Advice on Realty

Choosing the Right Remortgage

2007-05-01T16:52:00.003-04:00

In simple terms remortgaging means replacing the existing mortgage deal with a new one. Remortgaging offers an excellent way to dodge high variable or fixed interest rates which were agreed upon some time ago. Your current mortgage deal might have been an excellent one at the time but with economic conditions changing it might be worthwhile to look at deals offered today. More and more homeowners in the UK are moving to remortgages as a way to save money. With interest rates being lower over the past several years existing borrowers are looking for ways to get a more desirable mortgage.

In their part lenders recently have made the process of remortgaging easy to accomplish and extreme competition between them means that borrowers now have access to even cheaper deals.
However choosing among hundreds of offers can be a daunting task so using the help of a mortgage specialist is advised.

Reducing the mortgage payments is perhaps the primary but no necessarily the only reason for remortgaging. If you have owned your home for while you may wish to free up some capital for home improvements, investing or vacations. Home improvements is probably the better financial reason for a remortgage because you borrow funds to increase the value of your property. If other financial outlays are necessary, such as a wedding, university education etc. remortgaging will help gain access to those funds at a much cheaper rate.

Before a decision to remortgage is made a review of the current mortgage should be done to determine its competitiveness against other mortgages being offered. Consider the penalties of cancelling the current mortgage and whether the savings will outweigh the costs of the switch. The costs will include the penalty if any assessed by the current lender, as well as legal and administrative costs. Some lenders trying to get you to switch will cover those fees and therefore the cost of prepayment will only need to be considered. Also, the size of the loan will also affect the decision to remortgage. Typically, for loans less than £25,000 the savings are just not large enough to outweigh the costs. For larger loans the savings are huge, though. Even if you shave off just 1% of your rate on £100,000 it will result in £80 savings a month. Obviously, remortgaging should only be done when it results in significant savings over a long term.

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Make A Good First Impression: Landscape Your Driveway

2007-05-01T16:52:00.001-04:00

Is your driveway landscaped? It should be.

This includes the driveway itself, as well as the design elements on both sides. All sorts of materials from softscape options to hardscape are available to make your driveway attractive.

Make A Good Entrance

As the entrance to your home, the driveway should not be neglected. It can either be a scar on the other landscaping around the home or it can add depth to the entire look of your home. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on it either. You can be creative and choose attractive features, and have a very low cost landscape that is welcoming.

Make sure that you take everything into account before choosing your elements. For example, if you are looking for minimal work, do not plant a flower bush at the end of your driveway where the plants can be ruined by those in your neighborhood. Instead, use an attractive fence or a rock garden.

Another important aspect is the footpath to the home. Do not use any design elements that will be in the way of the normal foot traffic. You don’t want to visitors going out of their way, or worse, trampling your plants to reach your door.

Hardscape Choice

You have many options -- common ones include walls and fences, which can add distinction and accent your driveway. A small fence can add character and color to the landscape. Use hanging baskets or lanterns on the fence for more charm.

A large rock can be especially interesting, particularly when it has multiple colors. You can plant grasses and small flowers in the cracks of stones to create even more decorative looks.

Softscape Choices

On a limited budget, just landscaping along the sides of the driveway is an excellent option. It will cost little, yet add lots of beauty to your landscape design.

As for softscape options appropriate to driveway areas, many things will work, such as a flower bed or groundcover along the driveway. This will create a border that is interesting and separates the lawn from the actual driveway.

Ornamental trees and shrubs can do the same thing along the edge of the driveway. Shrubs can be cut to become topiary, which will add even more design elements to the look of the driveway landscape.

Another thing to consider is the curved driveway. If your driveway has a curve in it, a great idea is to add a focal point -- something to make a statement. For example, you can have a beautiful tree, a flower bed, or a rock garden there. Whatever it is it should be beautiful because the curve will focus attention at that point of your driveway. You can use water gardens, a wishing well, as well as many other types of elements to enhance this area and have it look amazing.

Doing these landscaping operations can completely transform the entrance to your home. In a simple, affordable way, you can add character and depth to your landscape design around your driveway.

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By: Ron King

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If you would like to buy a house/home we are your source of thousands of available listings of real estate. As a native Licensed New Jersey Real Estate Broker we have many agents in our realty who are very familiar with the needs of New Jersey Real Estate buyers. If you are interested in selling your house, or any other NJ real estate, we are here to help you sell. Our experience real estate office staff will walk you through the whole house selling process. Get in touch with us and we will show you how we can help your sell your home in New Jersey. We are the realtors NJ! Great Marlboro NJ Real Estate, Homes for Sale in Marlboro NJ, Marlboro NJ, and Information on Marlboro NJ.

House Signs And Their Importance to House Sellers

2007-05-01T16:51:00.003-04:00

As a maker of house signs it never ceases to amaze me at how few house sellers consider the importance of having a decent house sign on the properties they are selling.

We are told that the first impressions are so important to prospective buyers that the decision whether to buy or not, can be made if the first minutes of a viewing. If that is true, hanging a decent quality house sign on your home must be considered as a small but important part of your selling strategy.

Consider if you will the buyers viewpoint, they have an address and they are trolling down the road looking for the house of their dreams, the very first thing they see will be the house sign.

You have probably spent vast amounts of time and effort re-building, decorating and cleaning. You may have fitted new carpets and curtains to impress the buyers, you almost certainly repaired that leaking gutter and re-painted the soffits and exterior paintwork.

Now have a look at the house sign.

Is the house sign or house number on your property a testament to all your hard work, or does it say, there were things you couldn’t be bothered to do.

The quality of the sign can either make a small but positive impression or it can put them on their guard. Has this house been cared for? Has the building work been carried out to a high standard, is this a quality home? The home owner or builder who has neglected the house sign may have neglected other things!

All or some of these things may be in some small way deduced from the quality and condition of the house sign.

If the property you are selling has been advertised as a quality development, does it really help your cause to have an old plywood sign nailed to the tree with the name written in felt tip pen, or the numbers of that ‘charming country cottage’ displayed with plastic numbers screwed to the gate? Don’t laugh I have seen this!

Having a poor house sign probably wont be a deal breaker of course, but if you are serious about selling your property it doesn’t pay to miss any trick.

This is not to say that you have to pay vast fortunes for a suitable house sign, the main things to consider are: does the design of the house sign suit the property. If the material the sign is made of compliments the building style, its a good first step.

Do not be tempted into the false economy of buying a sign that is too small for the house. That will look just mean. Nor in a style that is inappropriate. Smart homes should have smart signs. Cottages are best suited by rustic signs and if you have spent time and energy designing and decorating a contemporary home, then search out a contemporary house sign maker.

There are plenty of house sign web sites. Try to focus in on the style or material you would prefer for your house sign and then narrow the field by doing a focused search on a search engine.

Browsing these sites and taking the time to choose a house sign that will enhance the selling of your house will be time well spent.

About the Author:

By Steve Walker

Steve Walker has been a craftsman in stone and marble for 40 years. In his long career has practised as a stone mason, letter cutter, restoration carver, marble mason, and fireplace designer/manufacturer.
He now specialises in engraved stone, granite and slate house signs as:
www.stoneengravings.co.uk StoneEngravings, Engraved Natural Stone House Signs.

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Real Estate Investing’s Inner Game

2007-05-01T16:51:00.001-04:00

THE INNER GAME OF COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Every once in a while I get an internal reminder that I am a work in progress. In this instance it was not one of those “hit you over the head with an 8 pound sledge hammer” reminders that you get when you have been particularly blind to your own faults. It was more of a little “A Ha!” that had larger implications if uncorrected. And by being aware of this quiet reminder, I hope to avoid the previously referenced sledge hammer in the near future!

The subject of my internal wake up call was driving a beautiful new black Mercedes 550S Class sedan and was waiting to make a left hand turn across my lane. The driver was female, looked like she had just gotten back from the salon, and was politely waiting for me to pass. She did nothing wrong, sat there calmly waiting for me to drive by, with her flasher on. As I drove by I thought to myself something like: “Oh boy, there goes another rich twit in her paid for …”

Whammo.

The guardian of my mind popped into my head waving his mechanical arms like the Robot in an episode of that 1960’s television series “Lost in Space.”

“Warning!” “Warning!” “Danger, Craig Higdon!!!”

For those of you too young to know the reference, I’m sure that you can find an old episode somewhere on cable TV. You won’t have to wait too long before ol’ Mr. Robot shows up to give you a demonstration.

Anyway, do you realize what my “guardian” did for me? He trounced all over a “limiting belief” and gave me a chance to correct it.

Choosing Our Beliefs

For those of you not familiar with the term “limiting belief,” I first came across it while investigating Neurolinguistic Programming, or “NLP” some years back. NLP is a study of internal and external communication processes and its effect on human behavior.

One of the things that you learn in the course of studying NLP is that in large part our behavior is governed by our beliefs … and that our beliefs are what we make them! Think about that for a moment … we chose all of our beliefs! Everything that you believe about everything was a choice that you made. You will have to take my word for it for the moment because I could fill volumes on just this aspect of NLP.

Just for fun, you might want to examine a belief or two that you have. Start with something simple like: “I believe that peanut butter is good for me.” Now ask yourself a few questions:

When did I start to believe that? What evidence do I have that makes that true? What evidence do I have that makes that not true? What do I get out of believing that? What would happen if I did not believe that?

