Financing Land Development: Little Known Secrets

There are alternatives to conventional bank financing for land development deals.

OPM, Others People's Money

But I know you've heard all that before, but there are little known secrets that Major Land Developers have been using for years which I want to share with you.

My clients are absolutely amazed when I share these secrets with them, they always respond so that's how they do it.

So why would a commercial financial broker want to share these secrets with you?

The reason is very simple, at the opening page of this site I told you I wanted to educate you, and so I am.

Also if you're able to implement some of these strategies, you're eventually going to need capital to build out your project.

And we'll be here to help you. There are three ways in which you can secure your land development deal without closing a conventional loan. The last way you must seek professional accounting and legal assistance, and will not be discussed here.

Work Directly with the Seller

Use Options to Control The Property

Arrange a 1031 Exchange

The above are three methods or ways to get a commitment to sell the property with little or no cash at time of opening an escrow.

Working directly with the Seller

By working directly with the seller you can help the seller solve many of their problems, and in return he becomes your partner in the land development transaction.

Sellers often believe that they can get a better price for their real estate if they carry the paper that evidences the debt themselves. Here are some of the reasons

Buyers may have qualification issues, and if that's the case you as a buyer may not be as concerned about the interest rate, price and terms and therefore the seller as the one assuming the risk will get a higher price and you get the deal that you were not bank qualified for.

The Seller will get greater after-tax profits.

By the seller carrying paper they will not be taxed on the amount of the sale, but their tax will be based on the installments paid over the years.

In other words a large capital gain may push them into a higher tax bracket, but if the sale is spread out over a period of years, the seller may not be pushed into a higher tax bracket.

Use Options to Control the Property

An option is an agreement specifying some future performance in exchange for a benefit.

Simply stated, give some money control the property!

You offer the owner a price for the option to buy the land. That price (the option premium) buys you the right to buy the land at an agreed upon price at a certain time in the future.

You can exercise the option by closing the sale at any time before the expiration date of the option. The seller must sell, when you are ready to buy, no matter how much the market value may have escalated during the holding period.

A more sophisticated approach is to acquire a rolling option for large land development transactions.

This is much more complex then a simple option agreement. Rolling option is utilized when there is a great deal of property that an individual needs to control. We usually see the use of rolling options in large master planned communities, where developers are planning to phase the development project into numerous phases with an absorption of the homes exceeding five years typically.

In a Rolling option the buyer controls the entire tract but only puts up the option for the first portion of the land, after each execution of the options, the buyer is able to take down more land, until the developer controls all the property of the original contract.

If you do not exercise your rolling options ass they come due, the entire contract is cancelled as to future property that is secured through the initial option agreement...and of course the seller retains the entire premium, and he can immediately offer the property to another buyer.

Benefit to the Buyer is that they can now plan an orderly development of the entire acreage, as well as knowing exactly what the land costs for the entire project are for the proforma and any Return on Investment calculations.

Benefit to the Seller is that the seller can get the price he wants for the property, and he knows that at the least he received a sizable option premium, and at the best he receives the price he wants for his land.

Harlan A. Friedman, Esq., is president of Lightning Commercial Funding Inc., a California mortgage broker. He has more than 25 years of experience as an investment banker and financial consultant, issuing municipal debt for his clients. Lightning Commercial Funding specializes in financing commercial projects exclusively, from the startup of new business to large commercial transactions. Reach Friedman at (858) 592-0659 or harlan@loanforbiz.com. Visit his company at http://www.loanforbiz.com.

Real Estate ? US Real Estate Could Crash Protect Yourself Now

If you are an investor in real estate in the US, you already know the market is slowing and falling and these falls look set to increase.

You can however protect yourself from these falls, by diversifying into other markets close to home that are booming. Lets look at an example.

The US Market

Fact is, the outlook for US real estate profits does not look to have good risk - reward at present because:

1. Economic growth is slowing

2. Oil prices remain high and inflation and interest rates are rising

3. Property sales have already slowed just a the time there has been a glut in new home construction

We all know it: Interest rates rise restricting money supply and the vast majority 70% see US Real estate falling or even crashing. Its simple economics when money supply dries up and economic growth slows real estate falls.

Protecting your portfolio

If you want to protect your investment in property look overseas and you don?t have to look to far away to see booming markets.

Central America is booming and much of the boom is caused by problems in the US.

More Americans than ever are snapping up properties that are up to 70% cheaper then in the US and getting a more affordable lifestyle.

Baby boomers are buying and will continue to buy in ever increasing numbers.

In central America you can buy new emerging markets such as Belize and Nicaragua or established markets such as Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is a well established market and gains have been stunning:

Investors who bought $30,000 of real estate near Jaco on the pacific coast 15 years ago are worth up to $800,000 today and gains are NOT Slowing down!

Many investors are doubling their money in this are in little over a year making it ideal. It?s popular and will continue to be in the coming years.

It offers great gains with low risk and is ideal for the risk averse investor.

Is investing in real estate in Costa Rica difficult?

The answer is no.

Costa Rica is beautiful safe and stable and the government wants foreign investment so, the buying process is easy, buyers get the same rights as residents its very tax efficient and property tax is minimal!

For investors wanting an easy property investment with the potential for big capital gains, the central pacific coast near Jaco in Costa Rica offers a good investment with low risk

There are opportunities in other central American countries for property but this one is a proven market with a track record, record investment in the area and huge future potential

If you are worried about a US real estate plunge ? Take action!

So if you don?t want the risk of possibly losing heavily in the US market look south just 3 hours away from the US there is a market that is booming, that you can take advantage of and get big potential gains with low risk.

Take a look and see for yourself

FREE ESSENTIAL REPORT!

On investing in property and all the facts you need to know to have big capital gains potential with low risk visit: http://www.costaricalandlots.com

Will Long Term Home Ownership Lead to Profits or Declining Values?

The latest report from PMI Mortgage Insurance company looks at real estate trends. The report indicated that if you owned a home from 1986 thru 2005 in 50 of the largest metropolitan areas, you did very well. During that period of time, if you owned a home for 10 years or more, you profited 100% of the time. If you owned a home during this period for 7 years, the percentage of homeowners that profited were 95%.

The economics now are shifting. In the top 50 metropolitan areas of the country, 48 of them face a greater chance of a price decline this quarter then they did last quarter.

PMI assigns a risk index number to differfent markets. All 50 of the major metropolitan areas, except Chicago, have seen their risk index number go up. A risk score of 500 or more means the geographic area has a high risk of price declines in the real estate market. There are now 14 of 50 areas that have a risk score of 500 or more, which means that metropolitan area has a 50% chance of price decline during the next two years. The average score has increased from 261 last quarter to 284 this quarter. The metropolitan area that saw its risk increase the greatest was Minneapolis, MN, which saw an increase in its risk index of 90 points.

Of the metropolitan areas with the highest risk, seven of top ten are in California.

The report looks at volitile markets and stable markets. First let's look at the volitile markets. These include San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; and Dallas, TX. We are looking at a time period from 1986-2005. In San Francisco the return for any 5 year period ranged from a gain of 50% to a loss of 10%. The median return was 33%. Families staying in their homes for 15 years did not incur any losses. Their gains were from 14% to 25%.

Home buyers in Los Angeles saw the greatest losses during this time period. The median return for a 5 year period was positive at 25%, however, losses ranged up to 41% in some cases. A family that stayed in its home for 15 years in LA saw a return of 10% to 24%.

In the Dallas market trends were seen that were not seen in other markets. After 5 years of home ownership, homeowners saw their gains max out at 22%. Families who owned homes for 10 years or more did not see losses, but they did not always see gains either. During this time period gains ranged from 0% to 24%.

The stable markets looked at were Atlanta, Nashville and Cleveland. Atlanta had a median gain of 20% for 5 years of home ownership. For 15 years the gain narrowed to 11% to 15%.

In Nashville a 5 year homeownership ranged in gains from 6% to 25%. FOr 15 years of home ownership the gains were from 11% to 15%.

Home ownership in Cleveland for 5 years showed an increase from 7% to 23%. For 15 years of home ownership gains were from 12% to 15%.

Andrew Goldman is president of Metal Rabbit media services, the operator of http://www.Exchangetradedfundinvesting.com and http://www.carealestateinvest.com He has written a number of articles on finance and investment over the last ten years.

Investing In Real Estate Six Specific Tips

Investing in real estate should be a pleasurable and profitable activity. Listen carefully to investors, though, and you hear not just success stories, but sad tales of stress and losing money. Here are some tips for keeping your real estate stories happy ones.

- Have a top price. Properties have a market value, and then they have their value to you. Many investors pay too much just because everyone else is doing so, and then they have negative cash flow month after month. Just because others are paying too much for duplexes, doesn't mean you have to. Once you decide on a top price that works for your plan (which hopefully involves cash flow), start below that and don't go a penny higher. The time to set your limit is before the negotiations start, not during them.

- Choose partners carefully. Investing in real estate can be an uncertain process. Too many decision-makers just make it more so. If you must have a partner, clearly define your roles before you start a project. Group decisions tend not to work well, and will cause you much stress. It is often best if one partner puts up the bulk of the money, and the other runs the show. Agree to a plan, then step back if you are investing the capital, and let your partner do his thing. Of course, step up and take control if you are managing the project.

