Money Management Through Real Estate Investing

Writen by Michael Russell

Money Management is a primary concern for most people as they begin to think about the future. The thought wasn't always there in the past regarding your retirement or even your next paycheck. With major corporations disappearing not only with your job but also with your pension, more people are concerned and should be.

There are many means of money management available. You can put all your extra cash in your pillow, you can put it in a box under the floorboards, you might even want to put it in a bank. If you put it in a bank, are you going to put it in a savings account, your checking account, a CD (certificate of deposit) or maybe a money market account. You might want to set up a brokerage account and trade stocks or have a managed fund account.

One of the best means of long-term money management is Real Estate investing. With Real Estate on a constant increase in value, a lot of experts agree that this is one of the best investment strategies. Within the Real Estate investment opportunities, there is an assortment of investment strategies. There are short term strategies such as flipping properties and long term strategies such as buying to rent and selling in 20-30 years to fund your retirement. I've heard of a couple that had 3 children and they heard that buying investment properties was a good way to be prepared for their children's college fund. So they purchased 3 properties with nice homes on them. They took care of the properties for years without consideration of occupying them with renters during this time. Their entire intent was to resell at the time their children were going to college and using the proceeds to pay for their college education.

Before you start to invest, educate yourself. Investments in Real Estate can be costly. You do not want to throw your money away because of ignorance of prudent Real Estate investing decisions. Figure out what your investing goals are and what methods of investing will help you achieve these goals. Do you need to create short term income with your investing strategies or can all of your profits be considered long term. Can you put more into your investment or is it a one time lump investment. How much risk can you stand? Do you need strategies that are less risky. Are your funds limited and maybe you might be interested in investing in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) through the stock market instead?

If you want ownership of the property and your funds are limited, you can look for deals with foreclosure properties. Sometimes you would have to put some work into a property so you need to be prepared. Make sure you can do the work yourself or you have someone that you can go to and you have a reasonable idea of the costs involved.

One of the investment strategies you may not hear of much but nevertheless it is a big investment strategy, is Tax Lien Investments. Basically, when taxes are not paid on a property, the county would assess a tax lien on that property. The Tax Lien is then put up for sale by the county. If you bid on the lien and are awarded the lien, then you would pay the county the amount of tax that is due. The property owner would then have to pay the back tax plus a penalty. This entire amount is then paid to you. Each state sets up the what the amount of the penalty is. In some states, it is 14%. In others, it is 25%. This figure varies from state to state. If the property owner doesn't pay the back taxes and the penalties after 3 years, you can foreclose on the property. Tax Liens take precedence over most other liens.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Money Management

Foreclosures Increase In The South

Writen by Martin Lukac

According to a recent report, foreclosures appear to be increasing in the South. Foreclosure.com 2006 Mid-year Market Analysis listed five southern states in its top ten highest foreclosure rates to date.

The list included, in order: Georgia, Indiana, Colorado, Michigan, Texas, Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Utah.

In addition, six-month housing market analysis reveals that Tennessee is rapidly moving up the list for mortgage foreclosures. Another report indicates that Florida and Georgia are foreclosure hotspots, and points to possible predatory lending as the cause.

"At mid-July, almost 30,000 properties in Florida are in some stage of foreclosure," said Foreclosure.com president Alexis McGee. "A third of those are in south Florida."

McGee continued in saying that rising interest rates and a cooling housing market are driving the increase in foreclosures.

"In Atlanta, for example, the inventory of unsold homes has grown by 28.2% to 43,862 over the last six months. The foreclosure pace in Georgia is almost double what it was in May of 2005."

The situation appears to be elevated due to the widespread usage of exotic mortgage products in the past five years. So-called option adjustable rate mortgages with teaser rates and high negative amortization have caused many homeowners to lose their homes, said McGee.

"People bought homes they really couldn't afford, and now they're losing them as these loans reset to market rates and they can't find affordable refinancing options."

Martin Lukac represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate and mortgage rates. We specialize in daily updates, mortgage news, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

The Case For Fractionals 2006

Writen by Bob Waun

Why the fractional vacation industry is booming…

1.) Demographics - 78 million US Baby Boomers that will retire in the next 15 years (the largest population turned 50 in 2004-05, with 50th birthdays occurring every 7 seconds). The under told statistic is that there will be 103 million Empty Nesters in Europe by 2009 and Japan will have 32 million boomers by 2010, in a total population of only 127 million people. 213 million Boomers will compete for a uniquely similar lifestyle in retirement.

2.) Boomers Like Debt – Unlike the previous generation, Boomers have proven that they are willing to pay, and borrow for the lifestyle they want. The boomer generation has innovated everything from disposable diapers to SUV's, they will innovate the idea of retirement homes.

3.) The Wealth Transfer – Not everyone is going to get rich. Boomers are estimated to get the biggest slice of the inheritance pie: $17.8 trillion. Distributed evenly, each of the 78 million US boomers get $228,205. But these inheritance dollars will not be distributed evenly. The 73.5% of the boomer cohort will likely join the wealthier classes. Within the next 15 years, 20.7 million boomers will become over $658,000 wealthier, and 57.3 million people will get less than $72,900 to boost their meager net worth/retirement. 20.7 million people may be able to afford luxury retirement residences if they innovate to fractional ownership, condo hotel, and private residence clubs. Whole ownership is going to be bid farther out of reach by the sheer mass of this population competing for prime property, a trend that is already under way. Boomers will need to get creative by purchasing a combination of a primary residence, Condo Hotel and Fractional and PRC ownership options, to more efficiently use their limited nest eggs and to have active and dynamic golden years.

Fast Facts:

• Traditional timeshare grew 21% to $7.87 billion in 2004, average price $15,784.

• High-end timeshare grew 22%, to $1.075 billion, average price $40,270, 50% of owners say they would buy more fractional shares in the future. Only 3% of US population currently owns fractional real estate interests.

• The average American worker gets 2.4 weeks of vacation, and will retire at age 62. Many boomers expect to continue to work, possibly in a different career after retirement.

• The $100,000+ income cohort is growing 8 times faster than any other income group in the USA. Mortgage leverage has also grown in recent years. These people have money and are not afraid to borrow to own more real estate and lifestyle.

• There are 142 fractional projects in the USA, 23% in Florida, 21% in Colorado. That's 549,295 boomers for each project in supply.

• The most economical way to own more than one home, is to only own the piece you want to use.

America's First-Second Home Lender

About the Author:

Bob Waun, Founder & CEO
www.vacation-finance.com
bwaun@vacation-finance.com

As a VP at Paramount Bank, and while at Wells Fargo, Bob innovated lending for Condo Hotel projects. He holds a Master's degree in finance/economics and BBA in finance from Walsh College and a MI Real Estate Broker's License. He has personally lent over $750+ million in residential loans, and over seen operations lending $1+billion. He has been a professional guest speaker and taught numerous courses/seminars on real estate finance.

He managed controlled business relationships for a national real estate brokerage in MI and OH, held top sales honors for Wells Fargo in 7 states. Bob has a 17 year track record of cutting-edge innovation in the mortgage finance.

Since 2002, Bob has worked with condo hotel developers and lenders to improve the market for condo hotel financing. He has been nationally recognized as an expert in vacation ownership finance. Bob is a member of The City of Birmingham Principal Shopping District Board, Lions Club, Goodfellows, and a guest speaker at Seaholm High School.

Truth About Home Inspections

Writen by Michael McClure

The vast majority of homes sold in the United States – over 70 percent – involve a home inspection. Even so, there is much confusion and uncertainty surrounding this process. Here are some of the more common misconceptions:

The purpose of a home inspection is to come up with a list of imperfections which can then be used to negotiate a lower price.

Incorrect. The primary purpose of an inspection is to identify issues affecting safety, structural integrity and habitability, and to identify other significant items not previously noted on the disclosure statement completed by the seller. If and only if your inspection discovers issues of this nature should you attempt to use the inspection results as a means to reopen the issue of pricing. Also, the purpose of an inspection is NOT to point out every minor cosmetic defect. An unwritten rule of thumb is that "if it's cosmetic, it probably won't be pointed out by the inspector."

Inspections are only applicable to "used homes.

False. On the contrary, new construction is often the situation where a good inspection is MOST needed. Why? Because there are so many things that go into building a new home, because so many different people are involved in the process, and because not all builders can be trusted to do everything you would expect them to do. Also, most new construction contracts state that closings will not be deferred, and escrows will not be withheld, if not all open items are finished prior to closing. So, if you don't have a timely inspection, you could be setting yourself up for a problem at the time of closing (before I got into real estate, I actually had this exact thing happen to me; it was a nightmare).