There are more questions to ask that would help you to change a belief, but hopefully in the course of asking yourself the questions above you came to the realization that you decided to adopt that belief at sometime in the past based upon some rules, some evidence, or an experience that you had. This has some interesting implications, doesn’t it?

And what does this have to do with commercial real estate investing, commercial loans, and construction projects? Quite a bit, actually.

One of the questions that I get frequently is: “How do I get started or go to the next level in commercial real estate?” The overly simple answer to that is: “Well, first you have to believe that you can!”

Limit Those Limiting Beliefs

Let me illustrate this. I have had people who owned multiple 1 to 4 unit properties, maybe 20 to 30 units in all, ask me how to buy their first apartment building or other piece of commercial real estate. When I get that question I have to chuckle … because they already have an apartment building! It is simply broken up into smaller chunks. Granted, the mechanics of multifamily real estate are slightly different than for multiunit residential, but in this case the questioner is already a commercial real estate or “income producing real estate” investor. He just hasn’t realized it.

He doesn’t “believe” that he’s is a commercial real estate investor and has thus artificially “limited” his options for investing. He does not yet “believe” that he can invest in other types of real estate.

So let me get back to my story and my little mental guardian. I passed the nice lady in the Mercedes, saw her make her turn in the rearview mirror, and we both went our merry ways. As I drove away, I changed my thoughts about her to: “She has done well and I wish her to continue to do well.”

Because I have had a little training in NLP I was able to catch myself looping into an old belief about wealth and wealthy people and make the “change” at the time in my thinking. The experience did serve to remind me that I need to be vigilant in my “belief monitoring” and that I might want to make a personal inventory of my beliefs concerning wealth in the near future.

And if you don’t think that you have some buried beliefs about wealth and being wealthy that are working against you in your real estate investments, my friend, you are simply kidding yourself. They are all there in the daily newspapers, T.V. shows, magazines, etc. You probably can’t go 10 minutes without hearing or seeing something “bad” about making money or being “rich.” Have you ever heard the phrase “filthy rich?” Uh huh. And I’ll bet that you know a bunch of others, too.

So you need to place a guardian in your mind to sift out those limiting beliefs. This will help you with any self-sabotage you may have encountered in your life. It is not easy without the right tricks, but it is very rewarding. So as you develop your commercial real estate investment techniques, remember to focus on your inner game to manifest your outer goals.

Note: NLP is slowly being supplanted by a more powerful “technology” called Hemispherical Integration. You can find out more about it at the web site NLPLA.com.

By Craig Higdon

About the Author:

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete statement with it: ‘“The Investment Property Insider” is published by Craig S. Higdon, a veteran commercial mortgage broker. He publishes the weekly e-zine and blog, www.InvestmentPropertyInsider.com, for commercial real estate investors, developers, and industry professionals. Visit the blog and get this free report: “The 7 Biggest Loan Mistakes Real Estate Investors Make and How to avoid them.”’

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Commercial Real Estate Credit

2007-05-01T16:50:00.001-04:00

CREDIT AND ITS IMPACT ON INVESTMENT LOANS

The status of your credit plays a major role in helping you to obtain commercial real estate financing. It helps to determine how much financing for which you will qualify and what kind of an interest rate you will get on the loan. Unfortunately, most people do not pay attention to or monitor their credit files on a regular basis. If you are going to invest in real estate, this is an absolute “must.”

What is good credit?

Good credit for a commercial real estate investor usually means about twelve to fifteen “trade lines” of seasoned credit in a credit report, with several real estate loans either showing as active or having been paid off successfully. For example, car loans, current mortgages, and charge cards which are at least two years old and show no late payments. Again, for real estate investors, successful maintenance of real estate loans is a “must.”

Now granted, not everyone is perfect (in fact, very few are!) and we all have our ups and downs, so don’t be worried if you have a few 30-day late payments or some old collection accounts on your credit report. Today, credit reporting systems use a complex method of evaluating credit patterns which is distilled into and issued as a “credit score.” The higher the number, the less risk there is that a borrower is likely to “default” on a loan.

While this process, called “credit scoring,” is in full use for residential loans, the commercial lenders are only now starting to adopt it. There is a trend to use them by certain non-bank lenders for loans less than $2,000,000 or so.

Most underwriters (the people who would approve your loan) and underwriting systems that review your track record are looking for trends. In other words, they’re looking for a history or recent pattern of good or bad credit. Isolated incidents should not affect your ability to get a loan.

How Can You Repair Your Credit?

In most cases, a simple letter or phone call to the credit card company or business that originally gave you the “credit” can put you on the right track to having that “scar” removed from your report. It may not even be necessary though, based upon your recent credit patterns!
Sometimes they’ll require you to pay-off the balance of your debt or send in a letter explaining why you were late with your payment. Don’t pay any creditor off without talking to a qualified professional financial advisor or mortgage consultant first!

However, if you have a history of recent late payments, you’re probably going to have to let time take its course (although there might be trick or two here you can use).

There are a million scenarios I could review, but I think it’s important you walk-away with two key thoughts from this: 1) Your credit can make or break your ability to acquire a loan; and 2) you must know what is on your credit report, your credit score, and begin to examine and, if necessary, repair any credit problems immediately.

What Role Does Your Investment History Play?
Your investment property loan history or “track record” will play an important role in whether or not a lender will want to finance your next property. Investment properties, and their respective loans, are often looked upon as a higher credit risk than if you were buying your own home. So, if you have a proven track record of successfully selling or managing investment properties loans, with no late payments, then you are more likely to get your loan approved.

The bottom line is that “credit” or, more accurately, “credit history” is a major determinant in your ability to finance commercial real estate. Pay close attention to this area of your finances if you intend to be an active investor and manage your credit as you would one of your properties: Actively.

By Craig Higdon

About the Author:

“The Investment Property Insider” is published by Craig S. Higdon, a veteran commercial mortgage broker. He publishes the weekly e-zine and blog, www.InvestmentPropertyInsider.com, for commercial real estate investors, developers, and industry professionals. Visit the blog and get this free report: “The 7 Biggest Loan Mistakes Real Estate Investors Make And How To Avoid Them.”

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House foreclosures at auction

2007-02-01T16:07:00.001-05:00

We all know it: open cry bidding means placing the auctioned item on a competitive market. On this market, you will frequently encounter the opportunity to bid for house foreclosures. Due to the fact that these are distressed properties, this is a particular type of real estate auction where the properties auctioned may very likely be obtained within price ranges benefiting the buyer. However, the buyer is not the only one who gains advantages from this kind of real estate auction. On the contrary, the seller will have his own profits, even if we are talking about house foreclosures.

The first and most significant advantage point for the seller is that the marketing plan is regularly translated into dynamic, persevering, determined actions, as they should be when real estate auction is concerned. This means that the competing atmosphere typical for bidding circumstances will render house foreclosures, as our case is, more noticeable and, at the same time, circumscribe them to aggressive (and therefore beneficial) interest. Moreover, the sellers are not included in the transaction, a fact which saves them a lot of time and a lot of stress as to how they should conduct the negotiations to their advantage. When house foreclosures are released on an auction market, the owner of the house is no longer involved in the direct selling of the property.

Even more, because these are real estate auction circumstances, house foreclosures will be sold incredibly fast. No need to worry that the selling process is going to last forever or that it is going to be very difficult to find the homebuyer/investor ready to make an acceptable offer. The moment that house foreclosures enter the auction market, a lot of the time which would have been spent on individual investigations (the right of the potential homebuyer to see what he is going to buy) is spared because real estate auction means acting on the spot, prepared to buy even properties you haven't yet seen, as long as you consider them a profitable investment or a reliable future home. In addition, since the negotiations are practically succeeding one another at incredibly fast developing seconds, the sale is considerably accelerated as compared with a case where the seller is supposed to reach a face-to-face compromise with a potential homebuyer/investor.

One advantage shared by both the seller and the buyer is that the day when a certain foreclosed property is going to be sold in a real estate auction is known. This eliminates a lot of the stress generated by the fact that you (either seller or buyer) don't know when you will finally be able to transact/acquire a certain property. To what concerns the buyer's advantages, one of them is that, especially in the case of house foreclosures, the potential homebuyer is fully aware of the fact that the seller is determined to sell a house on the exact spot, at the precise moment of the auction. Therefore, certainty as to the seller's resolve to sell is one aspect covered to the buyer's advantage.

Worried that you cannot be certain of just how "in good condition" a house is? You have certainly heard that not all house foreclosures guarantee houses that do not need repairs or adjustments. Well, however, in real estate auction circumstances, each potential homebuyer will receive the customary due diligence checklist, in which data concerning potential damages which require immediate adjustment are also included. Subsequently, even if you cannot proceed to an on-site investigation of the houses auctioned, a type of house analysis is however available.

Nonetheless, never forget that in open cry bidding circumstances you are on a permanently competitive market. At times, even foreclosed properties may reach prices matching the quality of the market. This means that the price ranges are also likely to turn competitive, which, again, is an aspect offering advantage to both the seller and the buyer. While for the seller the advantage is quite obvious (he might just get the chance to sell a distressed property at a price very close to the real market value of that property), the buyer needs to look deeper into the consequences of acquiring even a distressed property at a competitive price. More precisely, a property purchased within competitive limits is a property that actually has a competitive value. As a result, the knowing, resourceful investor will appreciate a valuable opportunity which could bring him subsequent profit. Also, pay attention to one detail when you auction for foreclosures: 10% cash, cashier's check or money order must be presented at the time of the bidding (of course, by the bidder).

