal, and government buildings and institutions. There are also fine dining, retail stores and shopping malls. This can be a good place for your relocation project for single professional, families and retirees. There are also different home structures that you can find in Miami. Most of the time homes are designed by those well known designer. This state has a lot of stores, restaurants and businesses and because of this there are lots of people who are getting interested in buying a condo unit.

When buying a Miami luxury homes property, it is important to know first the neighborhood that you want. It is important to make some investigations in the neighborhood.

Miami does not only offer luxurious properties but it also offers view, comprehensive services, quality materials and construction, superb facilities and numerous floor plans to choose from. Having all of these in the neighborhood, you will surely enjoy staying in the city and makes your investment worth. So if you are going to search for the right property is sure to make some advance listing of your preferences. [http://miamiluxuryhomes.org]Miami Luxury Homes

Eliza Maledevic Ayson writes for Jump2top.com -- [http://www.jump2top.com]SEO Company
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eliza_Maledevic http://EzineArticles.com/?Luxury-Real-Estate-Offers-Luxurious-Lifestyle&id=3095944

Why Your House is NOT Selling

2009-10-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

Why Your House is NOT Selling
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Yanni_A_Raz]Yanni A Raz

Has your home or your client's home been on the market far too long and you can't seem to figure out why? Here is a list of my top 7 reasons why it's probably not selling.

1. Is it priced too high? A house that is priced higher than other homes in the area, most likely will not sell unless the price is reduced to meet the market value in the neighborhood. Talk with your Realtor about what the homes are selling for.

2. Clutter? Do you or your kid's have toys laying all over the house? If so, clean them up immediately, along with anything else that will take the buyers eyes off the home itself. If you have large furniture, you may want to remove that too. You want the buyer to envision their life in the home, so removing as much clutter as possible is a big thing that should be on your "to do" list. Keep in mind that throwing all the clutter into the garage, can shy a buyer away. Put it into storage if you have to.

3. Are your walls bright orange? You want to make sure that your home has neutral colors that will not scare the potential buyer. Not everyone like neon colored walls. And if your walls are dirty, wipe them down.

4. Is your yard a mess? Making sure the yard is kept is very important. This will also distract the prospective buyer, and take most of their attention off of the home. You don't want them to think there are wild animals living out there.

5. All Pets should be locked up and put away anytime you are not home. Agents can show buyers the home when you are not there, and the last thing you want is your pet scaring the buyers away. Also making sure you clean up after your pet, can help with the sale.

6. Have the house tidy at all times. And this does not mean cramming everything in the closet, because most of the time a buyer WILL look in the closet. You don't want your pile of stuff to collapse on them. Make sure all counters in the kitchen and bathrooms are wiped down. Dishes must be put away too.

7. Make obvious repairs to your home. You don't want the wires to be coming out of the wall. You can make necessary repairs to the home for little money, so don't let finances stop you. Most of the repairs you can do yourself, saving a lot of money on labor.

The way your home shows, can make or break a sale. Remember that you want the buyers to buy the home, not turn away from it. Just following these simple, cost effective steps, you can increase the chances of your home selling in an effective amount of time. Don't be a pack rat, because once the house sells, youre going to have to get rid of all the clutter, and big furniture anyway. And once you move into your new home, you can go back to neon colored walls if that is what you like.

Yanni Raz is a mentor for many homeowners and real estate investors in the real estate industry. Studio city California is where you can find his classes and other great events he is planning. These days Yanni Raz helps homeowners to save their homes from foreclosure, so short sale homes and reo's are his daily practise.

If you need help and/or advice about your home, you should contact Yanni Raz to help you. The main website he own: [http://www.homesinsale.com]http://www.homesinsale.com. You can read his articles and learn more about the market.

Good Luck.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yanni_A_Raz http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Your-House-is-NOT-Selling&id=3145588

Ownership of Foreclosed Home Not Transferred After Auction

2009-10-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

Ownership of Foreclosed Home Not Transferred After Auction
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Nick_Adama]Nick Adama

At the end of the foreclosure process, once all of the notices have been sent and published and the lawsuit has ended, a public auction is held to dispose of the property. This typically called a sheriff sale or trustee sale, and is the event during foreclosure where borrowers' ownership interest is transferred to the buyer at auction. But sheriff sales do not always go smoothly, and homeowners may need to find out if their home was sold or not.

For instance, if the lender called off the scheduled sale for any reason, homeowners may believe that their property was sold out from under them when they are, in fact, still the owners. Banks cancel auctions for any number of reasons, from not having an inspection done, to waiting for an appraisal, to a response by a request for more time from the borrowers themselves.

Another factor that may cause a sheriff sale to be scheduled but not confirmed is if a third party bids on the home, wins the auction, but can not pay the purchase price. If this is the case, the property may have to be put up for auction again, in the hope of finding a more willing and able buyer. If this happens, though, homeowners may not even know the first auction did not count, as they assume the house was sold and paid for.

This is why, after a sheriff sale, it is important for homeowners to make sure that their home was actually sold and properly confirmed by the county. If the property was not sold, the borrowers may be able to keep living in their home until a valid auction is conducted. This may take an additional two or three months to schedule, conduct, and confirm, and all of this time can be used by the homeowners to save up more money.

There are a number of ways to find out if a property has been sold or if an auction has been confirmed. Possibly the easiest way is for homeowners to call the county recorder's office or the clerk's office and ask them to provide the information as to who currently owns the property, as well as any liens on the property right now. If the bank purchased it, there will most likely be no liens, but if a third party took out a loan to buy it, there may be a new mortgage affecting the deed.

This would be the easiest way to determine the status of the sheriff sale, since the county in which the property is located keeps all of the records affecting the property. If the foreclosure went through but there was a problem with the sale, they will be able to give the homeowners that information, while the court will be able to inform them if a new auction has been scheduled yet.

But if no documents have been recorded to show a transfer of ownership, then the house may have to be auctioned again at a later date. Especially if it is a few months after the scheduled auction and no documents to show a transfer of title have been filed, it may indicate that the sheriff sale was not valid. This may be due to any of the reasons listed above, but especially if the high bidder could not pay, the house may just be auctioned again.

In the meantime, the original owners might still have possession and legal ownership rights of the property, just as they had during the foreclosure process. According to many state foreclosure laws, it is the confirmation of the sale that finally transfer ownership to the high bidder at the auction -- if that has not been done in a particular case, the borrowers may still own the property for now.

Nick publishes articles on the ForeclosureFish website, which attempts to teach homeowners how they can prevent on their properties while they still have time. The site describes various methods to save a house, including foreclosure refinancing, cash for keys, [http://www.foreclosurefish.com/modification.htm]mortgage modification, filing bankruptcy, and others. Visit the site today to read more and find out what solutions you can use to prevent losing your home: [http://www.foreclosurefish.com/]http://www.foreclosurefish.com/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Adama http://EzineArticles.com/?Ownership-of-Foreclosed-Home-Not-Transferred-After-Auction&id=3138759

Stop Foreclosure and Save Your Home - Important Tips That Can Help You Save Your Home

2009-10-24T10:36:00.000-07:00

Stop Foreclosure and Save Your Home - Important Tips That Can Help You Save Your Home
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Craig_W_Jacobs]Craig W Jacobs

Whatever sympathies you had for yourself may not help when it comes to preventing foreclosure. So, you want to let them out of the window for now. The bets are off. Now the law of the jungle applies - it's to kill or be killed. And you had better hope you do the killing, otherwise the foreclosure will be killing you.

Stop foreclosure if you can, otherwise get out of the way for someone else to help you with it. For some it might seem a game, but the legal battles involved are by no means a walkover. If you are going to have a life of your own, you have to be able to make a stand and defy the circumstances.

Foreclosure can better be described as a battle and one can't win a battle while sitting down. The best way to succeed when it comes to preventing foreclosure is to be involved in the fight even if you hire a professional lawyer to help out.

The truth about fighting foreclosure is that you will require a great deal of patience to have it done with. Hence, stopping a foreclosure might require you to spend a lot of hours doing some serious researching. It is all worth it if you win, but you should also be aware that things will likely get worse before they get better. If you settle in for the long haul you just might stand a chance.

Most importantly, don't ever give up. If you fight, you just might win, instead of just giving up and doing nothing.

To [http://stopforeclosuredigest.com/home/stop-foreclosure-on-home-the-power-of-positive-thinking/]Stop Foreclosure on Home and secrets of [http://stopforeclosuredigest.com/home/home-buyers-texas-stop-forclosure-action-is-what-you-require/]Home Buyers Texas Stop Foreclosure, click any of these links now!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_W_Jacobs http://EzineArticles.com/?Stop-Foreclosure-and-Save-Your-Home---Important-Tips-That-Can-Help-You-Save-Your-Home&id=3098477

Foreclosures - Bad For Sellers

2009-10-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

Foreclosures - Bad For Sellers
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Yanni_A_Raz]Yanni A Raz

Foreclosures have been a hot item on the market for buyers and investors. They allow the purchaser to save a ton of money on a home purchase, since the homes are being sold well under market value. However, they are not so hot for someone who is considering selling or even refinancing.

Foreclosures are actually bringing down the market value for surrounding homes that are not under stress. How you ask? Anytime you purchase a home you have to have the value of the home appraised, to make sure it is worth what you are selling it for. During the appraisal process the home will be compared to other homes in the area and what they are priced at. Well the bad thing about that now, is that the majority of houses in a given neighborhood are being foreclosed or sold through a short sale at tremendously discounted prices.

An appraiser is aware of the swarm of foreclosures on the market, and will often try to go futher back in the archives to see what homes were selling for before the market was flooded with foreclosures. This still doesn't insure the seller will get top dollar for their home.

If you are in the position to refinance, you may be in a hard spot with that as well. In a normal market you would be able to refinance and be able to get top dollar, but now it's a bit more work than that. It's the same process as if you were trying to obtain a loan.

Sellers, who simply "want" to sell, are finding it to be more difficult to get what they think the house is worth. In some cases, the homes are falling out of escrow because they are not appraising. This causes the seller to have to reconsider the listing price, being forced to drop it even more, to meet market value.

Experts will agree that foreclosures are really no good for the economy in general. Especially for the neighborhoods who have extremely HIGH foreclosure rates. They don't really allow much room for a "normal" sale to take place. Foreclosures have definitely become bad news for these sellers. Other experts believe that a large amount of foreclosures brings down the overall face value of the neighborhood. In some cases people will just leave the home before they even go into default, and many believe that this can raise the crime rates in the said neighborhoods. This also causes for neighborhoods to look more run down, since there is no longer anyone living in the home to maintain the property. Yards become a mess and the home begins to look like a shack. This has happened in the best of neighborhoods, and the worst of neighborhoods.

My only advice to the sellers who feel like they are surrounded by foreclosures and low priced homes, would be to sit tight (unless you have to suddenly relocate) and don't sell until the market turns around in your favor. This will help you to get the highest price on your home. After all, equity doesn't stop building, just some food for thought. http://www.homesinsale.com

Yanni Raz is a mentor for many homeowners and real estate investors in the real estate industry. Studio city California is where you can find his classes and other great events he is planning. These days Yanni Raz helps homeowners to save their homes from foreclosure, so short sale homes and reo's are his daily practise.

If you need help and/or advice about your home, you should contact Yanni Raz to help you. The main website he own: http://www.homesinsale.com. You can read his articles and learn more about the market.

Good Luck.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yanni_A_Raz http://EzineArticles.com/?Foreclosures---Bad-For-Sellers&id=3145569

The Getting is Still Good - Comparing Canadian Mortgage Rates Between 2008 and 2009

2009-10-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Getting is Still Good - Comparing Canadian Mortgage Rates Between 2008 and 2009
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Brian_B_King]Brian B King

Mortgage rates in Canada on average still seem to be sitting at a good low-point compared to their all-time highs. Although Canadian mortgage rates have seen some small jumps in the last month through decisions made by the financial institution decision makers, these jumps are small enough to not really be felt by many and they still have kept Canadian mortgage rates low.

When comparing the 2008 mortgage rates to the 2009 mortgage rates for most mortgage lending organizations such as banks and independent mortgagers in Canada it makes it evident how amazing it is regards to changes within one year. Or in other words it is amazing what a difference a simple year can make.

Although the global economy has found itself in a state of "financial crisis" in many aspects and facets, the Canadian economy has fared better if not the best amongst many of the nations affected by this slumping financial time (you can refer to it as a "recession" if you will). One of the benefits of this down time in the world's economy for Canadians has been the low mortgage rates they have been enjoying for over a year now.

These lows are not quite the sub-prime lending rates that helped to lead to the real estate crashed market and which helped to jump start if not catapult the "financial crisis".

However, when comparing the rates of 2008 which seemed to be hiked up in comparison to the couple years prior, 2009 rates seem to be quite favourable to anyone interested in buying a home, renewing a mortgage, mortgaging off a business, or for anyone looking to get this kind of support from Canadian financial institutions in 2009.

Looking back at 2008 and comparing the fixed-rate (closed-rate) mortgages to those present in the 2009 Canadian mortgage market would put a smile on any home-buyers face. It seems that waiting a year was a great decision on anyone's part. And those who could not wait and just had to buy in 2008 better have hoped they jumped into a variable-rate mortgage at the time; and now is a not a bad time to switch that into a closed-rate, if that is an option your lending company offers.

The rates mentioned below are based on average found rates throughout the country.

In January of 2008 3-year fixed-rate mortgages were at around 7.40%, while in 2009 in January these same mortgages had a rate of 5.75%, meaning a difference of 1.65 percentage points and saving a lot of dollars. The 5-year fixed rate, in January of both years was a comparable difference, sitting at 7.39% in 2008 and dropping to 5.79% in 2009. When comparing April 2008 and April 2009 the 3-year fixed-rates began at 7% and dropped to 4.15%, while the 5-year rates dropped from 6.99% to 5.25%.

Also rates in October 2008 went from 7.05% for a 3-year fixed-rate and 7.20% for a 5-year fixed-rate to their current values in October 2009 at around 4.35% for a 3-year fixed rate and 5.49% for a 5-year fixed rate.

When looking at most home buyers it seems that there is a large trend to select a 5-year fixed-rate mortgage. Playing it safe with numbers people feel comfortable with at the time. It seems like the best choice. Often it is a good choice. However, many mortgage experts suggest that the 3-year term is worth looking into as well because it offers a low rate plus it covers several years of a secure interest rate for home buyers. With options beyond that point to compare what the market is doing and so you don't get locked into that rate for "too long".

For more information on acquiring a [http://www.canadianmortgagesinc.ca/]Canadian mortgage, contact a [http://www.canadianmortgagesinc.ca/mortgage_brokers/toronto_mortgage_brokers.html]mortgage broker at Canadian Mortgages Inc.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_B_King http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Getting-is-Still-Good---Comparing-Canadian-Mortgage-Rates-Between-2008-and-2009&id=3142858

How to Get a Co-Borrower Off of Your Mortgage Loan

2009-10-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

How to Get a Co-Borrower Off of Your Mortgage Loan
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Myloer_Jamery]Myloer Jamery

There are many reasons why someone would want to have the other borrower of the mortgage removed. Sometimes, a friend or a family member may become a co-borrower, using their good credit to help secure the loan. The deal is often that once the borrower that is being helped improves their credit score or income, they take the other person's name off of the loan.

There are also cases where the two borrowers are married and later divorce. In a divorce settlement where one person is awarded the house and as such is now responsible for the mortgage payments, the other spouse may request to have his or her name removed from the mortgage loan. No matter what has transpired, the other borrower wants to make sure that his or her name and credit is not ruined in the event that the other person defaults on the mortgage.

In order to get one borrower off of a mortgage loan, you have to refinance. Even if you have a quit claim deed signed, which is where the other party's name is removed from the deed, it does not remove that person from the loan. It would simply mean that the person has no legal rights to the property but they still owe on the loan. There is no other way around it.

Those home owners who had to have a co-signer just to get approved for a mortgage initially may find this to be a little challenging, but it is not impossible.

Even though removing a person's name may be a bit trickier than you may have expected, it is not something that is beyond your ability to achieve.

Myloer is a hobby writer who usually updates his blogs every day and writes about all kinds of topics. His latest project is about [http://www.mortgagerates-calculators.com/how-is-a-mortgage-repayment-calculator-helpful/]mortgage repayment calculator and you can also read his articles about [http://www.mortgagerates-calculators.com/how-to-get-the-30-year-fixed-mortgage-rates-you-want/]30-year-fixed mortgage rates by following the links.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Myloer_Jamery http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Get-a-Co-Borrower-Off-of-Your-Mortgage-Loan&id=3129077

Real Estate Stories that Show You How!

2009-09-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

Real Estate Stories that Show You How!
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dan_Auito]Dan Auito

Let’s begin easing you out of the pits. I mean, comfort zone! I’m going to slowly and methodically give you as many little sparks and insights to the relatively simple ways that ordinary people use real estate to achieve extraordinary results.

Stories are the best spark plugs. They let you casually observe from a safe, secure and understandable view point. I will write to answer most of the questions that I feel I myself would ask if I was reading what you are about to read.

I want you to know something from the very start of this report and that something is this: I care about you and I sincerely mean that. I really do want you to move to a new comfort zone, one that is pleasurable and free from fear. A place where you realize you have the power to achieve greater things than you currently can imagine.

It’s possible for you to start being a more powerfully directed purpose-driven individual who is well organized and on track to higher achievement. You will change and grow, slowly and steadily with every page you read. With every thought and insight you gain, your desire and courage will grow as well.

Napoleon Hill wrote one of the greatest books of all time. It’s called “Think and Grow Rich.” The essence of that book, the secret it reveals time and again is this: you must develop a burning desire.

Don’t put this book down thinking the previous statement is cliché and that you already knew that! I am simply leading you to my next point, the next point being is – your desire needs a starting point. So to start developing desire, my secret is you must have a purpose. Why do you want to pursue real estate? I know what you’re thinking: to make money, to have security, to feel useful and appear successful. Good points. I agree you can have all of that and more if that is what you desire.

Now here is something that comes before any of those things you desire. What is the purpose of all those things? Purpose, purpose, purpose…you need to first define purpose before you get the things. My purpose, or so I thought early in my career, was to move up to a nicer house and have my first house become my first rental property. When I moved up to the next one, I quickly learned as soon as I rented it out, I was in some way responsible for creating happiness and security in the life of another person that was of no relation to me.

It soon was evident to me how the choices I made in choosing that first property either would help me or hurt me in my quest to succeed in the real estate investment business.

All of it is cumulative, everything you do and how you do it adds up. It compounds itself and it either makes your life easier or more difficult. I am going to give you experiences that you can learn from that will make your life easier; I am going to show you how. That is my purpose.

The book that gave me the unknowing courage to take my first steps in real estate was a book called “How I Turned $1000 into $3 Million in real estate in my spare time” by William Nickerson. He was a master storyteller and by osmosis, after reading his book, I found myself gravitating towards the real estate classified section of my Sunday paper.

Eventually I leapt and my life had changed. It was an FHA foreclosure, a two-bedroom, one-bath home with a built-in, screened-in pool, with a Jacuzzi and a built-in sprinkler system. I bought it for $46,000 and used the HUD 203K rehab program to fix it up. I spent $16,000 to update and make repairs. They then gave me one loan for a total of $62,000. It took me three months to complete it and I was in; I had done it!

My life changed, I learned, I took the leap. From then on I had confidence. I had already had my first home but now I had two. Well, I was in the Coast Guard and wouldn’t you know, three months later we moved. Uncle Sam took me out of St. Petersburg, Florida and dropped me in Kodiak, Alaska, for my next tour of duty.

Well guess what? I was armed with ambition, courage, confidence and just enough knowledge to be considered dangerous, so I bought a duplex as soon as I came ashore on Kodiak Island. Now I had three dwellings and my relationships and responsibilities were growing with my new tenants counting on me to provide a clean, functional and pleasing environment for them to exist in.

It looked like this: My mother rented my first house and an elderly couple rented the second one and my duplex came with an existing tenant who was a hospital administrator, so I was lucky. I was able to ease myself into the role of landlord without getting burned early in my career. I now had two houses and a duplex in the span of about one year. My brothers and some other family members took notice and were pretty well dumbfounded.

They couldn’t figure out how I had, all of a sudden, become a real estate wizard.

It felt good to make that change in so short a time.

I got that from reading a book! And that my friend is how you are going to do the majority of everything you do in real estate, by reading and taking steps towards duplicating the success of others in a repeatable pattern. The key is to understand that you can do it if you read the right books and apply the very basic formulas that are handed to you.
There lies in: Magic Bullets in Real Estate

This is a common man or woman’s real estate manual. William Nickerson never gave me anything so easy as “Magic Bullets!” So I learned trial by fire and it has been very gratifying. I’ve since went on to collect 17 properties, 23 tenants, 2 real estate licenses in Florida and Alaska, an assistant appraiser’s certificate and over a hundred books on real estate. I just kept learning and growing and gaining momentum for the last 13 years. I am still in the Coast Guard, too, and I work at Alaska One Realty in my spare time. In two more years, I will be retired at the ripe old age of 42. Sounds like a sort of fairytale, doesn’t it? Don’t let me fool you. It’s hard work and I’m still not a millionaire, but I want you to have the truth, so I will be honest with you every step of the way.

I know why I am not a millionaire and here is why. I would periodically sell property that was going up in value and paying for itself through the rent checks. But being in the Coast Guard would dislocate me every four years, so I found myself selling out in order to avoid being what is called “an absentee landlord.”

This is an important lesson for you. It has prevented me from becoming a millionaire up to this point. The lesson is: find an area on this planet that you could and will live in, and stay close to it. Don’t move more than 10 miles from your farm area. The farm area is where all your properties are located. Long distance “land lording” is tough! It can be done but you lose the ability to control the situation compared to if you were there. I’ve served my country and saved people’s lives, so for me it has not been in vain. I have no regrets but if you don’t have to leave your area of expertise, don’t!

The networks you build and the contacts you build, in the process of “doing” real estate, are so valuable that when they are no longer at your disposal, it puts you at a serious disadvantage.

Not to mention when you move you have to acclimate yourself to an entirely different market, build new trust-based relationships and start all over again. It’s like a treadmill you’ll be running and running, however it gets you nowhere.

I’ve used it to my advantage. I have been forced to accelerate my abilities to rapidly duplicate my success whenever I am moved, but it is still an uphill battle. My point: Don’t move too far from your farm or your network of bankers, appraisers, carpenters, tradesman, real estate, friends, tenants and so on. Once you have the skill you can duplicate your success anywhere you go but if you don’t have to go…enough said on that!

I like to say, “Don’t sell the goose to get the eggs.” What that means is if you need money to buy more property, use equity lines from other property to do it. You will get the same amount of money or more by using an equity line as if you sold it. However, you get to keep the asset and the money! I go into this in “Magic Bullets,” so I won’t drone on here. Just know you don’t have to sell your property to get the cash out of them.

So here we are. You know a little bit about me and you may have picked up a nugget or two. Let’s find a few more.