- Listen to what the market is saying. When the cabinet guy asked me for a decision I realized that I knew nothing at all about which cabinets people like. I asked him which ones home owners were most often choosing, and he pointed to one that three quarters of his last forty customers had chosen. Then that's the one I want, I told him. Why would I argue with the market I am trying to sell to? I have seen sellers paint a home a certain color because they like it. That's a quick way to reduce the market value of a home. What colors do the potential buyers like? That's what is important.

- Understand the numbers. Investing in real estate is all about the numbers. If it is an income property investment, it's about one number in particular: cash flow. Be aware of whatever the local formulas are, whether gross rent multipliers or capitalization rates or whatever. Ultimately, though just be sure that after every last expense you'll have cash flow from the very first month. If it is a residential fixer-upper, know what it will sell for and what it will cost to fix it up - before you even make an offer.

- Don't confuse investing with gambling. Investing in real estate isn't gambling, or at least it shouldn't be. There is risk, but unlike true gambling, the odds are in your favor. At least they should be, and you should be able to clearly see the outcome. This why you shouldn't invest based on the assumption of continued fast appreciation. Over time, real estate values do trend upwards, but there is no guarantee that prices will continue up at any particular rate during a given time. Do deals in such a way that they'll be profitable even if prices go nowhere. If values go up, you're that much better off.

- Do the research. Understand the statistics and information you are looking at. It is possible that the real estate agent will show you only the comparable sales that make the property look more valuable. With a bit of your own research, and an understanding of how the various numbers are arrived at, you can avoid overpaying. Many counties have made researching prices easy, with sales prices online. Other web sites, such as the U.S. Census site, have information on population and jobs. Understanding these figures can mean not investing in real estate just before the town declines.

These tips, like all others, are just guidelines of course. You can gamble on rising values, for example, if you really did your homework and know the demand for housing in a town is about to explode. You might pass up a great opportunity too, because you refuse to go $500 over the top price you set. While having a few rules and guidelines is a good place to start, don't let them take the place of thinking when investing in real estate.

Copyright Steve Gillman. For a Free Real Estate Investing Course, visit: http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

Dallas Commercial Real Estate

Commercial real estate could include several categories of real estate like industrial, retail, investment or office. Commercial real estate stands for property that is used for a business or investment venture that has the potential to provide a return on the money spent. In Dallas, commercial real estate goes largely by the same classification and consists of the aforementioned categories. The main players in the commercial real estate scene in Dallas are brokers, mortgage brokers, architects, property managers, and lending agencies.

As in any big city, commercial real estate in Dallas is situated mainly in downtown Dallas, with its sprawling skyscrapers that vary in their architectures and sizes. The one- and two-storied commercial buildings that dot the downtown area typically accommodate restaurants and night clubs. The recent practice has been to convert some of the old commercial buildings into lofts. Some of the fastest-moving commercial properties in Dallas are retail space, high rise offices, downtown lofts, warehouses and industrial plots, and executive suites. Apart from downtown Dallas, the nearby cities of Plano and Hurst are areas of commercial real estate activity.

The North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors and the North Texas Commercial Association of Real Estate Professionals are two associations that bring real estate professionals from the North Texas area, particularly the Dallas area, together.

The Dallas commercial real estate market has remained vibrant due to the continuous growth of the Texas economy, particularly the Dallas economy. For the period of 2000-2005, Dallas was forecast to be in the list of the top five cities in the nation on the basis of demand for construction of office spaces. The commercial real estate scenario in Dallas has been impacted by the boom in the telecommunications and call-center industries, making Dallas the center of these activities in the nation. This has been driven by the fact that the cost of conducting business in Dallas is eight per cent below the national average. The positive outlook for the telecommunications and wireless industries means that the commercial real estate scene in Dallas would remain bright.

Dallas Real Estate provides detailed information on Dallas Real Estate, Dallas Lake Front Real Estate, Dallas Real Estate Agencies, Dallas Commercial Real Estate and more. Dallas Real Estate is affiliated with Austin Commercial Real Estates.

Houston Real Estate Agents

Houston, Texas has one of the most vibrant real estate profiles in the country because of the huge demand for housing in the area. As a result, there are now a large number of real estate agents who want to get in on the action that the real estate market in Houston provides and evidence to this are the thousands of online leads that a person can get from various search engines. Such is the result of the recognition by real estate agents that advertising online can provide them access to a wider market. However, having a website nowadays does not ensure success in the real estate business given that there are thousands of real estate agents who also have websites. Given this, real estate agents, especially those based in cities like Houston where there is stiff competition among agents, need to make their websites stand out among other websites so that they would get the attention of investors and homebuyers.

One way to make websites stand out

One of the keys in having a high traffic website is being prioritized by search engines when they provide leads to Internet users. Given this, real estate agents that advertise online need to take the necessary steps to help increase their website?s search engine visibility. The good news is that there are a number of simple ways that can help real estate agents do so, which includes understanding and applying the concept of search engine optimization or SEO. This is very important because effectively applying SEO can help real estate agents become more visible to buyers and sellers of real estate. Basically, applying SEO involves building a website that is well organized and which has very relevant content. Examples of which include putting relevant phrases that buyers and sellers search for and optimizing titles, text hyperlinks, and headers.

Given the stiff competition among real estate agents in places like Houston, which has a very vibrant real estate profile, real estate agents need to take steps that can help them stand out among their competitors. One way they can do so is to build websites, which can help them gain access to a larger market of real estate sellers and buyers. However, real estate agents also need to make sure that their websites would also stand out among the thousands of websites of other real estate agents, which they can do by applying the concept of search engine optimization or SEO on their website.

Houston Real Estate provides detailed information on Houston Real Estate, Houston Real Estate Agents, Houston Real Estate Schools, Houston Real Estate Listings and more. Houston Real Estate is affiliated with Austin.

Nebraska Mortgage What to Expect When Buying a Home in Nebraska

Maybe you?re buying your first home in Nebraska, or perhaps you?re relocating to Nebraska from another state. Either way, it?s important that you educate yourself on Nebraska home loans before shopping for a home and mortgage. This article explains what you?ll need to know before buying a home in Nebraska:

The median price of a home in Nebraska is $88,000. The price of homes in Nebraska varies widely between zip codes. For example, in Omaha, Nebraska, the median price of a home in the summer of 2005 was $169,000; however, in both North Platte and Kearney, Nebraska, the median price of a home was $175,000.

Average interest rates in Nebraska are above the national average, and job growth rates are below the national average. Between 2003 and 2005, home prices in Nebraska almost doubled. However, the increase was moderate when compared with other parts of the nation.

There is no mortgage tax in Nebraska. Additionally, the state of Nebraska offers many homeowner education classes to its residents. Nebraska?s Fair Housing Act prohibits mortgage lending discrimination against individuals based on their race, color, religion, gender, familial status, or national origin.

Jessica Elliott recommends that you visit Mortgage Lenders Plus.com for more information about Nebraska Mortgage Rates and Loans .

Hawaii Mortgage What to Expect When Buying a Home in Hawaii

Maybe you?re buying your first home in Hawaii, or perhaps you?re relocating to Hawaii from another state. Either way, it?s important that you educate yourself on Hawaii home loans before shopping for a home and mortgage. This article explains what you?ll need to know before buying a home in Hawaii:

The median price of a home in Hawaii is $272,700. Recently, homes in Hawaii have been appreciating at rates so high that they?re the third highest ranked state in the nation for level of home appreciation. As a result, income levels in many parts of Hawaii are too low to purchase a median-priced home with a conventional loan. In fact, homeowners in many Hawaii cities have begun to purchase homes large enough to house several generations of their families.

The price of homes in Hawaii varies widely between zip codes. For example, in Honolulu, Hawaii, the median price of a home in the summer of 2005 was $730,000; however, in Kihei, Maui, the median price of a home was $750,000. Average interest rates in Hawaii are above the national average.

The high job growth rates in Hawaii rank them seventh highest in the nation. The high cost of homes in Hawaii has led to high conventional loan amounts. In fact, conventional loan amounts in Hawaii are 50% higher than anywhere else in the nation.

Jessica Elliott recommends that you visit Mortgage Lenders Plus.com for more information about Hawaii Mortgage Rates and Loans .

Don't Rely Excessively On Appraisals

Getting an appraisal on a home is a fundamental aspect of making a purchase. While appraisals are certainly helpful, you should not put too much stock in them.

Don?t Rely Excessively On Appraisals

An appraisal is a valuation of a property by an independent appraiser. The appraiser does an evaluation of the home, considers the home in comparison to others of comparable type and so on. Once completed, the appraiser then issues a written appraisal value of the home. Many homebuyers make the assumption the appraisal is the true value of the home both now and in the future. This can be a dangerous assumption.

First, appraisals are limited by something known as a moment in time. The appraisal done today, may not be entirely relevant a month or two later. If a property has been on the market for a few months, the appraisal may not reflect a slowing market. This, in turn, means the appraised value is actually higher than the current market will support. Homebuyers run into problems when this occurs because they put too much value on the appraisal. A seller will often list the home below the appraised amount and homebuyers will think they are getting a deal. In reality, they are not and may actually be paying more than a new appraisal would support. The older the appraisal, the less value you should put into it.