If your inspector is licensed, they will provide a quality inspection.

Wrong again! A little more than half of the states have some form of inspector regulation, but the requirements are far from uniform. Having said that, common sense would still indicate that it is wise to confirm anything that the inspector tells you regarding their licensing or other credentials.

You can eliminate the need for an inspection by having other inspections performed (code inspection, pest inspection, appraisal, etc.).

Not true. There is simply no substitute for a routine contractor's inspection. While these other forms of "inspection" are valuable, no combination of these secondary procedures can take the place of an inspection.

All forms of inspector certification are created equally.

Wrong once more. Organizations that provide inspector certification range from those that require nothing more than an annual membership fee all the way up to those requiring that the inspector have experience in the literal hundreds of inspections completed. You should investigate the organization providing the "credentials" as well as the inspector him or herself before you make a final decision regarding which inspector to use.

Home inspections are foolproof.

No, they are not. Even the best inspectors miss things. Most inspectors have contracts that contain disclaimers that specifically state that they are not liable for anything they may miss. While this may sound unreasonable, the hard reality is that there is simply no way that any person can discover every potential defect in an inspection that typically lasts three hours or less for the amount of money that is typically charged for an inspection.

Home inspectors destroy real estate deals.

Good ones don't. Do real estate transactions sometimes fall apart because of inspection results? Absolutely. However, the analogy that I would use is this: inspections don't destroy real estate deals; bad houses destroy real estate deals." All a good inspector does is deliver the facts. The facts determine the outcome, not the messenger (although we all know people that love to shoot the messenger!).

I hope this helps clarify some of the common misconceptions about home inspections. For a more detailed discussion of home inspections, please visit the Professional One website. Good luck!

Michael McClure is the founder of Professional One Real Estate, a brokerage located in Plymouth, Michigan. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in accounting, McClure worked as a Certified Public Accountant for Price Waterhouse for nearly a decade. After leaving accounting in 1991, he began selling real estate. To date, he and his partner, RE/MAX Hall of Fame Member Phyllis Lemon, have cumulative lifetime sales of approximately $500M. McClure also volunteers on the Professional Standards Committee (a self-governing body of the local association of realtors that acts in a judge-and-jury-like fashion regarding ethics complaints and arbitration disputes) of Western Wayne Oakland County Association of Realtors. He sat for and passed the State of Michigan's Associate Real Estate Broker's examination in December 1996. McClure and his team have developed one of Metro Detroit's top ranking real estate websites http://www.professionalone.com.

Bulgaria Property Market Are The Renting Options Viable And Realistic

Writen by Nickolay Dobrev

While buying property for sale in Bulgaria, and especially when it comes to brand new developments, often marketed off-plan, most British investors are "seduced" by the rent out options of 8-10% annually. The truth, however, is yet to be discovered as few Bulgaria property developments can actually boast realistically such percentages, the majority still being quite doubtfull in their proof of viablity. The following text is the first of series of articles exploring the possibilities for renting out in a market where buy-to-let has been unknown till very recently.

The nature of the Bulgaria property market is very dynamic as the market itself is quite young (roughly 15 years old in its present shape) and as the sellers still dictate its bias. Looking from the stand point of the developers and their agents, or simply from the stand point of the home owners, the recent leap of the prices is the major driving force when it comes to whether to sell, build or both. Combining the popular in Britain menatality of investing for renting out with the local desire for quick profits, many sellers and developpers are tempted to promise unrealistic figures. Aside from few regions along the Black Sea coast and in the mountain resorts, the rest of the country cannot offer even fraction of the easily promissed bombastic returns on investment. Looking deeper into the Bulgaria property market, even the Black sea coast developments are dubious and contingent on too many unknowns.

According to International Herald Tribune 18% of all Bulgaria Property sales had been made by Foreign Customers in 2004. Again another 23% of the total sales on the Bulgarian Property Market have been made by foreigners in the year of 2005. Baring in mind those growing figures it is no suprise investors are offered temptation after temptation playing around the probability game for not merely capital gains but in the short run - income from letting.

All politics is local - how about business?

In a bestseller called "Hardball: How the politics is played told by one who knows the game" a famous phrase comes to mind when we talk business in general. "All politics is local" - so is the business, whether you like it or not. So is the property market in Bulgaria- it is driven primarily by local demand and supply and not by investments from overseas. According to RICS the drastic increase of the value of the Bulgaria Property market could not only be attributed to Foreign Investors. The reason is also the increased demand from Bulgaria property owners to replace their old Bulgarian property. However, in the mentality of the Bulgarians buy-to-let is a concept unknown, and what's more, relatively unacceptable. Finding a Bulgarian that would buy a property and then allow anyone to use it for 3-4 months in the year, to generate profit from letting is quite doubtfull. Furthermore, letting an appartment in the ski resorts or along the Black sea coast was simply unavailable 5-6 years ago, as there were no "appartment hotels" offered for sale by any developer.

So, shall we buy property in Bulgaria or is that merely a giant scum? Answer to those questions will be provided with facts of proof in the next several articles.

Nickolay Dobrev is the CEO of DC Properties Bulgaria ltd., part of one of the largest construction holdings in Bulgaria. It's been the years of experience gained both in construction and property sales that combined the efforts of DC Properties Bulgaria Ltd and RVP Koehne JSC. to form a strategic alliance offering expertise and quality services. For more information check http://www.bulgarianrealestateguide.net

Greed Can Cost You Your Shirt

Writen by Wilard Michlin

The proper action when things are going well is to pay off debt and consolidate your position. Then you will be financially strong and can go for further expansion without fear of loosing what gains you already have. When you are not deep in debt you do not have to worry about your creditors getting paid. Since the usual history of a business is cyclic (boom and then every 7 years (plus or minus) bust) you can predict when it is time to consolidate.

When the prices are "too good to be true, they are." In the two years just before the top of the market is reached, prices are going up at very incredible rate. I have seen real estate go up 25%, per year, right at the top. This is incredible and I guarantee you it cannot sustain itself, at that rate. As hard as it is to give up a profit, it is harder still to sell an investment when it is going straight up. But, understand this is when you need to sell. If that is not what you want to do then you need to go to plan B: pay off your debt and get ready for the market drop.

If you are debt free you can survive the drop and then be solvent and financially secure when the recovery comes. I would like to tell you a story of the largest apartment owner in Hollywood.

It was 1980 when I met Nick. He owned 11 buildings at that time. He bought the worse buildings in town. These had the best cash flow. He owned mostly brick buildings. This was because they cost less money than stucco and wood buildings. This lower price allowed Nick to generate higher profits. Nick would buy a building. He then did a market study, and figured out what size apartments and what numbers of bedrooms were generating the highest rent, per square foot. Then he remodeled his building to get the highest price per square foot he could. He spent over $100,000 per building to do this. He also had to earthquake proof all of his buildings.

One of the reasons that brick buildings sold so cheaply was that they needed to be earthquake reinforced. When Nick finished remodeling a building, it was producing a very nice cash flow. Nick would use that cash flow to buy and remodel the next building. This was very smart thinking. Where did Nick fall off the rails? First he would find a great deal, while he was still in the middle of a remodeling job. He just couldn't pass it by. He borrowed on one of his finished buildings to get the down payment to buy the building.

Then he would borrow on a second building to get the money to remodel the new building. Now he was remodeling two buildings at the same time. By borrowing on two of his successful buildings, he now had to pay the loan payments on the two new loans. The rents from the older buildings now went to the lenders instead of to Nick's remodeling project. The new building, just bought, didn't produce enough income to cover the new loan on it because half the building was empty due to the remodeling. Nick now needed to keep borrowing money to fix the buildings and pay the loan payments on the buildings that didn't generate enough income. When a building was completed it then supported itself very nicely.

Was Nick happy with that? No, he wanted more and more buildings. If at any time Nick had stopped borrowing to buy new buildings, and just finished all his buildings in remodeling, he would have been able to catch up with himself and started expansion from a new level of security. That was, using the buildings profits after paying all of his loan payments to buy and remodel more buildings. Nick just couldn't wait and consolidate his position. He had every building he owned loaned up to the maximum value that he was able to. The rents were more than enough to cover the payments on each individual building. So what happened?

Two things. The first was his greed. We entered the 1991 recession, and the price of buildings went down. The banks were starting to foreclose on buildings and put them back on the market for very cheap prices. Nick just couldn't let a deal pass him by. He bought 3 of them. He borrowed the last dime he could squeeze out of every building he owned to buy these buildings, thinking that he could do no wrong. One bank made him the deal of a century. They wanted a lot of money down but the price "was just too good to be true."