There once was a man who wanted to buy some investment property, so what he did was look at growth patterns. You should do this too, by going to your city’s planning and zoning department. You can see growth patterns and you definitely want to buy property that stands in the way of growth.

This is how he used what he learned. He saw that city planners had decided that a new artery (highway) would benefit their city by creating linkage to another city about 100 miles away, so being a smart investor he only went as far as a ten mile limit to be able to be close to his investment.

Now on average, new growth will radiate out from existing prosperous cities in the direction it is planned at a rate of about one mile per year. So our smart investor had a 10 – 12 year plan to cash out in about 10 – 12 years.

What he did was buy, I believe, 10 acres of commercially zoned property very cheaply because there was no demand at the time. He bought it, fenced it in, put up some lights and a gate, and held onto that little bugger. Now that new highway was coming his way and the good folks, through their taxes, were paying to have it built.

It didn’t take long for the heavy equipment to start cutting a swath towards his fenced-in storage facility and when they got close enough to him, he started renting out a secure area for everything, from road cones to generators to backhoes. You name it - it was stored there. This more than paid his land off.

Now the men and their equipment eventually moved on further down the trail but they left a finished highway behind them. And guess what? Low and behold, people started driving on it, and then started buying property to build houses on to get away from the city. Since the new highway was a straight shot into town, ten miles out was breeze.

Well, of course, here comes the herd and everyone is just populating the whole darned area. And within ten years, residential housing surrounds Mr. Investor, and can you guess what he’s got? Yep, a prime piece of commercial property, 10 acres large.

So in accordance with his 10-12 year plan, he sells his storage facility to make room for the new office/business park complex for over $2,000,000. That, my friend, is vision, and the sooner you get a clear picture of what it is that you want to specialize in, the sooner you can retire to the islands.

How hard was that? Don’t tell me you can’t do it, you can! I’m here to help you. I’m going to give you secrets no one else dares. Do you ever wonder why people won’t tell you the secrets? Of course you already know this but I’ll tell you anyway. It is because they are operating on a scarcity mentality, as though there won’t be any left for them. Or if learn something and act on it, you will get ahead and have a great life. Well, misery loves company and silent oppression is the rule.

Here’s a little story that poor quality real estate agents won’t appreciate either but I’m going to tell it to you anyway. The reason I can tell it is because there are some great real estate agents out there who absolutely don’t fear what I am about to tell you and would let you know it if they were in my position.

Here’s the deal: Some agents want to be like the Wizard of Oz. They want to create the appearance of marketing and transacting real estate as being technical and very legal, a deep dark mystery. Well, it’s not! The truth be told, you can write a contract on a napkin and it would stand up in court. I will emphasize here that you write on that napkin along with the terms of your agreement, “The terms set forth on this here napkin are subject to my attorney’s approval.”

An attorney will cover you completely for around $750.00. Prices may vary, however that is an average home transaction. There is a lot I am leaving out here but my point is this: If you own property, you can sell it anyway you want. “Magic Bullets” will teach you. Let’s move on.

Exposure is the key to finding buyers and sellers in real estate. If a property is priced fairly and everyone who is looking for that type of property knows that it is in the availability pool, it will be found and the transaction will proceed as advertised. Price it right, advertise it properly and let the lawyer take care of the details. No commission, just a flat fee. Period.

Now that I have that off my chest, I will tell you a story about Dan, a 21-year old friend of mine, and his wife and their new baby. He’s a hardworking guy who does his work without complaint and all the other “workers” pick on him for working so hard. Can you believe it? The other guys are so insecure and lazy that they make fun of a guy who is doing the work of three men, mainly of the three who are ridiculing him. Well, believe me, this doesn’t go unnoticed by me and I take him under my wing. Dan wants to buy a house, so I begin the process of saving him years of trial by fire and save him $25,000 at no charge. That is because he deserved my help.

Anyway, here is the story: I began with him by asking him what type of home he thought he would be comfortable with and a price range. He indicated a 3-bedroom for around $100,000.

Knowing what he wanted and knowing the area, I was able to take him shopping for the house he was looking for. Now I always go after the “For Sale by Owner” homes first because I know they won’t be adding any commission figure into their price, because they won’t be paying one. So at 6% of $100,000 he will get $6,000 more “house” for his precious dollar.

I also told him besides the “For Sale by Owner” homes, we would be looking at oddball discount companies that help distressed sellers further part with their money and property. The mentality of a seller who uses cheesy companies to help them sell their property is pennywise and pound-foolish. If you’re going to use professionals, then get a professional.

So off we go. After a day or so, we have found our house. Sure enough, El Cheeso Inc. has a sign on it. The screen doors are flapping in the breeze, the weeds are dancing on the lawn, but this house is indeed a 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1-car garage with a fenced yard and it’s selling for $110,000. Well, due to the fact that there is a divorce in progress, and a new girlfriend who doesn’t like the place, and El Cheeso Inc. giving no representation, I negotiate for Dan and he gets it for $99,000. What’s so great about this deal is this exact same floor plan in another house was for sale down the street, on the same street, for $25,000 more.

The moral of the story is good things come to those who deserve it, and that is another key to real estate. You must work hard so others will take notice of you and help you succeed.

Here’s a beauty for you. This is about being in real estate circles and keeping your eyes and ears open and often times your “yapper” closed. This is the story of Brian and Julie. Here we have two hardworking souls. They have been married for 20 years and they have weathered the storms of matrimony. Julie works at a real estate office as an office manager. No real estate license, but she works at an office that sells a lot of waterfront property. So we are talking about location and being in the right place at the right time, and here comes a seller in the door of the office stating she is going to sell her older waterfront home. She is willing to take $180,000.

Julie tells Brian, they look at it and sure enough, this pearl is right on the water. She’s a gem waiting to be polished up, so Brian and Julie sell their condominium and move in. Well, they aren’t making any more waterfront property, so Brian goes to work polishing this jewel up.

Now, they have bought this house under market value in an appreciating market. So about one and a half years later, this property is worth over $350,000 and still climbing. Well, Brian is no dummy, so he gets to know his neighborhood. He strolls, takes walks and notices, you guessed it, a vacant, neglected jewel on an inside double lot. He tracks down the elderly lady, who is living with her sister, through the county records office and buys the house, including the extra lot, for a total of $120,000. Now Brian can walk to his new “jewel” and he starts polishing it. The neighbors start noticing and are amazed at his deal. He has offers of $180,000, $200,000 and $60,000 for just the lot. You name it. Now that the exposure is there, everyone wants a piece of it.

Well, this is what Brian did. He rented his first house out, moved into the second one and used plans that I gave to him to build a third house on the vacant lot, using the equity he accumulated from the first house that went up so much. And here’s how this thing shakes out: $180,000 for his first house and it’s value goes up to $365,000; he picked up the next jewel for $120,000 and he paid cash using the equity from the first house. Now he takes out a new mortgage on his second house for $120,000 and builds a third. The value at last count was $815,000 and he owed a grand total $300,000. That’s a half million-dollar profit in 5 years!

Now what does this story tell us? #1 – it says, “work hard”; #2 – keep your eyes open; #3 – use equity lines; #4 – don’t sell; #5 – learn how to be a landlord; #6 – be in locations that appreciate; #7 – buy things that are limited in availability; #8 – know how to research owners and repair property; #9 – get your partner’s help (spouse); #10 – use knowledgeable friends to help you see potential (I gave him the plans and advised him not to sell anything!).

Can you get any more lessons out of this story? I’m sure you can. Just read it again and think on it. Jot down your ideas and put them to work. Real estate is not that hard, folks! You can do it. With a few magic bullets, some spark plugs and a good mentor to show you how, you can do it too!

Let’s you and me talk for just a minute here, OK! Have you ever been really good at something and been able to step back and see the whole thing for what it is was? You just know exactly how to do it and you can see the end result clearly in your mind before you start. It’s predictable to you. It’s almost second nature, so you are comfortable doing it. It’s almost become boring to you; your comfort zone is such that you can do it in your sleep.

I’ve gotten that way with certain types of real estate and I see people everyday that are so afraid of taking the first step that they are literally paralyzed. They make excuses and put it off, and rationalize and live a quiet life of desperation. They don’t trust themselves and as a result of the unknown they can’t trust anyone else either. This is a vicious cycle because the longer they wait the more it reinforces their beliefs.

I just want to grab them by the collar, take them to the bank and make them tell the banker, “Pre-qualify me!” Then walk them out the door and show them how to do something that will change their life forever, and that is to buy the first property, and then a second. Then their fear is gone and they grow to be of service to everyone who is ready for their assistance.

Let me tell you this: After you finish reading the rest of this report and you read the “Magic Bullets” book, your fears will be subdued and you will do something and your life will change. If you cannot succeed with what I am intent on showing you, then something is not right. I believe your desire would be your major obstacle, so if that’s the case, read “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill and come back to me then.

Let’s get back to real estate education, shall we? Do you know who the largest commercial real estate owner in the U.S. is? It’s McDonalds Corporation. Yep, and on top of that, they also have the most valuable locations for their type of business. The research they do on demographics and traffic counts is unparalleled!

If you were ever going to open a fast food restaurant, just put it near a McDonalds. You would survive just on the volume of people who flock or pass by the location that McDonalds has already decided meets all the critical data to support their restaurant business. Your restaurant, if you had good food and service, would flourish. Just sell something a little different than McDonalds. That’s leveraging someone else’s expertise in evaluating a location for a certain type of real estate.

Now that is a principle and principles are like natural laws. A natural law always works in every situation in its own way. It’s like gravity – it always works! Here on earth, anyway.

So in real estate it doesn’t matter what type it is, whether it’s commercial, residential, industrial or recreational. Look for signs that serious market studies have been undertaken by major operators and buy things that can flourish in the presence of those concerns.

For instance, let’s use Home Depot as an example. If Home Depot decides to build on a site, every residential lot within a mile of that new center will be bought up as soon as the Home Depot commits to build! Why?

Because smart investors know that Home Depot has done the market study and the area will be a prosperous one.

On top of that, it will provide jobs, it will pay taxes, it will provide materials to actually build the neighborhoods with, and people will shop there once their houses are built. The same goes for Wal-Mart, Lowe’s and other smart business concerns.

You may or may not have noticed this but take a look the next time you are driving around. Here is what you should see. As you drive into cities from the suburbs, you’ll notice donut shops, gas stations with convenience coffee centers, bagel shops, and etcetera, on the side of the road that people travel to on their way into the city to go to work. These are morning activity business centers.
Now on your way home, out of the city, you will see restaurants that cater to the evening meal crowd: KFC, Taco Bell, Subway and Pizza Hut. That’s because people don’t go there for breakfast. They get it on their way home, outbound from the city at night. If you put your restaurant on the wrong side of the road, you could be making a huge strategical error. Think!

Location, location, location as they say, are the 3 most important things in real estate. That is a very true statement. With residential property, that boils down to safety, security and convenience. So buy homes in good neighborhoods, cul-de-sacs preferably. No noise or through traffic, no escape routes for thieves, and a private setting, where kids play in the street without getting run down.

Security = close to hospitals, police and fire protection for obvious reasons.

Convenience = stores, gas stations, restaurants, small businesses, parks and recreation and access to major highways to circulate or evacuate if necessary.

You might get a great deal on a piece of properly but if it takes you a half hour to get a loaf of bread. What kind of resale will that great deal offer? Another great deal may back up to or face a busy street. That’s often a poor choice as well…noise, pollution, the loss of privacy and curb appeal are all factors here.

The two best types of property to buy are:

1. Property that no one else knows is for sale! Why? Because you have no
competition.

2. Property no one wants! You just have to figure out why people don’t want it.

If you can turn that lemon into lemonade through some problem solving, that

jewel may just shine because you used the right magic polish.

In real estate, you get paid when you solve problems. That is a fact!

Here is a golden nugget for you. If you do this, it will catapult your real estate investment career. I guarantee you will gain more insight to real estate by doing this one thing than just about anything else you could possibly do. The golden nugget is this: Take a real estate appraisal course. It will fly by, a few weekends and it’s over, but the perspective and the information you gain from the class is priceless. It gives you vision, ideas and understanding. You will have an edge over every other investor who has not done it.

I had an instructor, who by some stroke of luck, I was privileged to be taught by. His name is Steven V. and he is truly a genius. This guy could make millions if he applied himself to real estate investment but he chooses to teach and give back to others in that way. He is very comfortable in life and money is a by-product for Steven. When I finished the class, I had appraisers wanting to hire me to go to work. Now I don’t want to work as an appraiser. I just want to think like one and that is why I took that four-weekend course. That class taught me more than both of my real estate licensing courses combined. The reason for that is real estate classes deal with state laws, contracts, regulations and ethics. Appraisal focuses on evaluating real estate and that is what you want to learn as an investor.

A real estate license can actually hold you back from being a savvy investor and here’s why: #1 – You have to announce to every seller that you are an agent. It’s an ethics rule and a disclosure law. Well, now the seller is on guard for all kinds of reasons and you waste precious time overcoming negative reactions. #2 – When you go to sell your real estate, the same things apply but add to that scenario the fact that if you make large profits on property that you sell, people can come after you, saying you took advantage of them because of your expertise. And they win!

So you don’t need to go to college for 4 years and you don’t need a real estate license. What you do need is a guy like me to convince you to go to appraisal school and read books like the one you have now.

Then go out and do it, using a lawyer to protect you every step of the way. Again, here is a good point to make. Simply weave into every agreement or offer you make the following statement: This entire agreement is subject to my attorney’s approval. I can’t stress that enough. That’s one line of text. That covers it all. It gives you time to investigate deals. It protects your interests and keeps you from getting burned in this business.

Here are a couple more beauties that I use to protect myself and you should too.
These are used with initial purchase offers:

1. Willing to pay X amount of dollars or appraised value, whichever is less.
(That says, “I’m only going to pay so much but if the appraisal is lower than

what I offered, than I am going to get it for the lower price. I don’t get

burned!)
2. Subject to my partner’s approval. (My partner was always my wife, and if she

didn’t like it, the deal was null and void, cancelled, over, kaput, finito.)

Now nothing says my partner wasn’t my dog, so if there’s no fire hydrant, well the deal could be off.

Those are examples of escape clauses that could be abused to the point of being called “weasel clauses.” Don’t be a weasel! They give you a short period of time to have the option to buy something first with the right to cancel the deal, contingent upon something or someone else’s decision.

I use them to protect myself and to get a little time to do my research on the property. Don’t use them to unfairly tie a seller’s hands. Be fair and try to move quickly when you do employ them.
What you are doing is creating a short time, zero-cost option to buy real estate. Here is a little trick and I don’t use it very often but it can be used in a fair manner so I will give you the nugget. When you write an offer to purchase property, on the top line of the contract is a line that indicates who the buyer is. On that line in certain cases, I will write my name plus the words or assigns, like this:
Buyers: Dan Auito or assigns

What that word “assigns” does is this: it allows me to sell by assigning my right to buy the property to someone else. Dirty dealers will take advantage of people with that word if they can get away with it.

Here’s where I would use it. In real estate, a lot of bargain hunters look for distressed property. You know, the fixer-uppers, the abandoned, condemned, fire-damaged stuff. I go a step further and look for distressed sellers such as death, divorce, relocation, but a lot of times I don’t specialize in that type of property.

That’s OK because if it’s a steal and I get it for 40 – 50% off, I will assign it to someone who does deal in that type of property and make a profit by assigning it.

I’ll always ask the distressed seller if that is a problem and if it is, I will buy it outright, then flip it but it costs more to do that. So I’ll explain this to the seller and get their permission to use it. I don’t slip it in on them. You will have a miserable existence if you practice real estate by deceit. Natural law will crush you; play fair! Purpose, passion and desire cannot be achieved or acquired by deceit. That’s a quotable quote. I hope you remember it.

Let’s get on with another story. This illustrates another fine example for you. This story is about a family who had business interests outside of real estate investing and as a result of the successes of their other businesses they had fairly large sums of money to play real estate like a monopoly game. Power can be dangerous in the wrong hands!

So here we go. This flush with cash family sees an opportunity to take advantage of an overlooked or left alone market. That market is the old-fashioned trailer park, or shall we say Mobile Home Park.

Anyway, the way most mobile home parks came into existence was this: Usually a man of integrity and strong work ethic coupled with a love for his fellow man would buy a piece of land suitable to the placement of mobile homes. As people moved in, he and his wife would welcome them and the neighbors would greet them and the community would become established.

The private owner would dig his own sewer lines and cut his own roads and landscape the park. Maybe put in the clubhouse complete with a swimming pool, shuffleboard, pool table and meeting hall. As time marched on, the residents bonded with each other and a family-friendly community took root. Well this man of integrity had a problem. Since all of his tenants are his friends, he is pressured not to raise the lot rents with inflation.

So the rents over the years are kept very low in the park and now this man and his wife are getting old. Perfect timing for our investors to come knocking and offer our private aging park owner a 2 million dollar price for his 10 acres of mobile home lots. This is a once in a lifetime offer and many park owners cashed out.

What people didn’t see was these investors were systematically and methodically doing this all over the place and once they cashed out as many mom and pops as they could, they lowered the boom.

Now they the investors had control of many parks in the same areas and they started raising the lot rents. You see, they didn’t have any emotional ties to the residents and they didn’t live there, so it was a straightforward business deal: either pay the new higher rent or move.

The residents said, “To hell with you new owner, we are moving.” “Well, fine, go ahead,” they said. Now the residents started calling around to find another park with low rents but guess who owned those? Yep, our investors did, and those lot rents were going up too. So the mom and pops who didn’t sell were full and it would cost on average of about $7,000 to relocate to another park even if they could find a vacancy.

The old folks who had it so good for so long were faced with a new reality and that was that they had no choice but to pay up or move, and moving, in many cases, wasn’t an option. These investors exploited a complete segment of the market and made millions and millions in profit and continue to do so today.

It wasn’t long after this happened that you started seeing signs saying, “This is a resident owned community.” People eventually got smart and started buying that little lot that their trailer was sitting on and they began paying association dues for the clubhouse and security and grounds, maintenance and road repair. The good ole days are nothing but a fond memory.

Life goes on but America did not change for the better as a result of these types of people. Their only purpose was to make money; I believe they will die alone and in misery as a result of their way of life.

So I ask you again, can you be passionate and put your heart into investing in real estate by investing the way our corporate investors did? I think not. Money is no good when you get it by deceitful ways. I encourage you to work at balancing your objectives. Lease optioning, flippers…you are walking a fine line.

Here’s a flip side to communal living. This story is a happier scenario, so let’s have a little joy here. I once lived in Key West and I lived off base. Well, I thought I lived next door to Noah, and it sounded as though he was building another ark. All summer long, hammers and saws seemed to be making some type of racket, so naturally being the neighbor I was, I got to know the man next door. He never went to work and I asked him one day, “Don’t you have a job and he kind of grinned and put his hammer down and this is Mark’s story.

Mark and his brother were from the Northeast and they had a 30-room boarding house for college kids there, at something like $300.00 a month. That was about $9,000 a month and they made the parents responsible for the rent payments. Mark would spend his time with his family in the Keys for the nine months that school was in session. His brother was a local up North and he took care of the toilets, faucets, doors and windows. Yes, they had their very own animal house going on there, but Mark factored in the abuse and would spend 2 – 3 months a year, putting the animal house back together while the animals went home for summer break.

Mark only worked three months a year and the house (ark) that he built next to us was a masterpiece; it was beautiful. He was a master craftsman and he loved his work and spent a lot of his time with his family in a wonderful climate. Makes you kind of jealous, doesn’t it? Well, don’t let it because you can do it, too, but you must get started. Mark was 45 when I met him. I believe he was 25 when he got started, so my advice to you is to get started now!

Dan Auito is a dual-licensed real estate agent and appraisal assistant. In addition to being a 20-year veteran of the United States Coast Guard, Dan has also founded a non-profit drug prevention corporation, a real estate consulting group and is the author of “Magic Bullets in Real Estate.” This 300-page power-packed book (due out in late Sept 2004) comes with a website (on line in late Sept 2004) that further supports its readers.
Please visit with the family at http://www.magicbullets.com we look forward to seeing you!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Auito [http://ezinearticles.com/?Real-Estate-Stories-that-Show-You-How!&id=7029 ]http://EzineArticles.com/?Real-Estate-Stories-that-Show-You-How!&id=7029

How to Get Your Real Estate License

2009-09-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

How to Get Your Real Estate License
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Gagandeep_Dhaliwal]Gagandeep Dhaliwal

Real estate business is presently a topmost business to make money. Several people want to make career in this business but a real estate license is the basic requirement to perform real estate business. Real estate license enables people to buy and sell any type of real estate. It is true that real estate license is essential to start real estate business but the main question is that ‘how to get it’.

Real estate laws for each and every state are different but real estate license is required in every state. The person, who wants to get a real estate license, should be of 18 years. That person should be graduated high school and should pass a written licensing test. These tests or real estate courses are necessary because real estate laws are so complicated and hard to understand. A person can easily practice as real estate broker after having real estate license.

Eligibility conditions, such as age, background and education, for the test are different from state to state. Person who wants to get a real estate license should move to local testing agency to determine the licensing procedure. Some state allows real estate license after completing college course while some need real estate courses.

Real estate licensing test can in one part or in two parts. You should prepare for the licensing test in order to get real estate license. After acquiring real estate license you’re ready to make your bright future in real estate business.

About author: Author owns a website on [http://www.buyrealestatelicense.info/]Real Estate License. Website provides information about real estate license, some tips on how to get real estate license, real estate business, and info for real estate business. You can also visit his site for [http://www.getrealestatelicensenow.com/]real estate business

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Searching For Las Vegas Real Estate

2009-09-28T08:29:00.000-07:00

Searching For Las Vegas Real Estate
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Clifton_Waldrep]Clifton Waldrep

The friendly state of Nevada, it could be a place you call home or one of your favorite vacation spots. Either way, it’s a great place to be looking for an investment property. Prices are dropping a little, and interest rates are still at a 40-year low!

There is a lot of ways to make money with Las Vegas real estate. If you are a first investment buyer, then seek out a qualified real estate agent. Las Vegas is Nevada’s world famous city. Today it remains one of the top real estate investment locations in the United States with the ever-increasing tourist traffic and convention traffic flooding into the area. There is consistent growth with the population, buildings, and jobs. Which makes for a great place to invest.

With so much to offer and a steady influx of new residents due to the cost of real estate in Las Vegas it is predicted that even with a cooling off of the current market the demand will remain steady for some time. Remember real estate goes in cycles, and Nevada is the perfect city to see this take place like no where else in the nation.

While many rushed into the market to make fast money the cost of real estate eventually topped out, and the slow down of buyers stabilized the market. Most real estate professionals believe that there is still a significant room for growth in the Las Vegas real estate market.

Over the past couple of years the Real Estate Market has taken center stage breaking national sales records with record appreciation rates. Find a good Las Vegas real estate agent, they will probably know more about real estate in Las Vegas than you do. Other services your agent might provide that can benefit you when buying Las Vegas real estate include providing connections with an affordable mortgage lender, experience in foreclosures, repossessions and estate homes, and experience in corporate relocation.