Most homebuyers assume an appraiser inspects the home for defects and discounts the value of the home accordingly. This is not really the case. An appraiser is not really doing a critical home inspection. In fact, the appraiser contract and/or report usually contains a long disclaimer whereby the appraiser covers his derriere by noting he assumes the property is in good condition and isn?t liable if it is not. Obviously, that should scare you. This, of course, is why you should insist on a home inspection for any property you make an offer on.

An appraisal is a solid part of the equation when considering a home purchase. It is not, however, the piece de resistance when valuing the property.

Raynor James is with the site - FSBOAmerica.org - home buying information.

Austin Student Apartments

Austin, the capital of Texas and a college town, is home to some of the premier public and private educational institutions in the state. Students from in and around Austin come to the city for higher education.

Comfortable student apartments are available both on and off campus. Most of the on-campus apartments are located within the institutions' campus or at convenient locations. The apartment communities of Austin offer off-campus apartments with easy access. Apartments are available for both rent and lease. The rent may be short term or long term, on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. The rate is subject to facilities available in the apartment. Inexpensive as well as luxury residences can be found.

Austin student apartments provide a fairly wide range of residence options from dormitories and condominiums to family suites, houses, and duplexes. Fully furnished units, private bedrooms, and unfurnished apartments are available. Most of the apartments are equipped with a telephone, basic cable TV service, coin-operated laundry, and Internet access. Facilities vary from apartment to apartment. Some have study centers, fitness centers, fully equipped kitchens, spacious parking area for cars and bikes, as well as private pools. Panoramic views of the neighboring area are an additional feature. Medical and psychological services, counseling, and health education are also provided.

Austin student apartments are within easy access to shopping malls, recreation centers, major businesses, and restaurants. Numerous brokers and property management organizations specialize in renting and leasing student apartments in Austin. American Campus, based in Austin, is one of the largest managers and developers of student housing in America. Online sites also give adequate information.

Austin Apartments provides detailed information on Austin Apartment Associations, Austin Apartment Guides, Austin Apartment Locators, Austin Apartment Stores and more. Austin Apartments is affiliated with North Dallas Apartments.

Costa Rica Property: Americans Are Buying In Record Numbers Why?

More Americans than ever are buying Costa Rica property - holiday homes, investment property and retirement homes and more will follow.

Why? Because they can get great capital growth and a lifestyle and costs are up to 70% less than at home and Costa Rica is just a 3 hour flight away!

There are numerous advantages lets look at them.

1. Cost & Return on Property

Costa Rica Property costs up to 70% less than in the US and with the bonus capital growth potential of 100% or more in just a few years.

This market is established and the weight of investment and number of migrants coming, means that there will be great gains to be had in the future.

In addition, the rental income market is booming allowing income and capital growth on Costa Rica property.

2. Cost of living

Is 70% less than in the US and you can live comfortably on just $2,000 a month ? you get more for your money in one of the most beautiful countries on earth.

3. Living and retiring in Costa Rica

Baby boomers are waking up to the fact that they can?t maintain their standard of living at home. Soaring medical costs less state support and inflation mean that they can?t maintain their standard of living in the US.

So their travelling to Costa Rica and getting medical costs that far are cheaper, a standard of living that is cheaper and no tax on social security cheques.

Here money goes a lot further. By buying Costa Rica real estate you simply live better on less.

4. All the comforts of home

Of course, you could go to Vietnam or other far of destinations and live in a different environment but in Costa Rica you can mix with the locals who are friendly, or you can stay within the large expat community.

Because the expat community is so large all the entertainment shops and services you get at home are available to and you?re still just a 3 hour flight from home.

5. Buying Property or Living is easy

Buying Costa Rica property is easy, you get the same rights as residents and living is also easy to arrange. Costa Rica wants migrants and investment, so they make it simple and straightforward.

If you are investing or wanting to set up a business, tax advantages are also generous.

6. Small diverse and something for everyone

Costa Rica is safe, stable and serious crime is almost non existent.

The pace of life is simply more relaxed. You also get variety from pristine beaches to volcanoes, rolling hills, rainforest and the Pacific and Caribbean, in one of the top ten adventure tourism spots on earth.

Add up the advantages and there just 3 hours away!

Buying Costa Rica property enables you to make huge gains on your investment as well as fantastic rental income and if you live or retire here you get a lifestyle that is second to none at a cheaper cost.

Buying Costa Rica real estate and you are buying a slice of paradise which is affordable with something for everyone in terms of lifestyle, at a cost you can afford and for investment purposes it delivers stunning gains with low risk!

Costa Rica property is just 3 hours away discover it and you will be glad you did.

For a free guide to invest in property and how to make profits and gain a fantastic lifestyle at low cost visit

http://www.costaricalandlots.com

Are You Short of Cash for Your Next Real Estate Deal?

One thing many investors find when they start purchasing real estate investment properties, is they run out of equity or cash once they have a few properties. They find it difficult to fund their next purchases. The banks or lending institutions start to get nervous when they see you are getting a big portfolio and you are highly leveraged.

As any real estate property investor who is serious about creating wealth knows, you will have to get creative about finding money to fund your deals. The banks will not want to know you especially if you are drawing all the equity out of your properties. If there is a mishap in your life or something goes wrong for you, the banks will want their money back and they will liquidate your investment property to get back their money. This is called foreclosure. It is talked about and it does happen. There are heaps of smart investors creating great deals from this unfortunate circumstance.

One way around this money shortage is using private lenders. They are generally people who don?t understand the real estate property market. But the good thing for the investor is they have cash or money tied up in their own home or business, which is sitting there doing nothing and making no extra income for them. You can either do a joint venture deal with them or borrow the money outright from them for an agreed rate and time. Most time these people will be time poor as well. They are busy in their business or lives and don?t have the time or expertise to chase real estate investment property deals.

Once you source a few of them and get some deals going, they will also have friends or business acquaintances who will be interested in dealing with you as well when they see positive results from their friends deals. So long they see it as a win/win, you will be able to keep buying real estate investment property using their money or equity. This is called Other People?s Money. Or OPM.

Each person may want to go into business with you for all different reasons. Some may want to buy and hold, some may want to flip the property or others may want to buy rehabs to fix up as a project. The key for you is to be flexible in your approach to each prospective real estate investor and their needs. They will require some convincing and educating, as they will some concerns. This will be all new to them.

This is a great strategy to use to leverage you further to expand your real estate investment property portfolio.

To your investing success.

Leo Love PS If any of your family or friends are interested please pass this on to them.

http://www.therealestateinvester.com

I am an experienced and passionate investor. I buy typical mum and dad type houses that give me cash flow and capital growth. My website offers helpful tips and ideas for any type of investor to help you with your wealth creation. Using my site will help to prevent you falling into the traps the inexperienced investors do.

Selling Your Home

Whether you decided it is time to move to another area, or to a different house, the main issue remains that you are interested in selling your current residence. But in order for this to take place and you to receive the largest possible bid, you have to do some work beforehand so as to attract prospective bidders attention and walk out with a big smile on your face.

The first thing you have to do before putting your house on the market is to make it as presentable as possible. Real estate agents support that the way you will present your property to the prospective buyers can make al the difference in the world. But there is no need to panic that while being short on money you will have to invest in expensive and time-consuming renovations and redecorations. With some simple steps, it is possible for you to show your house to its very best advantage and gain the deal you want during the time period you wish.

If your house in not part of an apartment building, but a single house in a nice neighborhood, then it is extremely important to pay attention to the curb in front of the house. A clean driveway can give an excellent first impression to the prospective buyers when they drive up towards your garage. In case the outside area is not appealing, then they might not be interested in seeing the inside, or they will be negatively influenced from the beginning and will not be willing to bid as high as you hope or bid in general. In addition, lawns have to be mowed, bushes and trees to be trimmed and windows to be cleaned. Perhaps it would be a good idea to plant a few flowers and add some color to your yard, making it more inviting and friendly. In general, remember to fertilize and water your lawn and plants for two to three weeks before putting your property on the market. Of course garbage has to be thrown away and if your house has a swimming pool that has to be clean. If you wish to get rid of some stuff, then it is best if you schedule your yard-sale before beginning showing your house to interested buyers.

If your house's exterior needs to be repainted, but no available budget exists, it will cost you less to wash off any extra dirt and then paint only the trim, which will update the entire surface. Some people select to repaint the area that faces the street, while others do not spend as much taking care of the outside space, as much as having the interior of the house in perfect shape. In particular for the interior part of your house, consider hiring a professional to do the job and be sure that this cost will bring you a higher sales price. Painting the walls on a light color paint and take care of the doors and the locks making sure that they are able to open and close as they are supposed to. Of course replace the light bulbs if they are burned and steam clean the carpets to renew them. Finally, remember to replace any missing or damaged tiles and have your bathrooms sparkle as well as your kitchen. This is because buyers are particularly interested in examining bathrooms and kitchens, and finally closets. Thus, it is better if you concentrate your efforts there.

Concluding, check the competition in your neighborhood by visiting other open houses and compare your deal both in pricing and condition. This will give you a head start against other houses that are sold in the vicinity.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Real Estate, Business, and Finance.