In the end, foreclosed homes sold in real estate auction circumstances make an advantage both for the seller and for the homebuyer. A house, even a foreclosed one, bought at real market value, if exploited skillfully, is a chance to obtain unmatched future gains. The key is to have the necessary determination to keep up the pace with the competitive market initiated by any auction.

About the Author

by Clint Jhonson

House foreclosures will find their buyers, quickly and with a gain, in real estate auction circumstances. The gain - in the form of competitive advantages - is on the both sides of the transactions, i.e. the seller and the buyer.

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How To Stop Foreclosure

2007-02-01T16:07:00.000-05:00

Losing your house to a foreclosure can be very scary. There are times when circumstances are out of your control and your house ends up in foreclosure. However, there are things that can be done in order to stop a foreclosure from actually occurring.

Many people do not have a full understanding of their options when faced with a foreclosure. Nor, do they completely understand the overall process of foreclosure. Therefore, educating yourself on foreclosures is the first step in stopping a foreclosure.

Refinancing is usually the most obvious answer. On the surface, refinancing may seem like the perfect way to stop a foreclosure. However, many people who are facing foreclosure have less than perfect credit. Therefore, they are unable to obtain a loan with a reasonable interest rate.

Another problem people often have when facing foreclosure is that they have little or no equity in their house. So this makes it even more difficult to secure a refinance loan. Many people are then faced with the option of using a predatory type lender. Predatory lenders often come with astronomical interest rates and outrageous fees.

A retirement plan such as a 401K loan is another option. This type of loan is not a favored loan however. You can either take a loan out against your retirement plan or withdraw the money all together.

If you chose to withdraw the money, you will end up paying federal income tax, as well as a penalty tax. If you chose to withdraw the money, be sure to research it completely beforehand. That way, you are aware of exactly what you will end up paying.

When trying to stop a foreclosure, you could ultimately file bankruptcy. Depending on what type of bankruptcy you file, you may only slow down the foreclosure process versus actually stopping it. Reports indicate that nearly 96% of people who file bankruptcy to stop a foreclosure are still foreclosed on.

A viable, but less favored option is to sell your house. It may be the case that you can no longer afford the house you currently live in. So selling the home in order to stop a foreclosure is a great alternative. You can then either try to buy a house that is less expensive or rent. So, although you may dread selling your house and moving, if you don't stop the foreclosure, you may be forced to anyway. Only this way, you are able to walk away from the home without a foreclosure looming over you.

No matter how you ended up facing a foreclosure, know that there is hope. Begin by educating yourself on the overall process. And most important, do not wait too long to take some type of action.

About the Author

Peter Pang is a real estate investor, for more information about how to stop foreclosure or invest in real estate, please visit his site at I Love Real Estate Investing.

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We have hundreds of listings of homes for sale in your area. If you are interested in buying a house feel free to search through our database. This is a free service and we have a low-pressure policy. We list homes for sale in Manalapan NJ, Point Pleasant Beach real estate, Aberdeen NJ and many other New Jersey properties for sale. There is a lot of property for sale in New Jersey. Marlboro NJ Real Estate, Homes for Sale in Marlboro NJ, Marlboro NJ, and Information on Marlboro NJ. We are the realtors NJ!

Investing in Rental Properties

2007-02-01T16:06:00.002-05:00

For many years the act of investing in rental properties has been making people rich. Real estate investment is a booming business and owning rental properties is the safest way of increasing your equity and wealth. However, it can be a daunting task to be a landlord so you should ask yourself if you have what it takes. Will you be able to remove tenants that are truant in their payments or are misusing the home? It can be a hard thing to do, but it is necessary.

Now the question arises of finding a good home to invest in. The best way to go about this is by starting with some research. The first thing you should think about is what kind of renters you are looking for. This will be dependant on the area you choose to buy in, and the price that you can expect in rent. Finding a home with many bedrooms and washrooms will be perfect because it will be attractive to renters. Also if you are looking for long-term renters, proximity to schools and amenities is a must.

Once you have found a good rental property, spend a bit of time and money on it. Put some new paint on the walls and upgrade the floors. If there is carpet on the floors it might be a good idea to change it to a laminate floor as it is easier to keep clean and harder to damage permanently. Laminate will also hold up to high traffic better than a carpet floor. If the appliances are outdated, replace them with newer models, this will make your home easier to market to the rental community. try to create an environment that you yourself would feel comfortable living in, your renters will appreciate it.

About the Author

by Tyler Fawcett

M Shane is a member of the REW Writers Team. A collective publication network facilitated by Real Estate Webmasters. Each article is contributed by a member of our real estate community. This particular article was submitted on behalf of RentalProperties.ca

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Please call us at 732-364-2015 and see what ERA Othello Realty can do for you and your real estate needs. We specialize in handling all aspects of real estate transactions throughout the New Jersey. Whether you wish to buy a home or sell a home we will be there every step of the way. From searching for your dream house, finding the home, negotiating the price, assisting with financing, inspection and at the closing ERA Othello Realty can help you buy your home. We list homes for sale in Freehold NJ, Jersey Shore real estate and many other New Jersey properties for sale. Aberdeen NJ Homes for Sale. Marlboro NJ Real Estate, Homes for Sale in Marlboro NJ, Marlboro NJ, and Information on Marlboro NJ. We are the realtors NJ!

Great Ways To Improve The Value of Your Home

2007-02-01T16:06:00.001-05:00

These are some great ways to improve the value of your home, whether you are selling it or just seeking to infuse some new life into it. Interior renovations do not need to be the daunting "tear out a room" experience that many people think of when renovations are mentioned. There are many smaller and simpler ways to improve the visual impact of your home. And, if the time comes that you choose to sell the home, you will realize a greater profit if some of the following are observed.

1. Hardwood or Laminate Flooring - Both hardwood and laminate flooring is extremely popular right now and looks to be for quite some time. It is much easier to keep clean than carpet and adds thousands to the value of your home.

2. Tile Accents - Tiling in rooms like the bathroom and kitchen as opposed to linoleum is not only visually impressive, but easier to keep clean. Also tile accents around the fireplace and front door are a great touch. If you don't have a fireplace add a small "firebox," these are beautiful little all in one fireplaces that simply plug into the wall.

3. Decks & Porches - Is the old deck a little run down? If so maybe its time for a resurfacing and a coat of paint. Decks and porches are a huge selling feature so they should be in tip top shape. If the deck is wood, a good power washing will do wonders for its appearance, after that, re-varnish and seal it to protect the wood.

4. Paint - This can apply to both the interior and exterior. If any of the rooms in your home a feeling a little drab, why not spice them up with some new paint. Its a good idea to not be too adventurous with the colors if you are planning to sell the home, in this case neutral colors are best. On the exterior, new paint can make a world of difference. The right paint job can take years off the appearance of a home.

5. Landscaping - Landscaping it vital to the appearance of your home. If there age bushes and trees in front of your home, are they hiding it too much? Could the gardens use a little TLC? There are few things that can make a home more inviting than a well manicured yard.

6. General Cleanliness - This is one of the most important factors in the curb appeal of your home. A cluttered and untidy yard can cause potential buyers to move right past your home if the curb appeal is not up to par. You want people to be drawn into your home, to take notice and want to see more.

These things should be of great help in increasing your homes value, for sale or just for your own pleasure. Don't forget that doing these things to your home will only improve the value of your investment in the long run.

About the Author

by Tyler Fawcett

M Shane is a member of the REW Writers Team. A collective publication network facilitated by Real Estate Webmasters. This particular article was submitted on behalf of Dennis Pease, the smart choice for Oregon real estate.

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If you need assistance selling your house ERA Othello Realty can share their expertise and experience with you in a friendly and professional manner. From all aspects of selling your house: from getting a qualified CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) to advising you on the presentation of your house, marketing your home online and in print, conducting an open house, showing your house within your guidelines and discretion, constant communication, negotiating the best price for your home and being with you until closing and beyond. We can also assist you in your search for a new home. Please call us at 732-364-2015. We are the realtors NJ! Look at these Listings of Homes for Sale in NJ. Marlboro NJ Real Estate, Homes for Sale in Marlboro NJ, Marlboro NJ, and Information on Marlboro NJ.

Old Home Hazards

2007-02-01T16:06:00.000-05:00

Lately, old character homes have been selling like crazy throughout the country. There is a real move to restore these beautiful old home. however, there are some definite concerns that need to be addressed in purchasing an older home. Hopefully this article will help you to be better educated on some of the points of concern that are attached to these beautifully styled homes.

One thing that should always be checked thoroughly is the foundation. Old foundations can start to crack and deteriorate as many foundations were not sealed on the interior side of the foundation at that time. New practices have brought new standards in the construction industries. Don't forget that the homes that are being built now have the standards they do because of lessons learned from homes built in the early 1900's. The biggest concern with foundations is leaks. Is there water seepage into the basement? If so, this can be costly to fix. It can also create other problems and health risks like mold. Another aspect of bad foundations is Radon. sealing the basement as mentioned before is a good way to prevent this naturally occurring gas from entering your home. The presence of Radon in homes has been linked to lung cancer, so be sure to test for Radon before buying.