By making intelligent decisions about your Las Vegas real estate, you can assure yourself of economic advancement. A Las Vegas real estate attorney will play the role of a watchdog that can guide a client through the details and paperwork necessary for any house sale in Las Vegas. Whatever your financial goals are, buying Las Vegas real estate will probably be profitable to you.

When looking to invest in residential real estate, notice the neighborhood that the real estate is in. With some basic knowledge of Las Vegas real estate suburbs, you should be able to make a more informed decision.

Choose a Las Vegas real estate agent that will carefully research each new home to fit perfectly, with what you want. Since Las Vegas is such a dynamic city, it is hard to find real estate that cannot be put to profit-making use. The real estate market in Las Vegas has been appreciating at an incredible rate, and will continue to do so in the near future.

Las Vegas real estate suburbs are also good investments. Las Vegas real estate can be affordable if you look just outside of town, away from the strip, unless you are searching for land to build your very own casino? Then you would already have enough experience and would have no need to be reading this article?

There are projects that are breathtaking in design and integrate the best of Las Vegas, with Strip, Valley and mountain views, and true to the style and luxury of Las Vegas.
Also, living or operating in Las Vegas will exempt you from paying a state tax. This transformation has resulted in Las Vegas becoming a mature city. Nevada real estate agencies offer a selection of properties available for purchase and this is helpful to the real estate investors.

If Las Vegas is your dream, then get out there and buy yourself a little piece of Nevada you can call your home. This really is, the time to start buying real estate in Nevada.

As the saying goes: “Buy when everyone else is selling, and sale when everyone else is buying.”

Clifton Waldrep: With his 25 years of experience in the real estate field. You will be amazed at the diversity of his Real Estate knowledge. Subjects from buying and selling real estate, FSBO, Foreclosures, Rehabbing, No Money Down, Commercial Real Estate, Real Estate Property Management, to remodeling your home, and much, much more! You can find many helpful topics at http://www.worldfamouslasvegas.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clifton_Waldrep http://EzineArticles.com/?Searching-For-Las-Vegas-Real-Estate&id=545582

Pros and Cons of Taking an Online Real Estate Course

2009-09-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Pros and Cons of Taking an Online Real Estate Course
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Amon_Minor]Amon Minor

Are you interested in making money through real estate investments? If you are, you may have heard of online real estate courses before. Have you? If so, you may be interested in taking one. The only question is should you? When it comes to taking an online real estate course, there are a number of pros and cons to doing so; pros and cons which may impact your course taking decision.

Perhaps, the biggest pro or plus side to taking an online real estate course is the information that you will walk away with. Although real estate investments are a great way to make money, it isn’t for everyone. By taking an online real estate course, particularly one that has a focus on investment properties, you should be able to learn the ins and outs of making money with real estate properties. In addition to outlining exactly what real estate investing is, an online real estate course should also give you plenty of tips; tips that may help you get rich.

Another pro or plus side to taking an online real estate course, especially one with a focus on real estate investing, is that it is easy to do so. Since the real estate investment business can be considered a tricky one, you may not want to put all of your eggs in one basket. This means that if you are currently working, you may continue to do so or keep on searching for other ways to make money, while still taking a real estate course. This is where the internet can offer you assistance. Many online real estate courses allow participants, like you, to work at their own pace, whenever they have time to do so. Essentially, this means that whether you would like to learn about real estate investing in steps or all at once, you should be able to do with an online real estate course.

Another pro or plus side to taking an online real estate course, especially one that has a focus on real estate investing, is the choices that you will have. There are a number of online learning centers that offer real estate investing courses for you to take. When choosing an online real estate course, you are advised to thoroughly examine all of the course information given to you. Examine the points or topics that will be discussed, as they may give you insight into whether or not a particular an online real estate course can offer you assistance.

Although there are a number of pros or plus sides to taking online real estate courses that teach you about real estate investing, there are also a number of cons or downsides as well. One of those cons is the cost. Real estate investment courses can sometimes be considered high priced. With that in mind, however, you are advised to remember that there are a number of online real estate courses for you to choose from. So, even if you are on a budget, you should still be able to find at least one affordably priced real estate course that could offer you assistance.

The above mentioned online real estate course pros and cons are just a few of the many that exist. To determine whether or not you can benefit from taking an online real estate course, you will want to make your own in-depth list and compare your findings.

Amon Minor is a writer for Fastcashinrealestateforeclosures . com where you can find accurate information about [http://www.fastcashinrealestateforeclosures.com/real-estate-course.htm]Real Estate Course and other related information.

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Feel Better Right Now in Two Easy Steps

2009-09-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

Feel Better Right Now in Two Easy Steps
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Charlon_Bobo]Charlon Bobo

One of my personal success secrets is an action-item that so simple, it's one of my core, go-to life tools.

When you feel anything that simply 'doesn't feel good' do two things IMMEDIATELY:

1. Find a way to feel better in this moment Using a scale of 1-10 assess your current level of feeling, by assigning a specific number between 1 and 10:

* 1 = no discomfort aka feeling good

* 5 = mild/moderate discomfort aka feeling uncomfortable, but nothing extreme

* 10 = extreme discomfort aka feeling severely distraught, nervous, overwhelmed, confused, etc.

Find ANY way to feel even a little bit better and the resulting empowerment will propel you instead of keeping you constrained or defined by any limitations of the current moment. There are many ways to feel better:

* Mentally reframe the situation

* Consciously rechoose your perspective

* Focus on gratitude I have every confidence that you'll find the ways that work best for you.

After you have made an effort to feel better in this moment, reassess your current level of feeling by assigning a number 1-10. The goal is to decrease the number as much as possible, but by at least one number. Repeat as necessary. 2. Take some action, any action Based on personal experience, taking ANY positive action brings clarity and a fresh perspective.

It's not always easy because when we feel less than our best, the natural tendency is to retreat. Going against that impulse is what leads to empowerment. So, return a telephone call or email, make an inquiry, do some reading or research... literally anything that can move you into a different mindspace. Action opens possibilities and you feel better quickly.

"It is easy to sit up and take notice. What is difficult is getting up and taking action." Al Batt

EditCopyProof © 2009 All rights reserved.

Charlon Bobo is the visionary behind EditCopyProof ~ Wordsmithing Solutions for Conscious Entrepreneurs. EditCopyProof is the single and final destination in your quest for copywriting, editing and proofreading services that effectively speak to the core of your heart-centered audience. Increase your sales, credibility and exposure with high-impact content based on your genuine desire to connect, serve or create community. http://www.EditCopyProof.com

You have permission to freely distribute this article provided all the text contained herein remains intact.

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The Supreme Diet - The Acai Berry Diet

2009-09-18T06:14:00.000-07:00

The Supreme Diet - The Acai Berry Diet
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dana_Hawkes]Dana Hawkes

The Acai diet, which uses the Acai Berry from deep within the Amazonian rainforest, has recently been widely acclaimed, with some even so far as calling it a superfood. Comprising extraordinary weight loss potential, the Acai diet is one of the most hyped products on the market since appearances on major chat shows like Oprah.

The dark purplish berry, about the shape and diameter of the grape, is newly being exported and packaged by Western companies, even though it has been used by the peoples of South America for hundreds of years. A vast array of internet retailers are offering Acai diet commodities which are targeted for weight loss and dieting, and as a result the Acai diet has become a sudden sensation.

Its quite obvious what has contributed to the appeal of the Acai diet. Firstly, it contains a vast amount of antioxidants - more so than any other foodstuff in realistically consumable amounts - which counterbalance the destructive free radicals that are purportedly behind diseases like cancer.

Alongside this, the Acai diet has a bucket load of glucose and fibre, which are incredibly useful in a weight loss routine. The good thing about Fibre is that it reduces appetite whilst decreasing the fat that's absorbed, whilst glucose works by providing energy and boosts the metabolism. So what what is consumed is made more healthy, and you're more prone to exercise to remove the excess energy you have.

But its not as easy as that. The internet is littered with scams that take unsuspecting customers money by enticing them into added payments that are not shown. So heavily research what you're going to purchase, and one of the easiest ways to do this is through Acai Berry blogs. Sites like this offer Acai Berry information which is neutral, as well as guidelines on steering clear of scam sites information on using the Acai Berry in dieting.

Dana Hawkes is a Acai berry diet expert, explaining everything about it on her acai berry blog on [http://acaiberrydietnow.com]http://www.acaiberrydietnow.com. This is the one prime source to visit about [http://acaiberrydietnow.com]acai berry diet. More then 100 articles, so start reading now!

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Effective Steps I Can Take to Get My Ex Boyfriend Back

2009-09-18T06:10:00.000-07:00

Effective Steps I Can Take to Get My Ex Boyfriend Back
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Theo_Johnson]Theo Johnson

Have you been asking yourself this question lately; "What can I do to get my ex boyfriend back?'' Have you been sending text messages to your ex boyfriend everyday and at hourly intervals in your desperation to get your ex back together with you? Do you feel that all your efforts have yielded no positive results and have even in the contrary, pushed your ex further away from you? In deed; what can I do to get my ex boyfriend back?

Here are some steps that will greatly improve your chances of getting back together with your ex boyfriend and you can live happily thereafter. I am quite sure you are very serious about winning your ex back and re-establishing a dream relationship that is the envy of all. It is therefore given that you may ,with this anxiety, behave in a wrong way or manner by exerting undue pressure on your ex which will have the unintended consequence of your ex resisting your overtures. It is in fact only natural for humans to behave in this manner and it will not serve your purpose to be fighting against human nature. It will certainly only make matters worse.

So what should I do? I want him back yesterday! Well, you can begin to plot towards getting your ex back by just immediately stopping all the actions that bring undue pressure upon your ex. Therefore, stop all the incessant telephone calls; stop the series of text messages and emails to your ex with the hope of making him feel sorry for what might have led to your breaking apart. Simply stop all these actions and work out a clear strategy that will guide you towards achieving your goal of getting your ex back.

So what can I do to get my ex boyfriend back? Follow this strategy instead.

This may sound somewhat off course but believe me that is what will best enhance your chances of getting him back to you. Adopt a fresh approach by completely breaking off contact with him for a while. During this period of sober reflection for both of you, put in place a deliberate action plan to personally develop yourself. Examine yourself incisively and dispassionately and begin to take action in remedying some of your negative habits and manners. In other words, those who wish to change the world must start by changing themselves first. Luckily for you even though this requires a lot of personal discipline and commitment, it is still what you can accomplish with some courage and determination.

On mastering this challenge, you will again make yourself attractive and desirable to your ex. The new you, will be shinning through and this will compel some thoughts and soul searching on the part of your ex. Now since you have cut off communication with him, he will see you as being somehow mysterious and this will surely work in your favor. He will begin to miss you since you are no longer pursuing him from pillar to post. He will experience a paradigm shift and will begin to really appreciate you.

Now you must understand that for you to get your ex back, your strategy must be in accord with the human nature. This is a fundamental requirement for fixing a broken relationship and all efforts must be made to avoid common mistakes. This will result in some sort of balance and restraint in your ex. This atmosphere will make him to begin to appreciate the reasons that drew him to you in the first place.

In conclusion, do not put undue pressure on him and try to make yourself a mystery somehow. He will remember why he loved you in the first place and when he does; you can even play hard to get within reasonable limits, of course. H e will make the first move and you will come out tops. And now you know what steps to take to get your ex boyfriend back.

Theo Johnson has been helping people to mend their relationships online for some time now. Even though his ideas and prescriptions may appear unorthodox at first glance, they have nonetheless been found effective in helping folks mend their broken relationships. His simple, straight forward, down to earth approach has won him accolades from many who have implemented his recommendations and found satisfaction. In order to even get better ideas and effective plans and strategies to help you get your ex back, then visit [http://freetipstogetmyexback.blogspot.com/]freetipstogetmyexback.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Theo_Johnson http://EzineArticles.com/?Effective-Steps-I-Can-Take-to-Get-My-Ex-Boyfriend-Back&id=2856319

Building Maintenance

2009-09-18T06:03:00.000-07:00

Building Maintenance
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tom_V_Powell]Tom V Powell

Carrying out building maintenance on your home every few years is a must. As looks get outdated, furnishings get old and things stop working, it may be time to update your interior.

Some possible areas which may need maintenance carried out on may be:

Air conditioning

If your air conditioning filter is not clean or working properly then it gives an increase in the chance of the air conditioner over powering and breaking, it can also lead to higher bills as the motor will be working twice as hard to filter the air. Cleaning the filter, ducts and vents of dust and other debris will help the smooth operation of the airflow which will give you much better air conditioning within your home.

Roofing

Roofs should be checked regularly for damage, especially after storms. If the area you live in generally has allot of extreme weather, then it is a good idea to invest in solid sturdy roofing which will withstand allot of damage. If the roof is made up of then it is important to check for broken or cracked shingles which could lead to further damage to your roof and water leaks into your home. A common untreated factor with roofing building maintenance is the growth of plants and trees which can burrow into your roof leaving holes and damaging the roofing materials, this can also apply to algae and moulds.

Guttering

Guttering should be maintained to a high standard if you don't want floods of bog water in your house and garden. Gutters can get clogged by tiny debris building up over time, it is recommended that these debris are cleared out every few months so that your drainage flows freely. The gutter should be checked to ensure that it is firmly held in place (usually by holders and nails). The downpipe of the gutter should be running away from your home and if possible into a well drained area.

Fire alarms

I cannot stress enough about the importance of fire alarms being maintained to ensure they are working. A fire alarm could make the difference in you getting out of the house in time if a fire occurs. Routine checks on the battery are vital to ensure that the fire alarm is working. Your fire alarm should be cleaned and maintained as according to the manufacturer's guidelines. It is wise to install new carbon monoxide, smoke and heat detectors every ten years.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_V_Powell http://EzineArticles.com/?Building-Maintenance&id=2908419

Should You Use A Discount Real Estate Broker To Sell Your Home?

2009-08-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

Should You Use A Discount Real Estate Broker To Sell Your Home?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Crystal_L._Cox]Crystal L. Cox

As a real estate broker owner, I have to say that a discount broker will not serve your interests any better than a traditional real estate broker. I am an advocate of you, the real estate seller, selling your home without a real estate agent.

In today's real estate market, where most all of real estate buyers are looking for real estate on the Internet, and where most real estate brokers do not understand Internet marketing, it simply is in your best interest to sell your real estate without a real estate agent.

A discount real estate broker can give you the comfort of knowing that you are paying less in commission. However, you may be taking a lower sales price, and you are still paying another real estate agent that may bring a buyer. There was a news show a while back about one particular discount broker, that said that they charged a flat fee to list the home, but they charge more, if they find a buyer or if another real estate agent finds buyer. This really is not too different from traditional real estate.

Discount brokers prey on the fact that you are discouraged with traditional real estate agents and that you want to save money. With the economy, the way that it is, real estate brokers need new tactics to get your business. And hanging a sign out, putting up a website that suggests that they are a discount real estate broker is just the latest and greatest way to get you to list your real estate with them instead of your local real estate agent.

Also, some of the discount brokers brag about it buyer's rebate that they will give. So, if they find a buyer than you will pay them a separate commission on that. This will be paid, by you, on top of your flat fee, and then they will take some of this money and give it back to the buyer in the form of a rebate. This of course is only in the states that allow buyers rebates.

A buyer's rebate, given by a discount real estate broker, does not help you, the seller. I think what looks attractive to some sellers is that these discount brokers are not only cheaper than their local real estate office, but they brag about their Internet marketing skills and what they can offer you in the form of securing a buyer. The thing to consider here is the fact that you can find your own buyer, you can build your own website, and not only will you save in commission, but you may just get a higher purchase price.

And when you sell your home yourself and use a real estate attorney, you will make more money, and you will sleep well at night knowing that you did everything right.

Remember folks, real estate agents go to school, in my state anyways, one week, and they do not have a real background in real estate law. Some Realtors tried to tell you that, if you don't list with them than you'll have to hire an attorney and attorney will cost a lot of money. The truth about that is that you should hire an attorney either way. And this goes for discount brokers as well as traditional real estate brokers. You NEED to have a real estate attorney look over all of your real estate document transactions before you sign.

In conclusion, do not let your discouragement of the real estate industry and you past experience with real estate agents drive you to a discount real estate brokers. They really are the same game in a different disguise.

Crystal L. Cox is the Real Estate Broker Owner of Ten Lakes Realty specializing in marketing property - real estate on the Internet. She is an advocate for Consumer Protection in Real Estate. With the Power of the Internet, You Really do not need a Realtor to Sell your home for you. Sell your home yourself with Internet Marketing. http://www.FSBOInternetMarketing.com Crystal is an Internet Real Estate Marketing consultant and can help you get your real estate found on the Web.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Crystal_L._Cox http://EzineArticles.com/?Should-You-Use-A-Discount-Real-Estate-Broker-To-Sell-Your-Home?&id=859463

Real Estate Development - When is the Right Time to Get Started in Property Development?

2009-08-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

Real Estate Development - When is the Right Time to Get Started in Property Development?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Adrian_Zenere]Adrian Zenere

The media is currently full of real estate 'doom and gloom' - real estate repossessions and arrears are up and real estate prices are down ... its almost as if the 'sky is about to fall'! This situation has seen many real estate developers, and property investors generally, leave the market - and for those thinking of starting out in real estate development, these are scary times indeed.

What seems like the worst time to get into real estate development can, in reality, be the best time. Successful real estate developers today realize that they can use time to their advantage - their real estate development projects will typically not be ready for sale or rent for 2 to 4 years from inception. So if they have bought well, they are less likely to be affected by the economic situation at the time of purchasing their real estate development site.

In fact, a weak market is a real estate developer's paradise, because a weak market is a buyer's market, and one of the first steps to any real estate development project is securing a viable real estate development site on the best possible terms.

Although we know that the real estate development business is cyclical, and many parts of the world are in a property downturn, we also know from history that knowledgeable real estate developers are successful in any market - falling, flat or rising.

We're working towards what we believe the economic conditions will be in 12 to 36 months time. Indeed we ourselves are still active in the market - seeking Council permission for a number of real estate development projects. This gives us the opportunity to act quickly and build our approved real estate development projects when the market does become buoyant.

It is our opinion that the following market signals are some of the key factors that will lead to increased future opportunities, especially for real estate developers:

· The pent up demand for housing. In March 2008 leading Australian economics forecaster, BIS Shrapnel chief economist Dr Frank Gelber argued that housing prices across Australia will rise by 30% to 40% over the next five years because of the built-up shortages of housing.

· The current Federal Government has stated that they will work towards increasing Housing Affordability and have begun to announce incentives including Tax Credits of $6000 per year if the housing is rented at 20% below market rent.

· We believe that an increasing number of people, in the short to medium term, are likely to require the rental accommodation that we intend to build. This is due to either their financial stress (can't afford to purchase a home) and/or demographic trends (including Gen-Ys who are less likely to buy Real Estate).

Even if our 'crystal ball' is incorrect, we know we have the resources to hold real estate development sites during possible further market fluctuations to come, and increasing rents are certainly helping with that!

Our belief is that this is a golden time to act - perhaps a once in a generation opportunity. Maybe it is not the time to sell completed real estate development projects at the moment, but it is certainly a great opportunity to secure the development site and obtain development planning approval. Now this strategy is not for everyone - you must have the necessary resources to hold the development site and especially the knowledge of real estate development to take advantage of these opportunities.

The best approach for anyone contemplating real estate development will depend on his or her own personal and financial circumstances, but the key message here is that you must do something!

There are many strategies that small real estate developers are currently using, if they don't have the resources to complete a real estate development project right now, including to turn their real estate knowledge into cash by locating ideal property development sites, perhaps taking out an option on the site, and on-selling the 'Development Permit Approval' to someone who does have the resources.

Successful real estate developers know that times of opportunity like this only come along once in a while, and they're taking action so they don't miss the boat.

Regardless of your immediate financial situation, this is the perfect time to leverage your real estate development knowledge into current or future income. If you have any doubts about your ability to do this, or you would like an experienced real estate development mentor to guide you, act now to get the knowledge and mentoring that you need. There is no time to waste!

Adrian Zenere is a Registered Architect and Licensed Home Builder along with his wife Amber they have built a multi-million dollar sustainable property portfolio through Real Estate Development. Together they run their own architectural practice http://www.archizen.com.au specializing in Holistic Architecture combining eco sustainable development with feng shui principles and creating harmonious living that is respectful of our environment. Their projects are regularly featured in the Australian Property Investor, Luxury Home Design, Lifestyle Magazine, Home at Yellow and several newspapers.

They are also co-founders of the Real Estate Development Club where they use their real estate development knowledge and experience to help real estate investors become successful real estate developers. To have a closer look at Adrian and Amber's entire Real Estate Development process and download your FREE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT REPORT and other valuable real estate development resources visit: http://www.RealEstateDevelopmentClub.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adrian_Zenere http://EzineArticles.com/?Real-Estate-Development---When-is-the-Right-Time-to-Get-Started-in-Property-Development?&id=1121720

Real Estate Website Promotion is Easy

2009-08-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

Real Estate Website Promotion is Easy
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Rick_Hendershot]Rick Hendershot

If you are a Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Broker, or provide a Real Estate service you know how important effective real estate web promotion is to your business. The large number of people searching the internet for local, national and international real estate information can simply not be ignored.

At the same time you may think effective real estate website promotion is too difficult to master, too expensive to afford, or just too mysterious to understand - an area reserved for experts in the field of search engine marketing.

Like most practitioners of highly specialized skills, search engine marketing specialists have a vested interest in making their field seem mysterious and difficult to master. But it is not really that mysterious. It is possible for anyone to dominate the search engines in virtually any local market. All it takes is a bit of common sense and some hard work.

The principles involved in getting good positioning for your real estate website are quite simple and straightforward. They are the same principles that apply to search engine marketing for any website and it is actually quite easy to apply these principles to real estate websites. Many real estate agents have simply given up trying to score well in the search engines for local real estate searches because they don't properly understand the process.

But think about it for a minute. When you do a search in Google for "real estate Phoenix" or "Banff real estate" or "Halifax real estate" or "Fort Lauderdale real estate", and you see the same real estate agents or agencies coming up on the first page week after week, how do you think they got there? What magical real estate website promotion formula are they using or who have they paid to get this high position?

Now before you answer that question, ask yourself how you think Google assigns these positions to different websites. Does their giant computer just pull names from a great big cyber-hat? Do they use secret rules that only a few insiders know about?

Of course not. All the major search engines make it perfectly clear what they are looking for - and especially Google. If you want to score well for a term like "real estate Phoenix" or "real estate Ottawa", really all you have to do is pack your site with good information about Phoenix (or Ottawa) and focus your home page in a very deliberate way on those search terms.

The search engines like focused content. They assume if your site contains lots of content relevant to "real estate Phoenix" then it should be shown high in searches for that keyword.

Of course the problem is that there are already a number of other real estate websites offering good content focused on your favorite search term, so you are going head to head with sites that have previously established position, and it will take a bit of time and a fair amount of work to get past them.