The Advantages Of Getting Help From Experts

There are so many people who come to Las Vegas year after year in search for good investment opportunities. Many of these people who come to Las Vegas to invest have realized profits from their investments however there are also many who have lost a lot of money investing in Las Vegas. If you are a first time investor in Las Vegas, you should never attempt to invest in this part of the world without getting help from brokers and agents. The reason why you need to get a broker or agent is that there are many considerations that you must take before you invest into something especially if such investment would involve personal properties that cost a lot of money.

It is not difficult to find a good agent or broker to help you in Las Vegas. There are a number of good brokers and agents in Las Vegas who could help you get the best value for your money. The easiest way to find good brokers and agents in Las Vegas is to surf the Internet and look for reputable organizations of brokers and agents. Once you find the right organization brokers and agents, inquire from the organization about their members and ask for referrals. You can ask referrals through an email or you can call them by phone if you prefer to talk to someone instead of sending an impersonal letter. It is always safe to go through organizations of brokers and agents than to just simply approach certain agents and brokers, which you have just met for the first time.

Check Out More Real Estate Articles From VegasNVRealtor:

Home Buying Realty Services Nevada
Find Liens Property
Condo Henderson Nevada Foreclosures

Do You Know How To Repair Your Bad Credit? ? part 2

Part one of this article series tells you what you should do to fix your bad credit situation. The purpose of this second article is to give you some important tips on how to repair poor credit. These tips seem to be almost too simple, but you'd be surprised to learn how many people don?t know about them and how well they work toward improving your bad credit situation.

1. One matter at a time It is very likely that you have several debts to pay. Don't try to do everything at once! Instead, concentrate on the most dangerous (ie. Those with the highest interest rate) first and spend as much as you can toward paying it off. Continue to pay your other debts too, but only on a minimal level. As soon as you finish paying off this debt, turn your attention to another.

Alternatively, you might want to consolidate your various debts into a single loan, usually with a lower interest rate. A consolidated loan is generally much easier to cope with, but once you consolidate, you can't de-consolidate, so there's no turning back. Oftentimes this may be a good solution, but learn about all the specific details from your loan counselor before you decide to go with a debt consolidation loan.

2. Rely on informal contacts with creditors The official mail you get from your creditors when you suffer from a bad credit situation is often referred to as derogative, ?the hate mail?. However, banks aren't the heartless mafia-like institutions that are interested only in getting money out of you. The ?hate mail? has only one aim ? it should frighten you to do something about your debt and current default payment situation.

Instead of getting stressed by the warnings and reminders you receive, just go to your creditors and tell them openly about your current financial situation. They will often do their best to help you ? they know that unless you get their help and cooperation you won't be able to pay on your account. This will ease the stress of your situation and give you a chance to come to some terms with your creditor. The more personal the contacts are, the better ? calling them is good. Visiting them is even better.

3. Everything passes with time While you may feel as if the whole bad credit trouble will never end, that's not true. The standard procedure (budget planning, paying off existing debts and getting everything back to order) usually takes about two-three years. Creditors will deal with your situation completely, but after it passes you will have problems obtaining credit for a few more years.

You still have some hard times ahead of you - that's true - but it's not the end of the world! Try to ease off the waiting by giving yourself some smaller goals that can be achieved within a few months. This progress will make everything much easier for you to live through. Remember not to give up; you can see your bad credit situation through with some dedication and persistence.

J. Kane is a Webmaster and publisher for 1st-Bad-Credit-Loans.com. For more information on obtaining poor credit loans and bad credit repair please visit http://1st-bad-credit-loans.com/

Real Estate Q & A

Q. My property went into a sixty day escrow. The escrow amount was $3,000.00. Five days prior to closing the buyer's agent notified me that the contract would be cancelled due to the fact that the property did not appraise for the agreed upon value. Is the buyer's escrow forfeited?

A. In any situation, you must first turn to the closing contract itself. You should look for deadlines for certain things to occur, such as appraisals. Did this appraisal occur after the deadline? Were any other terms involving deadlines not met by the buyer? This will give you some insight as to whether or not the escrow monies must be returned. A general rule of thumb is that escrow monies cannot be released without the consent of all parties.

Q. We had a closing date set. I have just been informed that the seller is requesting a delay in the closing date. Do I have legitimate grounds for renogiation of the purchase price?

A. The reasons that a seller may wish to delay closing may vary, from the legitimate to outright procrastination. If you attempt to renegotiate the purchase price, it may be considered as a new offer, which replaces the original offer. This may therefore void the original offer and all terms negotiated pursuant to that offer. The safest way to approach this is to simply ask yourself if you are willing to wait for the property at the originally agreed upon price.

Q. I am purchasing a property. The seller has not found a replacement property, and has requested an extension of the escrow period. If I do not agree to the extension, do I lose appraisal and inspection fees, as well as my deposit?

A. The deposit will likely be refunded less a small cancellation fee. The appraisal and inspection fees will most likely be lost. If you agree to the extension, be sure to place deadlines on the seller, such as a time by which a replacement property must be found.

Q. I decided to purchase a particular home, however I have now changed my mind. How do I go about cancelling the contract?

A. A contract is a legal document which you have made with the seller. Cancellation for certain reasons may be allowed, however cancellation on the sole basis of changing your mind will likely come with ramifications. You should strongly consider these ramifications prior to backing out of the deal. You should consult an attorney regarding your potential liability in this situation. Typically, a contract cannot force parties to a transaction, however you may be responsible for paying damages to the seller. These damages can take many forms, including the lost opportunities that the seller missed as the result of taking his or her home off the market.

Q. I signed a contract to sell my home. Now I have changed my mind and want to keep the property. Must we sell our home?

A. Again, the first thing to do is to look at the legal document itself. Look for contingencies which will allow you to back out of the transaction. The buyer may decide to enforce the contract in court. You should consult an attorney. It would be wise to make the cancellation more palatable to the buyer by compensating him or her for all of their out of pocket expenses, and maybe an additional amount for their time and effort in negotiating the transaction.

Q. I made an offer on a property. The seller came back with a counter offer. May the seller subsequently sell the property to another buyer?

A. Typically, the seller is free to sell the property to the first buyer who accepts an offer. If you have not accepted the counter offer, chances are the seller is free to do as he or she pleases.

Q. Can I negotiate the selling price of a newly-constructed home?

A. You can always negotiate the selling price of any real estate. However, the seller of a newly-constructed home is usually not willing to budge on the price, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the small profit margin for transactions involving newly constructed homes.

About the Author:

Catherine Nguyen was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and is a licensed real estate agent. Ms. Nguyen specializes in Dallas real estate and has a career with Renowned Realty Group ? Dallas/Ft. Worth RE/MAX.

Buying Overseas Property

Buying Property Abroad

Gareth was a Yuppie, an upwardly mobile and aspiring young man, who had recently gained a promotion in his career as a City of London Banker.

Last year he had concluded the purchase of his first apartment in Dulwich East London for 225K Sterling, and like many of his peers, was now considering the purchase of an Apartment in Spain. In May this year he set off on an independent trip to research his ambition of finding investment property in Alicante southern Spain. The agent he had contacted on the Internet met him at Alicante Airport. She drove a silver drop-head Mercedes similar to the model of his own dreams. Perhaps he would think of changing his old Audi coupe for the latest model? Or maybe not, Property in Spain was on his mind and this was the current ambition.

They drove fast along the A7 and were soon drifting into the suburbs of Torrevieja, Gareth was surprised and excited by the urban sprawl that now appeared to surround him, full of new-build and construction cranes towering above the settlements like guardians of the night, but he was not ready for the effervescent pink lake that was now in full view. The estate agent explained that it was the action of the Sun on the salt content of the Lake and then only at certain times of the day, which created this well known local wonder.

He was very impressed with his arrival into this foreign, but somehow familiar world of commercial business. Madame Elisha sat him down in her office and smiled benignly at the young man now sitting in front of her. She showed him the artistic mock-ups of several new and exciting developments currently displayed in her office. Price for price she knew which one he was going to select and she smiled inwardly at this pleasant thought as a warm feeling grew inside her stomach. One block of apartments was significantly cheaper than the rest and this was what Gareth chose. They discussed prices in general for a while and the state of the current market. According to Elisha certain developments were in great demand and some were selling out fast. Any overdevelopment was occurring in the new Golf resorts where prices were dropping but she knew Gareth was not a Golfer and she had checked this out previously in her initial Email exchange. This was contrary to the reality of the Spanish Property scene but who was there to contradict her?

Off they went in her Mercedes to the site office of Gareth?s choice, to look at the show apartment. It was an excellent development which was well over halfway completed. Jose Manuel the Developer, fully intended to complete all the promised facilities before handing the site over to a Residents Association and moving onto his next site. His two bedroom apartments normally sold for 150,000 Euros. and his quality of finish was excellent.

The Developer was quite used to Elisha turning up and making her sales pitch. He thought she was an enthusiastic agent, well she seemed to have plenty of clients, and really that was all he was concerned about at this stage. He had changed his sales policy of late and invited more agents in to the fray due to fierce competition from other developments. The market was changing rapidly in southern Spain where overdevelopment was finally catching up with slowing sales. Instead of promoting off plan sales developers now had finished stock to sell for the first time in recent history and some of them were feeling the heat from Bankers who were looking for repayments on construction loans.