Another good idea is to check for anything that contains lead, be it pipes or paint. Both were utilized extensively in the construction oh homes in the early part of the 1900's and right up until the 1980 in some forms. The final concern with old homes is asbestos. Asbestos releases a toxic dust that can be extremely bad for the health of people living in the home. Currently a special license is required to work with asbestos.

Be careful when purchasing an older home, it may not be up to standard with today's building techniques and requirements. If there is any doubt about these items, consult with your realtor and a certified inspector. These professionals should be able to identify and give suggestions on fixing any problems that may occur.

About the Author

by Tyler Fawcett

M Shane is a member of the REW Writers Team. A collective publication network facilitated by Real Estate Webmasters. This particular article was submitted on behalf of Jim Sparrow, your elite choice for Calgary real estate.

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ERA Othello Realty is your source for your real estate needs throughout New Jersey. From the shores of Spring Lake NJ to Newark NJ they can handle all your real estate buying and selling needs. For homes for sale in Monmouth, Ocean, Mercer, Burlington, Camden, Middlesex, Passaic and all the other counties in NJ. From Central NJ to Northern NJ to Southern NJ you can count on ERA Othello Realty for New Jersey Real Estate. Aberdeen NJ Homes for Sale, Marlboro NJ Real Estate, Homes for Sale in Marlboro NJ, Marlboro NJ, and Information on Marlboro NJ. Look at these Listings of Homes for Sale in NJ. We are the realtors NJ!

How to promote your business using free online auction and classified sites

2006-12-24T23:57:00.000-05:00

It is said that in the internet marketing world, content is king. While there is no doubt that strong copy and valuable information is what will ultimately determine whether your site will be a profit machine or a money pit.

But, in order to get that buyer ready to part ways with their hard earned cash they must find your site.

SEO or Search engine optimization is a long and a very broad subject to tackle. This has so many aspect in terms on how well your site rank in the search engine. Different questions arise regarding the subject but still including me cannot pin point directly that magic on being at the top permanently. But my suggestion below will at least help your search engine position especially if you have a business you are promoting online. 1. Try to create you site user friendly first and or at least can be validated by w3.org. These makes your site to be competitive in terms with your competitor. 2. Try to be descriptive on your description, these will help visitor at a glance go to your site and search engine to pick up those words or keywords from your description. 3. Article submission that can be closely related to your site is useful and make it published to the article sites. 4. Directory submission is a big plus. 5. Forum signature also creates free visitors as well as free backlinks. The important is one way back links which means NO exchanging or reciprocal links are valuable any more. There are some sites that are offering one way link or in other words you don't need to place their links in to you site. I list some of them and I hope it is useful.

www.clickbuysell.com www.clickbuysell.com www.gbuysell.com www.machmate.ca www.iraniansite.ca www.jdtalentmanagement.com

How to promote your business using free online auction and classified sites

About the Author

Tony Kind is the founder of ubuysell.ca. Online since 2003 ubuysell.ca has been as free onlinea auction and classified site to buy and sell person to person an ebay alternative auction site. Go to http://www.ubuysell.ca to find out how to find other great deals.

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Ethics, Morals, or Personal Preference in the Mortgage Business

2006-12-24T23:56:00.002-05:00

Here's the situation, Broker A just sold an Option Arm to a guy and come to find out another broker (Broker B) already submitted the deal through the same lender. The only reason the borrower went somewhere else was because of a little disagreement, or misunderstanding, with the explanation of the POA from the Broker B. Broker A was told by the Lender that he had to wait 60 days after the current application is withdrawn before he could resubmit it UNLESS Broker B gave a letter saying he will withdraw the application and will receive NO COMPENSATION for anyone else that submits/closes the deal with the Lender. Broker B refused to write the letter and his statement was "if I can't make any money with it, I don't want anyone to make money from it."

Ever run into this situation? If you're in the origination side of things, chances are you either have or will in the future.

I have to admit, I ran into this same situation several years ago, it's not pretty. One person's ego gets bruised while the other person either puffs out his chest or gets pissed about not getting the deal.

What it all boils down to is how do YOU want to be perceived in the business? Oh sure, we're all here to make $$, but how we make it is the issue.

Personally, I actually don't think it's about ethics or morals, I believe it's about personal preference. Let me explain why I think this way. Ethics and morals are more what's-right or what's-wrong. This situation isn't about right or wrong.

The guy has every right not to give up his commission to someone else, he shouldn't be criticized for doing so, that's his preference. BUT, here's my thought, and I'll put this in a first person perspective...

If someone doesn't want to do business with me, I want them to go away and not think about me any more. I don't need bad publicity at all. If I make that person have to stay around guess what? He starts telling more and more people about how "I screwed him" whether it's true or not. If I can make that person forget about me, the less he will tell others about me. Let's face it, if I keep the borrower tied to me if he doesn't want to be, who does that hurt in the long run? In other words, I would give up commission on ONE DEAL to prevent bad publicity, especially in this business. Oh sure, the borrower will always feel like he's been "screwed", but why keep him feeling that way? The quicker he forgets, the better it will be for me. Does that make sense?

Just something to think about.

About the Author

Andrew Poletto has been in the mortgage business for several years as a broker, a manager, and a trainer. He is the author of the ebook: The ARM Factor: The Guide to Selling and Understanding the Pay Option Arm. www.RealMortgageTraining.com

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The Fine Wine Element of Selling Your Home

2006-12-24T23:56:00.001-05:00

Like fine wine, your home has probably aged nicely while you have lived in it. While you may feel this way, it is important to understand buyers may look at it a bit differently.

The Fine Wine Element of Selling Your Home

A home is a fundamental part of our lives. We tend to live in them for a number of years during which time significant things happen in our lives. Maybe you had additions to your family. Maybe you met someone to share the rest of your life with. The list is practically endless. While all of this is wonderful, the one consistent with them is time. While you stack up experiences, you house is aging. When it comes time to sell it, the fine wine element of this aging needs to be addressed.

The age of a home is always on the mind of any perspective buyer. To the surprise of many sellers, buyers usually are not overly sensitive to when the home was built. What they are really interested in is how long is the property going to last if they buy it. With some solid maintenance, an old Victorian will last for a long, long time. Homes built in the last 30 years, however, do not always have such staying power.

If you have an older home, you can take steps to cut this buyer concern off at the knees. It is an extra step that costs you nothing and you will be glad you had done. Yep, you are going to get the answers before you list the property. Being well prepared is the key to getting past the objections and concerns of potential buyers.

When it comes to the age of your home, the key is figuring out how long things will last. So, should you read up on it on the net? Should you just eyeball it? Should you go with what someone told you? No! You should get estimates. Specifically, you should call out contractors and get estimates. The estimates should cover the condition of the area in question, any repairs needed and the remaining life for the area in question. You should do this for the roof, heating system, cooling system, ventilation system and any thing else that might age like bad wine and is unique to your home.

Taking this step will let you know what is right and wrong with your home as well as how long things are going to last. When a buyer asks how long the roof can reasonably be expected to last, you can pull out the estimate and show them. End of question!

About the Author

Raynor James is with FSBOAmerica.org - providing daily real estate tips to buyers and sellers.

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Free Home Foreclosure Listings: Where To Find Them

2006-12-24T23:56:00.000-05:00

Finding free home foreclosure listings can sometimes feel like the proverbial needle in a haystack, but if you know where to look, you can find plenty of bargain opportunities. There are several sites online that will give you access to these listings - for a small monthly fee. Keep in mind that if you are short on time, and don't know where to find listings, these types of membership sites may be an excellent option.

However, if you've got some time to spare and would rather put that money into buying a foreclosed property, you can get access to a list of foreclosed homes with absolutely no cost to you. So set aside a couple of hours and you'll be able to research properties that you're interested in right from your computer.

Starting Your Search

One of the first things you need to do when searching for foreclosed listings is to elect the state you're interested in purchasing property in. Keep in mind that you don't necessarily need to live in the state where the foreclosed property is to purchase it.

Once you've located a few potential foreclosed properties you're interested in, you'll want to inspect the property and see what type of condition it's in. Most of the times, these properties will need some maintenance to make them move-in ready, but if you get a good deal on the purchase of the property, you can use sweat equity to increase the value of the property..

Government Sources

Another resource fore properties is the US government. You will be able to find actual addresses of properties that are for sale by HUD. This is another free resource of thousands of foreclosed properties that are for sale by the U.S. Government, but you must work with a real estate agent, broker or servicing representative to submit an offer or bid. You cannot submit an offer on the property yourself.

Now that you know how to locate properties, get out there and find real estate at discounted prices.

About the Author

by Michelle Greene

Get access to free home foreclosure listings without any monthly fees! Absolutely free listings give you access to actual property addresses without any fees. Visit http://www.michellegreene.com to begin your search.

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If you would like to buy a house/home we are your source of thousands of available listings of real estate. As a native Licensed New Jersey Real Estate Broker we have many agents in our realty who are very familiar with the needs of New Jersey Real Estate buyers. If you are interested in selling your house, or any other NJ real estate, we are here to help you sell. Our experience real estate office staff will walk you through the whole house selling process. Get in touch with us and we will show you how we can help your sell your home in New Jersey. We are the realtors NJ! Great Marlboro NJ Real Estate, Homes for Sale in Marlboro NJ, Marlboro NJ, and Information on Marlboro NJ.