That is fair enough. After all, if the real estate agent down the streat offers more focused and relevant information than you do about the market you are both chasing, she deserves to come up above you in the search engine rankings. It makes sense, doesn't it?

That does not mean you should not keep on trying. It simply means you should be patient and work harder. Take a close look at her site and outdo her by refocusing your site and creating more interesting and valuable content. Focus is the name of the game. Make it crystal clear that you are the "expert" on "Calgary real estate" by offering the kinds of things that an expert would offer.

And please, do not hesitate to mention the search phrase you are trying to get positioning on. If it is "Kingston real estate" or "Sacramento real estate", then use that term all over your home page. Say to yourself, "OK Google, so you are looking for real estate websites that have something to say about 'Sacramento real estate', well here I am. I breathe Sacramento Real Estate. I ooze Sacramento Real Estate. I AM Sacramento Real Estate." This is called Search Engine Optimization.

In the meantime, while you're waiting for Google to come around on your primary search term, find some less competitive ones to focus on as well. For instance, if you want to service the entire Ottawa area, but most of your clientele is in Kanata or Nepean, focus some of your internet marketing efforts on those smaller markets. You have a much better chance of getting results in these significantly smaller and less competitive markets.

For more free advice on [http://www.real-estate-webs.com]real estate website promotion and generating leads with your website, visit real-estate-webs.com, a division of Linknet Promotions. We can show you how to leap frog over your competition. Linknet Promotions does [http://www.sbo-linknet.com]article marketing for many successful websites.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Hendershot http://EzineArticles.com/?Real-Estate-Website-Promotion-is-Easy&id=850135

Real Estate - The Consumers Will Have the Final Word!

2009-08-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

Real Estate - The Consumers Will Have the Final Word!
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Manuel_Iraola]Manuel Iraola

"The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance". --Nathaniel Branden

Change is good for the consumer and for the real estate industry. It fuels competition and drives innovation and efficiency. Yet, the real estate industry has seen little change during the last 50 years. Indeed, other than marginally lower commissions as a result of the introduction of "discount brokerage models," the change is imperceptible.

Will the industry survive as we know it today? What will it take to thrive in the future?

Technology and changing consumer behavior will be the driving forces behind change, but not the only forces. What matters is what the consumers want -- not what we think they want.

We searched for answers. We went from denial, to awareness, and finally to acceptance. The lessons were harsh but clear. We needed to listen and learn from the consumer. Here is what we learned and want to share with you.

Legislation and regulation can't stop evolution and innovation.

It is not business as usual anymore. Prior success no longer guarantees the future viability of the existing real estate business model and profitability for the industry. While it has been a long and rewarding ride, its time has passed. However, there should not be any doubts that there is a bright future for the real estate industry. After all, real estate will continue to be the heart and engine of our economy. And it will be especially brighter for those embracing radical change and seeking new ways to serve the consumers. Those that embrace the change brought by evolution will succeed. Those that continue to use legislation to defend the indefensible will see their business succumb to innovative models that put the interests of the consumer at the center of the process.

Consumers have lost confidence in the traditional model.

Is anyone surprised about this? Have consumers been taken for granted? Did the industry forget that consumers are critical on both sides of the transaction? You would have thought that consumers would be in control of the process. Yet, ironically, consumers do not have any leverage because the power resides with intermediaries. Consumers' options are limited when buying or selling real estate, particularly for those who want to go about it on their own.

We hear frequently: "Why do we need to pay a 6% commission for selling our property?" That concern is being felt across the real estate industry, and while commissions are being reduced, the decrease is still not commensurate with the "homeowner's perception of value".

Homeowners believe that fees should be based on "the value of the services" and not on "the value of the property". The adage that a rising tide lifts all boats has proved to be true in the real estate industry. This rising tide has brought housing values to record high levels. The good news for the homeowners is that their equity has increased. The bad news (which materializes at the time of the purchase and sale of property) is that such increase is completely independent of the contributions of third parties. It is simple market forces at work : supply and demand.

Consumers see through the lack of transparency.

Consumers know that you are not what you write or say, but what you do when no one is looking. Consumers want more transparency. They want all the myths to disappear. They want a leveled playing field, with unrestricted access to the tools and knowledge required for a successful sale or purchase. They want transactions that are "procedurally" easier, smarter, cheaper and faster. They want to choose how to go about buying and selling. The one size fits all approach is not longer valid.

Because of this lack of transparency, consumers are paying more for less value. Consumers are working more, but not being compensated for their efforts. Over 74% of buyers are now using the Internet to search for properties, yet they cannot complete the process because the back end is controlled by intermediaries. Sellers who want to sell on their own do not have an "effective platform" to market their properties, unless they use the Multiple Listing System. The cost of representation currently based on the value of the property is archaic and does not reflect the realities of the times. The absolute value of commissions paid continues to increase and the beneficiary is not the consumer. It is the consumers' equity that continues to erode, while the economic benefits are enjoyed by the intermediaries. Simply stated, the time has arrived for the consumers to be in control of the process. After all, the consumers own the properties and who better than them to decide what to do and how to go about it. They are willing to pay for the services and guidance they need, but not as a function of the value of a property.

The traditional model does not reflect today's consumers.

Advances in technology and the ever increasing sophistication of consumers are destined to change the way home real estate is bought and sold. Did the industry fail to recognize changes in the behavior and expectations of homeowners and investors?

Today's consumers are tech savvy, more independent, more sophisticated, more knowledgeable and want to be in control. They want to have choices!

Almost every traditional brokerage house has a web site mostly used to provide "photographs and summarized property information." This is a step in the right direction, but not quite what the consumer wants. Consumers want access to the same information and tools that professionals have. They want a buy and sell process that is "easier, smarter, faster and cheaper". Consumers know that the Internet has made it possible to have access to information and resources that in the past only were available to professionals. The Internet has also made it possible to provide these services at a fraction of the cost. Technology based models are not a substitute for good judgment, but they are more efficient and transparent. These efficiencies result in lower cost of representation, and access to information and know how that is completely unbiased and independent of the value of a property. Put another way, technology drives down the cost of representation!

Homeowners want real options, not a recycled traditional model. While real estate is a $ 1.3 trillion industry that is highly fragmented, there is little differentiation between options. The industry also exhibits behavioral traits typically found in oligopolies. Consumers have been led to believe that the process of buying and selling is complicated and unmanageable without the intervention of an intermediary. This is simply not true. Consumers want real options that remove the "fear, uncertainty, and doubt," which historically has been foisted on the real estate transaction by intermediaries.

There are over 2.3 million licensed brokers and agents in the United States. Entry and exit barriers are low. In theory, it looks like consumers have a very large number of choices. In practice, that is not the case. Mostly everybody offers the same and there is little differentiation between companies, business models, and services provided by brokers and agents. Consumers want "real choices," not variations of the existing business model.

Currently, home owners that wish to sell their property have two options: (i) sale by owner (FSBO); or (ii) a contractual engagement with a licensed real estate broker or agent.

For those owners who desire to sell their property themselves, advertising and valuation tools are virtually non-existent. Their intent is to avoid the high commissions sought by brokers, but they are restricted in their advertising and analysis capabilities.

Looking to take advantage of the market necessity for a FSBO real estate solution, a plethora of market developers has begun to introduce solutions in this area. Nonetheless, these developers have focused on creating revenue from either individual online FSBO advertisements, advertisements from or referrals to third-party real estate professionals, lead generation, or some basic set of information services/tools with limited capabilities. These are legitimate alternatives for some but not for all.

Real estate consumers are actively seeking alternatives. Consumers have an infinite appetite for information and knowledge. Web based applications have made that possible and there is no turning back. According to a 2004 report from the National Association of Realtors, the Internet has rapidly become the preferred method of property search with over 70 % of homebuyers indicating that they utilize it as their primary source of property listings. In fact, 2003 marked a milestone in the technological evolution of the real estate industry. That year, for the first time, more buyers used the Internet than newspaper advertisements as an information source. Buyers are doing most of the work, yet they find themselves having to go through an intermediary. Buyers do not buy the myth that "Commissions are paid by sellers." They know these commissions are part of the gross purchase price and paid exclusively by them.

Most consumers want an innovative online business environment with functionality that incorporates optimal data sources, analytical tools, marketing exposure, and opportunity leads in a comprehensive and user-friendly online solution. They know the Internet has created new industries and new ways to transact business and they want to be the beneficiary of such transformation. New games and new rules will become the standard. And we better learn to play the new game! The consumers will have the final word.

Change is unavoidable but not easy to accept. Change is good for society and we are constantly witnessing the transformation of everything around us. Change drives innovation, efficiencies and progress. Why should it be different for the real estate industry?

We need to listen and learn from the consumers. They want choices.

They want to compare those choices and decide how to proceed with what is for most people a very important investment decision in their life: buying or selling real estate. This is not about who is right or who is wrong. It is all about what is right for the consumer.

Manuel J. Iraola is President and Chief Executive Officer of Homekeys, a developer, integrator and provider of innovative Web-based information tools and services for the real estate industry. Homekeys.net is a unique, one-stop Web site that delivers a broad range of options enabling consumers to buy and sell real estate more easily, economically and effectively. See [http://www.homekeys.net]http://www.homekeys.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Manuel_Iraola [http://ezinearticles.com/?Real-Estate---The-Consumers-Will-Have-the-Final-Word!&id=37381 ]http://EzineArticles.com/?Real-Estate---The-Consumers-Will-Have-the-Final-Word!&id=37381

Donald Trump on Real Estate

2009-08-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

Donald Trump on Real Estate
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Kish]Thomas Kish

I love what Trump says about the business of real estate.

I am a big believer in setting up business systems for all
my clients. So it is cool to hear from a master like Trump
about the importance of systems!

Sincerely,

Tom Kish

THE REAL ESTATE BUBBLE OF 2005?

'What Donald Trump has to say about the latest business
opportunities found in Real Estate Investing.'

By Phyllis N. Schwartz

Staff Writer

Have you ever wanted to become a millionaire?

If so – and, if you live in the United States, there is now a
very REAL chance for you to enjoy the same opportunities
as Donald Trump.

You don't need to invest in real estate to be wealthy. But, by
and large it is the easiest, most leveraged way to build real,
sustainable wealth. With mortgage rates at an all time low and
tax laws favoring real estate holdings, now is an ideal time to
profit from the greatest real estate gold rush in history.

Marriage, job changes, divorce, new families, death -- the
average American moves every five to six years. And with that
constant stream of movement across the United States, more
than 12 million homes are bought and sold every year. Many of
these will be great deals that you, yourself, could be profiting
from.

The very same principles that make Donald Trump a fortune
with New York City skyscrapers will work for the average
investor, no matter what size the property.

So precisely what can the small real estate investor learn from a billionaire wheeler- dealer like Donald Trump? According to George Ross, Executive Vice President and Senior Counsel for the Trump Organization (and, of course, Apprentice co-star), one of the cornerstones of Trump's philosophy is “Improve any location.”

And that's just what Trump did in his very first real estate deal on a foreclosure of a 1,200 unit apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio. Without a penny invested, Donald and his father, Fred, were able to turn the apartment complex around by doing some remodeling and taking a tough stance on rent collection.

In the single most valuable lesson in Donald Trump's real estate career, he learned how the government would assist buyers in purchasing property with little or no financial backing and how to get such aid. His passion for real estate grew from there and he went on to create the strategies and systems that turned his business into an empire.

“Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully on canvas or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals. That's how I get my kicks.”

In New York City, the Trump signature is now synonymous with
the renowned Trump Tower, The Trump International Hotel &
Tower, The Trump Park Avenue and the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street. He also owns golf courses in 4 states, and current projects include the building of the biggest development ever approved by the NYC Planning Commission .

Ranked #228 on Fortune Magazine's list of the world's billionaires, Trump stated: “Real estate is at the core of almost every business, and it's certainly at the core of most people's wealth. In order to build your wealth and improve your business smarts, you need to know about real estate.”

The most obvious problem that confronts many would-be investors
is lack of know-how and/or financial resources. Common sense
would dictate that wanting to make money in real estate is simply not enough. Knowing how to get it is the real key to success. Like any other profitable business, it takes a proven business system.

In Trump: The Art Of The Deal, ‘The Donald' gives his own assessment: “If you take care of the downside, the upside will
take care of itself. In other words, if you have a contingency
plan for everything that can go wrong, you can't help but succeed.”

So how does the average Joe or Jane actually succeed in real estate?

Because you can't know it all, no matter how smart, educated or experienced, there is no way to acquire all the wisdom you need to make your business flourish. It's precisely why 95% of franchises succeed and only 25-35% of independent businesses fail. Wanting to make money in real estate is simply not enough.

Just as Donald Trump had starting out, you need a great mentor
with a proven track record to lead the way and support your
efforts… also a proven business system that allows you to invest in all types of real estate without ever having to tie up all your own cash. It is wise to begin your journey using the research, experience and wisdom of those who have been there before you.

The beauty of a franchise is that it provides a proven business
model with years of experience behind it. As far afield as real
estate investing may be from starting a McDonalds, the principle is the same. If you can find a real estate investment teaching program that eliminates much of the trial and error and allows you to get a quick start with a proven system, you've just found your own golden arches.

True success is bigger than any one person, no matter how well educated or experienced that person may be. There is no reason
to settle for anything less. Once again, to quote the king of real estate: “If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.” Sound advice to anyone who wants to become a millionaire.

p.s. Don't forget to check out my one of a kind business system for real estate investing.

I am the only expert teaching you how to use business lines of
credit to invest in real estate instead of cash!

Thanks,

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

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!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Kish http://EzineArticles.com/?Donald-Trump-on-Real-Estate&id=32967

"Time" Is A Major Real Estate Wealth Growth Tool, So Use 'IT' And Watch

2009-08-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

"Time" Is A Major Real Estate Wealth Growth Tool, So Use 'IT' And Watch
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Colm_Dillon]Colm Dillon

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!

The Real Estate Development Coach

Copyright Colm Dillon, October 2003

All Rights Reserved.

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

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colm_Dillon http://EzineArticles.com/?Time-Is-A-Major-Real-Estate-Wealth-Growth-Tool,-So-Use-IT-And-Watch&id=444

Report: The Real Estate Market In Panama

2009-08-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

Report: The Real Estate Market In Panama
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Heriberto_Estribi]Heriberto Estribi

Most likely, you have heard of the recent real estate BOOM currently occurring in Panama. Perhaps, there are several internet sites you have read or visited searching for further information on the topic. Or maybe you are one of those persons that have taken the decision already of buying an apartment or a beach house, but you don’t know where to start or wish to start your own real estate project in Panama, yet still need more information. Well, I have prepared this article in a practical and simple way in order to guide you in our real estate market. You will find this paper helpful, whether it’ll be for the direct buying of a property or to start your own real estate project in Panama or simply to have a more complete notion of this rising real estate BOOM.

What is happening in the Panamanian Real Estate market?

What is going on in Panama is without any sort of precedent. The market is growing rapidly and such real estate development has never been experienced before in our country. Monthly, we are visited for hundreds of foreigners interested in buying real estates in Panama, in the City, the coasts and the mountains. The constant rising of the value per square meter is almost in a monthly rate. For example: in January, 2006 it was possible to find apartments in Panama City for around US$ 1,000.00 per square meter, which is nearly impossible nowadays (US$ 1,200 – US$1,400 and rising). This has generated the value per square meter to triplicate in the city and even to quadruplicate in the rest of the country. The main real estate broker associations have foreseen that the general value of the land in Panama could rise up to 30% to 40% in the next three years, due to this price increasing flow.

Extreme luxury towers of over 100 stories, residential houses of over a million dollars, yachts and marine clubs, huge luxury hotels, golf camps designed by well-known international specialists, as well as top of the line malls, are currently under construction or in process of delivering in the next couple of years; renovating the face of the city into an international and cosmopolitan metropolis. Promoters, private investors and international real estate companies, from United States, South America and even Europe, have started the construction of real estate projects of great impact. Also, a great number of international real estate broker companies are currently setting up businesses in our country per month. Specifically we could say that seven of the highest towers under construction in Latin America are being built in Panama City, within the areas known as “Avenida Balboa” (this area is projected as the skyscraper in front of the sea in the city). We could mention, among others: Aqualina, Aquamare, Vitri, Ocean Two and One, Los Faros de Panama and Ice Tower, ready to be delivered for the year 2009; besides the hundreds of apartment towers bring developed around the city. Great beach lot projects, island resorts, as much as in the Caribbean Sea (Bocas del Toro) as in the Pacific Ocean (Pearl Islands); as well as delightful retirement mountains (Boquete, Altos del Maria) are part of the avalanche of real estate projects that seems just to be starting.

Which are the real factors that caused this real estate boost?

We all know that after the hostilities occurred in Panama in 1989, the Panamanian real estate market remained hesitant and the small amount of inversions in this sector were led in its majority into commercial projects. Eleven years had to run by after this event (year 2000) for the leaders in the tourist sector of the Panamanian government (led by the well-known Panamanian singer Ruben Blades) to take action initiating a serious campaign for the enhancement of the country’s image. Panama was shown as “the path less traveled”, stressing not only in the advantages of being and international banking services and offshore center, but also in the social, tourist, ecological and geographic elements that until then were unknown to the rest of the world. This successful campaign was promoted worldwide in the main international television chains, in Europe as well as in the United States. Added to this, something that has to be acknowledged, for the year 2003 Panama comes back to the international field with the announcement that a young Panamanian lady (Justin Pasek) won the Miss Universe contest, situation that allowed by extension the range of advantages of our country as a tourist and commercial destiny. Between the years 2003 and 2005, little by little the number of visitors increased as a consequence of these two important catalysts.

Meanwhile, small groups of professionals (lawyers, brokers, and independent professionals) were offering seminars about the Panama’s advantages or organized small real estate tours to foreigners. Several articles published in international retirement magazines (generation known as “Baby Boomers”) and second residences abroad, started to acknowledged Panama as one of the best countries in the world to live at high standard levels, but with low costs; all of this caused due to excellent projects addressed to this market, as “El Valle Escondido” in Boquete – Chiriqui or “Altos del Maria” in Panama. One of the main triggering factors of this real estate boost in Panama occurred last April 24th, 2006, when Donald Trump announced in New York City the construction in “Punta Pacifica” area in Panama City of a 65-story tower branded as “Trump Ocean Club International Hotel”, with a cost of 220 million dollars. Further more, on October of the same year, the national acceptance for the enlargement of the Panama Canal was given, initiating construction works in the year 2009. Starting from this point, there is no doubt that Panama would become the centre and role model of real estate investments in the area, situation that has been increasing exponentially.

Which are then Panama’s advantages as a real estate destiny?

Well, let’s get into the subject. Let’s study those advantages that Panama offers and that will allow you, effectively, to take the decision to buy a property in our country, as many foreigners have done. From the real estate point of view, we could mention:

-*- Panama offers the best banking center in the region, with the use of the American dollar as legal currency and with top of the line banks (HSBC, CITIBANK, BBVA, etc.) which will facilitate the process of obtaining mortgages for foreigners, offering a fast international bank transaction process for deposits and reservation of properties.

-*- Panamanian immigration law has one of the best retirement programs in the world, which will allow you to become a “resident” in less than two months. This program offers several incentives as the possibility to import goods and personal values into your new properties free of import duties, as well as motor vehicles also free of import duties.

-*- An outstanding service, utilities and infrastructure system for properties, such as: high speed Internet (there are five of the main Internet interconnection Networks crossing through Panama), Cable and Satellite TV, public potable water, wide range of telephony offer, fixed and cellular.

-*- The opportunity to buy extreme luxury apartments with ample spaces to a price amazingly low compare with apartments of the same quality in USA and Europe.

-*- The opportunity to acquire properties exempt to the 0% of property taxes for a period of 5, 10, 15 and even 20 years (depending on the date of construction’s commencement).

-*- A vast variety of companies and bilingual professionals involved in the real estate market.

-*- If you are a businessman, Panamanian law has fiscal benefits to constructors and promoters that start real estate projects in the country.

Additionally, there are other advantages to take into consideration that even when you are not directly involved in the real estate business, they can become helpful at the moment of taking the decision of buying a property:

-*- Panama has been acknowledge for companies as Pinkerton Intelligence Agency as a high standard security country in contrast with the current situation in neighboring countries.

-*- You can hire house keeping services for a low cost (around US$ 150.00 per month)

-*- Up-to-date high standard technology available.
-*- The opportunity to acquire products from all over the world in the Colon Free Zone, due to the noticeable position of the Panama Canal and the transit of over 14,000 ships per year.

-*- The conditions of Panamanian taxation law allow the tax payer not to pay taxes on bank interests or even income taxes when the service and/or business are performed abroad.

-*- An exceptional geographic position to perform international commercial transactions, with fast access to the Pacific Ocean as well as to the Atlantic.

-*- Panama has a low-risk profile in regards to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and hurricanes.

These are some of the many advantages that Panama can offer if you decide to acquire a property in our country, whether it is to invest or simply to relocate and enjoy life.

Which are the most attractive places to buy properties?

To better answer this question, we have to divide our answer in four groups: Panama City, the mountains, the Pacific shore and the Atlantic shore.

Panama City

The main seaside view luxury condos are found in Panama City, distributed as follows: Balboa Avenue, Punta Pacifica and Costa del Este. The region known as “Avenida Balboa” has become the icon of real estate development in Panama. The reason for this is due to the current construction of luxury residential apartment towers with an outstanding architecture with a height of over 100 stories, to be concluded in the year 2009. Balboa Avenue offers quick access to the whole city, the banking area, as well as to the main avenues, given that it is the coast boulevard. One hundred meters away from this area you will find restaurants, bars, hotels and several facilities. European promoters, American and South Americans have foreseen the real estate potential in this area, equivalent to condos phenomenon occurred in Miami during the eighties. “Punta Pacifica” area was developed over the old City airport (for the reason that it was next to the pacific coast and inside the city). This region was designed specially to provide an answer to the upcoming real estate demand. The area offers beautiful projects and high standard apartment towers. You will also find in “Punta Pacifica” malls (Multiplaza Pacific), Hospitals (John Hopkins Hospital), corporate buildings and access to highways (Corredor Sur) which will grant you fast access to the international airport in 15 minutes. Is also in this sector where the Trump Organization and K Group will raise their promoted real estate project. Another of the desired areas for foreigners is Costa del Este.

The “other city” as is referred to was also conceived and designed for the development of apartment buildings and closed residential communities. It is the perfect place for a foreigner to completely relocate in Panama. This region has it all schools, malls, wide avenues; this sector offers several real estates with a gorgeous view to the sea or to the city, located five minutes away from the city and only ten from the international airport. It also important to stress out that this luxury tower’s development is not circumscribed to these few areas. There are also urban projects in the region of Punta Paitilla, Coco del Mar and San Francisco (all of them in front of the sea), as well as beautiful developed residential areas in the surroundings of the Panama Canal, such as Albrook, Clayton and Quarry Heights.

