by Joe Mac Stevens

I often get the question, “What do I look for in a neighborhood?”

My answer is always the same.  “Easy.  Value!”

I usually get a strange look, but it’s true.  In a neighborhood, I am looking for clues to assess the value of the property, plain and simple.

Well, maybe not so plain and simple, I know.  So let me explain.

Normally, my rehab properties are not in the expensive areas of town.  It’s rare that you’ll find a rehabber meeting his or her investment goals buying in the expensive parts of town.  There are generally fewer homes needing rehabbing and the fixer-uppers that are there are going for top dollar.  It’s safe to say the bulk of the investor activity is taking place in the mid-to-low range of home prices.

That’s not to say I wouldn’t look in, or buy in, the swank neighborhoods.  Occasionally there are bargains to be scooped up there, but not with enough regularity to focus on.

But, there are some places I definitely WON’T invest in.

I won’t TOUCH the urban war zone.  Let me describe what I mean.  

“You don’t go there because it’s common knowledge that you shouldn’t.  If you happen to wander in that area, you are given suspicious looks by all the folks walking the streets and sitting outside their houses.  Your car definitely doesn’t belong there!  It seems nobody takes any pride in their dwelling, and trash seems to be a normal part of the décor.”

Do you know of places like that?  If you are living in a town of any size, you probably know of a neighborhood that fits the above description.

Watch out for is neighborhoods in serious decline.  If the area looks like it soon WILL BE an urban war zone, pass on the deal.  You don’t need a property that is hard to rent or sell.  The holding cost can take your good investment into the red!  You can drive through and pick up many clues in this regard.

-  See if there seem to be a high number of “for sale” signs. If a mass exodus is in progress, you DON’T want to be where everyone is trying to get out.  

-  Check crime statistics with the local police

-  Check recent real estate sales if you can get a peek at the MLS.

-  Ask an appraiser about what values have done in that area over the last couple of years.  Areas in decline usually stand out in your appraiser’s mind, so an appraiser can be a wealth of information.

-  Talk to other investors and wholesalers.  

-  Talk to your title company contact…they often know trends for a given area very well!

Another tactic is to work it the other way.  Find out what’s hot before you start driving and looking!

Talk to your investor friends, wholesalers, appraisers, and title company contacts about what areas are hot for investors these days.  That way, you start learning positive areas and you have the benefit of someone else having gone before you.  Of course, do your own checking but find out where investors are putting their money will give you clues about where you want to invest.  

I would recommend against asking family and friends not related to the real estate industry about neighborhoods.  This is often the worst assessment of value you’ll ever find.  The reactions you’ll get to areas from uninformed family and friends will often be negative based on hearsay.  Get your information from reliable sources and ensure it is based on fact.  

True enough, there are LOTS of neighborhoods that are much better than war zones, yet not in the expensive areas of town.  That’s where my best investments live.

So, what do I mean by value?  

If a property is in an area where you WILL invest, it comes down to the deal itself.  For me, the better the deal, the less I worry about the neighborhood.  As a refresher, here are the basics of property analysis:

-  What can I buy it for?
-  What will it be worth all fixed up?
-  How extensive is the rehab?

Those are the basic questions that must be answered in an individual property analysis, but that’s an article…perhaps a book…for another day.  

In conclusion, determine whether you will invest in a neighborhood, then evaluate the deal itself.  You will probably find that there are some neighborhoods where you won’t invest unless the deal is a home run.  By the same token, there will likely be areas that you feel confident enough about that you’ll take an average deal because you like that particular area.  

You are the investor, and these are the kind of exciting decisions that investor get to make!  Isn’t that what makes this fun!

It seems like everyone is talking about appraisals today and a lot of people have questions about the whole process. So what’s an appraisal anyway? An appraisal is what determines the fair market value of your property. The appraisal is performed by a licensed appraiser who provides a professional opinion of the value of your property based on a variety of factors. Its an important part of the mortgage process that needs to happen before the transaction can be finalized. It’s easier to understand the whole appraisal process by breaking it down into three main parts. There’s the Real Estate Inspection. The Comparables. And The Final Report of Value. The real estate inspection will take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes based on the size of your home. The appraiser will record things like square footage, the dimensions of your property and the number of rooms in your home. He’ll verify his findings with information provided by third parties such as the real estate multiple listing service and county records. The next step is for the appraiser to evaluate Comparables. Comparables are recent home sales in and around your neighborhood. Analyzing these recent past sales helps an appraiser determine the current market value of your home. And when I say recent, I’m talking 3 to 6 months. This is important because comparable sales from many years back may not reflect true home values today. When selecting comparable properties, the appraiser is looking for some very specific things …
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by Chris Devers

Entrepreneurs, no matter from what angle we are seeing the world from, are just the ones that keep it turning. And they are on the go to gather as much as they could from the world’s resources and from the world buyers.

While it is true that money is the root of all evil, their act of accumulation much is not necessarily a bad thing. Saying that such practices that clearly involve money are bad is an oversimplification and is very naïve.

Entrepreneurship, in simple words, is simply the control of certain products so that money could be earned and wealth will be accumulated. This definition already quite covers it all. And today, there are many ways to get the money in the entrepreneur’s pocket.

Multi-level marketing is one. This marketing strategy involves paying people not for the direct sales that they make but also for the number of people that they have recruited to be part of the network.

Because of this, this marketing strategy is also referred to as network marketing. Just by looking at it, one could just immediately conclude that this is easy money, both for the entrepreneur and the people working for him (or the networkers).