It was his good practice policy in developments of this size, not to take deposits from clients. Cleverly Jose Manuel offered this as an honest incentive to his potential clients to purchase from his Company and not the opposition.

Jose Manuel would simply accept their details, and a statement from the agent stating that funds and or a Spanish Mortgage were available to this client to complete his purchase. This had suited him well over the past two years and he had made good sales with this sensible practice. This morning he was feeling even more pleased with himself, as Alisha, one of his newer agents, was bringing potentially her 15th client this month!

The tour was duly completed; Gareth was impressed with the quality of the finished product he had been shown, he had been taken around many of the pre-sold apartments as well as the show flat, and was even more impressed when he learnt he could choose any tile for his kitchen and bathroom from the display available.

The promised in house facilities, swimming pool, health centre and BBQ area all promised to be the real icing on the cake and good bragging material back home. He met the Developer personally, another good practice exercised by Jose Manuel whenever time allowed. Gareth was a very happy young man, if he stretched everything, he could just about afford it. He would sleep on it as was his normal habit. Indeed Gareth thought long and hard that night and decided that it was indeed an excellent investment opportunity.

The next morning he was at the Bank arranging a 35,000 deposit to pay to Elisha and her Developer.

?Wait a minute!? I hear you say, I thought the Developer did not want a down payment?? You are right! He did not, but Madam Alisha did think it was an excellent idea and had decided 35,000 Euros was easy to extract from unsuspecting high earning Yuppies from England who, under normal UK conditions would not have been so easily seduced, but this was no Mrs. Robinson. She had seduced 14 before him into parting with 35K and she was delighted with her day?s work. Even more so, because she did not pass on one penny to the Developer. Gareth signed a contract and gave all his employment details for the Spanish Mortgage he would need for the balance. Promising to return in six months when the development would be nearing completion and his final payment would be due.

Of course a few months later a few more deposits had been taken from hard working upwardly mobile young men, Madam Elisha had taken 46 times 35K Euros. In fact she had single handedly ?Sold? more than her allocation, and had actually sold some apartments twice! Madame Elisha walked off one day with some 1.6 million in cash! Yes the folding kind When 46 upwardly mobile young men appeared in October to complete on their purchases there was a big stink. There were no legal contracts in place which stated that any deposit had been paid. The Developer had never received any money from Madam Elisha who was talking to Spanish Police on the Costa del Sol.

Of course she denied everything and said she had never received any cash from anyone. Fraud squad detectives are still trying to trace large amounts of cash from a mesh of bank accounts but to date they have found nothing! The money is obviously in an account or accounts that they have not yet traced.

She blamed it all on corrupt staff but somehow Jose Manuel could not believe that and was astounded by the news because he had received nothing and unlikely now to realize the 46 missing sales as they had lost their money.

The moral of the tale which is based on a true story, is never to give an agent a deposit. Should you wish to give a Developer money which may or may not be a great idea, at least get a solicitor to check out the terms of the contract. If Gareth had first checked in with us at mypropertypal we would have had advised him along a different path. At the present time there are hundreds of Apartments for sale in Spain, an over production in the market place has now occurred, which will produce a realistic softening or price correction over the current period as more product is built from historical developments already begun. The bonus for buyers now is that most developers have to fight for market share by producing better quality finishes at more reasonable prices and Accredited Agents take smaller commissions. An Apartment in Spain today will still be an excellent value for money purchase. Investment property opportunities will be good for some years to come for the long term investor (10 Years)

Be sensible-check it out first! Ask a PropertPal it?s free!

By Hugo Raymond
Founder of mypropertypal.com
And the Association of mypropertypal Overseas property Agents

http://www.mypropertypal.com http://www.moneycorp.com

Selling Your Glendale Home Are You Asking the Right Price?

If you have a home in Glendale, Arizona that you'd like to sell, you are in a good position. Glendale is a great community for buying and selling, it's one of the most affordable home communities in the greater Phoenix area.

Fortunately, Glendale is popular enough that you'll find plenty of people interested in buying your home. On the downside, if you've never sold a home before, you may not have realistic expectations about the sales process. You may be setting yourself up for a fall if you aren't aware of some of the common mistakes to avoid.

Asking Too Much for Your Home

Sometimes it's hard to have a great perspective on the asking price for your home. After all, you've probably put a great deal of time, effort and money in making improvements to the property. Unfortunately, if you focus exclusively on the price you think the property is worth, you may lose out on prospective buyers.

Remember that your home will be on the market beside other comparable homes. If your house isn't priced competitively, the home may be quickly passed over by buyers.

Listen carefully to your real estate agent and consider their input. Your agent understands the Glendale market and is going to give you the best price. If you have some doubts, check out zillow.com. This site uses some of the same information as real estate agents, sales of comparable properties, etc. to deliver an accurate home value.

Not Having A Marketing Plan

Before you list your home, you need to have a discussion with your real estate agent about how he or she intends to market your property. What will he or she do to make your property stand out? You want to get as much exposure for your home as possible in the shortest amount of time. The longer your home is on the market, the more opportunity you miss when it comes to finding another home, or you may not be able to complete the purchase of a home you really love.

Not Accepting an Offer

Judging whether to accept an offer is always a little risky, if you take too low of an offer you're missing out on potential money. If you reject an offer because you want something higher, you may find that your property just won't sell. Again, the most important thing you can do is follow the advice of your real estate agent. Glendale is a competitive market, so you should be able to get a good offer on your home. Even before you receive an offer, discuss the absolute minimum that you will accept, and how much room there is for negotiation. It's hard to make decisions in a stressful time, so if you go in with as much information as possible, you can alleviate some of the tension.

Glendale is the perfect community for finding affordable homes and reselling your home to new buyers. Work with an agent you trust and you'll be living in your new Glendale home before you know it.

Reg Gustin is a senior loan officer with Sun American Mortgage and specializes in helping families and their financial lending needs.

Get a FREE mortgage rate quote from a reputable Arizona mortgage company at http://www.arizona-homes-store.com/arizona-mortgages.html.

Search the Arizona MLS at http://www.arizona-homes-store.com/arizona-mls.html

Click here: http://www.arizona-homes-store.com/arizona-real-estate-appreciation-report.htmland get a FREE copy of The Greater Phoenix Area Housing Appreciation Report, as compiled by Arizona State University with your free subscription to his monthly ezine, MARKET NEWS.

Real Estate Schools

When a person is looking for the right living or office space, but does not know how to go about the buying process, then a real estate broker or agent is the person to approach. These professionals not only help a buyer find and select the right property, but also get some of the best deals for their customers. Today, careers in the real estate industry are highly rewarding. Hence, the importance of real estate schools arises.

Aspiring real estate agents are offered real estate pre-license, post-license and continuing education courses in the classroom. They are also provided with online courses. There are various schools that pass knowledge in this faculty. Conveniently located in various states, these schools have been training real estate professionals for more than 20 years. They help a majority of students obtain real estate licenses.

Online real estate courses offered are also second to none. Students are offered online sales associate pre-licensing and online post-licensing courses, with a wide variety of supplemental material to help students pass the real estate exam. Real estate schools offer thorough training to the candidates, making sure they will be prepared the day of their exams.

It is said that choosing the best real estate school can be a tough decision. There is an eligibility criterion that needs to be fulfilled in order to apply for the real estate license. To begin with, the student must be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or GED. In order to apply, a candidate needs to submit application to the Division of Real Estate with the appropriate fee. He must also complete and pass the state approved 63-hour sales associate pre-license course.

Real estate schools have grown in popularity over the years. Most of what is taught in real estate pre-license classes, courses, and training is designed to help the student know what is required to be a qualified licensed real estate professional. In addition to this, one needs good communication and persuasion skills to make a successful career in real estate.

Real Estate Schools provides detailed information on Real Estate Schools, Online Real Estate Schools, Phoenix Real Estate Schools, Scottsdale Real Estate Schools and more. Real Estate Schools is affiliated with Real Estate Agent Courses.

Can You Still Make Money Flipping Houses?

Successful real estate investors have been making money flipping houses in all markets. Just like any business, some investors lose money, even during the best market conditions. The difference, besides experience, is knowledge. Here are three key points.

Knowledge of the market helps you know a bargain house when you spot one. Look at many houses for sale in your area. Keep track of sales and how long the houses take to sell. Ask selling real estate agents about the terms of these sales because this helps you understand how sellers market their property. (Some of this information is public record). For instance, if a seller paid closing costs for the buyer, did the price rise from the listed price accordingly? Or, did the seller come down on the price and also pay the buyer's costs?

Examine the sales that sell quickly. What home features and financing options prompted the fast sale?

You must know the economic outlook in your area. Follow employment trends and population statistics. Are more people moving in than moving out of town? Because people always need housing, invest in an area with a good rental market. If you find too many vacancies in a neighborhood, that means you should discount any offer or look elsewhere.