Nick was so much in a hurry to get his hands on this great deal he didn't bother to do his normal structural inspections and research. After all, Nick owned 17 buildings in Hollywood by now and knew the market better than anyone else, he thought. He looked at the building and saw it was only 20 years old. The building was empty, which meant it brought in no income. That didn't bother Nick, he would just get it rented quickly and the building would support itself. What Nick hadn't noticed was that the foundation was damaged and a $100,000 repair was needed. This was a repair that Nick couldn't afford. I begged Nick to walk away from this building and let the bank have it back. He refused and squeezed more money out of his collection of buildings.

As you can imagine, Nick was loaned to the hilt and had no money set-aside for an emergency. At his peak he owned 17 buildings worth $45,000,000 with him estimating his net worth at $7,500,000. He was definitely worth a lot of money. That was for sure. Before we get jealous of him, lets look at these numbers a different way. If Nick was worth $7,500,000 then his real estate loans had to be the difference. That is $37,500,000. These were sure big numbers.

Let's look at these numbers in terms of their percentages. This $37,500,000 was 83.3% of $45,000,000. $45,000,000 had to be the retail value of all these buildings. Nick would not think in terms of selling them. He never sold a building. He only bought, and bought, and bought. What Nick saw was the potential. If property values went up only 10%, Nick's net worth would go up $4.5 M. Property values had gone up over 20% in the 1980's but the recession that had started was of no concern to him. It is clear that he had stretched himself to the limit. The last building the bank sold him put him in trouble. He might have even survived it if he sold one, two or maybe three buildings. No, Nick wouldn't do that.

One year later the recession was not over. Unemployment in California went up and up. Businesses were closing, President Reagan was closing down Aerospace, and workman compensation insurance was so high no one could stay in business. Vacancies in apartments were going from 1% to 5% to 10%. Then it happened, we had the LA riots. Hollywood became a ghost town and then it happened again, the earthquake of 1994. Brick buildings fell down on Hollywood Blvd, none of Nick's buildings. People moved away and vacancies rose in Hollywood too as much as 17%.

Do I need to tell you what happened to Nick? He lost everything when vacancies went to 5%. He had no reserves or cushion for a margin of error. For 18 years Nick lived like a pauper, in one of his small apartments. He did his own property management for all of his buildings. He drove an old car, worked seven days a week, took no vacations, always had to worry about paying his next loan payment and where to borrow his next dime. His plan was to make $10 Million Dollars and sell everything. What he got was nothing for 18 years of his life. I have no idea where Nick is now. He disappeared off the face of the earth. So, "A BIRD IN THE HAND IS WORTH, A MILLION THAT ARE PROBABLY NOT IN THE BUSH!

About The Author

Willard Michlin is an Investor, Business Broker, California Real Estate Broker, Accountant, Financial Distress Consultant, Well known Public speaker and Administrative/Business Consultant. He can be contacted at his Ventura, California office by calling 805-529-9854 or by e-mail at kismetrei@earthlink.net. See other article by Willard at http://www.kismetgroup.com

kismetrei@earthlink.net

Investing In Real Estate For Your Retirement And Now

Writen by Ailsa Forshaw

You've probably heard a lot of opposing information about Investing in Real Estate, which is completely annoying! The straight-forward fact about Real Estate is that it is probably the best and safest investment you'll ever make, especially if you live in it, and that you are far more likely to make money in this market than with any other type of investing. The chances are very slim that you'll wake up one morning and the housing market will have dropped by 40%. Egads! That ain't good!

In general,Real Estate values always go up. There are some Apartments in Calgary (Alberta, Canada) that I wanted my husband to buy (he wouldn't, but that didn't stop me from asking!) about five years ago. Back then, the Apartments were selling for $96,500.00 for a Two Bedroom place, and now that same unit is selling for over $150,000.00. Quite an increase in value, eh? (You're learning how to speak 'Canadian', too!) That's over $50,000.00 in gross profit, for the mathematically challenged (me included!). We sure didn't make that kind of profit in the Stock Market in that span of time.

Now, if that were your Primary Residence (the place you actually live), and you had lived there all that time, you would make that profit tax free. The same profit made on the Stock Market would be subject to regular taxes, which totally sucks, since you were the one to invest in the first place, and you were the one to take the chances, but, them's the laws of the land - what are you gonna do?? That's right, buy Real Estate! Ha,ha!

Buy Apartments or Condos

One of the best bits of financial investment ideas that I ever got was from an old boyfriend of mine, Ben Johnson, the Olympic Runner. (Remember him? Turns out, great guy, bad rap, punished more than any real criminal, very wise business man - funny how the press doesn't focus on that…) Anyway, his idea was to buy 15 apartments and rent them at approximately $1000./month (he lives in Toronto, Canada where the rents are high, if that seems exorbitant to you, or low, if you live in New York, and that seems waaay too cheap! ha,ha!). That would give him a regular 'income' of about $15,000./month, provided that the properties are owned outright. Good idea, eh?

Now, we can't afford that many rental properties, yet, but the idea is a good one. I don't know if he ever actually did that, but he planted a seed in my mind that will allow my husband and I to build a solid foundation for a comfortable retirement.

I happen to be partial to the idea of buying new apartments in a regular Apartment Building as opposed to Town Houses, Duplexes or Single Family Homes, because you don't have to worry about serious repair problems, like a new roof or furnace! Those problems can add up to some serious bills for the Property Owner.

New or well-cared for buildings are unlikely to require repairs within the first five years, and if you purchase in a Condo Development, your renter can pay the Condo Fees, which will cover any major building repairs. You will, of course, be responsible for general up-keep, but even that will be minimal if you have good renters and start with good stuff. If you are reluctant to get into the 'Landlord' game because of the whole 'collecting the rent' thing, you can always hire a Property Management Company. They'll handle everything for you for a relatively small fee.

When you're first looking at Rental Properties, Apartments specifically, try to find one that is relatively inexpensive, and make sure that you are in a financial position to carry all the costs involved if you don't have a renter.

Be careful not to pick up a 'real steal' that needs a huge amount of work - you won't save any money on this one - it could ruin you, financially, too, if there are too many complications in the deal. Again, I prefer new, but an apartment in good repair is fine, too. Only you will know how much you can take on.

Also, check with your Banker or Broker to ensure that you qualify to carry a mortgage on the new property. The Interest Rates are particularly low, right now, so this is a great time to invest in property. The great thing about having rental properties is that not only will you be gaining a perpetual monthly income (the difference between the costs of operation and the rental fee), when you are ready to sell the property, you'll get back all of your initial investment and you'll have the equity spread as well.

If you happen to live in the Property for a couple of years, or so, yourself, then any profit you've made will be tax-free, since it will have been your Primary Residence. Always check with your Accountant to comply with local tax laws. Also, you may be able to hand the property down to your children. Amazingly enough, this is no longer a basic right of a parent in certain countries without some one paying massive amounts of taxes, making it virtually impossible… Man, can't wait to live in the States, again!

Our own plan is to pay off our Mortgage on our Primary Residence, then use the money that we would normally put toward the Mortgage Payment to get a mortgage on a Rental Property - an Apartment.

I like the idea of purchasing a number of apartments on the same floor of an Apartment Building, or at the very least, picking up another apartment in the same building. It seems to me that it would be waaay easier to manage properties if they're close together.

Also, we'd like to have an apartment available for each of our children when they are old enough to move out on their own. They could have the choice of having a room mate, themselves, who would pay them directly for their share of the rent. That way, our children could learn first-hand how to be landlords (Man, I really don't care for that term!) and we wouldn't have to worry about where they're living and whether they have any money for groceries! Scoooore!

The other thing that is key to a comfortable retirement is that the properties you acquire before you retire may be paid off before your actual retirement date, if you have one. If you're living well on your regular income (not including the rental income), then you can put a larger portion of the rental income directly on the Principle of the rental property mortgage. This will give you a higher monthly 'income' later.

(I thought this Ad was really funny!! Of course, It's Great to Be A Landlord, so you can still shoot for that!! ha,ha,ha!)

Ailsa Forshaw is a Writer, Builder, Website Owner & Manager, Teacher, Mother... all in Alberta, Canada. She is Married with Two Lovely Children, and one gorgeous wee dog. Her Website, http://www.buildyourownhouse.ca, is chock full of all sorts of useful & fun information to help anyone become Financially Successful, Slim, Trim, and Happy... what more could you want?? Pop in for a wee visit! http://www.buildyourownhouse.ca http://www.theScottishDiet.com

The Best Of Both Worlds Gers South West France

Writen by David Seymour

Little known to many, the area known as Gers lies deep in the south west of France and is part of the Midi-Pyrenees region. It sits just to the west of the university town of Toulouse. It is named after the river Gers which has it's source in the foothills of the Pyrenees, near Lannemezan.