The Mountains

Gorgeous mountain projects with cool, fresh weather from 18Cº to 20Cº (64ºF to 68ºF) have been developed in the provinces of Panama, Cocle and Chiriqui. In the province of Panama, the most representative mountain project is found in the region of Sora, 75 minutes away from the City and known as “Altos del Maria”. This project consists of a well-organized foreigner’s community with utilities and spectacular landscapes. Another region of urban development can be found in what is known as “Tierras Altas” (High Lands) located in the province of Chiriqui (Volcan, Boquete and Cerro Punta). Among these places, Boquete has become one of the most relevant real estate centres in the whole country, given that it counts with a wide supply of real estate projects, residential houses in the mountains with amazing landscapes. Boquete has been recognized by specialist in the subject as one of the best places for retirement in the world, fact that has generated in this region the highest concentration of retired foreigners in the country. Finally, in the province of Cocle, you will find the region known as “El Valle”. Located in an extinguished volcano, El Valle offers the perfect weather, rivers, waterfalls and tourist attractions. El Valle is at present taking measures to become one of the most wanted regions in the field of mountain real estate properties, owing to its facilities and infrastructure, as well as to its proximity to Panama City (1hr. 45 mins.)

The Pacific Shore

The supply of lots in front of the sea starts in the pacific coast line of the Province of Panama, and it goes all the way until the mid-country provinces. Most Panamanian high-class families have their beach houses on this sector; due to its proximity to the City (45 minutes). This coast line offers residential areas such as Came, Coronado, Punta Barco, San Carlos, Gorgona, among others. Within these beach residential areas we have to remark the region known as “Coronado”, region which counts with one of the best professional Golf camps in Latin America, pools, beach clubs, equestrian clubs, several restaurants and great supply of houses and apartment buildings in front of the sea. Additionally, further on in the pacific coast line, we can find the region of Playa Blanca. Since the development of the macro hotel project known as “Royal Decameron” in the area, the infrastructure and general surroundings have grow significantly. In Playa Blanca, you will be able to find casinos, swimming pools, restaurants, bars and discotheques, beach clubs and a great variety of real estate projects just right next to the beach. Finally, we should also mention the recent development experienced in the seaside areas the provinces of Los Santos (Pedasi) and Veraguas, such as Playa Arenal, Punta Mala and Playa Venao, among others; which have become the new destiny for many foreigners (mostly Europeans) that are searching for great extensions of lands in front of the sea.

The Caribbean Shore

In this area, we can find a similar supply of real estate properties to the one found in the pacific coastline of the mid-country provinces. There are several properties in front of the sea, as well as vast extensions of hectares next to the beach. This region is located two hours away from Panama City and it offers the option to buy in the well-known Colon Free Zone. On the west side of the country, you will find in the Caribbean coastline, the spectacular region of Bocas del Toro, where properties next of the sea or in the middle of an island are simply astounding. A great variety of international real estate companies have started projects in the crystal clear waters of Bocas del Toro. Bocas is one of the most known tourist destinies in Panama, located only 1hr and 45 minutes away by plane. It offers an amazing night life, restaurant, hotels and tours around the different islands of the area. Bocas del Toro coastline has become the most wanted real estate choice for retired or pensioned foreigners in the Caribbean. Among the best areas of Bocas del Toro you can find Isla Colon, Boca del Drago, Red Frog Beach and Playa Larga. The residential project known as Red Frog is of renowned reputation in the international spheres, given that it offers an incredible exclusively designed development for foreigners in one of the most beautiful islands in Bocas del Toro, Bastimento’s Island. The project has marine clubs, restaurants, houses and a dazzling infrastructure.

Islands

The most notorious group of islands is found in Bocas del Toro, given that, as we already mentioned it offers a wide variety of real estate projects in the Caribbean, scenario of several TV series broadcasted around the world. The most important islands of the archipelago are: Isla Colon, Isla Bastimentos, Isla Solarte, Isla Cristobal, Isla Popa and Isla Zapatilla. Likewise, we can found several small independent islands for private projects. Bocas’ islands counts with an astonishing ecosystem for scuba diving, marine activities and bird watching. Another group of islands that is raising popularity is the real estate market found in the archipelago of Mosquito’s Gulf, in front of the pacific coastline of the province of Chiriqui. This Gulf has been granted by the Panamanian government the title of Ecological Reserve, as a consequence of the great diversity of marine fauna found in the area. Most of the islands have registered real estate titles, which allow its prompt buying. The surroundings of these islands are famous for being one of the best places in the world for Black Marlin fishing. The Pearl Islands are located within the Gulf of Panama, three hours away from the city in the open sea, offering a group of more than 35 beautiful islands with spectacular landscapes, surrounded by coral reefs and vast vegetation. The beauty of this area attracted the production team of the popular reality show “Survivor”, who has filmed several times in this region. Finally, you will find the island of “Coiba” in the Pacific Ocean, formerly a prison already abolished and currently a National Park. The main island and its small islands such as Isla Iguana have become in top destinies for scuba diving and water sports.

What should I and should not do when buying a property in Panama?

As a final tip, we will recommend you some practical advises in case you decide to buy a property in Panama:

Recommendation # 1 : You can visit the projects on your own, but it is advisable to be assisted by a professional who could properly introduce you to the promoters, avoiding the pointless increase on the price.

Recommendation # 2 : If you are not fluent in Spanish, you should ask the promoter to get you the contract both, in Spanish and in your native language, for all legal transactions to be performed.

Recommendation # 3 : Once you reserve your property, immediately ask for a receipt and the signature of the Promissory Purchase-Sale agreement.

Recommendation # 4 : Once you have signed this agreement, double-check the deadlines for the subsequent down payments of your property. If you miss one of these, you are exposed to lose the money already paid to the promoter.

Recommendation # 5: Try to take a quick decision on acquiring the property; given that once you reserve it, the price is then frozen. Due to the current demand in the market, prices on apartments rise at a monthly rate.

Recommendation # 6: Once you reserve your property, look for the professional advice of lawyers or real estate brokers, in order to verify all documentation and contracts are due to the procedure of registration.

Recommendation # 7: Think about the possibility of acquiring your property through a Panamanian corporation. They are of fast incorporation, considerably cheap and easy to manage. Using a corporation to acquire a property in Panama will ease a future transfer of it, if that’s the case.

If you need any other assistance in acquiring a property in Panama, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Prepared by: Mr. Heriberto Estribi Ch. - Attorney

Translated by: Mr. Emilio Cornejo V. - Attorney

Please contact: Mr. Emilio Cornejo

[mailto:cornejo@compuservice.net]cornejo@compuservice.net

Phone +507 302-7491 or +507 302-7492

Fax + 507 214-9945 http://www.melafi.com

M&E Attorneys

Lawyers and Authorized Real Estate Brokers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heriberto_Estribi http://EzineArticles.com/?Report:-The-Real-Estate-Market-In-Panama&id=437760

Top 7 Mistakes Rookie Real Estate Agents Make

2009-08-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

Top 7 Mistakes Rookie Real Estate Agents Make
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Eric_Bramlett]Eric Bramlett

Every time I talk to someone about my business and career, it always comes up that “they’ve thought about getting into real estate” or know someone who has. With so many people thinking about getting into real estate, and getting into real estate – why aren’t there more successful Realtors in the world? Well, there’s only so much business to go around, so there can only be so many Real Estate Agents in the world. I feel, however, that the inherent nature of the business, and how different it is from traditional careers, makes it difficult for the average person to successfully make the transition into the Real Estate Business. As a Broker, I see many new agents make their way into my office – for an interview, and sometimes to begin their careers. New Real Estate Agents bring a lot of great qualities to the table – lots of energy and ambition – but they also make a lot of common mistakes. Here are the 7 top mistakes rookie Real Estate Agents Make.

1) No Business Plan or Business Strategy

So many new agents put all their emphasis on which Real Estate Brokerage they will join when their shiny new license comes in the mail. Why? Because most new Real Estate Agents have never been in business for themselves – they’ve only worked as employees. They, mistakenly, believe that getting into the Real Estate business is “getting a new job.” What they’re missing is that they’re about to go into business for themselves. If you’ve ever opened the doors to ANY business, you know that one of the key ingredients is your business plan. Your business plan helps you define where you’re going, how you’re getting there, and what it’s going to take for you to make your real estate business a success. Here are the essentials of any good business plan:

A) Goals - What do you want? Make them clear, concise, measurable, and achievable.

B) Services You Provide - you don't want to be the "jack of all trades & master of none" - choose residential or commercial, buyers/sellers/renters, and what area(s) you want to specialize in. New residential real estate agents tend to have the most success with buyers/renters and then move on to listing homes after they've completed a few transactions.

C) Market - who are you marketing yourself to?

D) Budget - consider yourself "new real estate agent, inc." and write down EVERY expense that you have - gas, groceries, cell phone, etc... Then write down the new expenses you're taking on - board dues, increased gas, increased cell usage, marketing (very important), etc...

E) Funding - how are you going to pay for your budget w/ no income for the first (at least) 60 days? With the goals you've set for yourself, when will you break even?

F) Marketing Plan - how are you going to get the word out about your services? The MOST effective way to market yourself is to your own sphere of influence (people you know). Make sure you do so effectively and systematically.

2) Not Using the Best Possible Closing Team

They say the greatest businesspeople surround themselves with people that are smarter than themselves. It takes a pretty big team to close a transaction – Buyer’s Agent, Listing Agent, Lender, Insurance Agent, Title Officer, Inspector, Appraiser, and sometimes more! As a Real Estate Agent, you are in the position to refer your client to whoever you choose, and you should make sure that anyone you refer in will be an asset to the transaction, not someone who will bring you more headache. And the closing team you refer in, or “put your name to,” are there to make you shine! When they perform well, you get to take part of the credit because you referred them into the transaction.

The deadliest duo out there is the New Real Estate Agent & New Mortgage Broker. They get together and decide that, through their combined marketing efforts, they can take over the world! They’re both focusing on the right part of their business – marketing – but they’re doing each other no favors by choosing to give each other business. If you refer in a bad insurance agent, it might cause a minor hiccup in the transaction – you make a simple phone call and a new agent can bind the property in less than an hour. However, because it typically takes at least two weeks to close a loan, if you use an inexperienced lender, the result can be disastrous! You may find yourself in a position of “begging for a contract extension,” or worse, being denied a contract extension.

A good closing team will typically know more than their role in the transaction. Due to this, you can turn to them with questions, and they will step in (quietly) when they see a potential mistake – because they want to help you, and in return receive more of your business. Using good, experienced players for your closing team will help you infinitely in conducting business worthy of MORE business…and best of all, it’s free!

3) Not Arming Themselves with the Necessary Tools

Getting started as a Real Estate Agent is expensive. In Texas, the license alone is an investment that will cost between $700 and $900 (not taking into account the amount of time you’ll invest.) However, you’ll run into even more expenses when you go to arm yourself with the necessary tools of the trade. And don’t fool yourself – they are necessary – because your competitors are definitely using every tool to help THEM.

A) MLS Access is probably the most expensive necessity you’re going to run into. Joining your local (and state & national, by default) Board of Realtors will allow you to pay for MLS access, and in Austin, Texas, will run around $1000. However, don’t skimp in this area. Getting MLS access is one of the most important things you can do. It’s what differentiates us from your average salesman – we don’t sell homes, we present any of the homes that we have available. With MLS Access, you will have 99% of the homes for sale in your area available to present to your clients.

B) Mobile Phone w/ a Beefy Plan – These days, everyone has a cell phone. But not everyone has a plan that will facilitate the level of use that Real Estate Agents need. Plan on getting at least 2000 minutes per month. You want, and need, to be available to your clients 24/7 – not just nights and weekends.

C) Computer (Preferably a Laptop) – There’s no way around it, you have to have a computer & be savvy enough to use email. You would be wise to invest in some business management software, as well. If you’d like to save some money (and who wouldn’t) then you can get the client & email management software Thunderbird from www.mozilla.com and you can get a free office suite from www.openoffice.org The only downside to these programs is that they do not sync with your PDA or Smart Phone. A Laptop is a BIG plus because you’ll be able to work from home or on the go. New Real Estate Agents are often surprised by just how much time they spend AWAY from the office, and a laptop helps you stay on top of your work while on the go.

D) Real Estate Friendly Car – You don’t have to have a Lexus, but your Miata won’t do the trick. Make sure that you have a 4 door car or SUV that is comfortable and presentable. Keep it clean, and for God’s sake, don’t smoke in it! You’re going to spend a LOT of time in your car, and put a lot of miles on it, so if it’s fuel efficient, it’s a BIG plus. If you’re driving a sporty convertible, or still have your KILLER Jeep from college, it’s time to trade it in.

4) Lack of Proper Funding

If you’ve taken the time to create your business plan, than you should definitely have your budget, but I can’t stress enough the importance of having and following your budget. However, the budget alone doesn’t address the important aspect of funding. 90% of all small businesses fail due to lack of funding. Typically, new agents will want to have 3 months of reserves in savings before taking the leap into full time agency. However, money in the bank isn’t the only way to answer the question of funding. Maybe your partner can support you for a certain period of time. You can keep a part-time job that won’t interfere with your business as a Real Estate Agent. Many successful waiters make the transition to successful real estate agents with no money in the bank. When you start your new business, don’t expect to earn any income for, at the least, 60 days.

5) Refusing to Spend Money on Marketing

Most new Real Estate Agents don’t realize that the hardest part of the business is finding the business. Furthermore, they’ve just shelled out around $2000 for their license and board dues, so the LAST thing they want to do is to spend more money! Again, the problem lies in the lack of understanding that you’ve just jumped into the Real Estate Business, you haven’t taken a new job. And any good businessperson will tell you that how much business you GET is directly correlative to how much you SPEND on marketing. If you choose the right brokerage, then you will get some good inbound leads. However, don’t neglect a good, personal marketing campaign from the beginning to get your own name out as the Real Estate Agent to go to.

6) Not Focusing Their Marketing Efforts in the Most Effective Areas

One reason why many new Real Estate Agents who do begin spending money on personal marketing stop is because they spend it in the wrong place. The easiest place, and where conventional Real Estate tells you to spend your money, is in conventional print marketing – the newspaper, real estate magazines, etc… This is the most visible place to see real estate advertising, it’s where large offices spend a good part of their money, and so many new agents mistakenly spend their money here. This becomes very frustrating to new agents because of its low return. Large brokerages can afford to spend their money here because they’re filling two needs – they’re marketing their own properties for sale while creating new buyer traffic for their buyer’s agents. New Real Estate Agents should look to their own sphere of influence and referral marketing to see the most effective return on their investment. An agent can spend as little as $100/month marketing to their family, friends, and colleagues and see an incredible return. There are many great referral systems around that all focus on the same premise – that if you consistently market yourself to your sphere of influence as the Real Estate Agent to go to – then you will get more business. The key is to pick a system and to follow that system. You will see results.

7) Choosing the Wrong Brokerage for the Wrong Reasons

New Real Estate Agents choose their new broker for a variety of reasons – they have a good reputation, they offer the most competitive split, the office is close to their house, etc… While these alone aren’t bad reasons to choose a broker, they aren’t going to do a lot to help you in your success. The #1 reason to choose a broker, and the question to ask is, “What do you offer your new agents.” If the answer is, “The most competitive split in town” you should definitely keep looking. Remember, 100% of $0 is still $0. If you’re leaning towards the largest broker in town, who has a great reputation, remember this: You’re starting a BUSINESS not a JOB. While it might be fantastic to brag to your friends about landing a job at a prestigious company, it’s no accomplishment to hang your license on the same wall in the same office as other successful agents.

Your #1 concern when interviewing new Brokers is what they offer you as a new agent. Do they have incoming leads? What does their training program consist of? What’s their retention level? What’s their average sales price? Do they encourage their agents to promote themselves? A Broker’s purpose is to help new agents start successful careers and to help established Agents progress their careers to the next level. As a new agent, concern yourself less with commission split or agency name and more with specific programs and agency standards.

A new career in Real Estate is very exciting. Starting a Real Estate business provides the new Agent with opportunities for limitless potential and freedom. New Agents have a notoriously high failure rate, however, so a new Real Estate career can also be a very scary prospect. However, if you avoid the 7 Top Mistakes Rookie Real Estate Agents Make, then you’ll be far ahead of the competition!

Eric Bramlett is the Broker and co-owner of One Source Realty in Austin Texas. He has seen considerable success in real estate, and looks forward to many more years in the business. Eric currently invests, renovates, and develops real estate in the Greater Austin Texas Market. He spends his time working with select clients, helps his new agents get started in their real estate careers, helps his experienced agents progress their careers to the next level, & when he has time…he takes his dogs to the lake. Visit Eric’s [http://www.ericbramlett.com]Austin Texas Real Estate Guide & visit his [http://www.onesourceaustin.com]Austin Texas Real Estate company’s website. [http://www.onesourcemetro.com]Austin Condos

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Bramlett http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-7-Mistakes-Rookie-Real-Estate-Agents-Make&id=363842

So You Think You Want To Sell Real Estate?

2009-08-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

So You Think You Want To Sell Real Estate?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kimberle_Balsman]Kimberle Balsman

The business of buying and selling real estate can be quite lucrative. The lure of high commissions is certainly enticing, and leads aspiring real estate entrepreneurs to believe that it’s easy to make a lot of money in real estate. Yet, the reality of selling real estate is very different.

The truth is that more than 80% of real estate commissions are earned by less than 20% of real estate agents. Furthermore, nearly 80% of all new real estate agents fail. These statistics are certainly discouraging and usually enough to give most people pause. Nevertheless, the excessive appreciation of home values over the past several years drove many vacillating individuals to take the risky plunge into real estate, hopeful that they, too, would rake in thousands of dollars in commissions in the booming real estate market. Then, the market started to cool, a natural fluctuation in the cyclical real estate market.

I’ve heard it said that the hardest part about a career in real estate is passing the real estate exam. I would have to respectfully disagree. The real estate business is a 24/7 enterprise. Thus, the only way to truly succeed in real estate is to eat, sleep, breathe and live real estate. As far as I am concerned, sacrificing your family, friends and personal interests is by far the hardest part about a career in real estate.

In the grand scheme of things, I spent a miniscule amount of time pursuing a career in real estate. I found, after little more than a year, that I simply did not want to devote my entire existence to real estate sales and promptly redirected my efforts elsewhere. My Aunt learned the same lesson in approximately the same amount of time. I would be remiss, however, if I did not play devil’s advocate and share with you that those few persistent and committed individuals who resisted the temptations of everyday life have, indeed, made and continue to make a substantial income from real estate.

So, if you are convinced that a career in real estate is your destiny, consider the following facts before you make the leap.

A real estate career requires a significant investment in money, as well as time. Regardless of your state of residence, the real estate commission will require you to pay fees to take the real estate exam. But, before you can even take the exam, you will be required to take a real estate course designed to prepare you for the exam and your career. (Note: not all states require the course, though most do). The cost of the course varies, but averages approximately $250. The exam usually costs in the neighborhood of $100, which varies by state. Thereafter, assuming you pass the exam, you must pay a licensing fee for your state’s licensing authority to issue your license to you. Once you become licensed, you will usually be required by your hiring broker to join your local association of Realtors. I paid in excess of $400 annually to join. Depending on the agency you work for, you may have to pay licensee or agency fees, which are usually a few hundred dollars. In order to get started marketing yourself as an agent, you must have business cards (upwards from $75 for a starter box) and other marketing devices (car magnets, listing signs, mass mailings, etc). Remember, too, that this is the Internet age. Therefore, a computer is essential. Most agents I worked with, myself included, used laptops. Some invested in desktop systems that, of course, had to be left in the real estate office.

After all of the initial start-up costs, there are ongoing expenses like self-promotion marketing and fuel. Right now, with gas prices as high as they are, I doubt struggling agents can scarcely get ahead. I once spent an entire day touring more than 14 homes with a potential buyer who expressed urgency in finding a new home and claimed to have cash readily available for the purchase. Despite all my efforts, he went home to “think about” the homes I had shown him, and I never heard from him again. I traveled several hundred miles that day alone. After being skunked several times, I finally landed my first listing and closed it in relatively short order. At last, I had a commission check. And, just like a teenager who earned her first paycheck and wondered who the devil FICA was, I looked over all the agency deductions and realized just how small my checks would be relative to all the hard work I had to put into each transaction.

All things considered, I was mildly successful as a new agent. I grossed more than $2 million in sales in my first few months. Sadly, however, after spending more than a year preparing for and developing my real estate career, my earnings from those sales yielded me income of little more than $11,000. Once I deducted all of my expenses for that same year, I netted very little income. Such is the life of a real estate agent.

It’s important to note, however, that each agency has its own fee and commission schedule. Some realty companies are required to deduct a franchise fee that is passed on to the franchisor (i.e. Century 21, Coldwell Banker, RE/MAX, etc.). In addition to franchise fees, some agencies keep as much as 50% of its agents’ commissions, plus a fee for malpractice insurance coverage, ostensibly in exchange for valuable services and paid marketing. Other agencies keep very little of your commissions but require its agents to pay all of their own marketing and office expenses, including desk rental fees (which can exceed $2000 a month in some areas).

Unlike other business enterprises, the amount of time, effort and money you pour into your business does not directly correlate to income earned. As I mentioned above, an agent can spend many weeks or months with a buyer showing property and working with lenders to qualify that buyer for a home loan. Sometimes the buyer will finally complete a transaction. Sometimes he will not. Likewise, agents regularly spend months showing their listed properties to prospective buyers and searching for other qualified and interested buyers. In the end, a sale may close or the seller may decide to terminate the listing and, perhaps, list again with another agent. So, a new agent must learn the valuable lesson to never count on any commission until the transaction has completely closed. Things can and do go wrong, often at the closing table. Unfortunately, some of my fellow agents, anticipating a closing, would make purchases against the uncollected commissions, which occasionally resulted in a serious financial crises for that agent.

One final word of caution for would-be real estate agents – real estate litigation is on the rise. I know of several very good agents who became unwitting defendants through no real fault of their own. Rather, dissatisfied or remorseful buyers elected to target their agents instead of admitting their own carelessness or haste in buying a questionable property. That is not to say that some agents are not justifiable defendants. Indeed, there are an abundance of disreputable agents who methodically deceive their clients to ensure a commission. The deplorable fact is that lawsuits follow deep pockets. Real estate agents are generally considered to be wealthy, though this is certainly not applicable to all agents. Therefore, they are becoming more frequent targets for both legitimate and frivolous legal actions.

As with any career, there are rewards as well as drawbacks. Real estate agents are nearly always classified as independent contractors, which affords them greater autonomy and control over the direction of their business than ordinary employee-employer relationships. For many, that single advantage is sufficient to offset the drawbacks of a demanding real estate career.

I hope I have offered an enlightened view into some of the realities of real estate sales as a career choice. Though a career in real estate sales certainly does not appeal to everyone, some agents I know wouldn’t have it any other way.