You also need to learn about houses. What makes one property more attractive to home buyers? You wouldn't want to buy a home with a terrible defect like a horrible floor plan, a noisy freeway in the back yard, or structural flaws. The best way to learn about houses is to preview many houses for sale.

When you learn about your local real estate market, local economy, and property conditions, you empower yourself to make wise investing decisions.

Copyright ? 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Free ebook, The Truth about Making Money Flipping Houses at http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, teaches interior design secrets for fixing houses to make money in any real estate market: Fixing and Flipping Houses

Moving And Relocating Tips

I know how stressful and chaotic moving and relocating can be. We moved from one part of Tucson to another in March of this year, and then in June we bought a home and relocated to Colorado. Here are some of the lessons we and others have learned.

1. Make and use lists. We all forget things, even after remembering them several times. Put them on that list during one of these times. Make a list of things to do before the move, including getting school documents transferred, filling out change of address forms, returning borrowed books and movies, transferring prescriptions, getting maps, and arranging utility shut offs and start ups.

2. Call the moving company and make the reservation a month ahead. You don't want to discover that they are booked up on the date you need them. We found out that the type of van we wanted wasn't available, but this was easily resolved because we started the process early.

3. Sell and throw away things. Carefully consider what you need to keep. Many people spend hundreds of dollars to move things that will probably be thrown away some day. It isn't just about the expense either, but also about the hassle. When you are moving and especially when you are relocating to another city - this is the best time to get rid of the things you really don't need.

4. Have a rummage sale. This is a good way to get rid of those things, and you might even raise enough money to pay for the move. Again, it is best to be rid of your things before the move. We went to a after-the-move rummage sale the other day. What a shame to pack and pay to move all those things just to have to work to sell them for pennies later.

5. Start packing early. not only is it difficult to predict how long it will take until you are doing it, but you never know how much time you'll have later. Starting early means avoiding running around looking for boxes and packing materials at the last moment.

6. Pack an essentials box for when you arrive at your new home. This should have the things you need to make your arrival easier, like toilet paper, paper plates, soap and such. Carry the box where it is easily accessible.

7. Let everyone know where you are relocating to. Give family and friends of your new address and phone number(s), and do this before you have the current phone shut off. Call all your credit card companies with your new address. Change the address on any subscriptions too.

8. Check weather reports for moving day. You don't want to arrive in a snowstorm with your coat packed away somewhere. You will also need to allow for extra moving time if the weather is going to slow down traffic.

9. Save all your receipts. Keep receipts for moving expenses, like gas, hotel rooms, and anything else related to moving and relocating. Ask your accountant or tax preparer if you are eligible for a tax deduction for moving expenses. Usually you are, if the move is for employment purposes.

10. When you move into your new home, try to reestablish your routines quickly. If Friday night is normally movie night, don't break with the tradition. Moving and relocating are less traumatic if you have some consistency in daily life. If you're moving with children, this could be one of the more important moving tips.

Copyright Steve Gillman. Visit his website for:

1. A photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500.
2. A free book on how to save thousands buying your next home.
3. A free real estate investing course. Visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

Real Estate Investment Trusts

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) is an investment trust where many people invest their money in commercial and residential real estate businesses. The trust manages and possesses many commercial properties and mortgages. The trust also invests in other types of real estate. Real estate investment trusts shows the best characteristics of both real estate and stocks.

Real estate investment trust is a company that operates income producing real estate such as apartments, offices, warehouses, shopping centers, and hotels. Though a variety of property types are there, most of the REITs concentrate on any one of the property types only. Those specializing in health care facilities are called the health care REITs. The real estate investment trust was formed in 1960 in order to make large scale income raising investments in real estate, which can be easily accessed by smaller investors. The trust?s main advantage is that it helps a person to select an appropriate share to invest on from a variety of group rather than investing on a single building or management.

Real estate investment trusts are broadly classified into three categories - equity, mortgage and hybrid. The first category involves the ownership and management of income producing real estate. Mortgage real estate investment trusts offers money directly to real estate owners by acquiring loans or mortgage backed securities. The third category not only owns properties but also provide loans to real estate owners and operators.

Real estate investment trusts differ from limited partnerships in many ways. One of the main differences lies in reporting the annual tax information to the investors and another is that there is no minimum investment amount. For a company to become a real estate investment trust, it should share out 90 percent or more of its taxable income to its shareholders once in a year. Once a company is qualified as an REIT, it is allowed to reduce the dividends given to its shareholders.

Real Estate Investments provides detailed information on Real Estate Investments, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Real Estate Investment Loans, Real Estate Investment Financing and more. Real Estate Investments is affiliated with Buying Investment Properties.

Home Owner

Becoming the owner of a house can be a proud moment, but one should understand that it brings with it a lot of responsibilities. The most important things are maintenance, capital or finances, bills, and the process of increasing the home?s value so that it also becomes a good capital investment in the long run.

People generally use a mortgage loan for funding their home purchase. Most lending companies require the mortgage customers to buy homeowner?s insurance. They give certain mandatory levels of coverage, but these need not be necessarily adhered to, as they just cover the house, and not the belongings inside the house. There are several kinds of homeowner insurance policies, the most basic ones being HO-1, HO-2, HO-3, HO-4, H0-5, HO-6, HO-8, HO-A, HO-B and HO-C. Each of these policies is different and caters to different homes and individuals. An agent would be able to help you decide on the right kind of policy.

Taking out a homeowner?s insurance policy requires the declaration of some information, such as occupation and employment history, credit history, marital status, date of birth, social security number, and previous address. Analyze your home and your possessions, and try to give a value to everything in it. Insurance companies consider several factors such as the age of the home, size of the home, condition of the home, number of people residing, location with respect to the fire station and fire hydrant, materials used to build the home, the number of rooms, and so on. You can save significantly on the insurance premium if you have certain safety equipment installed in the house. Understand the difference between replacement costs and actual cost value. Keep updating the policy when you enhance the value of your property in any way. You can also take additional insurance that provides coverage for floods or earthquake-related losses.

Home Owner provides detailed information on Home Owner, Home Owner Insurance, Home Owner Insurance Rates, Home Owner Insurance Companies and more. Home Owner is affiliated with First Time Home Buyer Programs.

Virginia Home Buying

Maybe you?re buying your first home in Virginia, or perhaps you?re relocating to Virginia from another state. Either way, it?s important that you educate yourself on Virginia home loans before shopping for a home and mortgage. This article explains what you?ll need to know before buying a home in Virginia:

The median price of a home in Virginia is $125,400, and, recently, homes in Virginia have been appreciating at rates well above the national average. However, the rate of job growth in Virginia is below the national average. Additionally, income levels in many parts of Virginia are too low to purchase a median-priced home with a conventional loan.

Average interest rates on mortgages in Virginia are just slightly higher than the national average interest rate. Home prices in Virginia can vary greatly between zip codes. For example, in the summer of 2005, the median price of a home in Richmond, Virginia, was $335,000; however, the median price of a home in Roanoke, Virginia, was $220,000.

Virginia state law prohibits the issuance of high-cost closed-end fixed-rate second loans. Additionally, Virginia law does not require lenders to issue borrowers a written lock-in agreement. This means that stated interest rates and loan terms issued at the time of mortgage application are not set for any fixed period of time.

The Virginia Housing Fund has programs that stimulate homeownership for low-income, minority, immigrant, and disabled consumers. These programs are available to individuals and families with incomes at or below 50-60% of median household incomes and cannot qualify for financing with a conventional mortgage.

Jessica Elliott recommends that you visit Mortgage Lenders Plus.com for more information about Virginia Mortgage Rates and Loans.

Realtors Never Die

If anyone thought that the present sluggishness in many housing markets in North America was going to hurt Realtors the most is better off to think again. It seems that the slowdown in both the new construction and the resale markets and the consequential drop in pricing levels is having reverberations none other than in ... Europe. This is so because we have reached such a high level of economic integration, that it can be safely stated that when we screw up in North America our European friends end up footing the bill.

Globalization is the term commonly used to refer to the growing economic interdependence of countries worldwide through increasing volume and variety of cross-border transactions in goods and services, free international capital flows, and more rapid and widespread diffusion of technology. Clearly the economic interdependence between the United States and Canada on one side, and many members of the Eurozone - especially those belonging originally to the former Western Europe - on the other side has never been more remarked than now. Not only there is a vigorous flow of capitals going both ways, but also the trade of goods is at its apex. And this appears to be the problem.

The European Union has released economic data as to the end of the second quarter, showing a GDP growth of 3.7 percent annualized, its fastest in six years. So fast, in fact, that for the first time ever the Zone has outrun America, Britain and Japan. The engine that has spurred such record-breaking growth, however, was the ever-increasing consumerism mostly on the part of Americans. In essence, Europe has cashed in on the spending power of Americans, which has increased hand-in-hand with the credit that lenders in North America have extended to consumers, secured by their over-valued and over-appreciated real estate equity.

Consumers in North America have had more financial flexibility these past few years than ever before, and for good or bad they have taken full advantage of it. This flexibility has allowed them to choose to carry debt when in the past they may not have had this option. Additionally, it is certainly true that low interest rates have encouraged more borrowing, which in turn has spurred more spending. All the Porsches, BMWs, Volvos and Mercedes that we see on the streets are proof of it.