PUTTING ARCHITECTURE ON THE PSYCHOANALYTIC COUCH

2006-12-24T23:55:00.000-05:00

Three AIA [American Institute of Architects] chapters collaberated in the creation of Design DC, a professional architectural conference, held at the Washington, DC Convention Center in February of 2005. The following article is about the conference. Psychology and architecture

What does a depth psychologist find at an architectural conference? You might first ask, "What is depth psychology?" With its origins in the work of Freud and Jung, depth psychology seeks to know what lies below the surface of conscious awareness as revealed via creative acts, symptoms, dreams, ideas, and other non-volitional experiences. It also considers what is not said/done as well as what is said/done as a way of understanding the human psyche vis a vis the social and physical landscape of which we are all a part. Deep psychology Drawing on the insights of history, mythology, literature, anthropology, philosophy, and the arts, and using tools such a deep listening, dialoguing, narrative, and imagining, depth psychology offers multiple reflective and interpretive lenses. Psychological effects of architecture Recognizing that the psychological effects and implications of architecture may be something which is considered, but not always given voice to, I attended various seminars with my depth psychological attuned ears wide open to find out if and how things psychological were discussed or not. My reflections are based solely on my experience of each particular seminar, are by no means exhaustive, and are not intended to be generalizable. Architecture and group cohesion

With a nod to Freud and Jung, I, pulled up my imaginary couch and put my first patient on it: the Kentlands' seminar. Amongst other points, the presenter noted that the New Urbanists' approach delineates what type of structure/structural elements fit well in particular contexts, which from a psychological point of view speaks to a group cohesiveness model.

The outsider vis a vis the group

Group cohesiveness of an informal group, such as a section of a neighborhood, varies widely based upon shared values, goals, and level of interdependence. Curiously, one of the methods of strengthening group cohesiveness is having something/someone that does not fit well which is perceived as other and/or does not seem to contribute to the harmony of the group. Depth psychology would wonder, how this phenomenon is or is not factored in to the Transect model? Paradoxically, the architects and planners should plan to put in the "outsider" to hold the remaining community together. Circling all the issues

There was mention of a desire on the part of the Kentlands' founders to "create a cohesive sense of place; a place people can feel a part of; a place shared by everyone." A depth psychological approach to achieving these goals would entail using numerous projective exercises and/or a perspective-giving-tool called the hermeneutic circle methodology, which involves putting an issue, question, or concern in the center of the circle and those affected by the issue at points around the perimeter. The center is then considered through each lens point on the perimeter. The result of these discernment processes is a fuller understanding, including unimagined challenges, and more refined and actionable data. Going to court On the Georgetown Law Center tour the narrative of each space came to life: we could begin to imagine the feeling of being in front of the Supreme Court sitting in their moot court. In addition, as is often the case when someone gives voice to a structure's narrative, stories emerge which were not apparent for they are held by the space until someone "releases" them by telling them.

From court to courting

We moved from the Supreme Court to the supreme source of stress relief. In the state of the art well-appointed gym, our building tour guide first spoke about the equipment and wiring limitations. Then, through him the building told us something more: the law students of today were much more stressed than students in the past, so the law school wanted to court today's students put in the well-equipped gym for them to discharge their stress.

Using buildings psychologically

When architects want to create communities or reduce stress for the occupants of their buildings, they are often unknowingly using their architectural designs in service of occupants' psychological well-being. Buildings have the power to determine how we feel, as well as how we function. Architects and builders would be wise to Inviting a psychologist to "pull up a couch" the drawing board to insure that the psychological effects of the built environment are being considered.

About the Author

Katherine Grace Morris, Ph.D. is the "Environmental Therapist." She has a doctorate in depth psychology, and is the pioneer of the "psychology of setting." She uses a client's setting -- home, business, etc. to solve clients' problems with themselves or with their employees. Change is easier when the body leads. Changing the setting leads the body and the head follows. www.psychologyofsetting.com

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Newark NJ Real Estate, Spring Lake NJ Real Estate, Marlboro NJ Real Estate, Jackson NJ Real Estate are all popular destinations. Spring Lake NJ is the premium shore location with its exclusive homes for sale. Newark NJ is a popular city location for it's proximity to NYC and it's large business population. Marlboro NJ is known for it's excellent school district, it's exclusive homes for sale, vicinity to NYC and it's a beautiful area. Jackson NJ is a very popular residential area in Central New Jersey with many different classes of homes. If you are interested in real estate in any area of New Jersey, please let ERA Othello Realty help you. Aberdeen NJ Homes for Sale, Marlboro NJ Real Estate, Homes for Sale in Marlboro NJ, Marlboro NJ, and Information on Marlboro NJ. We are the realtors NJ!

Making Your Home More Appealing

2006-11-22T14:08:00.001-05:00

How do you get real estate agents and buyers to notice your home in the midst of an accumulating number of "For Sale" signs in this not-so-hot market we're experiencing? How can you make your house desirable enough to draw attention away from the competition?

Consult a local realtor® before offering your home for sale. There are many factors to be aware of particularly with market conditions changing. You must decide on a price, which involves an analysis of properties that have recently sold and homes that are currently on the market. It is useful to get an objective evaluation from a licensed home inspector about the condition of your home and to make the needed repairs or cosmetic improvements.

Prepare your home before you list it. Get your home into prime showing condition by investing in fresh paint and yard work. If you decide to repaint the interior, choose a neutral palette that will provide a generic background against which homebuyers can visualize their own furniture. Remove all clutter, excess furniture, dust and grime. Repair or replace whatever makes the home look shabby--cracked windows or walkways, sagging porch steps, chipped plaster or stucco, missing roof shingles or drawer pulls. The desert climate can wreak havoc on wooden exterior accents. Refinish your deck or trellis if the wood looks worn or faded. Ask for staging advice from your real estate agent. What most home shoppers want to see are well-groomed landscaping and an immaculate, clutter-free interior. These simple and relatively inexpensive improvements will go a long way in a potential buyer's eyes.

Homes that are energy-efficient also have a market advantage - they promise attractive savings on monthly utility costs. With hot summer days ahead we face the high costs of air conditioning. But you can reduce energy expenses by painting exterior walls a light color, putting a reflective coating on your roof or planting shade trees in your yard. A single tree, strategically placed, can reduce your air-conditioning costs by up to $300 a year or more. And according to the U.S. Forestry Service, a single mature tree will add about $5,000 per lot or 5 to 7 percent to the sale of the property.

Placing your property on the market at the right price is perhaps the single most important requirement for making your home stand out among local listings. Potential buyers will ask the price of your home first and then decide whether it measures up to their requirements. Homes that are priced competitively appeal to qualified buyers and draw a larger response from ads and word of mouth. Avoid overpricing your property! A fair list price will encourage offers that are closer to the asking price, and can even initiate a bidding war in a highly desirable area. An attractive listing price will keep your home fresh on the market and safeguard against "seller's stagnation".

Be willing to discuss any and all offers with your agent, and be as flexible as possible relative to the terms of the sale.

About the Author

Sean Remington is President of Sean Remington & Associates, an Albuquerque, New Mexico realtor. To learn more about Albuquerque Real Estate, point your browser to Albuquerque Real Estate.

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Walkthrough Inspection: Tips for Success

2006-11-22T14:08:00.000-05:00

Before the title transfer of your new home, you will to do a "walk-through" inspection to ensure that the property is in the same condition as it was when the purchase and sale agreement were drawn up.

Some sellers convey the appliances and major systems "as is," offering no promise that they will be in working order. Other agreements require all of the major mechanical systems, such as heating, plumbing, and air conditioning, to be operational. It depends on the contractual terms that are agreed to in writing between the buyer and seller.

During the walk-through inspection you should check the appliances by turning each one on and letting it run a full cycle. This gives you a chance to make sure that any repairs that were to be made by the seller prior to title transfer have been made. These details are much easier to work out before the transfer of ownership than after you have taken possession of your new home.

About the Author

Sean Remington is President of Sean Remington & Associates, an Albuquerque, New Mexico realtor. To learn more about Albuquerque Real Estate, point your browser to Albuquerque Real Estate.

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The Many Advantages Of Home Equity Loans

2006-11-22T14:07:00.001-05:00

Home equity loans have quickly become the number one way to get your hands on cash that you need to pay down bills or add an addition onto your home.

A home equity loan is a lump sum loan for the amount of equity in your current home. It's determined by taking your homes current value and subtracting the mortgage balance.

Home equity loans will generally have a fixed interest rate and be for 5, 10, 15 or 20 years. There are also numerous tax benefits with home equity loans that are very advantageous to the home owner.

Funds from a home equity loan can be used for things such as:

Debt consolidation

Medical bills

Home remodeling projects

College expenses

People will also use this money for new vehicles and even lavish vacations. However, unwise that may be. You can easily find yourself getting into serious financial troubles by making outlandish purchases that you would never normally make.

Even with the many great benefits of home equity loans, there are some downsides. Some of these include:

- You're putting your home up as collateral. If you were to happen to default on the loan, you could face losing it.

- If you take out a $25,000 home equity loan and pay it down to $10,000, but need more money later, you'll have to refinance in order to get the additional cash. This will most likely lead to loan closing fees and other charges.

Even with that being the case, a home equity loan can be a huge benefit to getting the funds you need for important purposes.