Kim Balsman, a former licensed Century 21 agent and Realtor, grossed more than $2 million in sales in her first few months as a Realtor. Upon moving to Colorado, Kim gave up her successful, albeit brief, real estate career to pursue her true passion, photography. Kim's diverse background includes real estate, law, interior design, photography and writing. Kim now devotes all of her time to writing and photography. She owns Balsman Photography, LLC, a small, professional studio in Colorado's Front Range. Kim and her husband, Bob, have two teenage children and enjoy all the many aspects of living in Colorado.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimberle_Balsman http://EzineArticles.com/?So-You-Think-You-Want-To-Sell-Real-Estate?&id=239921

7 Simple Steps To Real Estate Investing

2009-08-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

7 Simple Steps To Real Estate Investing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Heather_Seitz]Heather Seitz

Whether you are BRAND NEW to real estate investing or an expert in the game, it’s critical that you understand these 7 Simple Steps to real estate investing.

First things first…

• Real Estate is NOT a get rich quick scheme. However, if you learn the foundations and put them into practice, you will make more than enough money to realize any and all of your dreams and goals.

• The real estate bubble is not going to burst! The real estate market will, however, shift and the real estate market will change – just as it always has! What’s “hot” now may turn ice cold in the next 3 years (or perhaps even 3 months). But, there are ways to “bubble proof” your real estate investments. It’s actually quite simple.

Did you know that in the United States, in 1975, the median home price was $33,300? In 2005, the median home price was $195,000. Historically, the average home doubled every 7 years. If you do the math, it should be well over $200,000.

OK… Now, having said that… The real estate market WILL change and what is “working” today in real estate may not in the future… The rental market was strong a decade ago, but has been soft in recent years. We are getting ready for a turn once again.

Real Estate IS a cycle… and cycles have some degree of predictability. With predictability, you can grow your real estate business into a cash-producing, profit-pulling machine that runs itself WITH the changing real estate market trends. It is still possible to make money in real estate. In fact, now is just as good a time as any to get started in real estate investing.

But, you’ve got to make wise investments. Sure, you may make some SERIOUS cash in pre-construction, but what happens if (no, not if – when) the market shifts and there are suddenly 35 identical properties on the market for sale in the same building? How long can you afford to carry a negative cash flow on the property?

Or how about taking over property ‘subject to’? Sure, it’s a great strategy and lenders may be inclined to turn the other way and not exercise the “due on sale” clause as long as the interest rates are at rock bottom prices (You know, those sellers that you’re usually taking property subject to from usually don’t have the lowest interest rates, right?) If the interest rates spike to 10-11%, don’t you think lenders might be MUCH MORE inclined to exercise their option to make you pay off the 6.5% note?

What this means is simply that you must be experienced in the basics – the tried and true techniques, strategies and systems that have worked in the past, are STILL working and will work in the future. You’ve got to have all the tools in your bag so that you can go with the flow and not be affected when real estate markets begin to shift (which they are already in the process of doing, in case you’ve missed that memo! ;-)

Step #1 - Set your plan: Figure out what your long term real estate goals are (aka retirement and wealth building) and figure out what your short term needs are with regard to making money in real estate. Then, set up the proper entities and put the plan in place.

Step #2 - Determine what your target market will be: You cannot be all things to all real estate markets. If foreclosures appeal to you, start investing in the foreclosure market. If you want to be a landlord, look to out of state owners to focus your real estate marketing efforts.

Step #3 - Be consistent and persistent: Real Estate is not a get rich quick scheme. Real Estate is get wealthy over time and put some quick cash in your pocket today. You’ve got to follow your plan and stick with it to see real results in real estate. You’ve also got to continue to increase your education and your experience.

Step 4 - Don’t fall into the “Analysis Paralysis”: Learn to analyze properties quickly. Don’t get caught up overthinking. It’s quite simple actually: What’s the property worth? What does the property need for repairs? And how much can you get the property for? It all comes down to numbers!

Step 5 - Become a master of finance!: Real estate is the business of marketing and finance. You must learn about mortgages and interest rates and loan programs that are out there. You must know how to use finance to negotiate your deals and to sell your properties.

Step #6 - Become a skilled problem solver: The reason you will get real estate deals that others don’t, is because you are able to solve people’s problems. Anything goes on the real estate playing field. You’ve got to be ready!

Step #7 - You must continue your education: It is important that you are always investing in your education and learning new tactics, strategies and tips that will help you make more in real estate.

If you enjoyed this article, make sure to look up the other articles discussing The 7 Simple Steps To Making Money on Real Estate. The next article discusses Step #1 – set your plan in further detail!

The Next Level Institute is dedicated to helping real estate investors – whether a brand new or a seasoned investor – become more successful with less effort. Get your free 4-part mini-course on finding deals AND learn the 7 keys to sucking in the deals faster than a “Hoover” vacuum! Get your free e-book at: http://www.7steprealestate.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heather_Seitz http://EzineArticles.com/?7-Simple-Steps-To-Real-Estate-Investing&id=124311

3 Of The Top 9 Reasons That The Real Estate Bubble Is Bursting

2009-08-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

3 Of The Top 9 Reasons That The Real Estate Bubble Is Bursting
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Louis_Hill]Louis Hill

If you own real estate or are thinking of buying real estate then you better pay attention, because this could be the most important message you receive this year regarding real estate and your financial future.

The last five years have seen explosive growth in the real estate market and as a result many people believe that real estate is the safest investment you can make. Well, that is no longer true. Rapidly increasing real estate prices have caused the real estate market to be at price levels never before seen in history when adjusted for inflation! The growing number of people concerned about the real estate bubble means there are less available real estate buyers. Fewer buyers mean that prices are coming down.

On May 4, 2006, Federal Reserve Board Governor Susan Blies stated that "Housing has really sort of peaked". This follows on the heels of the new Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke saying that he was concerned that the "softening" of the real estate market would hurt the economy. And former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan previously described the real estate market as frothy. All of these top financial experts agree that there is already a viable downturn in the market, so clearly there is a need to know the reasons behind this change.

3 of the top 9 reasons that the real estate bubble will burst include:

1. Interest rates are rising - foreclosures are up 72%!

2. First time homebuyers are priced out of the market - the real estate market is a pyramid and the base is crumbling

3. The psychology of the market has changed so that now people are afraid of the bubble bursting - the mania over real estate is over!

The first reason that the real estate bubble is bursting is rising interest rates. Under Alan Greenspan, interest rates were at historic lows from June 2003 to June 2004. These low interest rates allowed people to buy homes that were more expensive then what they could normally afford but at the same monthly cost, essentially creating "free money". However, the time of low interest rates has ended as interest rates have been rising and will continue to rise further. Interest rates must rise to combat inflation, partly due to high gasoline and food costs. Higher interest rates make owning a home more expensive, thus driving existing home values down.

Higher interest rates are also affecting people who bought adjustable mortgages (ARMs). Adjustable mortgages have very low interest rates and low monthly payments for the first two to three years but afterwards the low interest rate disappears and the monthly mortgage payment jumps dramatically. As a result of adjustable mortgage rate resets, home foreclosures for the 1st quarter of 2006 are up 72% over the 1st quarter of 2005.

The foreclosure situation will only worsen as interest rates continue to rise and more adjustable mortgage payments are adjusted to a higher interest rate and higher mortgage payment. Moody's stated that 25% of all outstanding mortgages are coming up for interest rate resets during 2006 and 2007. That is $2 trillion of U.S. mortgage debt! When the payments increase, it will be quite a hit to the pocketbook. A study done by one of the country's largest title insurers concluded that 1.4 million households will face a payment jump of 50% or more once the introductory payment period is over.

The second reason that the real estate bubble is bursting is that new homebuyers are no longer able to buy homes due to high prices and higher interest rates. The real estate market is basically a pyramid scheme and as long as the number of buyers is growing everything is fine. As homes are bought by first time home buyers at the bottom of the pyramid, the new money for that $100,000.00 home goes all the way up the pyramid to the seller and buyer of a $1,000,000.00 home as people sell one home and buy a more expensive home. This double-edged sword of high real estate prices and higher interest rates has priced many new buyers out of the market, and now we are starting to feel the effects on the overall real estate market. Sales are slowing and inventories of homes available for sale are rising quickly. The latest report on the housing market showed new home sales fell 10.5% for February 2006. This is the largest one-month drop in nine years.

The third reason that the real estate bubble is bursting is that the psychology of the real estate market has changed. For the last five years the real estate market has risen dramatically and if you bought real estate you more than likely made money. This positive return for so many investors fueled the market higher as more people saw this and decided to also invest in real estate before they 'missed out'.

The psychology of any bubble market, whether we are talking about the stock market or the real estate market is known as 'herd mentality', where everyone follows the herd. This herd mentality is at the heart of any bubble and it has happened numerous times in the past including during the US stock market bubble of the late 1990's, the Japanese real estate bubble of the 1980's, and even as far back as the US railroad bubble of the 1870's. The herd mentality had completely taken over the real estate market until recently.

The bubble continues to rise as long as there is a "greater fool" to buy at a higher price. As there are less and less "greater fools" available or willing to buy homes, the mania disappears. When the hysteria passes, the excessive inventory that was built during the boom time causes prices to plummet. This is true for all three of the historical bubbles mentioned above and many other historical examples. Also of importance to note is that when all three of these historical bubbles burst the US was thrown into recession.

With the changing in mindset related to the real estate market, investors and speculators are getting scared that they will be left holding real estate that will lose money. As a result, not only are they buying less real estate, but they are simultaneously selling their investment properties as well. This is producing huge numbers of homes available for sale on the market at the same time that record new home construction floods the market. These two increasing supply forces, the increasing supply of existing homes for sale coupled with the increasing supply of new homes for sale will further exacerbate the problem and drive all real estate values down.

A recent survey showed that 7 out of 10 people think the real estate bubble will burst before April 2007. This change in the market psychology from 'must own real estate at any cost' to a healthy concern that real estate is overpriced is causing the end of the real estate market boom.

The aftershock of the bubble bursting will be enormous and it will affect the global economy tremendously. Billionaire investor George Soros has said that in 2007 the US will be in recession and I agree with him. I think we will be in a recession because as the real estate bubble bursts, jobs will be lost, Americans will no longer be able to cash out money from their homes, and the entire economy will slow down dramatically thus leading to recession.

In conclusion, the three reasons the real estate bubble is bursting are higher interest rates; first-time buyers being priced out of the market; and the psychology about the real estate market is changing. The recently published eBook "How To Prosper In The Changing Real Estate Market. Protect Yourself From The Bubble Now!" discusses these items in more detail.

Louis Hill, MBA received his Masters In Business Administration from the Chapman School at Florida International University, specializing in Finance. He was one of the top graduates in his class and was one of the few graduates inducted into the Beta Gamma Business Honor Society.

Mr. Hill received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida with a double major in Finance and Risk Management.

For the past several years he has been working in a South Florida commercial real estate lender that specializes in financing real estate developers. Mr. Hill has seen firsthand the challenges and pitfalls that real estate developers are experiencing, and how the real estate market has been deteriorating rapidly. He is also a professional consultant to professional real estate developers and investors.

Previously, he was in management consulting. Additionally, he was a professional trader in the stock market and witnessed the stock market bubble bursting in 2001 and now is concerned about the real estate bubble.

Mr. Hill is very active in many civic groups and charities.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Louis_Hill http://EzineArticles.com/?3-Of-The-Top-9-Reasons-That-The-Real-Estate-Bubble-Is-Bursting&id=192244

Real Estate Property Values - Ranked High

2009-08-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

Real Estate Property Values - Ranked High
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Neguletu_Octavian]Neguletu Octavian

Rob Norquist, a real estate agent admits that Newport Beach is as active as it used to be, with some good record sales. He also agrees with the fact that a property, should never be considered deprecated, and as a seller, you should never give up and use the low end price. It is true that, during a certain period of time, depending on the real estate market, client's desire, real estate auctions, there may be moments when a property's price drops, but not forever.

Other cities such as, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine or Mission Viejo - are considered among other 25 cities as being the ones with the best real estate property values, with average values of $680,000 and more. The national average value in 2007 was $194,300.

However, some property values are based on subjective answers from residents living in a certain home, so the given numbers , and real estate evaluation may be hanging on a wishful thinking instead of a real appreciation . This is where real estate auctions come in picture, to inform potential clients about the property, and the investment possibilities, giving them a clear image of the real estate's worth.

Even though some buildings such as Orange County properties , dropped their values in 2007, but they recovered extremely well after. So this is another reason why as a seller, you should never fear if you observe a temporally value drop, because it is normal from time to time.

For instance, about 81% owners, sellers, agents, trusted in 2007 that their estate property values were over $1 million, against 75% in 2006. So things are for the best and it would appear that most of estate agents have finally understood what this business is really about. It takes a lot of patience and ability to maintain your property's value among top ones on real estate market.
But Norquist, trusts that many Newport Beach arguments are near the mark, sustaining that this city has survived the "housing slump" better than other locations. However, the unexpected surprise attacked more on sales, which he admits that they are on a falling edge right now, but there is still hope for better times.

Newport Beach is very well known for its highest-valued real estate properties in the U.S., being a perfect place for real estate business . It's location and proximity to the water, and the beach front view increase it's real estate value considerably. Auctions in this area are very interesting and those who are interested in real estate business domain should never miss them. You can learn a lot on such events.

Experienced real estate agents or even friends will surely advise you that as a buyer you are very likely to come across many real estate properties in foreclosure having perhaps no equity,being over priced . In such moments, lenders sometimes choose to accept a smaller amount than the initial.So you get in the negotiations process. As a hint, when you realize the over pricing phenomenon, you have to understand that this happens when the real estate agent , or seller is aware of the real estate property's value, and he tries his luck in a raising price. So watch out! The negotiation can become a difficult process especially when reasonable terms are not agreed by both sides: owner and buyer. Negotiations can occur privately or in public, where real estate auctions come in the picture. Of course, a real estate auction is safer and more trustful than a private one. Private negotiations occur especially when the agent is a close friend or relative to buyer's, and because of the friendly environment some details regarding even the real estate transaction may be skipped. So in situations like this be careful.

Even as a friend, for a real estate agent , money comes first, and friendship after. Of course, during such a negotiation, there can be all sort of problems, such as mortgage value, real estate market, all sort of official formalities, conflict of interests in a particular area etc. Moreover, time a very important issue when real estate auctions are involved. As a general rule, and as an advise for a potential buyer, negotiation process should not be extended on a long period of time, because, as I said before, in time, real estate properties drop their values, and the client's interest together with it. In this case, not only does the buyer loose, but the real estate agency as well. Why?Because if a property's value drops, the price must drop as well, if you ever want to sell it again. In this case the under priced phenomenon appears. This is why short sales are preferred. Many Realtors, and clients started using this strategy, because they faced the problem regarding their property's value.So they decided the selling process should not take too long.

Another important issue refers to the well known "acceleration clause" , which is an official word met in any mortgage document, meaning that the lender, after the real estate property is sold, can demand the payment of the remaining balance for the loan. Realtors can provide more information about this contractual right. If this clause is good or bad for a real estate transaction, it is hard to say, because it has its advantages and disadvantages. Buying a real estate property which has already a mortgage loan represents a pretty raised risk. Why? Because first of all, if the mortgage loan was contracted for many years, depending on the interest's rate, and marketplace evolution, you may come to pay the house's price 3 times more. However, if you have experience in monitoring the market place, and find a right moment when every interest's value drops, you could go for it. It's kind of a gambling in this business, and Realtors, or individual real estate agents know it best.

Realtors and real estate agents are here on the real estate market, to help clients understand how they can value their houses, what should they look for when trying to sell or buy a house, how to negotiate, and how to win a real estate transaction. Some may say that buying or selling a real estate property is easy, but the fact is that pricing a house is a very difficult process. Many real estate agents, brokers, have suffered many defeats before their first good business, so do not expect their job to be an easy one.

Unfortunately, a concerning price and sales gains of these past years have determined in many cases quitting the real estate business. Many real estate agents who have seen the future preferred to do something else than real estate business. The credit market is also in a critical position, as many Realtors have observed. Mortgage values are also a result of real estate market position right now. Real estate investors have diminished their participation number to real estate auctions, as a sign they have seen it too.

However, as we all know how media does it, you have to understand that reporters have latched onto these issues, focusing only on its negative effects, and they have succeeded in putting fear in anyone who is interested in real estate business. For more of this business go to http://www.modfind.com my real estate business specialized website.

Neguletu Octavian

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Neguletu_Octavian http://EzineArticles.com/?Real-Estate-Property-Values---Ranked-High&id=1685730

Real Estate Agents and the Internet - How to Buy and Sell Real Estate Today

2009-08-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

Real Estate Agents and the Internet - How to Buy and Sell Real Estate Today
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tyler_Kraemer]Tyler Kraemer

Then and Now

Ten years ago, a search for real estate would have started in the office of a local real estate agent or by just driving around town. At the agent's office, you would spend an afternoon flipping through pages of active property listings from the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS). After choosing properties of interest, you would spend many weeks touring each property until you found the right one. Finding market data to enable you to assess the asking price would take more time and a lot more driving, and you still might not be able to find all of the information you needed to get really comfortable with a fair market value.

Today, most property searches start on the Internet. A quick keyword search on Google by location will likely get you thousands of results. If you spot a property of interest on a real estate web site, you can typically view photos online and maybe even take a virtual tour. You can then check other Web sites, such as the local county assessor, to get an idea of the property's value, see what the current owner paid for the property, check the real estate taxes, get census data, school information, and even check out what shops are within walking distance-all without leaving your house!

While the resources on the Internet are convenient and helpful, using them properly can be a challenge because of the volume of information and the difficulty in verifying its accuracy. At the time of writing, a search of "Denver real estate" returned 2,670,000 Web sites. Even a neighborhood specific search for real estate can easily return thousands of Web sites. With so many resources online how does an investor effectively use them without getting bogged down or winding up with incomplete or bad information? Believe it or not, understanding how the business of real estate works offline makes it easier to understand online real estate information and strategies.

The Business of Real Estate

Real estate is typically bought and sold either through a licensed real estate agent or directly by the owner. The vast majority is bought and sold through real estate brokers. (We use "agent" and "broker" to refer to the same professional.) This is due to their real estate knowledge and experience and, at least historically, their exclusive access to a database of active properties for sale. Access to this database of property listings provided the most efficient way to search for properties.

The MLS (and CIE)

The database of residential, land, and smaller income producing properties (including some commercial properties) is commonly referred to as a multiple listing service (MLS). In most cases, only properties listed by member real estate agents can be added to an MLS. The primary purpose of an MLS is to enable the member real estate agents to make offers of compensation to other member agents if they find a buyer for a property.

This purposes did not include enabling the direct publishing of the MLS information to the public; times change. Today, most MLS information is directly accessible to the public over the Internet in many different forms.

Commercial property listings are also displayed online but aggregated commercial property information is more elusive. Larger MLSs often operate a commercial information exchange (CIE). A CIE is similar to an MLS but the agents adding the listings to the database are not required to offer any specific type of compensation to the other members. Compensation is negotiated outside the CIE.

In most cases, for-sale-by-owner properties cannot be directly added to an MLS and CIE, which are typically maintained by REALTOR associations. The lack of a managed centralized database can make these properties more difficult to locate. Traditionally, these properties are found by driving around or looking for ads in the local newspaper's real estate listings. A more efficient way to locate for-sale-by-owner properties is to search for a for-sale-by-owner Web site in the geographic area.

What is a REALTOR? Sometimes the terms real estate agent and REALTOR are used interchangeably; however, they are not the same. A REALTOR is a licensed real estate agent who is also a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS. REALTORS are required to comply with a strict code of ethics and conduct.

MLS and CIE property listing information was historically only available in hard copy, and as we mentioned, only directly available to real estate agents members of an MLS or CIE. About ten years ago, this valuable property information started to trickle out to the Internet. This trickle is now a flood!

One reason is that most of the 1 million or so REALTORS have Web sites, and most of those Web sites have varying amounts of the local MLS or CIE property information displayed on them. Another reason is that there are many non-real estate agent Web sites that also offer real estate information, including, for-sale-by-owner sites, foreclosure sites, regional and international listing sites, County assessor sites, and valuation and market information sites. The flood of real estate information to the Internet definitely makes the information more accessible but also more confusing and subject to misunderstanding and misuse.

Real Estate Agents

Despite the flood of real estate information on the Internet, most properties are still sold directly through real estate agents listing properties in the local MLS or CIE. However, those property listings do not stay local anymore. By its nature, the Internet is a global marketplace and local MLS and CIE listings are normally disseminated for display on many different Web sites. For example, many go to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS Web site, www.realtor.com, and to the local real estate agent's Web site. In addition, the listing may be displayed on the Web site of a local newspaper. In essence, the Internet is just another form of marketing offered by today's real estate agent, but it has a much broader reach than the old print advertising.

In addition to Internet marketing, listing agents may also help the seller establish a price, hold open houses, keep the seller informed of interested buyers and offers, negotiate the contract and help with closing. When an agent provides all of these services it is referred to as being a full service listing arrangement. While full service listing arrangements are the most common type of listing arrangement, they are not the only option anymore.

Changes in the technology behind the real estate business have caused many agents to change the way they do business. In large part, this is due to the instant access most consumers now have to property listings and other real estate information. In addition, the Internet and other technologies have automated much of the marketing and initial searching process for real estate. For example, consumers can view properties online and make inquires via email. Brokers can use automated programs to send listings to consumers that match their property criteria. So, some agents now limit the services they offer and change their fees accordingly. An agent may offer to advertise the property in the MLS but only provide limited additional services. In the future, some real estate agents may offer services in more of an ala carte fashion.

Because of the volume of real estate information on the Internet, when people hire a real estate agent today they should look at the particular services offered by the agent and the depth of their experience and knowledge in the relevant property sector. It is no longer just about access to property listing information. Buyers and sellers historically found agents by referrals from friends and family. The Internet now provides ways to directly find qualified agents or to research the biography of an agent referred to you offline. One such site, AgentWorld.com, is quickly becoming the LinkedIn or Facebook for real estate agents. On this site an agent can personalize their profile, start a blog, post photos and videos and even create a link to their web site for free. Once unique content is added to their profile page the search engines notice!

Some have argued that the Internet makes REALTORS and the MLS less relevant. We believe this will be false in the long run. It may change the role of the agent but will make knowledgeable, qualified, and professional REALTORS more relevant than ever. In fact, the number of real estate agents has risen significantly in recent years. No wonder, the Internet has made local real estate a global business. Besides, Internet or not, the simple fact remains that the purchase of real property is the largest single purchase most people make in their life (or, for many investors, the largest multiple purchases over a lifetime) and they want expert help. As for the MLS, it remains the most reliable source of real estate listing and sold information available and continues to enable efficient marketing of properties. So, what is the function of all the online real estate information?