If you have been looking at property in Spain as well as France, or maybe you have had trouble deciding between Spain or France, then perhaps Gers is the place for you. Due to the proximity of Spain, the strong influence of Spanish culture is evident throughout this area. There have been many waves of Spanish immigrants to this part of south west France, adding colour and variety to the region, and making a truly unique ambience.

Property in Gers tends to reflect this influx of Spanish culture. The rolling countryside is lush and green, and forts and castles adorn the hilltops. This area is only now becoming increasingly popular with foreigners and is still relatively undiscovered.

From the foothills of the Pyrenees, the river Gers flows north and passes through the departments of Hautes-Pyrenees, Tarn-et-Garonne and Gers. The capital city of Auch, is found beside the river Gers. This department covers just over 6,000 square kilometres, and has a total population of around 150,000. Auch is the administrative capital of Gers, one of France's least bustling and most overlooked areas.

Historically, Gers was part of Gascony. It was one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution in 1790. Interestingly, residents of this area are referred to as 'Gersois'.

Gers is a part of the historic Armangnac region well known for its predominant commercial activity - the production of fiery world famous brandy. Gers is mainly an agricultural region, producing a variety of cereals, poultry and well known gastronomic specialities including goose pate "fois gras".

Wild mushrooms are abundant here and their presence has spawned yet another specialist gastronomic industry all of its own, built up around the areas famously prolific wild mushrooms.

Whilst this region officially has it's own language, a dialect of the "langue d'oc" it is little spoken or known today. The majority of people speak French here, but you will find smatterings who also speak Spanish. For many years throughout history, the people of Gers have offered shelter to pilgrims making their way to Santiago De Compostella in Spain.

The region of Gers is comparatively little known, and therefore property in Gers is usually a very welcome surprise in many ways to most Europeans. If you are seeking to make your dream of a home in France reality, then check out the property for sale in the Gers area of south west France.

David Seymour is Managing Director of Adept Marketing, owners of french property for sale south west france.

Sarasota Commercial Real Estate Making Most Out Of Market Shares

Writen by Cleo Capili

Located on the Gulf Coast of Florida is Sarasota. With a growing number of commercial real estate market in this place, retirees and vacationers from different parts of the country and including the other areas around the globe are looking for ways to get a glimpse and hopefully a place to keep for the rest of their lives. Although Sarasota has been known for its majestic views, more and more businesses and investors are getting interested with the commercial lots and properties the place has to offer.

The commercial real estate market in Sarasota offers office properties, for distribution and industrial, retail properties, investment properties and hotel and resort properties. For long, only a few would like to experience the comfort that Sarasota has to offer. These vacationers soon needed more conventional amenities. Then started the growth of small commercial establishments to occupy and provide the needs of the newcomers.

In just less than five years, the commercial real estate market in Sarasota has bloomed. It's not only just living in paradise but living in a high economy market with more opportunities and better commercial investing.

Now Sarasota and the commercial real estate market that is tagged with its name, real estate investors and realtors are pouring in. Developers have created different kinds of strategies to market the new and attractive fast life for every client. Real estate do not only use ads and media, nowadays, the Internet has also become one of the main sources of information for a commercial real estate property find.

In a study conducted to see if businesses really prefer the view or the economy that comes with the place, it was found that investors would like a piece of both. For each commercial real estate property that is being offered in Sarasota photos, detailed information about the property, maps and even the description of the business site matter.

Some commercial real estates have offered as low as seventy to eighty per cent of the Sarasota price just to entice investors. But because of the better equivalent in quality and way of commercial real estate standing in Sarasota, what happened was investors have actually doubled their shares and investments in Sarasota commercial real estates. This happened remarkably in just a few years.

Employment rate has also increased in Sarasota commercial real estates. Professional marketing consultants mushroomed in Sarasota from other states to practice their experience in finance, accounting, project management and real commercial real estate property operations because they know they have a brighter future here than any place at this time.

For new investors, it is assured that spending the money for a Sarasota commercial real estate property is a guarantee. The Sarasota commercial real estate market is assured of exceptional customer service; accurate, timely and reliable valuations of all the commercial property in Sarasota and an effective and proper approach in administering taxes.

The Sarasota commercial market is indeed a safe haven for business and owning a property worth keeping. Keep in mind that these commercial properties in Sarasota are boosting profits it has been proven and will go on for years.

Cleo Capili

http://www.siestakeyrealestate.com

Florida Real Estate Expert Cleo Capili specializes providing assistance to buyers in Florida. She guides families who would like to invest and purchase their dream home in the exciting warm paradise of the Real Estates in Florida. Her skills in negotiating and inventory to make sure that sales and experience bring out the best for each purchase sets her apart from the different common realtors in her location.

Cleo have good background in marketing, business, real estate financing, and advertising to give clients the best options when buying a Florida property. No matter what your needs are, Cleo could share her professional and interpersonal skills for outstanding results on each of your property purchase in Florida.

Commercial Real Estate Misconceptions You Mean Location Location Location Was A Lie

Writen by Yolanda Bishop

Commercial real estate is a wonderful, exciting business that can offer a wealth of opportunity for those who look for it! Many people are often hesitant to enter such a market as commercial real estate for many different reasons. In fact, there are some major misconceptions about commercial real estate which I am going to address here.

Many people who hear about commercial real estate, but aren't necessarily in the business, often use the expression "Location, location, location!" Many people associate this expression as the truth, that the three most important attributes about a property are "Location, location, location!"

I am here to tell you- this is absolutely not the case! Now, I am not going to say location is not important, but what if you have a beautiful location for a mountain resort, complete with snowy hills, a perfect location for a lodge, and beautiful mountain views? What you want to do to the property is improve it for a weekend getaway for romantic couples with a beautiful lodge, resort, luxury type housing, and perhaps some individual cottages overlooking the green forest. Sounds great, right?

The perfect location- you can't beat it! But, you learn that the zoning for this property is residential, R1, to be exact. The use is only one single family residence per acre, and no commercial property allowed. What happened to your "Location, location, location?" It flew out the window!

The most important aspect of a property is the use. What is it intended for by designation of the city or county? It does not matter where the property is, if you cannot get the zoning that is in the realm of your intended use.

It is possible to get properties rezoned, especially as cities change and grow. Be sure to consult with the city or county to determine if these changes are even possible, because you do not want to buy a property that you cannot rezone, and be left with an unprofitable property on your hands.

Most people believe that commercial real estate is complicated and you need a special education or know how to succeed in the business. Many think that commercial real estate is filled with international finance, heavy and complicated math, complicated tax rules, and forms and applications that are just too complicated to understand correctly.

I am happy to tell you this misconception is the worst, because it puts a road block in front of many people's aspirations to become a commercial real estate insider. Let me put this misconception to rest. There is math involved, and most of it is not at all complicated: simple ratios, adding, subtracting and multiplying. What is even better is you don't have to do the math. There are others who can do that for you. The same is true with property management, inspecting the property, and doing the year-end tax report. In fact, commercial real estate is less complicated than residential real estate because you can focus your energies on a single deal that will be worth perhaps 10, 20, even 50 residential deals and more!

Let me put it into perspective for you. If you owned a business (many of you may), would you create strategies, keep the books, manage the many locations, sell on the front floor, and take out the trash after the day was over? I think not! Commercial real estate is made up of many people whom are there to help you with whatever you need. You must position yourself as a real estate insider, which is a leader in the business.

Another misconception is commercial real estate is management intensive, that you must manage every property you own. Let me tell you when you end up owning 10 or more properties, this is almost impossible to do! You do not have to actually manage your properties yourself, so you can concentrate on creating more deals. Hire a company or set a team in place to take care of this "day-to-day" business.

As you can see, what is passed around in dialogue about commercial real estate is not always true. Before you take everything to heart, be sure to get your facts straight. In fact, many people in this profession speak about commercial real estate as a business in which only the savvy and sophisticated can succeed. They often act this way because they want to keep people out of the market by differentiating themselves. If you were in this position, you would too!

Tony Seruga, Yolanda Seruga and Yolanda Bishop of Maverick Real Estate Investments, Inc. http://www.maverickrei.com specialize in commercial and investment real estate. As of May, 2006, they and their partners are managing over $600 million dollars worth of new projects.