About the Author

by Terry Edwards

To learn more about a Home Equity Loan as well as more information on everything to do with home equity loans, visit us at http://www.HomeEquityLoansA-z.com

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How much should your mortgage cost you? Part 1

2006-11-22T14:07:00.000-05:00

Well................you don't know. At least not the way the system is set up, that is you have to have trust in people who have a vested interest the in the transaction!

Most people will choose a lender because someone referred them or they used them before and felt comfortable. There is the weakness that every lender exploits, because you as a consumer don't know what the true costs are. You only know what the lender tells you they are. Yes you can get quotes from three lenders and guess what? They are all going to be pretty close in costs and rate. Why? In any given market the lenders have dictated what the fees will be and if they are all about the same, whoever gets the deal gets the excess fee income.

Let me give you an example. Let's look at the processing fee or some lenders call it an Admin fee which is going to be somewhere between $350 - $450 depending on your market. With the technology today a processor from start to finish, spends at most 5 full hours on any file. Let's use $20/hr. for a processor which puts their cost at $100.00, I don't think there is $250 - $350 in office supplies, phone calls and credit report. So if none of the lenders you have polled are less than $350 for processing you will over pay for this fee no matter who you went with!

And that my friends is just the beginning. For most of us a mortgage is the single largest financial transaction we will be involved with and yet as you can see the system has been set up to work on faith rather than fact. I am all for faith when it applies to religion, not mortgages! HUD and FNMA both have "information booklets" and websites that tell you the "What is" about the process and the paperwork which is good information but, you also desperately need to know the "How much is" part of the process. No one currently involved in the process will tell you.

My next article will deal with rates and how they relate to what the lender gets paid and of course how lenders get over paid!

About the Author

by John Thompson

John has over 15 years of experience in the mortgage industry and is an Advocate for the consumer. More of his ideas and information can be found at www.bestmtginfo.com

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Steps to Buying First Home

2006-11-22T14:04:00.000-05:00

There are certain things that you are going to need in order to be able to buy your first home. There are certain steps to buying your first home. I am going to outline a plan for you to be able to purchase our first home.

The first step is saving the down payment money. You need to figure out how much home you want to buy and then save about 10% of that. If you want to buy a $100,000 home, then you need to save about $10,000. This is an adequate down payment.

Second you are going to want to make sure you have good income documents. This could be paycheck stubs, bank statements, or tax papers. Make sure to save these items so that when it comes time to get your mortgage for your new house you are prepared.

Third you are going to need to obtain your credit report and your credit score. This will give you a peak into your financial future and give you an idea of the areas you need to repair in order to get a better mortgage. You will want to clean up any small negative items and work on the larger ones. That way you have the highest possible credit score when you try to get financing.

Last, you will need to start eliminating unneeded bills and payments. When you have a lot of bills that you don't need to pay you end up with a high debt ratio. Try to eliminate these by paying off your car or your credit cards before you go to get your mortgage. This will lower your debt to income ration and allow you to get a better rate on your mortgage. Plus you won't have to put as much money down.

Now you have the steps to follow in order to get your first home. Follow these steps and it will be much easier for you to obtain the financing you need for your new home.

About the Author

by BRGE

Learn how to get your first house with very little or no money down. Learn all the secrets to purchasing a home with very little money down. Go here for more information:

Buying your first home

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The Importance of Good Prospecting for the New Realtor

2006-11-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

The Importance of Good Sales Prospecting For the New Realtor

In any sales job, you can sit back and 'wait for prospects to come to you'. Or, you can be pro-active and start building a customer base yourself. The benefit to good prospecting is that you will always have a sales funnel. If you rely on people coming to you, you'll end up with peaks and valleys of business rather than a steady stream of good prospects. For income purposes, you certainly want to strive for steady business throughout the year.

How to accomplish this is the obstacle many realtors face. You have an entire zip code of potential prospects, but how do you find them and get them to contact you? Sales reps refer to this as 'mining your territory'. You need to attract potential prospects to you.

Every month, I receive the same, stale postcard announcing, 'I'm Joan and I just sold a house on your street'. I can tell you as a home owner, my response is, so what? How does it benefit me that you sold a house on my street? It doesn't. The only reason people respond to direct response marketing is because you've answered the question: What's In It For Me? "ME" being your home owner.

You have to come up with a creative way to market yourself and your services. Let's face it, you're marketing your service as a realtor.

Get inside the head of your prospect. Ask yourself these questions:

 What do I know that can be of value to this person?  How can I get them this information easily?  How can I use a postcard campaign to build a list?

If you provide something of value up-front, you'll start a relationship in the best possible way: by creating value. The more value you create, the easier it becomes for someone to pay you a commission-based fee. If your prospect doesn't see you as someone of value, they'll start trying to negotiate your fee downward.

If you do the proper prospecting, you'll bring value to people before they ever approach you to sell their home. They'll also be more likely to refer you to a friend or neighbor. You'll be building your business quickly with the 'right' kind of prospects. It's a lot easier than sitting around waiting for the phone to ring.

About the Author

Former Learjet Sales Star, Susan Adams, has sold products and services for some of the world's most respected companies.....General Electric, Pitney Bowes and Bombardier Aerospace.

She takes a 'real world' approach to all sales topics. 'Successful sales people are experts at having conversations with customers. If you can empathize with people, create an environment of trust and really listen to their concerns, you'll be a top sales performer.'

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You Too Can Do No Money Down Real Estate Investing

2006-11-10T15:59:00.001-05:00

You may have heard about no money down real estate investing before. Perhaps when you first heard this message it struck you as some kind of get-rich-quick scheme. You may have even thought that some slick sales person was trying to get you to purchase his video. While the latter may have some truth to it, it's also true that no money down real estate investing is a possibility. Many seasoned real estate investors will quickly tell you that it is possible to invest in real estate without having any kind of down payment. In fact, these investors will encourage you to find ways to invest in real estate without having to spend any of your money.

It may sound preposterous but no money down real estate investing is a possibility. There are many investors who have become successful using this method of real estate investing. The reason that no money down real estate investing seems too good to be true is because people aren't accustomed to getting something for nothing. In today's society everything comes at a price, especially something as lucrative as real estate. If you want to become successful at no money down real estate investing, you must put these kinds of thoughts out of your mind. Doubts will only cloud your judgment and hinder your progress in no money down real estate investing.

Once you learn no money down real estate investing, you can never again use the lack of money as the reason you can't close a deal. Too many times, investors have lost out on thousands of dollars in profit because they didn't have the cash needed to close a deal on the spot, or so they thought. If a deal is a good deal, then it's good whether you have the cash you think you need to close it or not. Money should never, ever be the reason that you don't close a deal.

By now you are most likely wondering how exactly you should go about no money down real estate investing. This is the natural next question. There are many ways you can go about getting the financing you need for no money down real estate investing. Sources for funding exist is some of the most unlikely places.

One of the most popular methods of no money down real estate investing is through what is known as double escrow. In this process you buy and sell the piece of property simultaneously. In this method of no money down real estate investing, the investor sells the property for more than the purchase amount. Since there are two closing processes within a relatively small amount of time, the investor uses the money from his sale of the property to also purchase the property. In this method of no money down real estate investing, there are some contractual details that must be worked out. Consult with an experienced real estate investor or an attorney before attempting a double escrow.

Another method of no money down real estate investing is through bringing in money partners. Each of these partners brings in cash for the deal and you work out an agreement to give back their principal plus a certain percentage before spitting the profits. Then once you've repaid the principal, you can then split the profit however you agree with the money partners.

When you are attempting a no money down real estate investing transaction, the key is to be creative in the methods you choose to ensure that you do not have to pay any money out of pocket.

About the Author

For more information about investing in Real Estate visit Starting Real Estate Investing.

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Finding the Ideal Home Builder - 5 Tips for Success

2006-11-10T15:59:00.000-05:00

As the real estate market cools, individuals and families considering buying a new home must evaluate many factors. Every search of homes for sale has common elements: location, proximity to good schools and employment, area attractions and distance to family and friends. Some evaluating the market may wish for an older home while others who want to buy a new house prefer the modern amenities common to most new homes offered by various new home builders.

It is a buyer's market and every new home builder is competing for a shrinking pool of customers. Every home buyer is unique yet each will come across dozens of names when researching the homebuilder industry. The competition is fierce and home builders are outdoing each other with incentives and freebies all designed to bring new home buyers into the sales office. The potential new home buyer is advised to look underneath the noisy sales pitches and marketing efforts and evaluate new home builders based on competence, relevance to individual needs and reputation.

This article will offer 5 tips for success for finding the ideal home builder.

1. Solicit Referrals from Family and Friends Your friends and family know you best. If they have bought a new home from a homebuilder, ask them how they found the home builder and who they recommend (and indeed, who they would avoid). If you have been inside their home, ask yourself if you like it and ask them if they are having problems. Remember, a referral from friends and family is more valuable than one from a stranger - or a marketing pitch.

2. Research Area Home Builders 87% of future home buyers begin their search online for the simple reason that, because a new home purchase is the biggest purchase of a lifetime, it is best to know your options. But there are a lot of new home builders out there. In busy markets like North Carolina, there are literally dozens all competing for business. Visit their websites. If they invest in a good website with valuable information, it shows they care about demonstrating professionalism and integrity. If they speak to your needs (upmarket, first time home buyer, large family, etc.), it suggests they have worked with people like you. If a website is all glitz and little substance, do not call. If the site has valuable information, interactive floor plans, new house plans, sample photos and the functionality to print plans and brochures, this demonstrates competence. So if you like the site - and like the information it contains - sign up for information. You may be given special promotions and will be the first to hear of new offerings.