Online real estate information is a great research tool for buyers and sellers and a marketing tool for sellers. When used properly, buyers can save time by quickly researching properties and, ultimately, make better investment decisions. Sellers can efficiently research the market and make informed decisions about hiring an agent and marketing their properties online. The next step is to know where to look online for some of the best resources.
Internet Strategies

In the sections that follow, we provide strategies and tips on how to use the Internet to locate properties for sale and research information relevant to your decision to purchase the property. There are many real estate Web sites from which to choose and although we do not mean to endorse any particular Web site, we have found the ones listed here to be good resources in most cases or to be so popular that they need mention. One way to test a Web site's accuracy is to search for information about a property you already own.

Finding Real Estate for Sale

Despite the widely available access to real estate listings, many believe that MLS databases continue to offer the most complete and accurate source of real estate information. Most MLSs now distribute content to other Web sites (primarily operated by real estate agents). An excellent starting point for MLS originated content is the national NAR Web site, realtor.com, which is also the most popular web site for searching real estate listings. Virtually all local and regional MLSs have an agreement with realtor.com to display much of their active listing inventory.

Some local and regional MLS systems also have a publicly accessible Web site. However, to get complete information you will most likely still need to find a qualified local REALTOR. Many local real estate agents will also provide their customers (via email) new listings that are input into the MLS that match their predefined criteria. This can be very helpful to a busy buyer.

There are also many Web sites that display both real estate agent listed and for-sale-by-owner properties. Some of the more popular Web sites include zillow.com and trulia.com. These sites offer other services too. For example, zillow.com is best known for its instantaneous property valuation function and trulia.com for providing historical information. Another source of properties for sale is the state, regional, and local Web sites associated with brokerage companies; for example, remax.com or prudential.com. Search engines like yahoo.com and classified advertising sites like craigslist.com also have a large number of active real estate listings.

One key difference between these sites is how much information you can access anonymously. For example, at trulia.com you can shop anonymously up to a point but then you will need to click through to the agent's Web site for more information. Many new real estate search engines allow you to sift through listings without having to fill out a form. The best strategy is to browse a few of the sites listed above to find geographic areas or price ranges that are interesting. Once you get serious about a property, then that is the time to find a qualified REALTOR of your choice to conduct a complete search in the local MLS.

It also never hurts to search the old-fashioned way by driving through the neighborhoods that interest you. There is no substitute for physically, not virtually, walking the block when you are making a serious investment decision. In this sense, real estate is still a very local business and standing in front of the property can lead to a much different decision than viewing a Web page printout.

Valuing Real Estate

As we mentioned, one of the most popular real estate tools is zillow.com's instant property valuation. Just type in an address and in and you get a property value. It even charts the price ups and downs, and shows the last date sold (including price) and the property taxes. There are other sites that provide similar tools such as housevalues.com and homegain.com. Unfortunately, many people use these estimated values alone to justify sales prices, offers and counteroffers. However, these are only rough estimates based on a formula that incorporates the local county sales information. These estimates can swing wildly over a short period of time and do not appear to always track actual market changes, which are normally more gradual. In addition, these estimates do not automatically take into account property remodels or renovations or other property specific or local changes. This is not to say these sites are not useful. In fact, they are great starting points and can provide a good ball-park value in many cases.

When it comes to getting a more accurate value for a particular property, there are other strategies that are more trustworthy. One is to go directly to your county's Web site. More often than not the county assessor's area of the Web site provides sales and tax information for all properties in the county. If you want to research a particular property or compare sales prices of comparable properties, the local assessor's sites are really helpful. When you visit a county's Web site you are getting information straight from the source. Most counties today publish property information on their Web sites. Many times you cannot only see the price a previous owner paid, but the assessed value, property taxes, and maps. Some county assessors are now adding a market and property valuation tools too.

Given the importance of valuation to investing, we are also going to remind you of the two most important (non-Internet) valuation methods: real estate agents and appraisers. Working with a local REALTOR is an accurate and efficient way to get value information for a property. While one of the primary purposes of the MLS is to market the active property listings of its members, the system also collects sales information for those listings. REALTOR members can pull this sales information and produce comparable market analyses (sometimes called CMAs) that provide an excellent snapshot of a particular property's value for the market in a particular area.

Finally, the most accurate way to value a property is by having a certified appraiser produce an appraisal. An appraiser will typically review both the sold information in the MLS system as well as county information and then analyze the information to produce a valuation for the property based on one or more approved methods of valuation. These methods of valuation can include a comparison of similar properties adjusted for differences between the properties, determine the cost to replace the property, or, with an income producing property, determine a value based on the income generated from the property.

The Neighborhood

There are many ways the Internet can help you get the scoop on a particular neighborhood. For example, census data can be found at census.gov. You can also check out the neighborhood scoop at sites like outside.in or review local blogs. A blog is a Web site where people discuss topics by posting and responding to messages. Start by looking at placeblogger.com and kcnn.org/citymediasites.com for a directory of blogs. Trulia.com has a "Heat Map" that shows how hot or cold each neighborhood is based on prices, sales, or popularity among the sites users.

Schools

When it comes to selling residential property or rental properties that cater to families, the quality of the area school district makes a huge difference. There are many Web sites devoted to school information. Check out greatschools.net or schoolmatters.com. Most local school districts also have their own Web site. These sites contain a variety of information about the public schools and the school district, including its district demographics, test scores, and parent reviews.

Finding the Right Real Estate Agent

A recent addition to the Internet boom in real estate information is Web sites that let real estate agents market their expertise and local knowledge by displaying their professional profiles and socially networking with blogs. You can search to find an agent with a particular expertise, geographic area of specialization, or an agent offering specific services. The web site AgentWorld.com lets users quickly and easily find an agent with the right expertise using keyword searches and clean and simple agent profiles. AgentWorld.com also enables agents to post personalized blogs, photos and videos to help consumers find the best agent for their needs. Plus, many agent profiles include a direct link to the agent's web site where you will likely find the local MLS listings.

Maps and Other Tools

The Internet has made mapping and locating properties much easier. To get an aerial view or satellite image of a property or neighborhood, go to maps.live.com or maps.google.com or visit walkscore.com to see how walk-able a particular property is. These sites can give you an idea of the neighborhood characteristics and the types of entertainment, restaurants, and other facilities that are within walking distance of the property. Maps.Live.com provides a view at an angle so you can see the sides of houses and Maps.Google even gives you a 360 degree street-level view for certain neighborhoods. If you have not tried one of these satellite map Web sites, you really should if only for amusement.

Final Thoughts on Internet Strategies

The Internet is a very effective research and marketing tool for real estate investors but is not a replacement for a knowledgeable experienced real estate professional. The Internet can save you time and money by enabling quick and easy property research and marketing options. Sites like AgentWorld.com also help you efficiently find a REALTOR who fits your buying or selling needs.

Always remember, when it comes to Internet strategies for real estate: More knowledge is better. You need to use the Internet to build your knowledge base on a target property or to find a real estate agent with expertise you need. However, the big caution here is that the Internet should not replace human judgment and perspective, expert advice or physical due diligence-keys to successful investing.

About the Author:

Tyler D. Kraemer is an attorney and nationally published author. His books include The Real Estate Investor's Tax Strategy Guide (2009 Adams Media) and The Complete Guide to Reverse Mortgages (2007 Adams Media). Tyler has been interviewed by publications across the U.S. on real estate, business and Internet related topics. He is also a contributing editor to the web site http://www.agentworld.com

Copyright 2009. Tyler D. Kraemer. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tyler_Kraemer http://EzineArticles.com/?Real-Estate-Agents-and-the-Internet---How-to-Buy-and-Sell-Real-Estate-Today&id=2054322

Reinventing Real Estate, Part 2: Online and Empowered Consumers Are Taking Charge and Paying Less

2009-08-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Reinventing Real Estate, Part 2: Online and Empowered Consumers Are Taking Charge and Paying Less
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Charles_Warnock]Charles Warnock

Demanding consumers

“Internet buyers tend to be better informed on market conditions and better prepared to act on the home they want when they start working with a realtor. Luckily for realtors, these changes don’t necessarily hurt, as long as they are able to adjust to the new relationship and realize that the new-style buyers value speed and efficiency over guidance when finding a home.”

– E-marketer, Internet Home Buyers Changing the House Rules

Thanks to the Internet and other technological innovations, more real estate information is freely available than ever before. As a result, consumers are demanding new choices, improved services, faster transactions and lower prices. According to a recent NAR survey, the number of sellers stating that they didn’t want to pay a sales commission fee rose from 46 percent in 2003 to 61 percent in 2004. In 2004, 23 percent of Florida home sellers opted to sell independently without an agent, up from 14 percent in 2003 and nearly double the 14 percent national average, according to Planet Realtor.

And Web-enabled consumers are demanding a high digital IQ when working with real estate professionals. In addition to being well-versed on their own industry-specific technology, real estate professionals now are expected to utilize laptops, mobile phones, digital cameras, personal digital assistants and global positioning systems to keep pace with Internet buyers and sellers.

Downward pressure

“If consumers are going to do their own home-shopping online, they expect to save some money, just as they would for using the self-service lane. That's why they are susceptible to online discount brokers and the new affinity companies that are promoting lower commissions if only the consumers will use their agents. These business models promote the idea to consumers that they ought to be paying less money in commissions.”

Realty Times Columnist Blanche Evans

Traditional real estate commissions, typically around six percent of a home’s selling price, are facing downward pressure from consumers and competition. Some consumers claim traditional real estate commissions don’t reflect:

- Today’s home prices. Years ago, when median-priced homes sold for $25,000, real estate commissions were typically five percent, or $1,250. Today, with South Florida median home prices around $300,000, the cost of a six percent full-service real estate commission becomes $18,000. Some brokers even charge additional fees to cover administrative costs. When you consider that today’s average homeowner sells a home every five to seven years, real estate commissions can dramatically impact your personal savings and net worth.

- Owner equity. When selling properties, most homeowners calculate the cost of selling as a portion of sales price, though the commissions are paid out of owner equity. (Equity is the difference between the value of your property and amount of mortgages owed.) Consider this example: You decide to sell a property for $250,000 in which you hold 10 percent equity, or $25,000. After paying a six percent commission of $15,000, you are left with $10,000 before any applicable closing costs. In this example, the $15,000 commission is six percent of the selling price, but 60 percent of the $25,000 equity.

- Services performed. Under today’s commission structure, selling a $100,000 house at six percent typically costs $6,000, while selling a $500,000 house costs $30,000. Does selling the more expensive home really require five times more effort? Your cost is the same whether the agent spends one hour or 100 hours marketing your home. This is one reason many real estate consumers find fee-for-service real estate so appealing.
Developing alternatives

“Consumers want what they want, when they want it and will gravitate to the most cost-effective source to obtain it. Why? Because our "one-size-fits-all" approach to working with sellers and buyers is archaic and won't allow consumers to access various segments of help they need in a timely fashion. That's why .com Web start-ups are finding a receptive audience in real estate consumers and why for-sale-by-owners are burgeoning.”

Julie Garton-Good, Author of “Real Estate a la Carte: Selecting the Services You Need, Paying What They’re Worth”

Until recently, you have had few practical alternatives to the traditional full-service, full-commission real estate transaction with a broker. Most sellers paid a single commission fee for a full range of real estate services, whether they needed them or not. Now traditional real estate agencies face the challenge of identifying new services that have value to today’s sophisticated online and empowered consumers.

One result is an “unbundling” of traditional one-size-fits-all real estate services for consumers who want more control over real estate transactions and their associated costs. If you’re willing to take on some tasks traditionally performed by agents and brokers, you could receive lower transaction costs. You might benefit from the following emerging alternatives:

Fee-for-services

“Consumers want assistance from real estate professionals, but don’t want to pay for it in the form of traditional commissions,” says a la Carte real estate Pioneer Julie Garton-Good. Garton-Good has been preaching the fee-for-services gospel for more than 20 years. As the name implies, you can choose which tasks you feel comfortable performing and hire qualified real estate professionals to do the rest. Many traditional real estate brokerages are beginning to offer a more menu-based service plan. For example, you may not mind listing your home and holding open houses, but you may want assistance with contracts and closings.

One-stop shopping

In response to dwindling margins and the rising costs of technology and lead generation, some real estate companies are attempting to combine traditional and Web-based services to provide consumers a single source for all their real estate needs. One-stop shopping sites generally provide or partner with lenders, insurers, title companies, real estate attorneys and others to facilitate all aspects of buying and selling. In addition, some sites are adding home-improvement and related services to stay in touch with consumers between buying and selling transactions.

Web-based discounters

Although many Web-based real estate companies flamed out in the dotcom era, scores of new companies have emerged to take their place. By offering targeted services such as flat-fee MLS listings, buyer rebates and AVM tools, these sites are appealing to independent buyers and sellers who prefer to take a more active role in transactions. In addition to listings, some sites also offer how-to articles and advice for those who choose to go it alone.
Tradition + technology + turbulence = opportunities

So, given the trends, changes and ongoing industry evolution, what can independent buyers, sellers and investors expect in this new era of real estate?

• The Web and other technologies will continue to evolve and transform the $1.3 trillion real-estate industry. Technology will continue to reduce the time, expense and complexity of manual processes, and increasingly sophisticated search and valuation tools will play a more strategic role.

• Free and low-cost real estate resources will continue to be available and even multiply on the Web. In real estate, knowledge truly is power. Consumers will try to use their power to gain more control of the real estate process and subsequently expect to be compensated in the form of reduced and fee-for-service commissions.

• The role of traditional real estate brokerages will evolve as Web-enabled consumers become more knowledgeable. This likely will trigger some restructuring and consolidation of traditional brokerages, but will also drive the development of innovative new practices targeting online and empowered consumers. Real estate professionals will focus more on promoting their local knowledge and industry expertise, while consumers will perform some buying and selling tasks on their own.

• Traditional real estate commissions and profitability levels will continue to face downward pressure from various sources. The future will be profitable for brokerages that are able to extend their core expertise of neighborhood and industry knowledge into flexible new consumer-centric offerings.

• The traditional high-touch, full-service real estate agency is evolving, not disappearing. Real estate professionals who provide exceptional service and value to their customers will always be in demand.

You now can find more real estate knowledge, tools and resources on the Web than ever before, enabling you to buy and sell with increased confidence. For real estate professionals, reinventing the industry means making hard decisions, changing processes and managing new opportunities. But for consumers, reinvention in real estate is a winner, hands-down.

Learn more at www.homekeys.net

Charles Warnock is Marketing Communications Manager at Homexperts in Miami, Florida. Their Web site is http://www.homekeys.net Charles writes frequently on real estate, finance, advertising and marketing communications.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Warnock http://EzineArticles.com/?Reinventing-Real-Estate,-Part-2:-Online-and-Empowered-Consumers-Are-Taking-Charge-and-Paying-Less&id=28539

Real Estate Investing - The Job Escape

2009-08-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

Real Estate Investing - The Job Escape
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dr.Phil_Speer]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/]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]http://www.AAREIT.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr.Phil_Speer http://EzineArticles.com/?Real-Estate-Investing---The-Job-Escape&id=26136

IRA Real Estate Investing When the Going Gets Tough

2009-07-23T04:37:00.000-07:00

IRA Real Estate Investing When the Going Gets Tough
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Peter_Alderton]Peter Alderton

IRA real estate investments are booming in 2008 for soon to be retirees who are worried about their future retirement plans. With the economy looking wobbly, the stock market plunging and the big investment banks going under, with us bailing them out, some traditional forms of retirement investing are starting to look a little sick.

For these reasons IRA real estate investments are increasing. Increasing? Surely not. Along with an economic meltdown, a stock market collapse and all sorts of economic turmoil, isn't the real estate market headed for oblivion as well? Who in their right mind would consider investing their IRA in real estate?

Surely in 2008 real estate is a one way trip to the poorhouse.

No, not quite. Have you ever heard the expression that there is opportunity in adversity? There is plenty of opportunity in real estate right now, if you know where.

But lets look at IRA real estate investing first. How can you invest your IRA in real estate? Is it allowed? Is it legal?

Traditionally the majority of the population invest their IRAs in investments that are promoted to them by their custodian. In fact some custodians limit allowable investments to their own. So, it's estimated, over 90%, in fact around 96% of IRA funds are invested this way. Mutual funds, CDs and stocks, and so on.

No problem if the markets are pushing ever skyward, but quite a problem right now.

But what about IRA real estate investments? Yes it's entirely allowed to invest your IRA in real estate through a self directed IRA. Although this is not widely recognised, IRA real estate investing is one of the best forms of wealth accumulation for retirement. Real estate is a traditional long term wealth accumulation model, and as such is in fact ideal for IRA investing.

If you're not certain about the details of how to set yourself up for IRA real estate investing consult your CPA, that's outside the scope of this article. However take my word for it, it's quite legal, and many canny IRA investors are doing it right now, and have been for a long time. You may need to execute an IRA rollover into a self directed IRA, but the trouble is worth it.

And there's powerful reasons to consider investing your IRA in real estate. Did you know, for example, that it's estimated that 85% of all wealth in the US was created through real estate?

And that through your IRA you can secure up to 70% bank non-recourse financing to invest your IRA retirement funds in income producing real estate?

Its food for thought isn't it?

Now back to the real estate market. After all there's no point in IRA real estate investing if the value of your real estate investment is going down is there?

Although we all hear that the real estate investment market is dreadful this isn't the whole story. PARTS of the real estate market are dreadful, but not ALL of it. It's perfectly possible to find excellent opportunities for investing in the lower priced end of the market. Simple comfortable homes for the working class who live in those faceless suburbs in cities right across America. There are some fantastic IRA real estate investments available in the right place RIGHT NOW.

But if you're looking to get out there and find them yourself then you may be in for a shock. It's not something that is realistic for the individual IRA real estate investor. You need professional help.

Buy in the wrong place and you'll probably get burnt, big time.

But right now there are some excellent opportunities available for securing a great real estate investment, no cash down, at under market value, with tenants supplied, rental guarantees and even a guarantee that you will double your current investment return.

All through a major US public corporation with a reputation for solid real estate investment returns, for both IRA real estate investing and ordinary credit investing in real estate.

Yes you can secure your retirement future through a good IRA real estate investment, or more than one. However it's the time to leave it to those who really know what they're doing in hard times, and you can relax and leave the hard work to someone else.

But which corporation could possibly offer an opportunity like this?

Want to know more about profitable [http://win-winrealestateinvestments.com/ira-real-estate-investing/]IRA Real Estate Investing? Visit Peter's Website Win-Win Real Estate Investments and find out more about no money down real estate investing at http://win-winrealestateinvestments.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Alderton http://EzineArticles.com/?IRA-Real-Estate-Investing-When-the-Going-Gets-Tough&id=1554002

3 Things You Must Do to Succeed at Real Estate Investing

2009-07-23T04:30:00.000-07:00

3 Things You Must Do to Succeed at Real Estate Investing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=James_Kobzeff]James Kobzeff

Here are three simple guidelines that must be followed if you plan to succeed at real estate investing. It's not everything, of course, but at the very least, you must be willing to commit to these things if you want to become a successful real estate investor.

Shall we get stared?

Acknowledge the Basics

Real estate investing involves acquisition, holding, and sale of rights in real property with the expectation of using cash inflows for potential future cash outflows and thereby generating a favorable rate of return on that investment.

More advantageous then stock investments (which usually require more investor equity) real estate investments offer the advantage to leverage a real estate property heavily. In other words, with an investment in real estate, you can use other people's money to magnify your rate of return and control a much larger investment than would be possible otherwise. Moreover, with rental property, you can virtually use other people's money to pay off your loan.

But aside from leverage, real estate investing provides other benefits to investors such as yields from annual after-tax cash flows, equity buildup through appreciation of the asset, and cash flow after tax upon sale. Plus, non-monetary returns such as pride of ownership, the security that you control ownership, and portfolio diversification.

Of course, capital is required, there are risks associated with investing in real estate, and real estate investment property can be management-intensive. Nonetheless, real estate investing is a source of wealth, and that should be enough motivation for us to want to get better at it.

Understand the Elements of Return

Real estate is not purchased, held, or sold on emotion. Real estate investing is not a love affair; it's about a return on investment. As such, prudent real estate investors always consider these four basic elements of return to determine the potential benefits of purchasing, holding on to, or selling an income property investment.

1. Cash Flow - The amount of money that comes in from rents and other income less what goes out for operating expenses and debt service (loan payment) determines a property's cash flow. Furthermore, real estate investing is all about the investment property's cash flow. You're purchasing a rental property's income stream, so be sure that the numbers you rely on later to calculate cash flow are truthful and correct.

2. Appreciation - This is the growth in value of a property over time, or future selling price minus original purchase price. The fundamental truth to understand about appreciation, however, is that real estate investors buy the income stream of investment property. It stands to reason, therefore, that the more income you can sell, the more you can expect your property to be worth. In other words, make a determination about the likelihood of an increase in income and throw it into your decision-making.

3. Loan Amortization - This means a periodic reduction of the loan over time leading to increased equity. Because lenders evaluate rental property based on income stream, when buying multifamily property, present lenders with clear and concise cash flow reports. Properties with income and expenses represented accurately to the lender increase the chances the investor will obtain a favorable financing.

4. Tax Shelter - This signifies a legal way to use real estate investment property to reduce annual or ultimate income taxes. No one-size-fits-all, though, and the prudent real estate investor should check with a tax expert to be sure what the current tax laws are for the investor in any particular year.

Do Your Homework

1. Form the correct attitude. Dispel the thought that investing in rental properties is like buying a home and develop the attitude that real estate investing is business. Look beyond curb appeal, exciting amenities, and desirable floor plans unless they contribute to the income. Focus on the numbers. "Only women are beautiful," an investor once told me. "What are the numbers?"

2. Develop a real estate investment goal with meaningful objectives. Have a plan with stated goals that best frames your investment strategy; it's one of the most important elements of successful investing. What do you want to achieve? By when do you want to achieve it? How much cash are you willing to invest comfortably, and what rate of return are you hoping to generate?

3. Research your market. Understanding as much as possible about the conditions of the real estate market surrounding the rental property you want to purchase is a necessary and prudent approach to real estate investing. Learn about property values, rents, and occupancy rates in your local area. You can turn to a qualified real estate professional or speak with the county tax assessor.

4. Learn the terms and returns and how to compute them. Get familiar with the nuances of real estate investing and learn the terms, formulas, and calculations. There are sites online that provide free information.

5. Consider investing in real estate investment software. Having the ability to create your own rental property analysis gives you more control about how the cash flow numbers are presented and a better understanding about a property's profitability. There are software providers online.

6. Create a relationship with a real estate professional that knows the local real estate market and understands rental property. It won't advance your investment objectives to spend time with an agent unless that person knows about investment property and is adequately prepared to help you correctly procure it. Work with a real estate investment specialist.

There you have it. As concise an insight into real estate investing as I could provide without boring you to death. Just take them to heart with a dash of common sense and you'll do just fine. Here's to your investing success.

About the Author

James Kobzeff is the developer of ProAPOD Real Estate Investment Software Want to start working with rental property today? Discover how to create cash flow, rate of return, and profitability analysis presentations in minutes at =] http://www.proapod.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Kobzeff http://EzineArticles.com/?3-Things-You-Must-Do-to-Succeed-at-Real-Estate-Investing&id=1303880

Real Estate Development - When is the Right Time to Get Started in Property Development?