Tips On Money Saving When Selling Your Home

Writen by Sameer Panjwani

Selling your home can be an expensive process in terms of time, money and energy spent. You'd ideally want to save as much as possible when putting your home up for sale. Well, here are a few tips you could use to save some money when you go about selling your home:

Real estate commissions charged vary with each agency. Therefore, bargaining with an agency before settling on a commission rate may help in reduce your outgoing. A 1% commission would be ideal and some brokers are known to settle for commission percentages in that range. Try to limit the time of agreement with one agent to no more than 6 weeks. This gives the agent sufficient time to sell your house and if it doesn't prove to be enough, then you should be in a position to change agents. You don't want to be stuck with an agent not able to sell your home.

Going with multiple-agents is not advisable as the fees will increase to about 3%+ as their is no exclusivity out here. However, this could also have a favorable impact in that you could sell your home quicker.

Never tell an agent what other agencies have valued your home to be. They may try to manipulate the offers. Make proper enquiries from various real estate agencies; speak to the right people in charge. Enquire about their charges. Bargaining always helps as the fees are negotiable.

Selling your home privately (on your own - the fsbo way) can save you a lot of money. However this requires a lot of time and effort but is a huge money saving tip. Selling your home on your own is highly possible these days especially with an online advertisement. Sites like ChoiceOfHomes.com have known to produce great results for homeowners selling their home on their own. Advertising could also be done through newspapers, flyers and pamphlets. In newspapers, it is best to keep the ad brief as charges are per line or the number of words. You must also ensure that the ad must not be uninteresting so as to just glance through. It should capture the readers attention. Another tip when placing a newspaper ad is that you could refer to an online listing for more information - that way a lot of people get to view your home and it's details online and are in a better position to decide whether they should call you or not.

It is best to sell your home when the market is booming and when the demand is high. The chances of higher profits is greater during this period. Also, generally, the real estate market is stronger in early and late summer than the rest of the year - so it's more advisable to sell your house then. Think wisely and you'll come up with a few more ways of how to make more money from your home sale!

Sameer S Panjwani - ChoiceOfHomes.com - Sell your House Online the FSBO way and save on precious real estate commissions.

Is The Real Estate Bubble About To Burst

Writen by Andrew Webber

How long can prices rise before no one can afford to buy? In a nutshell, that is the basic question that is niggling at the back of our collective subconscious when we talk about the real estate bubble.

Real estate is appreciating at staggering rates - as much as 19% in some counties in Florida according to state officials. Meanwhile, on the financing scene, interest rates are low - and staying there. Low interest rates mean lower monthly mortgage payments - which means that many people are able to borrow MORE and afford larger mortgages and more expensive houses. Couple the astronomical increase in real estate value with the continuing trend of low interest rates, and you have a sizzling hot real estate market that just keeps getting hotter as investors jump on board to get their piece of the real estate pie.

Which leads people who know finances and the market to question how long it can last. A major part of that answer is in the question that opened this article. Prices will continue to rise until they reach the point where most people can no longer afford to buy.

Another part of the answer is in the fact that the real estate bubble is extremely localized - and it's localized in some of the larger media centers around the country. Massachusetts, New York, Florida, California - those states are seeing unprecedented rises in housing and real estate prices. According to national reports, the median price for a home in the United States rose 14.7% over the last twelve months. That percentage is deceiving though. Take a look at some more local figures to get a clearer look at the reality.

If you live in Nevada, the median price of a home rose 31.2 percent. In California, home appreciation rose up 25.4. In Hawaii, the figure was 24.4 percent, in Washington, D.C., 22.2 percent and in Florida up 21.4 percent. Most of the rest of the country is NOT seeing those sorts of astronomical increases in value, though. If you're buying in Mississippi, for instance, home prices have appreciated at a more reasonable 4.9%. Even in the Northeast, where a two bedroom home in Boston can easily sell for $400,000, if you take a short drive outside the city to the western half of the state, you'll still find 3 and 4 bedroom homes selling in the low $100's - and less.

What's it all mean? Among other things, it means that the dangers of a real estate 'crash' are as localized as the effects of the real estate bubble. It means that the foreseen losses are more likely to be smaller profits rather than actual losses. To quote a Florida economist, "The people who think it's a big bubble see a big crash. We just see deceleration. You don't have to worry about house prices going down."

The bad news may be for those who see real estate as a get-rich-quick proposition. One of the most popular investment 'schemes' of recent years has been 'flipping houses' - the practice of buying a house, then reselling it within a six to twelve months for a profit. When real estate prices are rising at 20 - 30% per year, there's a great deal of money to be made that way. A down payment of $10,000 can effectively double or triple your money in less than a year. According to conservative estimates, though, real estate prices need to rise by at least 15% a year to even cover your closing costs if you sell in less than a year.

Does that mean that you'll LOSE money on your purchase if real estate prices stabilize and drop back to their more usual 5 - 8% per year rise? Of course not! It simply means that real estate goes back to being what it has always been - a good, solid, long-term investment. It means that speculators looking to make a quick buck will have to re-adjust their expectations - and either find a different 'product' - or hold their properties longer before selling.

Either option is good news for the 'classic' real estate investor, or the average home buyer who is looking for an affordable house for himself and his family. Prices will stabilize and even drop a little - but the bottom won't fall out of the real estate market. The typical real estate owner/investor will still end up with a house and land that's worth more than what he paid for it. And all the naysayers and panic mongers can stop predicting the resounding crash of the real estate bubble falling to earth.

Is this a good time to buy a house? Andrew is the web owner of Home Buying and Home Selling Tips: How to buy a house and sell house fast!, a website that provides informational guide on home buying, selling house, home mortgage loan, foreclosure home, real estate investment, and more. Find the answer at his website: http://www.buy-and-sell-house-fast.com/

Selling Real Estate The Ten Keys To Maximizing Profit First Impressions

Writen by Jeff Morrow

Now that you have decided to sell your home, how will you turn your home into the most valuable asset it can be? Selling Real Estate - The Ten Keys to Maximizing Profit is essential reading before you list your home. No matter if you are selling your home yourself, using a discount commissioned broker, or a fully-commissioned one, brush up on these common sense, low cost tips and you will increase the overall monetary return when you sell your house.

How do we know? After twenty years of being a buyer's agent and broker, we know that most houses would either sell more quickly or for more money if the homeowners had followed some common sense, time-tested real estate tips. First of all, it makes the buyer's agent job much easier if a house is showcase ready. While a particular buyer may not like your home for many different reasons, a buyer's agent is much more likely to bring other buyers back to a home that shows well. In the small community of real estate agents, word does get out pretty quickly when a home on the market is showcase ready.

First Impressions - What I'm about to tell you may seem minor and easily overlooked, but this advice goes hand-in-hand with the very well known concept of Curb Appeal. Whereas curb appeal is the very first gut feeling a potential buyer has about your house, the buyer's first impression lasts as they walk up to the front door to the point when the door first opens. With this in mind, the front door should be especially sharp, since it is the entryway into the house. Polish the door fixture so it gleams. If the door needs refinishing or repainting, make sure to get that done.

If you have a cute, little plaque or shingle with your family name on it, remove it. Even if it is just on the mailbox. You can always put it up again once you move. It is important to make your house anonymous as if the house already belongs to the next owner. Buy a new, plush door mat, too. This is something else you can take with you once you move.

Make sure the lock works easily and the key fits properly. When a home buyer comes to visit your home, the agent uses the key from the lock box to unlock the door. If there is trouble working the lock while everyone else stands around waiting, this sends a negative first impression to prospective home buyers. If the lock is sticky, sometimes a shot of graphite in the keyhole is all that is needed.

Then, there is the entry way. Are there shoes or other clutter in the foyer, does the first impression of the inside of your home impress a buyer of things to come set them up for a polite, but quick tour of your home?

In any housing market, but especially in a buyer's market, your house is in competition with all the other houses on sale in your neighborhood. How your home competes is key to turning a prospective buyer in to a buyer with an offer.

A first impression will not last, if the rest of your home is not presentable. Many home sellers wonder what trade-offs to make, how much budget to allocate to get their home ready to list and sell. The starting place is to think like a buyer, put yourself in your buyers shoes, walk across the street from your house and walk up to the front door, make notes of all the things that you would want to see fixed if you were going to buy your own house. Then, step-by-step, work through the other ten keys to selling real estate and maximizing your profits.