3. Research the Experience of Previous Customers It is extremely unlikely that you will be the first person to buy a home from a prospective homebuilder. Because the internet offers such a diversity of voices and opinions, if you do not know anyone who has worked with a considered homebuilder before, see what the online community has to say about the home builder. Some homebuilders have inspired such contempt that websites exist to showcase reasons to avoid them while others have created incredible loyalty. A little research may save you hours of pain and thousands of dollars.

4. Tour Model Homes and Ask Questions When a home builder unveils a community of new homes for sale, there will be a model home open for public tours. Take one. Some "tip of the iceberg" questions to ask include: How often will access to the new home be given during building; Are there any fees required that need to be paid upon closing; How many times has a given plan been built; Is there a premium on the home site; What will be built on adjoining properties; What are area zoning laws; and How is code-compliance guaranteed?

5. Read the Paperwork The new home purchase is a major decision so take the time to read all documents thoroughly. If something is unclear, ask questions. Everybody says "read the fine print" but in this case, perhaps more than any other, this is crucial.

* Written on behalf of New Home Builder Orleans Homes

About the Author

Robert O'Shaughnessy lives in San Francisco and works for Graphic Language. Learn more about the company at www.graphiclanguage.net

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Real Estate Investing

2006-11-10T15:58:00.001-05:00

Introduction: Real estate is a business, where the realtors will be dealing in an immovable property, like land, buildings. Real estate is also called as immovable property where it deals in a permanently fixed property. It is also considered as real property or realty. There are two ways of starting the real estate, one understanding the concepts and have connection with real estate investors and the other is attending the general association/clubs/meeting the real estate business. The term realty refers to immovable property like land, building and personally refers to movable property like automobiles, patents, shares etc. Sometime people try to distinguish the difference between realty and personalities, the term real property or realty or real estate have same sense. But in civil law jurisdiction, it refers to immovable property.

Do we need a huge amount to invest in real estate business? Real estate business does not constitute a large some of investment. If he invests a little some of money is enough to carry the business. Investing initial capital and starting a business has a huge advantages but real estate business does not need a huge investment. Even if he invests, he can get back in a shorter period. There are many ways to collect funds to run the business.

Real estate brokers: a broker is a person who act as an intermediately between the buyer and the seller .He find out a person who wills to buy and sell the real property. In America, the connection was initially recognized with reference to the English common law of agency where the broker having a good relationship with his customers. In UK, the term estate agent is referred to a person or organization whose function is to market the real estate. In America, when they act as buyers brokers, they will purchase the property for a reasonable consideration. While, they became a sellers brokers they sell the property for a price which will fetch them a reasonable profit. Brokers without license they sometimes act as a customer agent.

Is licensed required for real estate business: license is not a important statement for real estate business. Each a have an individual right to sell and buy the property on their own interest. He needs to procure license only when he sells the property which does not belongs to him. But a licensed agent is well recognized in the market without his publicity. In United States, in most jurisdictions a person is essential to have a license in order to obtain payment for services rendered as a broker. Lawyers are also allowed as a broker or agent without acquiring a license.

Commercial real estate: commercial real estate constitutes of buying and selling of immovable property like land and those fixed to it. In this type, realtors share their land ownership among themselves. Commercial real estate consists of accumulated closing price. They involve in a process of buying and selling if land and buildings.

Advantages in real estate: * Property and land are usually expensive; realtors fetch a maximum profit by selling. * Real estators does not need a higher investment. If they have the ability to borrow is enough. * With help of the realtors, we can buy and sell any type of property all over the world.

Conclusion: One can easily understand the term real estate and how to invest in to it. Thus real estate is a business where buying and selling of fixed property like land, buildings. With the help of the brokers, we can buy and sell any type of property in any particular place. But, paying commission or brokerage is an expensive one.

About the Author

Ron victor is a real estate professional for Real Estate Investing Information. He had written many articles in various topics. For more information about real estate business,real estate investing training and real estate investing Contact him at

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10 Steps to a Smoother House-Hunting Experience

2006-11-10T15:58:00.000-05:00

House hunting can be the most exciting part of the home buying process. But it's also where a lot of first-time home buyers make mistakes. Without a solid plan, the house hunting process can be a lot of effort with little reward.

Here are ten tips to help you get the most out of your house hunting experience.

1. Create a Realistic Checklist

Get out a piece of paper, put on your "realism" hat, and start writing down the things you need in a home versus the things you want. You can organize them on the page however you like, as long as you separate the needs and the wants. Put a box next to each item, and then make photocopies.

When you visit a home, take a copy of the checklist with you and write the home's address at the top. Then just go through the house and check off what it does and does not offer. This will help you remember which house had what, especially when you're looking at many properties.

2. Be a Proactive Hunter

Obviously, your real estate agent will help with the house hunting process. But don't rely solely on your agent. Go out there and do some hunting yourself. It's a necessity, but it's also exciting!

3. Get Web Savvy

The Internet can reduce your house hunting time by 50 percent or more. By previewing homes and researching neighborhoods online, you can weed out the ones you don't want to visit. This will save you time, energy and gas money! Create a new folder in your Internet favorites or bookmarks. When you find a real estate website that's particularly helpful, save it to the folder. This way, you'll only have to scour the Internet once.

4. Play Detective

When visiting a home, don't be shy about asking the sellers (or their agent) plenty of questions. Be friendly about it, but be thorough. Likewise, feel free to do a reasonable amount of "snooping." Don't violate the seller's privacy - just be sure to look in all the dark corners, the basement, tools sheds and the like.

5. Validate the Asking Price

If asking prices were set in stone, they would be called "selling prices." Always compare the asking price of a home to recent sales in the area. Your agent should be expert at providing such "comps" to help you validate (or invalidate) the seller's asking price.

6. Visit During Rush Hour

That peaceful property you visited at 10:00 in the morning might be totally different at 5:30 in the evening. By visiting a home during rush hour, you're evaluating two things at once. First, you'll find out if traffic snarls make it hard to enter or exit the neighborhood. Secondly, you'll be able to judge the noise factor at its noisiest time of day.

7. Test the Drive

While we're talking about rush hour, why not test out the morning commute to your work? It might seem silly to do a rush hour commute from a home you're only considering, but think about how much time you'll spend commuting day after day. It's a big quality-of-life issue, so it deserves some consideration.

8. Look into the Future

Talk to the city or county to find out what their plans are for the area around the home. Will that beautiful forest across the street be a shopping center or a highway in two years? You won't know unless you do the research. Don't expect the sellers to volunteer such information, because it's not in their interest to deliver bad news about the neighborhood.

9. Bring a Digital Camera

Digital cameras are ideal for house hunting. You can take pictures of the homes you visit and save them in labeled folders on your computer. Which home had the swimming pool? Which one had the wood floors and crown molding? Just look at the photos and you'll remember.

10. Bring a Devil's Advocate

When visiting a home that could potentially become yours, it's easy to get wrapped up in the emotion of it all. Sometimes, emotion has a way of clouding our better judgment. A great way to counter this is to bring a friend or family member along on house hunting trips. In addition to providing company, a "disinterested witness" can offer an objective point of view. This is crucial when making such a large purchase.

About the Author

BR Cornett writes on behalf of Jimmy Jacobs Custom Homes, a home builder in Georgetown, Texas since 1988. Learn more about Georgetown, Texas real estate by visiting http://www.jacobshomes.com.

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How to Locate Wholesale Properties

2006-11-01T11:55:00.000-05:00

Wholesaling generally refers to the process of buying a property for below market price, and then selling it to another investor, usually without fixing up the property it's a procedure also sometimes described as "flipping properties".

Buying and selling wholesale real estate property can be difficult and challenging as sellers are instinctively inclined to sell their property for more if they realize you are a wholesale investor.

Whereas the deal itself can sometimes be difficult, finding properties to resell at a profit is relatively easy if you know where to look. Many people who sell properties at wholesale prices are what might be called motivated sellers - those who are desperately trying to sell for a compelling reason. These reasons can include foreclosure, relocation or personal or health issues.

There are several methods of finding suitable properties that can potentially be wholesaled. Some of the best wholesale deals can be obtained from a county or city that has taken over a property, often for failure to pay taxes a procedure known in the industry as "landbanking".

Concentrate on looking for foreclosures. Apart from lists provided by banks and other lenders, you can also locate foreclosures by reading the notices issued by the city or county and posted in the legal sections of business journals and local newspapers.

Some properties are available to purchase when the city or county has "red-tagged" them, meaning that the house is unfit for human habitation because of a safety or health issue.

Look for newspaper advertisements that state that the advertiser buys properties. "We buy Houses" is often a giveaway. These are usually ads that have been placed by fellow investors and there is nothing to stop you calling them and asking for their list of properties.

Networking is important when it comes to locating and buying wholesale properties. If local realtors are aware that you are interested in potential wholesale deals, you will find it a lot easier to find properties. A good network of useful contacts is invaluable and one of the best things you can have in real estate. Make sure you always follow up with your contacts rather than waiting for them to call you back.

And sometimes the simple approach is effective - many successful investors advise that you can do worse than simply drive around respectable neighborhoods and look for slightly run down houses that are for sale.