2009-07-23T04:28:00.000-07:00

Choosing Real Estate Courses

2009-07-23T04:24:00.000-07:00

Choosing Real Estate Courses
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ken_Edwards]Ken Edwards

There is no doubt that one of the most important things that you will need to do
in order to become licensed as a real estate agent is take real estate courses.
However, if you are not sure where you should begin looking for the real estate
courses that you will need or if you are unaware of what ones you will have to
take, then you have come to the right place. Here, we will take a much closer
look at some of the main things that you should take into consideration when it
comes to real estate courses.

The first thing that you are probably interested in learning is where you can
take the real estate courses which you
will need to take as a requirement of becoming a real estate agent. Well, one of
the best places to look is through a local real estate school. You can also
often find real estate courses through your local community college. When all
else fails, you can also try looking at online real estate schools or schools
which offer real estate for the real estate courses that you will need.

Of course, while you can take real estate courses online, if you have the
opportunity to take them through an actual real estate school, this is probably
your best option. While taking courses through the internet may be great for
people who do not have the time to attend class, it can also be more difficult
than taking real estate courses in an actual classroom. The most important thing
that you will need to take into consideration when it comes to choosing the real
estate courses which you will need is choosing an accredited school. Otherwise,
the classes that you take will not be considered valid for meeting the
requirement of real estate education pre-real estate licensing.

In order to determine which real estate courses you need, it is important to
first find out what the requirements of your state are. You should check out the
real estate commission in order to find out what specific requirements your
state has on real estate education. Not only may this be a determining factor of
which real estate courses you will need to take, but it also may determine how
many real estate courses you will need to take.

While you may have been told that you do not need to take any real estate
courses in order to become a real estate agent, the truth is that you do. Every
state has a certain requirement for the real estate courses which you are going
to need to have completed before you can take part in the real estate licensing procedure.

As you can see, there are a number of different things that you will want to
take into consideration when it comes to choosing the real estate courses that
you are going to need. Doing research on which real estate courses are required
for you to take by your state, as well as finding real estate courses offered by
an accredited real estate school or community college is the most important
thing that you will need to do.

Ken Edwards is a writer of real estate articles for http://www.bkkcondos.com - Find [http://www.bkkcondos.com/bangkok-apartments/]Bangkok Apartments & [http://www.bkkcondos.com/bangkok-apartments/]Bangkok Condos in and around Bangkok, Thailand.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Edwards http://EzineArticles.com/?Choosing-Real-Estate-Courses&id=717651

Real Estate Investing - The Three Levels of Success

2009-07-23T04:20:00.000-07:00

Real Estate Investing - The Three Levels of Success
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Heather_Seitz]Heather Seitz

If you are a pro in real estate investing, then you have undoubtedly faced frustration, hit some highs and then crashed into some lows! Ultimately, your goal as a real estate investor is most likely to generate immediate cash flow and long term wealth and increased net worth. True financial success is achieved by combining these two elements - cash flow and wealth creation, or net worth. Cash flow is considered as the monetary profit that is earned every month to support your lifestyle. This can also be used to invest in assets that may later appreciate in value.

Three levels of real estate investors are as follows:

Level one Real Estate Investors - In this level, the investors learn the basic tricks of the real estate investment business, and they use it to make real estate investment a profitable venture. They learn this by making their initial deals profitable. Thus, Level One investors ensure that real estate is the path to economic success. They are aware that there is much to learn from this vast field, and they try to understand it. Real estate investors at this stage should spend time learning the business, evaluating the details of the deals, and make sound decisions. Often times, this will involve some level of training or coaching to ensure success. There are two main reasons why investors fail at this level: (1) Fear and (2) Lack of Knowledge. Because of this, education is critical at this level.

Level Two Real Estate Investors - In this level, the real estate investors master the five core real estate business skills and also maintain a real estate portfolio. Second level Investors are those investors who generate a monthly cashflow ranging anywhere from $5000 to $60,000 per month (depending on location, market conditions, etc.), and also add an average of $250,000 to their net worth per year. Some investors have a wrong notion that after reaching the second level they have achieved it all. They do not realize that there is so much to achieve down the investment line, and that the benefits are worth their exertion. The biggest pitfall that investors at this level tend to fall into is that they get “comfortable”. As soon as you are comfortable, you stop stretching and learning. Level II investors that excel are those that are constantly adding new weapons to their arsenal. These investors practice negotiating tactics, refine their marketing strategies and learn advanced strategies like note buying, triple net lease investing, etc.

Level Three Real Estate Investors – Level III real estate investors build a small fortune in such a way that they earn the majority of their income through passive methods. At this level of real estate, investors are generally not working in the day to day grind of real estate. Their not out meeting with sellers night after night, sitting at open houses on Sundays, etc. They have effectively learned to make their money work for them and are using their assets to acquire other assets. For example, instead of rehabbing houses at this stage, level III investors may lend hard money to Level I and Level II investors! Often times, level three real estate investors will branch out into other businesses and create additional streams of income. Often times, their income may be similar to a level II investor, they just simply don’t put in the same time, money and effort. They have mastered advanced techniques are also utilizing leverage.

In order to become a Level III investor (which is what most real estate investors envision when they get started in the business), there are a few basic steps that will help you move through the stages.

But first off… you must realistically evaluate where you are in your business right now. Once you have determined that, you can follow these steps to advance your business.

Level I to Level II: Level One real estate investing is about learning the basics of real estate investing. There are three hurdles you may need to cross to get to Level II.
Take action: Stop “thinking” about real estate and start “doing” real estate. Pick up the phone and call sellers. Drive different neighborhoods and learn the communities. Attend networking events and trainings with other investors.

Find a mentor: It is critical that you find a real estate mentor, tutor, advisor, etc. that can help you succeed in the early stages. This person will not only teach you the mechanics, but will also help answer your questions and move you past the fear.

Invest in your education: You’ll find that the most successful real estate investors never stop investing in their real estate business and their education. Initially, it may be a tough nut to swallow, but long term, it’s essential to your business. There is but one small caveat. You need to invest in CURRENT education. You see, what worked just a few years ago, is not working the same way today. You need the most up to date information as it comes down the pike!Level II to Level III – Once you’ve gotten the basics down and you’ve done a few deals, you’re ready to advance to level II. At this stage, you will begin to master the core skills that are critical to long term success in your real estate investing business. These include:

Find motivated sellers consistently, keeping your pipeline full with dealsMaster the art of negotiationEvaluate deals quickly and take fast actionDiversify. It’s time to start adding lease options, rentals, wholesale flips and retail flips to your profit pipeline. Level III – It’s time to take all of your knowledge, experience, and proven systems, and leverage yourself. It’s at this stage that you’re ready to venture out into additional streams of income and let your business work for you! This is the level at which most people begin to teach other investors, to create systems, and to make money with their information!

To get to the next level in your business, get your FREE offline – delivered in the mail – industry trends newsletter right now (along with $853.00 in free bonuses) at http://www.realestaterant.net

Heather Seitz works with investors, trainers and promoters all over the country and is the cofounder of the Real Estate Training Academy and the Real Estate Rant, the industry’s premier resource for real estate investors. She’ll teach you how to take your business – wherever you’re at – to the next level in the next 90 days. http://www.realestaterant.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heather_Seitz http://EzineArticles.com/?Real-Estate-Investing---The-Three-Levels-of-Success&id=701193

Commercial Real Estate and Retirement Planning

2009-07-23T04:17:00.000-07:00

Commercial Real Estate and Retirement Planning
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Irving_Diaz]Irving Diaz

We often browse through newspapers, magazines, business journals and
the internet and regardless of how much we try; ignoring the vast array of
retirement planning ads is next to impossible. It seems as though the last
century has given birth to more investment vehicles than any one individual
will ever use in a lifetime. Everything from stocks and bonds to IRA's and
mutual funds are peddled in one form or another. And the number of securities
brokers and financial planners willing to help pave the way for our retirement
success are anything but scarce. What amazes me though is that of the
thousands of retirement planning professionals in the U.S., very few if any
actually recommend real estate to be included in their clients' retirement
portfolios.

Advantages

Let's begin with the advantages of owning what I believe to be the greatest
investment vehicle ever created; Commercial Real Estate. I want to clarify
two important points before proceeding; first, the term commercial real estate
and investment real estate will be used interchangably throughout this article
and second, even though our homes are a potential gold mine in terms of
equity and value, and make up what is more often than not our biggest asset,
it lacks one of the three characteristics that classify it as investment real
estate; Cash Flow (more on this in a moment and assuming that your principal
residence is a Single Family Home). For purposes of this article, I would like
for everyone to create a mindset that even though our home is indeed a very
valuable asset, for retirement purposes, it should be considered icing on the
cake rather than our largest contributor of net worth. The theory being that
should our home ever be sold, a large portion of the proceeds will eventually
have to be reallocated towards the purchase or leasehold of another home.
In other words, we'll still need a roof over our head and therefore the full
receipts of the sale may in many cases not remain fully liquid for retirement
purposes.

With that said, lets analyze the characteristics that make up investment real
estate and more importantly, the investment benefits they provide. There are
four characteristics to consider:

Cash Flow, Tax Shelter, Equity Build-Up, and Value Appreciation.

1.) Cash Flow. As I mentioned earlier, all of the characteristics of investment
real estate are in one form or another inherent in our primary residence
(our home) except for Cash Flow. Assuming that our primary residence is a
Single Family Home with no add-on apartments or studios or mineral rich land,
then for obvious reasons if we are the primary occupants, there is a slim
possibility of receiving cash flow from an additional source such as tenants
residing on the property or an energy company drilling in the back yard.
In investment real estate, Cash Flow refers to the property's periodic receipt
of gross income minus all of its operating expenses. Cash Flow is usually
measured in annual intervals and is classified as either Pre-Tax Cash Flow
or After Tax Cash Flow. The former, Pre-Tax Cash Flow; is the total cash
available after paying for expenses (i.e. management fees, utilities, repairs,
property taxes, insurance, etc.) and mortgage debt (i.e. principal plus interest).
After-Tax Cash Flow; is the total cash remaining after deducting income tax
liabilities from Pre-tax Cash Flow.

2.) Tax Shelter. Inherent in Investment Real Estate is the ability to keep
more of the periodic cash flow from operations through Property Depreciation
and provides a mechanism to build a tax deferred net worth via a 1031 Exchange.
Both of these are mere Tax Shelter examples of how Investment Real Estate can
contribute towards a solid retirement portfolio:

a. Property Depreciation. As a common practice recognized by the
IRS, Property Depreciation is an accounting concept that contributes
towards the deduction of taxable income by recovering the costs of
investment real estate thus improving cash flow. It's important to note
that land does not depreciate; the concept only applies to the value of
the improvements on the land. For example: say we had a multifamily
apartment building with a total assessed value of $500k and of that total
value, 40% would be allocated towards the land and 60% would be
allocated towards the actual building improvement. Based on this
example, only 60% of the value or $300k would be allowed for
depreciation. It's important to note that there are various forms of
depreciation and timelines that apply to each. For reasons of simplicity,
we will not get into the intricacies of each here, however, the important
point to understand is that investment real estate allows for depreciation
which in turn improves cash flow.

b. 1031 Exchange. Section 1031 of the IRS code allows for a seller to
exchange their investment property for another like kind property
without having to pay capital gains taxes on the transaction. The 1031
code in essence, does not exempt the taxes altogether but rather,
defers them. These are specialized transactions which require qualified
intermediaries who are well versed in the 1031 procedure. In the interest
of simplicity, we will not go into an in depth discussion of a 1031 as it
would require a lengthy explanation however, the important point once
again is to understand that investment real estate allows for the growth
of tax deferred net worth until and through retirement. Visit our section
on 1031 Exchanges for more information on this topic.

3.) Equity Build-Up. While investment real estate is sometimes purchased
all cash, more often than not, leverage is the tool of choice. Mortgage Debt
financing makes up the majority of investment real estate financing in the U.S.
A reduction in the mortgage debt occurs periodically, best measured annually
and is covered by a portion of the gross income received from the property's
operation. As the mortgage principal and interest is paid down, the property
begins to build equity; the difference between its accumulating market value
and any outstanding mortgage liabilities. As Equity builds on the property, this
provides an opportunity to re-leverage (or re-finance) and use the newly found
capital to acquire additional investment properties thus expanding the owner's
real estate portfolio.

4.) Value Appreciation. The fourth and probably the most compelling reason
for acquiring investment real estate is the increase in its market value through appreciation.
The economic forces of supply and demand coupled with inflationary trends and property improvements contribute to an everlasting growth in property market value. Real Estate
markets are local vs. regional therefore, an impact in one market may have little or no
effect in another market. This can have either a positive or negative connotation
depending on the type of impact. It's important to point out that historically,
real estate market appreciation has averaged between 3% and 6% growth annually.

Disadvantages

There are two disadvantages inherent in investment real estate; Property
Management and Lack of Liquidity. At first glance they may appear to be
serious impairments but, after closer evaluation, you'll quickly realize that
these two not-so-good attributes are easily remedied.

1.) Property Management. So you're concerned that acquiring commercial
property will require landlord duties. Everything from broken toilets, to loud
music complaints at 3AM gives you the chills, not a problem. My first
suggestion would be to invest in office, retail or industrial property. The toilets
may still need repairing on occasion but the stigma of residential landholding
quickly disappears. Now of course, commercial tenants need TLC too, in fact
they have a business image to upkeep, so they expect the landlord to maintain

a presentable property. If this is still not enough of a remedy to change
your mind about investment real estate, then how about hiring a professional
management firm. Remember earlier in the cash flow section when we cited
the example of the various expenses associated with operating an investment
property. Well in case you missed it, the budget calls for a management fee.
Leave it to the pros! A management company will handle all of your complaints,
maintenance, repairs, and even accounting duties. At the end of the month they
will send you a statement of all income and expenses and a check for the difference,
that's right your cash flow!

2.) Lack of Liquidity. This is my favorite objection. As a real estate broker
I'm always faced with resistance from new investors, especially those who
are securities inclined and tend to argue that in the event they find themselves
in a financial bind, they can easily liquidate their stock portfolio and have cash
on hand within a few days. Here is where I allow for a few seconds of silence
as to allow them a moment of argumentative victory, or so they may think.
I always follow up the silence with this question; Can you ask a bank to lend
you money using your stock portfolio as collateral?. The answer of course is
always No! Stocks are very volatile and no lender in their right mind will accept
a stock portfolio as collateral in exchange for a loan. However, if you are the
proud owner of commercial real estate and found yourself in a financial bind,
and assuming that you have equity in your property, you can approach any
financial institution and borrow funds using your property as collateral.
This loan is tax free until the property is sold or if the loan is repaid then no
taxes will ever be due. Another point I like to make is that if an investor needed
to liquidate their stock portfolio today, then they will have to sell at whatever
the market price is today. Real estate is no different. An investment real estate
owner that needs to sell today can place their property on the market and
accept whatever the market may be willing to pay today. Both securities
and real estate portfolio owners have the option of holding their assets and
selling at more favorable times. The lack of liquidity concept in real estate
has been greatly misconstrued.

After absorbing the concept of commercial real estate as an investment vehicle
for retirement, it should be clear that by comparison to securities products,
investment real estate holds its own. This brings me back to my initial question;
Why aren't there more retirement planning professionals offering investment
real estate as an option for their clients? Perhaps lack of knowledge on the
subject or lack of licensing may be two thoughts that come to mind. Real Estate
is a long term investment vehicle, so the excuse that it does not fit into a long
term retirement plan cannot be valid.

Irving J. Diaz is a Licensed Real Estate Broker and Managing
Director of Irving J. Diaz & Associates, LLC., a commercial real estate investment
firm located in Miami, FL. For questions or comments please email the author at [mailto:ijdiaz@irvingdiaz.com]ijdiaz@irvingdiaz.com or learn more about the company at http://www.irvingdiaz.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Irving_Diaz http://EzineArticles.com/?Commercial-Real-Estate-and-Retirement-Planning&id=678605

Let A Real Estate Professional Make Your New Arizona Home Purchase The Best It Can Be

2009-07-23T03:59:00.000-07:00

Let A Real Estate Professional Make Your New Arizona Home Purchase The Best It Can Be
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jayson_Gibson]Jayson Gibson

When looking for a new family home, there is much to worry about and much to do. There are many ways that Real Estate Professionals can aid you in making your purchase the best it can be.

1. Real Estate Professionals do the leg-work for you:

Real Estate professionals know the Arizona real estate market, the builders, and the various products that each new home builder offers. In addition, they have access to a wealth of useful information about hot specials, grand openings, and exciting new home communities. Real Estate Professionals know what is happening in the real estate world and are a valuable tool for you and your family.

2. A Real Estate Professional Helps You Decide What’s Best for Your Family.

Real Estate Professionals deal with new home buyers on a daily basis; they help you identify all of your family’s needs, and keep the little things from being overlooked. They aid you in discovering homes that fit your family perfectly, and assist in ensuring that your new home purchase is a wise one.

3. Real Estate Professionals help you determine what you can afford.

Real Estate Professionals deal with clients in many different financial situations. They use their experience to evaluate your current financial situation and your financial needs. Real Estate Professionals help you distinguish and add up the many costs associated with purchasing a new home. They estimate costs associated with new homes (water, electricity, monthly mortgage payments, moving costs etc.)

When buying a new home there are several unexpected expenses that arise. Real Estate Professionals prepare you for those unexpected expenses so when things do arise, your family will be financially equipped. Together, you and your Real Estate professional can determine the price range and down payment that is best for your family.

4. Real Estate Professionals find financing that fits your needs now and in the future.

With as many options and terms as there are in the world of home financing, the average new home buyer can walk away confused and unsure about what is best for their family. Real Estate professionals understand these terms, options, and the effects that they can have on your monthly payment. Real Estate professionals ensure that you choose financing that will work for you today and tomorrow.

5. Real Estate Professionals represent you and your family’s best interests.

Real Estate professionals want you to find the home of your dreams at a price you can afford. You are their most valuable tool in gaining future business. They want to exceed your expectations in everything that they do and will professionally represent you in buying your new home. Real Estate professionals communicate with the home builders directly and set everything up according to your schedule, giving you more time to deal with the little things. Your real estate professional knows you, your family, your wants, and your needs, and will make sure that you are professionally represented throughout the buying process.

6. Real Estate Professionals have contacts with tons of service providers and help you to find everything you’ll need before, during, and after you move-in to your new home.

Whether it is new furniture, pest control services, a mover, an interior decorator, or cable service, your Real Estate professional has dealt with these service providers and can recommend the businesses that will treat you right.

7. Real Estate Professionals do the driving - NOT YOU!

Real Estate Professionals can be a priceless tool for your family during your new home purchase. It’s important to make sure that your Real Estate Professional is qualified to represent you. When searching for your family’s Real Estate Professional, it might not be a bad idea to interview a few agents, ask for references, and contact their references. You and your family will be spending a lot of time with your Real Estate Professional and will put a lot of trust in them. Make sure you pick a Professional that fits your family and can meet your needs. Purchasing your new Arizona home is exciting…relax and enjoy it! http://www.NewHomesSection.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jayson_Gibson http://EzineArticles.com/?Let-A-Real-Estate-Professional-Make-Your-New-Arizona-Home-Purchase-The-Best-It-Can-Be&id=657890

Real Estate Logos - 7 Important Facts You Should Know

2009-07-23T03:47:00.000-07:00

Real Estate Logos - 7 Important Facts You Should Know
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Macnair_Wilkins]Macnair Wilkins

Here are the seven most important facts that any real estate person should know about their logo design. These points cover the common basic errors that you might have in owning a real estate logo for your company.

Your real estate logo is not your company's brand.

Everyone thinks that their logo is what they are, and they cannot be more mistaken than with this idea. The logo gives shape to what your brand is, but not really say what quality of service you do have. Branding is the whole way your company deals in the business, the way you handle your work in satisfying your clients. This is not to say the your real estate logo design is not essential or is minimally important. It is very serious to get a great real estate logo to maximize the full impact of your company presence.

It pays to translate a character to your real estate logo.

A significant character is essential in an effective real estate logo and this is a crucial aspect in rising above the logos of other real estate companies. All logo designs in real estate has to project a professional logo but also consider putting a luxurious, creative, relaxed or fun appearance in your design. Whatever character you choose must also work together with your market and scope of service.

Niche branding and logo in real estate exists.

If you are focusing on a certain market in real estate, your logo design should reflect that. Whether property investment, vacation properties or residences, you have a vital way of communicating to your target client base with your [http://www.logodesignguru.com/A/Real_Estate_Logos.asp]real estate logo. This increases the chances of business coming. Think how your logo design can work for you now, not what it should be in the future.

Logos in real estate tends to be boring, now you know that, don't be.

Yes, that's the general opinion of real estate logos. Know that you know it, this is a great opportunity to be different so seize it. Do not be lost in the sea of the same old traditional real estate logos. The key here is retaining the presence of professionalism and high quality. A real estate logo with panache can never fail to be remembered.

Now is the best time to get a Web 2.0 real estate logo design.

Real estate clients are looking for hassle-free, professional and easy access services. A smart Realtor probably has a website going on to relate and communicate faster with potential clients who are wisely checking up on the capabilities of their company. This is probably the best time to get a real estate logo that would compliment your website more and be at par with the Web 2.0 appearance and standards of today. This just bring a whole new upscale image to our company

Attach your real estate logo to your services and work as much as possible.

Exposing your real estate logo design in your transactions, meetings and services will serve to make you more memorable in the eyes of potential clients. Try to connect what you do to your logo. This will eliminate the need for you to explain what your abstract icon in the logo means or what your weird company name translates to. This would also help the spread you your real estate company through word of mouth since, you will be remembered.

Your real estate logo must mean something.

You must put value in the meaning of your logo and what it represents. This includes the quality of service and personal attention you give to your clients as well as your company ethics. This is when your corporate brand becomes an asset on its own, appreciated and admired in the field. The real estate logo will be the face and focal point of this value.

All in all, what you do is what your logo will ultimately represent in the end. Your real estate logo will shine depending on how you use it and what it means to your clients.

Get to know more about [http://www.logodesignguru.com/A/Real_Estate_Logos.asp]real estate logos here. http://www.logodesignguru.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Macnair_Wilkins http://EzineArticles.com/?Real-Estate-Logos---7-Important-Facts-You-Should-Know&id=640767

"Time" Is A Major Real Estate Wealth Growth Tool, So Use 'IT' And Watch

2009-07-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

"Time" Is A Major Real Estate Wealth Growth Tool, So Use 'IT' And WatchBy [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Colm_Dillon]Colm Dillon
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 assumethe 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!
The Real Estate Development Coach
Copyright Colm Dillon, October 2003
All Rights Reserved.
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
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colm_Dillon http://EzineArticles.com/?Time-Is-A-Major-Real-Estate-Wealth-Growth-Tool,-So-Use-IT-And-Watch&id=444