Now, however, the tide is changing and the American economic powerhouse is slowing down. This fact alone is causing a series of short-term changes that will make life harder for the Euro economies. North-American consumers seem to be more and more reluctant to snap up German cars, French perfumes and Italian vino. The United States, with an annualized GDP growth of 2.5 percent as at June 30 lead the way, and there is a high degree of scepticism among analysts that European consumers alone will be able to fill the 1.2 percent GDP gap so as to keep the Euro GDP high and steady.

Furthermore all this comes at a time when some Euro area countries, most notably Germany and Italy, are due to tighten their budgets. Their public finances need repairing, and they need to act fast. In Germany, the government wants to raise the value-added tax by three percentage points next January. Italy's newly elected government, based on a very frail one percent majority of a coalition of center and leftist parties, is not openly talking about any such drastic moves but, nonetheless, has initiated already a series of public spending cuts which are sure to make the Fall labour market exceeding Italy's sweltering mid-August heat by a few degrees. It would appear that the new economic theory of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of lowering taxes and raising pensions was more palatable to Italians than Romano Prodi's neoclassical approach of everybody out. Some unions are calling already for a psychiatric evaluation of the new Prime Minister.

Finally, the European Central Bank (ECB) has begun raising interest rates last December and is expected to keep doing so at least until the end of this year. One may wonder why is the ECB poised to increase interest rates at a time when exports are slowing down. The reason lies not with demand but with supply, as unsold inventories are beginning to accumulate, mostly for political reasons. In fact no one dares to lay off workers now, after the civic commotion caused by the recent French rioting.

It turns out, therefore, that real estate agents in North America are not the casualties of the markets taking a breather, at least not the only ones - Europeans stand to lose a lot more.

Luigi Frascati

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

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

The Benefits of Getting a Professional Home Inspection

What is a professional home inspection?

Professional home inspections are becoming an important factor for everyone seeking or planing to buy or sell a home. A home may look to be in very good condition but if we go through the things that can’t be seen with the eye we may find issues that need to be addressed. The need of a professional home inspection is increasing day by day because of increasing litigation due to unknown or undisclosed defects.

A normal individual is not supposed to be the expert of all these technical details. This leads to the need a professional home inspector who inspects the home. A typical home inspection will take several hours to complete. If testing is being done for things such as mold, radon, etc it could take several days to get these results back from the lab.

There are many advantages or benefits to hiring a professional home inspector, some of these benefits are:

Benefits for the buyers

1) With a professional home inspection a buyer can calculate the most realistic price of the property he is going to buy. However, in most cases, the inspection is done after negotiating the price. The home inspection results can be used in negotiating repairs or if the repairs are extensive a buyer may want to back out of the transaction if the contract allows it. The buyers can compare the features and drawbacks with the similar properties available in the same condition.

2) Ridding the buyer from the stress of legal or documentary formalities as the inspector will provide a written report.

3) A Buyer can better guess the possible lifetime of the structure; this will enable him in planning the prospective use of this structure.

4) A buyer can better understand the impact of any unknown natural disaster on the home structure.

5) This could also save hundreds of dollars by making the buyer aware of repairs needed at the surface, fitting, flooring or roof of the structure as well as electrical and plumbing.

6) It satisfies a buyer by familiarizing them with all the maintenance and repair details, well in advance.

Benefits for the sellers

1) A professional home inspection gives the sellers a better idea about the current condition of their property. This is most important in cases where seller has not lived in the house and isn’t very familiar with it. Such as rental property, inherited property, etc.

2) With the better understanding of the main features of the home seller can bargain more confidently about the pricing by making any necessary repairs prior to putting the house on the market.

3) Gives you confidence of well-trained, professional helping hands with you.

These benefits of a professional home inspection make this service very popular among buyers and sellers. I suggest working with an inspector who is a member of ASHI, American Society of Home Inspectors. A professional inspection, in the Chattanooga TN area, will cost about $325 but it’s money well spent by either a buyer or a seller.

Karen Rhodes is a lifelong resident of the Chattanooga area and is a successful REALTOR?. Visit http://www.ChattanoogaRealEstateToday.com for more information on Chattanooga and its surrounding areas.

Costa Rica Watch Out for the Real Estate Sharks

Thinking about buying real estate in Costa Rica? It could be a great investment or your biggest headache. Read on to learn how to stack the odds in your favor.

Costa Rica does not regulate the real estate business and this leaves you, the buyer, at a huge disadvantage. All real estate agents in Costa Rica are in business for only one reason - to make money. They only make money when they sell a property. All the agent wants is your money. The expression ?shark? is a very fitting synonymous for ?real estate agent.? However, in my opinion, it is it is a derogatory comment about sharks.

Agents can be great people, best friends and can even be from your home country but do not trust them as the final authority with your investment money. They do not have your best interest at heart.

Here is my personal list of real estate stories (lies?) that I have heard from several agents in Costa Rica.

1. All Ticos (Costa Rican's) are out to screw you! I have found that some are and others are not out to take advantage of you financially. After living here for a year, personally I am more leery of Gringos trying to sell me something than the Ticos. This is because I know what the Tico wants but do not know the Gringo?s true agenda. Anyone who uses such generalizations should be included in the group that they are criticizing.

2. ?We don?t mark up property like other agencies...? They may not use the same % of markup (called ?Net Listings? which are illegal in the US) but don?t believe them unless they will let you or your attorney talk directly to the seller to verify the asking price. There is one very well known agent in the northern central valley that has previously openly advertised that he doesn?t mark up properties when in reality he does mark up property whenever he thinks he can do so. I forgot the exact words he used but the gist was: Real estate in Costa Rica is unregulated so we can do anything we want.

3. We charge a commission to the buyer because Costa Rican?s don?t pay commission. What a line if I ever heard one! Costa Ricans are not dumb and they know that to sell the property, they probably have to pay someone to find a buyer. Is the agent double dipping? I don?t know but I am willing to bet that nine times out of ten the seller is paying someone to get the property sold and the agent is making money on both sides of the transaction.

4. You or your attorney cannot talk directly to the seller. The excuse often given is that they are afraid your attorney is unscrupulous and may steal the property or something like that. My supposition is that the agent is either marking the property up and/or charging the buyers a commission while the seller is also paying a commission.

5. ?We have already done all of the due diligence for you.? When problem arises the water or electricity or the neighbors, your agent is not going to pay to fix it, rather he will say something like ?Gee I?m awfully sorry, I didn?t know about that.? One agent is advertising that they have done ALL of the due diligence on their properties before they list them. If that is the case, I wonder why the property I purchased from that agent doesn?t have any water available when he stated to me that it had water on the property.

6. Your agent states that he is making a full and truthful disclosure to you. California has one of the toughest disclosure laws in the real estate industry while Costa Rica has none. One agency in the northern central valley is currently promoting a house they are building on speculation by saying Vulcan Poas is not dangerous. In March, 2006, Vulcan Poas roared back to life (it is and has been one of the two most active volcanoes in Costa Rica) and scientists are now concerned because the water temperature of the lake is some 30 degrees hotter than normal. Is this a full and accurate disclosure? Not in my opinion.

7. Your earnest money deposit is not refundable. Some agents use contracts or ?letters of intent? that state that deposits are nonrefundable and that the seller receives the deposit immediately! You can and should write a purchase contract where your deposit is held in escrow and is refundable if certain conditions are not met. I strongly advise that you think long and hard about a deal if the agent says you have to make a nonrefundable deposit.

8. The seller can change his mind any time he wants and refuse to sell. Again, some agents do not know how to or do not want to write a correct contract. If you have a purchase option and have it recorded, it will be much more difficult for the seller to back out.

9. You don?t need to use your own attorney. Just read our personal experience with attorneys and you will see why it is imperative that your attorney represent you and only you.

10. You have to pay all of the closing costs. The custom in Costa Rica is to split the closing costs equally between the seller and the buyer. Of course you and the seller can agree on other terms but don?t start off by offering to pay for everything - that just makes the job easier for the agent.

11. You don?t need a new plano. Your plano is a legal survey of the property. Unless you get a new plano you will not know for certain that what you are looking at is really what you are buying. It is a fact that some fences are occasionally moved by the neighbors and a lot of older surveys are flawed.

12. Don?t worry about utilities... The previously mentioned agent and his associates use practically the same story for every lot they show to their clients - ?Electricity should cost about $3,000. The road should be about $2,500 and water is right over there.? Just make sure you verify everything with the proper authorities and get real estimates from the people that will be doing the work. Don?t be surprised if you find out that the real costs for installing utilities are up to 10 times as much as the agent stated.

13. The water is safe to drink. Over 90% of the surface water in Costa Rica is polluted with gray water runoff, industrial pollution, farm run-off and human waste. Even the large municipalidades have problems with human waste and gas getting into their wells. If you don?t know where the water is coming from get it tested.

14. Gringos are more honest than Ticos. This is a common misconception or misplaced belief on the buyer?s part that makes them feel more comfortable parting with their money. It is really easy to fall into this ?comfort trap? and believe that all Gringos are honest. The simple fact is that it is easier for a Gringo to sell property or an investment to another Gringo. Think about it - Why are all of the international time share resorts are staffed with Gringo sales people?