Jeff is the owner and partner of We List homes 4 Less, a full-service, low sales commission broker serving Santa Clarita Valley real estate and Valencia, California real estate

markets. To learn about the other keys to Making Your Real Estate Return Top

Dollar, please visit our Santa Clarita real estate Web site, low cost tips and you will increase the overall monetary return when you sell your house.

Banks Selling Real Estate A Real Bad Idea

Writen by Luigi Frascati

Is it my imagination, or did I hear somebody out there complaining about real estate commissions?

Anyone who complains about real estate commissions now, is not going to be thrilled if banks have their way and are allowed to sell real estate, something that the American Bankers Association (ABA) has been tried to do by lobbying, pressuring Congress - and paying millions of dollars in the process by way of special contributions - for the past seven years. And it does not matter if banks are not allowed to share commissions. All banks simply need to do, once they are permitted to step into real estate, is to buy brokerage firms and they can share all the commissions in the world without ever once breaking the law. They do not even need real estate licences.

In fact, since we are on the subject of commissions sharing, let's do a little numbers crunching to find out the 'commissions' banks are charging consumers today. They do not call them 'commissions' – they call them 'interest charges', but fact of the matter is that a fee computed on a percentage basis in payment for a service is a commission. So therefore, the user's fee charged by a bank to a borrower on a percent basis for the use of a certain sum of capital is nothing other than … a commission.

Banks base mortgage rates on a variety of indexes. Among the most common indexes are the rates on one-, three-, or five-year Treasury securities. Another common index is the national or regional average cost of funds to savings and loan associations. A few lenders use their own cost of funds as an index, which gives them more control than using other indexes. To determine the interest rate on a mortgage, bankers add to the index rate a few percentage points, cumulatively referred to as the 'margin'. The amount of margin may differ from one lender to another, but it is usually constant over the life of the loan. The formula therefore, is: Index Rate + Margin = Mortgage Interest Rate. Most banks use a 2 percent margin minimum. When they offer 'special packages' to consumers, they typically apply a 3 percent margin, and then offer a 1 percent 'special' discount or rebate.

But let's take the 2 percent typical margin. To all those readers who think that 2 percent sounds better than the 6 percent commission commonly charged by real estate brokerage firms, let me point out that the 2 percent margin charged by the banks is per year! So, if it is true that the average consumer keeps his property for seven years, the 'commission' charged by the banks is really 14 percent. The only difference is that the margin applies to the principal of the mortgage, i.e. the amount borrowed as opposed to the real estate brokerage commission, which applies on the full sale price. But this is of little solace if one considers that almost fifty percent of all mortgage transactions involve 95 percent financing.

Banks have come to the realization that the U.S. real estate brokerage market amounts to some $61 billions, a sum that, if attached to a single firm, would rank 19th on the Fortune 500, ahead of Boeing, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase. To paraphrase Scarlet O'Hara in Gone With The Wind, this is a market that's 'worth fighting for and worth dying for'. To be sure, the tactic adopted by ABA is that of nonchalance. ABA is trying to convince Congress that banks are not really interested in pursuing this line of business even if they were legally able to do so, but that they would like to be able to pursue it ... just in case.

The truth, of course, is much different and deeply rooted in the economics of real estate. Brokerage firms charge commissions to Sellers, the recipients of the money proceeds in a real estate transaction, and only when Sellers have received those proceeds. Banks, conversely, charge interest rates to Buyers. What ABA is aiming and attempting to do now, is to charge both Buyers and Sellers. Sort of like eating from two dishes at the same time, so to speak. Give the money to the Buyer to complete the transaction, and charge the Seller for completing it.

So again, how much is the real estate commission ABA would like its members to charge, were they allowed to get into real estate? Let's see: there is the 14 percent from the Buyer over seven years, there is the 6 percent from the Seller at the time of closing, and then, of course, there are 'minor' commissions like appraisal fees, set-up fees, administration fees, loan initiation fees, loan cancellation fees, front-end fees, and then, of course, there is the loan insurance.

Boy, that's a lot of commissions!

No wonder that Consumers Union (http://www.consumersunion.org/), publisher of Consumer Reports, the independent, non-profit testing and information organization serving only consumers, is strongly lobbying Congress to conduct further studies on this issue.

But besides the added cost to consumers, letting banks into real estate would not only be bad for the industry and bad for consumers – it would be bad for the economy at large. In fact, the notion of a 'free market' where all economic decisions regarding transfers of money, goods, and services take place on a voluntary basis, free of coercive influence, is commonly considered to be an essential characteristic of capitalism. But in the eventuality of banks dominating the real estate industry, how free would consumers really be to choose, for example, how to sell their homes, or to negotiate a commission, or to counter an offer to purchase, or to change agent if they do not like one, or to even try to sell their properties themselves?

Did anyone ever attempt to negotiate something – anything at all – with a bank? I have, several times. And I have witnessed personally and can report first-hand on a variety of responses from bankers, ranging from the amicable "no .. no .. no", to the tap on the shoulder and nod of the head, to the sarcastic smile, all the way to the glacial look and the beyond-the-grave silence. However, I still cannot report a single 'Yes' from a bank, after nineteen years in the business. Banks understand negotiating not as a give-and-take, two-way process but, rather, as a one-way street – going their way, that is, only their way. And this is today, when consumers still have the option to walk away. What will happen to consumers when that option will be taken away from them?

Banks getting into real estate? Do not let that happen to you.

Luigi Frascati

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

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

Sellers Brokers In Gloversville New York

Writen by Clint Hunter

What is a seller's broker?

A seller's broker represents the person who is selling a property. They will have the seller's interests in mind throughout the real estate transaction. A broker is different than a realtor or real estate agent because a broker owns the real estate agency.

Ethics of a seller's broker:

Brokers follow a code of ethics, which they learn during their training. These ethics include obeying all state, local, and federal laws and real estate regulations. The ethics also include acting in the best interest of the seller (rather than themselves), to let the seller know everything necessary to make the best sale, and to keep any agreements with the seller.

The broker must also disclose any information about the property that should be disclosed for ethical or legal reasons.

Seller's broker training:

A real estate broker must have a license to be selling real estate. A license is obtained through the state the broker is selling in, and in order to obtain the license, a broker must go through several hours of classroom study, pass an exam, and have several hours of real estate training outside the classroom.

What will a broker help you with when selling your home? A broker will help you with many things, and is qualified to do so as a result of extensive experience in selling homes. Your broker will help you make a fact sheet, find a reasonable asking price, and help you know the best times to sell your home.

Making a fact sheet:

A fact sheet is easy to make. It is an informational sheet that spells out what your neighborhood is like, including schools, stores, access to freeways, etc. It will also include information about your home such as number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the size of the house, and the size of the yard. A broker will be able to show you the best places to put your fact sheet. They may also have their own publication that they will publish the information about your home in.

Finding a reasonable asking price:

Finding a reasonable asking price is of the utmost importance. You do not want to undersell your home, and you will have a difficult time selling it if you are asking too much. Your broker will look at comparable homes in the area and see what they are selling for. They will come up with an asking price based on the information they find.

Finding the best time to sell:

Some times of the year are better for selling a home than others, with the best times being the fall and spring. Why? The weather is less extreme, and so more people are looking for homes; also yards appear to optimal advantage during this time as a result of the plants in bloom. If you have to sell your home during the winter, you may want to consider putting plants in your garden that can survive during the season, so your yard doesn't look so barren to prospective buyers.

Finding a broker:

Finding a broker is easy, whether you prefer to look in the phone book or online. It's good to ask someone you know who has just sold a home whether or not their broker represented them well, and if the broker did, ask for his or her contact information.

Inside Gloversville Real Estate is a network entirely devoted to real estate information. The entire Inside Real Estate network has more than 100,000 pages of real estate for cities allover the United States. Inside Real Estate covers several topics from the basic "how to's" of real estate to city-specific real estate information.

Chicago Real Estate

Writen by Liz Sidorowicz

Prepare Your House to Sell - Chicago Real Estate

After you've made basic repairs, the task of selling your home boils down to making the house as clean, clutter-free, and inviting as possible. Now's the time to make cosmetic improvements: Paint a dingy room, rearrange furniture, hang up artwork, or freshen your front entrance with flowers.

Make sure your agent has plenty of brochures and business cards available to set out on the entry table or on the kitchen counter. The hard part will be keeping up appearances as long as your house is for sale. Go through this checklist at least every other day to make sure that your home is tidy.