Many people who are trying to locate wholesale properties make the understandable mistake of concentrating on the cheapest properties in their area. In fact, a profit can be made from wholesaling more expensive homes as there are usually homeowners who are desperate to sell their more expensive home, too.

Wholesaling has been around for a while, but in recent years it has become more widespread and acceptable and contrary to what some people believe, it is perfectly legal. And with the right knowledge, foresight and connections it can be a profitable venture.

About the Author

by Kevin Kiene

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Pride of Ownership

2006-11-01T11:54:00.000-05:00

It's a wonderful feeling to own the property you live in. This pride of ownership, the idea that "wow, this is MINE - I'll pick up that trash that has blown onto MY land, rather than ignore it and hope it will just blow away" creates a sense of pride that you can only get from owning your own home.

You don't want to wait for the landlord to mow the lawn, or clean the siding, or do any other menial maintenance chore. Your home is YOURS!! - it will give you great satisfaction to do little things like that to make it look better. You know how doing things that feel good is often not good for you? Not so when it comes to doing things because of pride of ownership! Your home looks better, you feel better, and your favorite team always wins (not really...) Additionally, your home will sell at a higher price when you've treated it with TLC.

A major consideration when buying your first home is maintenance - who's going to do it? Some basic tasks were done by your landlord. You never had to mow the lawn, trim the shrubs, or paint anything. Sometimes these chores were neglected for a little too long, and things didn't look so good. But - so what?!?!? After all, it wasn't YOUR house. Once you have purchased your home, you'll WANT to do all of these things and more.

Perhaps you are worried that you are not the "handyman-type." Don't be. Basic home repairs and maintenance are EASY. Get a few basic handtools, and buy a book on simple home repair - you'll be "good to go."

Certainly for big jobs you should hire a professional. However, unless you buy a much older home, you are unlikely to need to rewire or replumb the house or install a new heating system or anything major like that. Paying the high cost of licensed tradesmen is rarely necesssary to achieve that pride of ownership feeling.

It's fairly astounding how good you will feel about doing simple maintenance jobs at YOUR home.

About the Author

Paul Anderberg is the author of many interesting articles about buying your first home. Some of them can be found on this website. More of them are posted on his website: http://www.first-time-home-buying.net

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Information on Investing in Foreclosed Properties

2006-11-01T11:53:00.001-05:00

Our foreclosure articles include information on the different types of foreclosure properties available. Each one has definite characteristics that you need to recognize in order to make informed decisions.

Foreclosure homes - Also called foreclosed homes - These are houses that have been foreclosed because of non-payment of the mortgage and are now bank owned homes. Distressed properties - Sometimes called fixer upper homes, these are homes that are in need of repairs. The degree of repairs needed and your ability to identify and price those repairs correctly, will determine whether they are a good investment. Our site includes a guide on how to buy distressed properties. Real estate auctions, or foreclosure auctions - Some bank owned homes and government properties at sold at real estate auctions. Bidding on these properties requires the use of a real estate agent, but if the auction purchase is done right, you are able to buy a very cheap house. Federal homes - These are homes that are owned by different government agencies as a result of foreclosures, or homes that have been seized due to non payment of required taxes or other amounts, or for any other reason. As you can see in our foreclosure articles it is quite easy to secure home loans for federal homes. Homes for sale by owner - Many owners prefer to sell their homes without the help of a real estate agent. Our foreclosure articles have information for the seller as well as for the buyer of for sale by owner homes. These homes for sale by owner may be pre-foreclosure homes, which means that the lender is already in the process of foreclosing on the house and the owner wants to sell fast to save their credit.

If you need further information on foreclosure articles, our foreclosures glossary contains the definitions of the terms related to investing in foreclosures, and our FAQ page gives you plenty of additional information. Check our foreclosure articles pages often, we add new content all the time. Let our foreclosure articles give you the information you need to be successful.

About the Author

by Ernani Uchoa

http://www.foreclosuredeals.com/Miscellaneous-Foreclosures-Articles.php

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Three Home Buying Secrets

2006-11-01T11:53:00.000-05:00

Looking for a home? Take a look at these three home buying secrets. They might just save you several thousands of dollars.

Home Buying Secret - The Agent Is Not Your Friend

Okay, maybe your real estate agent is your friend, but that doesn't mean she will be looking out for your best interest. First of all, she can't, if she is working for the seller. Unless your agent specifically is working as a buyer's agent, he or she is likely legally obligated to work for the interest of the seller. This means that anything relevant you say ("Oh, I might go $10,000 higher.") will be passed on to the seller.

Even if the real estate agent is working for you, be careful. People talk - even good agents. Don't say too much that you don't want known by all. In addition, keep in mind that an agent makes money only when there is a sale - and makes more on a larger sale, or one with a higher commission. This can mean less than perfect objectivity in helping you choose a home.

Home Buying Secret - A House Is Not Always A Good Idea

You may have the impression that buying a home is always a good idea. This is a convenient belief for real estate agents, title companies and bankers. The problem is that it just isn't true.

I know of towns where the home values are the same as they were twenty years ago, and others where they have dropped in value in the last year. Real estate does not always go up in a given year or even several. Even if real estate is appreciating, though, a home isn't necessarily a good investment, if rents are low relative to home prices.

In some towns appreciation has slowed, and home prices are very high, while at the same time, the rents in the area are low. For example, in Tucson, Arizona, a two-bedroom home can sell for $200,000, while you can rent one for just $750 per month. If you rent for half of what it costs to buy, and bank the difference, you may be further ahead financially three years from now.

Also think about how long you will be in the home. Transaction costs for real estate have gone up steadily over the years. You might spend 10% of the home value in buying costs, and selling costs, if you pay commission to sell it. This means that it will have to go up about 10% in value before you even break even - not likely if you move in the first couple years.

Home Buying Secret - Low Offers Work

Real estate agents will hate me for this one. Low offers are embarrassing for them to present to a seller, and even embarrassing for you to write. On the other hand, I have a friend who recently embarrassed himself into a lakefront home for about $40,000 less than it is worth. How would you like to buy a home AND immediately increase your net worth by $40,000?

Okay, low offers work, but here's how they work: rarely. You have to accept that if you want a bargain, you will lose a lot of potential homes, spend a lot of time making offers, and annoy real estate agents. Unless you are under time constraints, or have the fantasy that there is one "perfect" house for you, this isn't so bad. On the other hand, if none of your offers are even countered, you may really be wasting your time and trying to go too low.

About the Author

Copyright Steve Gillman. To see a photo of the house we bought for $17,500, get a free ebook on how to buy Cheap Homes, and more, visit: http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

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How To Choose A Real Estate Agent

2006-11-01T11:51:00.000-05:00

If youre selling a home, you need a licensed real estate agent. It is feasible to sell your home on your own (i.e. For Sale by Owner), but without the proper knowledge of how to sell real estate and the paperwork and procedures involved, you could end up shooting yourself in the foot. Using a real estate agent to sell your home will cut back on headaches and ensure that all appropriate steps are being followed and documentation being completed.

Step 1 Ask Around

If youve never dealt with a real estate agent before, ask your friends and family in the area if they recommend an agent. Its better to go with an agent that comes with a personal recommendation than choosing one blindly. You should also ask your neighbor if they know anyone, especially if your neighbors are new to the area. Asking around will key you in to some of the better real estate agents around and which ones to avoid.

Step 2 Go to Open Houses

This might seem a bit strange, but if you want to find an agent that knows your area, you should go to open houses in your neighborhood. Even if you dont want to stay in that neighborhood, a local real estate agent is the way to go. Local agents know how much you can get for your home based on your neighborhood and the condition of your home, and can provide you with insight an out-of-area agent cant. So, visit a few local open houses and talk to the agents hosting them. If they arent able to take on any addition sellers at the moment, they might be able to refer you to a fellow agent that knows the area and can help you get the best price for your home.

Step 3 Choose a Reputable Real Estate Office

Real estate agents work out of real estate offices. They work with the office as independent contractors to help sell homes. When choosing a real estate agent, be sure to stick with the larger offices. A no-name office doesnt have the resources necessary to sell your home fast and for the best price. The bigger, more established real estate offices often have a network of agents and other real estate professionals that can serve you and your specific selling needs.

Step 4 Take Names and Ask Questions

The bottom line is youre the customer when youre selling your home. You choose the real estate agent, they dont choose you. So, dont go with the first agent you find. Shop around. Ask your neighbors for references, go to open houses, and visit the larger real estate offices in your area. Write down the names and contact information of some of the better agents you meet. Then, sit down and choose 3 or 4 agents you like and start analyzing. Think about which one will get you the best price for your home and, most importantly, work with and help you throughout the entire process. Some agents can get top-dollar for your home but are very difficult to work with on other areas of the deal (i.e. completing paperwork, escrow, etc.). If you cant decide on an agent, call you top choices and set up an interview. Have them bring their resume and proof that theyre a licensed real estate agent. Most agents will be willing to sit down with you and give you their sales pitch. If they arent, then its obvious they arent willing to dedicate themselves to helping you with selling your home.

Selling your home is a big event. The home selling process is a large undertaking that requires the expertise of a real estate agent. So if youre thinking about selling your home, dont go it alone. Use the steps above and find a reputable, reliable, and helpful real estate agent.

About the Author:
Brad Stroh is currently co-CEO of Freedom Financial Network and Bills.com. If you would like more of Brads articles, please visit the Bills.com information on Mortgages.

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