15. No, the lot isn?t too steep... If the property is steep you have two options: Build on piers which is more costly or: Cut out a building pad. Either way make sure you allow for adequate drainage. I have seen some lots carved out of a hillside where there is bare earth for forty to fifty feet almost straight up. Landslides are common in Costa Rica, even though it is practically all volcanic soil. Don?t think your lot is an exception unless you obtain an engineer?s opinion. My uneducated opinion is that a retaining wall just delays the inevitable. When in doubt ask an engineer, not your agent.

16. Ticos are not litigious like people from the US. This is an out right lie. There are so many suits pending in Costa Rica, some courts are backed up for up to 10 years.

17. ?I am an expert on Costa Rica real estate.? Ask them how long they have been in the country selling real estate. If they have not lived here full time for at least 10 years, then they, like me, are not experts.

How do you avoid these traps? Check out Living and Building in Costa Rica at http://www.die-trying.com/html/retruth.html.

All of these ?myths? are solely my opinions and are based on situations where I have personal knowledge of the facts.

Remember, nobody, including me, cares more about your future than you do. Verify, verify and re-verify before you invest.

David L. McDuffie is a US citizen that has adopted Costa Rica as his new home. Mr. McDuffie is a Custom Home Builder and Home Designer in Costa Rica at http://www.crbuilders.com You can learn about Discount Architectural Services at http://www.crplans.com

What Did My Neighbor's House Sell For ?

There are many people who are constantly asking what their neighbor?s houses sold for. Some people may think they are just being nosey, but the truth is that there is a lot to learn by what your neighbors get out of their homes. In fact, you simply cannot go without knowing these figures, if you are interested in your own property?s value.

Every year, the homes in your area sell and are bought. However, you may not know how much each house is sold for. If you read the paper daily, you probably know that most real estate transactions are listed in many papers. This will be the easiest way to find out what your neighbor?s house sells for. You can often find them by address and even see the person?s name that bought it. This is all public information and is almost always published weekly.

The reason it is so important to know that your neighbor got so much for their home is because you might want to sell you home in the future. When your neighbor gets more for their home, you should get more as well. This is if your home is comparable in size and kept the same. If your home is larger and you maintain it better, you might even get more and should take that into consideration.

So, don?t worry about being nosey. Find our what your neighbor?s house sold for so you know about how much your home is worth as well?just in case you want to sell!

Check Out More Articles:

affordable cottage property sale parry sound Ontario

Issues with Renting Buying and Selling Properties Overseas

People interested in renting, selling or buying various properties overseas are commonly faced with a wide range of difficulties such as language barrier impediments, limited market evaluation possibilities, as well as poor access to information regarding the advantages and disadvantages of closing a certain deal on foreign land. In order to get the best out of a given transaction, one generally needs to spend a lot of time and invest a lot of effort in doing the required price-service research, carefully analyzing the benefits and the minuses of choosing one offer over another. Whether you wish to sell, buy or rent apartments, villas, houses or land in remote locations, the recommended thing to do is request the services of a reliable third-party. With the help of a solid Real Estate company, you will be able to quickly find the best apartments and villas to rent or buy, and you will also receive proper assistance and counseling on selling such properties.

There are various Real Estate companies and agencies out there that provide customers with high-quality services that account for the subtleties of finding and closing the best Real Estate deal overseas. The trick is to find the company that best satisfies your needs and requirements, the company that can help you achieve your goals in exchange for affordable price packages. In order to obtain the best results, you should consider employing the services of a Real Estate company that sustains and promotes its activity via the Internet. This way you will be able to achieve a better exposure for the properties you wish to offer for sale or rental, and also keep track of other properties if you are interested in buying or renting. Efficient Real Estate companies offer clients the opportunity to browse through an extensive and well-structured database of classified ads and submit their own announcements online, free of charge or in exchange of previously established monthly or annual fees.

Classified ads are properly categorized into multiple sections, include descriptions of the properties available for sale or rental and are also accompanied by suggestive images, helping customers form an idea about each individual advertisement. If you are looking to buy or rent apartments, villas, houses, townhouses or land overseas, simply use the classified ads feature and find the announcements that best satisfy your needs. Once you have found the most appropriate house, apartment or villa to rent, all you need to do is contact the ads? submitter and negotiate the terms of the transaction. Similarly, if you are interested in selling such properties, write and submit your own ads and you will be contacted by potential clients.

Greatly simplifying the process of closing effective Real Estate transactions and helping customers overcome the difficulties of buying, selling or renting apartments, villas, houses and other properties overseas - reliable, competitive and cost-effective Property Management Services are an important feature you should look for before deciding to collaborate with a Real Estate company. Such services usually include: accommodation services, property services (client meeting, security, cleaning), property research services, legal services, translation services, chauffer services and many more.

Depending on factors such as the type of the transaction and the location of the property you are interested in buying or renting, you should request an appropriate package of services that can help you overcome the difficulties of the deal. For instance, a good lawyer can inform you about the hidden costs behind the transaction, such as local taxes. Another advantage of having a good lawyer is that it can accelerate the process of closing the deal by taking care of all the required documents. In addition to employing reliable legal services, you should also consider hiring efficient translation services when renting or buying properties overseas. Such services will take care of translating all the documents you require, thus overcoming the language barriers you may come across when renting and buying properties overseas.

Before closing a deal, it is also advised to employ the services of an experienced surveyor. Once hired, surveyors perform elaborate on-site investigations, verifying the condition of the property, establishing an estimate on the overall value of the property and providing clients with concrete information about the advantages and disadvantages of the transaction. Surveyors are vital for people interested in buying or renting apartments, villas, houses, townhouses or land overseas, as their report clearly reveals the worth of a certain deal.

A more consistent report generally includes the following: information on the location of the property, amenities (swimming pool, gardens, view, tennis court, etc), the materials used in building the property, the condition of the property (substantial or negligible faults, results of testing the interior structure for dampness, information regarding the existence and condition of the drainage system, insulation and damp-proofing), repair costs, the precise value of the property on both the local and open markets, recommendations for further specific inspections, etc. With the help of an extensive survey report, the client can easily prepare his next actions and decide whether to close the deal for the initially established price, renegotiate its terms and costs, or even cancel a problematic deal.

So if you want to find more useful information from EUDreams about an apartment to rent or even about a villa to rent, we recommend you clicking these links.

How to Create a Lifetime Customer When you Sell Real Estate

How often have you seen a customer buy from one agency and then a few years later, list with a different agency? I've seen it far too often! I always wonder if the agent did something wrong, or just didn't bother to turn that person into a lifetime customer.

I'll admit, real estate customers aren't known for their loyalty. In fact, if you list a house and it doesn't sell right away, they might take their listing elsewhere even if you've spent hundreds on advertising for them. But there are ways to improve your chances of keeping them. And there are ways to turn satisfied buyers and sellers into Lifetime customers.

And remember, if your commission averages $10,000 per transaction and people move every 5 years, you stand to gain an extra $30,000 over the next 15 years. Then consider those buyers who like to do rehab. They sometimes buy more than one each year. Add in the friends and family each customer could bring you, and there's only one conclusion: Customers are worth keeping!

How to keep a listing: Stay in touch during the listing period. I can't count how many times I've gotten listings that used to belong to someone else, just because the sellers felt ignored.

So, rule #1 is Stay in touch, even when it's difficult.

It is difficult to call and speak with the seller when there's been no action, but call anyway. You can tell him or her where you've advertised, how many flyers you've given out to office drop-ins, how many flyers you've mailed to long distance inquiries, etc. Perhaps you took new photos and posted them on your virtual tour. Whatever you've done, let the seller know you did it.

In my office we kept track of all activity and mailed a monthly report, along with copies of each ad we had placed in a newspaper or magazine. In addition, we called mid-month just to stay in touch. This practice was responsible for most listing renewals. The important point is, you must make sure that the seller knows you're doing something regularly to promote the house.

OK, you sold the house. Everyone passed go and collected their money. Now what?

Now you send a thank you letter with a brief questionnaire asking for feedback on your service. It will let you know what you did right - and occasionally you'll hear what you did wrong! Don't be afraid of that. Welcome that kind of feedback because it gives you the opportunity to make a friend out of an unhappy customer. Write back and thank them for letting you know and for helping your career by letting you improve your service.

Next, put those names and addresses in a data base and start staying in touch. Every 2 to 4 months is often enough, unless you know that they have friends or relatives who are about to make a move.

Send a magazine article about their hobby, birthday cards, a postcard with a funny joke, a pretty picture, or perhaps an article about getting the house ready for winter. Anything that will interest them and keep your name in front of them will do.

I wrote a monthly newsletter, and if I was late getting it out customers would call to see why it wasn't there. That was before email became so popular. Now you could do it electronically at zero cost if you write it yourself, and you could add a personal note to really special customers.

You're going for Top of mind awareness, and you can only get that through regular contact. Your goal is for them to think of you first when anyone mentions needing a Realtor.

That brings me to Rule #2: Stay in Touch!

Marte Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter and former real estate broker. She has extensive experience in writing for the real estate industry and related fields. Visit her at http://marte-cliff.com/RealEstate.html and sign up for her complimentary real estate marketing ezine.