Front entrance

* Clean doors and windows

* Sweep sidewalk

* Polish doorknob

* Shake out doormat

* Water container flowers (replace if necessary)

* Clean doors and windows

* Keep the lawn and landscaping trimmed Entryway

* Clean doors and windows

* Mop floor, shake out rug, vacuum carpeting

* Water container flowers or plants

* Dust shelves or entry table

* Tidy up closet

Living room, family room

* Stow away newspapers, magazines, books, games, toys, and videos

* Straighten out coffee table, bookshelves, and other areas

* Mop floor or vacuum rugs

* Vacuum upholstered furniture; wipe down leather or vinyl

* Dust surfaces (including TV screen)

* Sweep fireplace

* Wipe down ceiling fan blades

* Water houseplants

Kitchen

* Mop or vacuum floor

* Clean appliances

* Wipe countertops, cabinets

* Clean sink

* Stow away kitchen sponge and dish towels

* Open windows or run fan to remove cooking odors

Bathrooms

* Wipe wet shower stalls and bathtubs

* Mop floors

* Put out fresh towels

* Empty wastebaskets

* Clean sinks, mirrors and faucets

* Stow away laundry

Bedrooms

* Make beds

* Mop floors or vacuum rugs

* Stow away shoes, laundry, clothes, books or toys

* Open curtains or shades

* Tidy up closet

Home office

* Straighten out desk and bookshelves

* Stow away files

* Mop floor or vacuum rugs

* Dust surfaces, including computer screen

* Polish cabinets and woodwork

Basement

* Clear clutter blocking access to furnace, electrical box or laundry room

* Sweep stairs

Leading online source for Chicago and Suburbs real estate. We offer FREE up-to-the-minute live MLS property search and resources for home buyers and sellers. Let our 20+ years of real estate experience work for you. Visit us at http://lizshomes.com/

Uk House Prices Rise So What Does 2006 Hold For Us In Spain

Writen by Mark Mountney

A good part of the local property market here in Almeria is driven by external factors i.e. investment income from countries such as the UK where economic conditions have a bearing. The UK is a major driver of the market here so it is always nice to know what is going on back home as that gives us a little clue as to what we can expect as a knock on effect.

News from the UK's Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors suggests that house prices have started to rise again for the first time in 15 months. The three months to November saw 4% more chartered surveyors reporting rises in prices than falls. October's figures showed a balance of 8% reporting falls.

Buyer enquiries have consistently risen over the past six months and the market slowdown appears to have come to an end. Relatively low interest rates and a healthy job climate have helped avoid the housing crashes that have followed previous slowdowns in the 1970s and 1990s.

And surveyor confidence is at its highest in 18 months and property sales and bank lending figures for November have increased. Market conditions are tightening as the level of property coming onto the market continues to fall, returning the bargaining initiative to the seller.

The decision by Gordon Brown not to allow residential property to be included as part of a Self Invested Personal Pension (SSIP) has diminished property investment possibilities in the UK and Spain, though RICS does not expect this to have an impact on the market next year. However, individuals may soon be able to take advantage of property investment tax breaks by using a Real Estate Investment Trust to invest indirectly in residential property.

In the coming year, RICS expects a rise in UK house prices of 4% in 2006 and 4% in 2007. RICS predicted an upturn of 3% for 2005 based upon the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister index, which is likely to be close to the eventual figure to be announced in February.

With the housing market showing signs of a recovery from a marked drop in activity in the latter half of 2004, purchases are also expected to rise firmly in 2006, having fallen for two successive years. RICS expects mortgage approvals to rise from a five year low of 1.127 million in 2005 to reach 1.336 million in 2006.

The UK is not the be all and end all when it comes to trying to understand where the local Spanish market is going, but it is positive news for Spanish property prices as confidence will return to the UK market which will have a knock on effect here!

So chin up home owners!

Mark Mountney is a partner in Rose Financial Services, a specialist mortgage brokerage based in the Parque Comercial, Mojacar. He is a fully qualified mortgage and financial adviser in the UK with some 10 years experience in managing his own firm. Mark was also a founder of The Association of Mortgage Advisors, the trade association for mortgage intermediaries with 13,000 members.

Pool Homes In Thousand Oaks California

Writen by Fiona McLaren

Pool homes are the ultimate in luxury and sophistication. If you are looking to buy a new property, you should consider looking into pool homes. These houses offer the owner a home with its very own private pool, which costs them less than staying in a hotel room! However, there are some things you will need to know before you commit to buying a house with a pool.

First, a pool will need a considerable amount of upkeep. You need to make sure that you have someone available to clean your pool on a regular basis. The alternative is learning how to clean your pool properly by yourself. Cleaning a pool is quite a specialized job, as you will not only have to clean it, but you will also have to monitor things such as the chlorine level. If you are in any doubt as to your ability to effectively, and safely, clean your pool by yourself then you should call in a professional. Professional pool cleaners can be found in any yellow pages, or you can ask friends who also own pool homes for some recommended companies. Normally, the cleaning services that these companies offer are reasonably priced, and the services are of a good standard. As always, make sure you research the company before you employ them. You don't want something to go wrong, as this could put your pool out of action for many weeks, or even months.

The second thing you should consider is whether your pool is an indoor or outdoor pool. The location of a pool can dramatically affect its usefulness. Indoor pools are normally easier to maintain, as you don't have to worry about leaves falling into the pool from the trees, or litter being pushed into it by the wind. If your pool is indoors you should consider making the building climate controlled. This will prevent the pool house from getting unbearably cold, especially in the winter months. However, some people prefer to choose an outdoor pool. Although outdoor pools can be very cold, unusable in bad weather, and subject to falling debris, they also offer a long list of very nice benefits. An outdoor pool is ideal for swimming in when it's the middle of summer. Nothing beats diving into the water and feeling the sun on your back. They are also very convenient for pool parties. You can hold barbeques outside, and your guests can feel free to frolic and splash around in the pool.

Pool homes are the type of property many people dream of owning. There is something liberating and sophisticated about having a pool in your own home. Whatever type of pool you decide to choose, you can be sure that it will be the envy of all of your friends. If you are having second thoughts about buying a house with a home, just take a moment to think of what it would feel like to be able to walk out of your back door and dive into a pool, at any time of the day or night, without having to pay or ask for permission first!

Inside Thousand Oaks Real Estate is a network entirely devoted to real estate information. The entire Inside Real Estate network has more than 100,000 pages of real estate for cities allover the United States. Inside Real Estate covers several topics from the basic "how to's" of real estate to city-specific real estate information.

Searching The Hawaii Property Listings

Writen by Susan Truett

Maui is an island so full of life and vivacity (perhaps because of the fact that it was formed millions of years ago by the eruption of two volcanoes) as well as being mixed with the enticing calm that you can only experience when you are near the sea. Sounds enticing? All of these dreams can become a reality by simply searching the Hawaii Property Listings and making the move. Maui also offers astounding attractions, such as the sight of playful humpback whales, or the majestic sunset while you lounge at a white, sandy beach. These attributes make Maui a great place to start a new family, or even just to get away from the exhausting hurly-burly of the city life. Yes take a look at the Maui property listings and be enticed!

The magnificent scenery might make you think that getting a real estate property in Maui will be like buying a piece of oasis in the desert. This is not the case at all. What you just need is to look at the Hawaii property listings, and voila! You can see all the new homes up for grabs—in, as they say, just a click of a button.

Multiple Listing Service

Multiple Listing Service is like the eBay of shopping for a house. In a Hawaii property listing, you can find houses that are currently for sale in the location that you want and their prices, along with other pertinent information about the house such as the address, price, sq. ft., number of bedrooms and baths, room sizes, garage/parking, and lot size or acreage. These lists are regularly updated (some even daily!), so you are saved from the heartache of totally falling in love with a house only to find out that it is already sold.

Listing and Selling Price

When looking at a Hawaii property listing and gauging the amount you are willing to spend, it will be best if, along with a good price, you can determine your ability to resell the house. You should be aware of the maintenance costs, while you live in the house, and consider your mortgage options- which is very much dependent on the current market interest rates. You should always keep track of these changes, as the real-estate market is very "confidence"-driven. Remember to focus on where you can add value in the aesthetics: Looks do matter—because nobody wants to buy an old, dingy-looking house- you might just find bargain that simply needs a new lick of paint.

Some Facts about Hawaii Property Listings

Since you are buying a house, where money is of the essence and you will have other people handling the process for you, you should always be on the lookout for the insincere and dishonest agents. While some of them will let you in on all the available listings in their coverage area, there are also those you will only show you their personal listings to boost their commission percentages. There is really no big difference in employing a small local office or a huge real estate company since they are both in the same area. All you have to be careful about is looking at many Hawaii property listings as is possible, in order to find the house that best suits you and your family.

Charles & Susan Truett are the website owners of Maui Realtors Online. For a comprehensive listing of Hawaii Property Listings, visit: http://maui-realtors-online.partnersinsuccess.net/

15 Tips To Help You Buy Your Home

Thinking of buying another home or your first home? Here are some tips for maximizing the home buying experience. Detailed coverage of the topics below is provided in his website:

1. DON'T WAIT TO BUY

Prices are only going to go up. Don't be a victim of it. Better to have the escalator go up with you on it.

2. BE REALISTIC

If you were a seller, would you take a lot less for your home than it was worth? Unless there is some highly unusual circumstance, the seller's not going to either. Don’t waste your time making unrealistic offers and risk losing the property in the meantime.

3. ALWAYS BUY NEIGHBORHOOD

Property in good, quiet neighborhoods with solid school systems always appreciates well. Avoid proximity to business establishments, factories, areas with odors, railroad tracks, heavily traveled streets, noise, nearness to police and fire stations and being too close to schools. (Within walking distance of a school can be a plus.)

4. AVOID PROPERTY DETRIMENTS

Factors in the property itself can be problems later. Always buy as if you have to sell. Someday you'll have to -- often sooner than you think. Decreased demand due to any of these and other "turn offs" can mean a lower price when you sell:

- small backyards

- inadequate closet space

- poor floor plan

- tiny or outdated kitchen

- fewer than three bedrooms or more than four (except for condominiums and retirement communities where two bedrooms are common)

- inadequate number of bathrooms for the size of the home

5. USE A REAL ESTATE AGENT

Save time and avoid losing the best homes. Get recommendations and work only with one agent. When you "work with" a number of agents, you have "everyone" working with you (not in reality), but nobody working for you. The very best deals often go to an agent's best prospects. You'll be the first to know about fresh listings. When you call on an ad, the cream has often been skimmed already.

Work only with an experienced agent who qualifies you on the basis of your income and credit history. Avoid any agent who just pops you in a car and starts driving you around.

You should also feel a sense of progress. If what you're being shown is only what the agent wants to sell, instead of what you need, find another agent.

6. INSPECT THE PROPERTY

Look at properties during the day, and when "the neighborhood is at home", to observe any annoying situations: noisy or pesky neighbors, loud music playing, cars racing up and down the street and the like, and to be able to tactfully solicit information from neighbors about the property and the neighborhood. Make multiple visits to the area,in addition to touring the inside of the property several times. Take someone else with you on subsequent visits to get additional points of view, particularly those with real estate construction, electrical and plumbing experience. Don't waste time between visits. The clock is ticking. If you're interested,other buyers are probably going to be too.

Have a professional property inspection done by a certified property inspector. Get recommendations. Be very careful of any properties with environmental problems, particularly any involving underground oil tanks. The cost of environmental cleanups can be huge. Just because you are told that the property has a "tank policy" should not give you a false sense of security.

The purpose of a home inspection is to detect major problems, not to expect the seller to fix everything noted. Keep your eye on the ball. Staying reasonable facilitates matters all the way around.

Be sure to have the property under contract, making the sale contingent upon a satisfactory inspection. You don't want to lose a property while waiting for an inspection.

Always conduct a "walk through" or pre-settlement inspection of the property, personally, on the day of closing. The utilities must be left on to do it properly. Make sure the basement is dry, turn on both the heating and air conditioning no matter what time of year it is, open and close all windows and doors, check all stove burners, make sure all keys work and that there are keys for all doors, and ensure that the premises are reasonably clean and free of all the seller's personal effects. The time to discover problems is before closing or escrow, not afterwards. While it should not and may not happen this way, cooperation will very likely wane when sellers and agents have their money.

7. BEWARE OF HIDDEN DEFECTS

All sellers, and real estate licensees, are duty bound to reveal any hidden or latent defects in a property not observable by a reasonable inspection. Agents are required to conduct a visual inspection of the entire property when taking the listing. Dealing with agents gives you some added protection. Dealing directly with the owners doesn't.

8. CONSIDER A HOMEOWNER'S WARRANTY

The cost is modest, many items are covered (after a small deductible) and they usually provide one year coverage. Your agent can advise you how to obtain one.

9. NEGOTIATE TO WIN -- FOR REAL

When you find the home that ideally meets your needs, buy it. Even if you think it is slightly overpriced, pounce on it anyway before someone else does. In some areas, such as parts of Northern New Jersey, paying in excess of the listing price is often virtually standard procedure.

Don't let pride or ego get in the way of taking the long view. If the property is well located, you'll make up the "overpayment" quickly. Remember the "97% Rule". If you think a property is worth enough to pay 97% of the listing price, how can it be worth it to lose it for the last 3%?. Winning doesn't mean winning a negotiating battle of wits with the seller, it means getting the property that meet your needs that will provide you with a satisfying home and a solid profit later.

Time is always critical. There used to be a television show in the 1950's called "Dollar A Second". Host comedian Jan Murray would have a contestant perform stunts. As long as they did so successfully, they kept earning a dollar a second. But an outside event was always brewing, such as a staffer standing in Times Square until he saw ten Tennessee license plates or some similar gimmick. If the outside event siren blew before the contestant decided to quit, he lost everything. Some contestants did. Trying to get it all, they wound up with nothing. Similarly, other buyers can “come out of nowhere” anytime to make a property you have your heart set on disappear for good, even if there have been no offers yet, or for months. Ask any active agent.

When you find the right property, take immediate action or someone else may leave you empty-handed. If the home is desirable to you, it's going to be equally desirable to others. It should be your goal to have the seller execute a contract of sale as soon as possible, so you can be assured that the property is tied up. If another buyer comes to terms with the seller ("the outside event") before you do, you lose. Be flexible and get there first with the most.

10. DON'T GET COLD FEET

Buyers sometimes get "terminal terror" after they have made an offer to buy. Don't cancel out just because you're apprehensive. You'll only wind up paying more for less later. Get a hold of yourself and hang in there. Remember John Wayne's definition of courage: "Being afraid, but doing it anyway". If you've done your homework and are buying in a good area, you are very likely doing the right thing.

11. SHOP AROUND FOR FINANCING

Check your own bank, the Internet and the real estate agency's contacts. An experienced mortgage representative will help you find the right loan. Rates and terms vary, so look around. Always lock in a good interest rate.

Always tell the truth on the mortgage application. All relevant matters are verified. It's a violation of the law to lie on a mortgage application and it can foul up getting the loan as well.

12. BUY WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD

Your agent and mortgage representative will guide you. Don't underestimate what you can buy. Lenders aren't usually going to let you bite off more than you can chew. Relatively few loans go to foreclosure. Yours probably isn't going to be one of them.

13. CONSIDER FINANCING AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

If you're in a position to make a substantial down payment on a home, you may wonder whether to make a big down payment to keep your monthly payments smaller or to make a smaller down payment and finance more with resultant larger payments. Strictly from an investment point of view, you're probably better off most of the time financing as much as you can.

A smaller down payment allows you to control the same asset that a larger one would, so why put out more money than you have to? You also maximize your leverage, increasing your rate of return on your invested dollars. Over time, you are going to be paying the lender back in cheaper, inflation eroded dollars, while the asset you're holding will probably continue to increase in value, if you were careful about what and where you bought. Finally, you still have those excess uninvested dollars that you didn't tie up in your home for other investments, which could potentially yield higher rates of return and which would also be available for emergencies.

14. GET AN ATTORNEY

Obviously any inexperienced buyer should have one. Experienced ones should too. It is easy to delude yourself because you have some knowledge and experience, thinking you know all you need to know to protect yourself. As Thoreau noted: "I count some parts and say I know". Well you don't. Neither do I. Real estate transactions are far more complex than they used to be for a variety of reasons, and they are only going to get more involved. Look upon getting an experienced real estate attorney as an insurance policy to protect you.

15. WHAT ABOUT PROBLEMS?

Be guided by your attorney. A first step in resolving problems would be to contact your real estate agent, the office manager and the broker of record of the firm in that order. If the firm is a member of the Board of Realtors, they have arbitration panels that can help settle unresolved disputes. A written complaint can also be filed with your state's real estate commission or department if all else fails, or at any time. With your attorney’s direction, the same goes for filing a lawsuit in state or federal court, depending on what the problem is.

Enjoy your home. It will provide you with much happiness and the opportunity to build a solid financial future.

For a more detailed presentation of the tips provided here,and access to many home buying and home mortgage resources, visit:

http://www.buyingahome.bz

Larry Danks is a Licensed Real Estate Broker and state approved Real Estate School Director and Instructor.