And it is indeed making easy money. For the part of the entrepreneur, he saves much from never having to advertise. Networks get wider and wider over time and a lot people know of their products and their assumed effectiveness as a result. So advertising would then become redundant. There is just no wonder why the number of recruitments made is also being paid for well.

For the part of those who are literally part of the network, earning money could also be easily done. One just has to have the needed sales talking skills to convince others to be part of the network.

If he has that, getting compensation is really a no brainer. Such is multi-level marketing.

However, it also is not a perfect strategy. There are now a lot of criticisms being thrown at it and the companies that live by its rules. One of the most serious perhaps is the claim that such strategy is not so different from the illegal pyramiding scheme. Both involve networking and both really require high initial start-up expenses.

Multi-level marketing is also said to enhance the probability for the exploitation of personal relationships. When one becomes involved with the widening network, the people around him automatically become target of his persuasion. This is not necessarily bad.  However, some people may have just been forced to join and participate in the activities so that they can preserve whatever relationship there was to preserve. Now, let’s leave multi level marketing at this.  For more information on this and others, a wide array of articles is part of the ultimate directory. You surely will enjoy reading them!

by Ravi Karandeekar

Part 1 of 5: Rehabbing Houses

This posing will mark the beginning of a 5 part series in which I will discuss 5 separate real estate investing strategies, along with the benefits and drawbacks of each. There are hundreds of ways to invest in real estate. It is very important in choosing your investing strategy that you consider the time, money, and effort you’re willing to invest. Also make sure to be realistic about your experience level, construction experience and ability to manage others.

After watching Flip this House, real estate investors think that rehabbing houses is the only real estate investing strategy out there. Although flipping houses can bring substantial profit, you can also loose a ton of money. Let’s look in detail at what’s involved.

So you have decided to step in to the big leagues and start flipping houses? First be sure to carefully evaluate your personal commitment to the projects, time available to invest into them and willingness to liability exposure. Having bought and sold over 150 houses, I am here to tell you that rehabbing houses is one of the most difficult investing strategies, but can also be one of the most lucrative.

Estimating Repairs– Okay, so you’ve heard about a great investment property that needs work. Now what? Even though your realtor or friend thinks it’s a great deal you need to run your rehab costs in details. If you’re not experienced in construction get a couple bids from some reputable contractors to give you an idea of rehab costs. Be sure never to get them out of the yellowpages, but instead use websites like servicemagic.com or get referrals from other investors. In generating rehab costs, there are some great repair estimate sheets online you can get to help in the process. In estimating repairs for house flipping it also helps to think about the 5 major systems that may need to be replaced! Roof, windows, plumbing, electrical, & HVAC. Also always make sure the foundation is in good shape as rehab projects with bad foundations are impossible to re-sell. Home buyers expect these major systems to be new, or fairly updated. If they are older than 15 years plan to update them. We have a standard cost for each based on our are. For example, we can replace HVAC systems for $ 5k or less and windows for $ 200 each.

Learning to estimate repairs can be frustrating but is an essential part of real estate investing. You’re not going to be perfect at it overnight, so have patience with the learning process. By utilizing contractors, you can learn to see things how they do and it will get easier with time.

Obtaining Financing

Getting financing to rehab houses is harder now than before the crash, but can still be done. The preferred method to buying houses for rehab is cash or using an equity line of credit. This way if you are dealing with a motivated house you can close right away without the hassle of jumping through a lenders hoops. If this isn’t an option, you can find a private lender to fund your real estate deals. By offering friends, family, and anyone you know 8-10% interest you should be able to raise the money. You can set it up to defer payments to them until the rehab is complete and you sell the property. You will give them a first mortgage and personal promissory note in exchange for the money. This means they get the house if something goes wrong and can come after you personally.

If you’re planning to get financed by a bank for rehab projects, you will likely need to contact at least ten in your area until you find ones, so don’t be discouraged at first. Don’t waste your time with big banks. Instead focus on the small community banks. If you plan to get financing for rehab projects and real estate investing in general, you will first need to assemble a loan package which lenders will request. It should consist of your last two years personal tax returns, personal financial statement (that shows all your assets & liabilities), a business plan, a cash flow statement (if you currently own property), & a brief description about yourself and the project you are applying for financing on as a real estate investment.

Managing the Renovation:

Flipping houses isn’t an easy job. The process of managing the rehab itself will require excellent organization & people skills. It is also very important that you learn how to estimate repair costs as quickly as possible.

The majority of beginner rehabbers that I know loose their shirt by overspending at the beginning of the job and over paying for the work. A lot of them also get ripped off by paying money upfront before work is done.

Follow these rules to insure you succeed at rehabbing houses:

1.)  Never use a contractor that isn’t recommended by an experienced rehabber or have great reviews online or references.

2.)  Never get a contractor for rehabbing houses out of the yellowpages.

3.)  Never pay money upfront to a contractor. (Instead you can pay the supply house directly for the material orders)

4.)  Always use a contract between you and the contractor that has a hard date that the job must be complete. This must include a per diem penalty for everyday that the job is not done. This penalty amount will be subtracted from what you owe the contractor at pay day.

5.)  Never pay a contractor more than 70% of what you owe him until the job is 110% done!

6.)  Get proof of workers comp & insurance before awarding the job. Keep this paperwork & call to make sure the policies are valid.

7.)  Never, ever break any of the above rules about flipping houses or you’ll be very sorry you did.

If you follow the above rules about rehabbing houses, you will be well on your way to doing a great job. You must have first gotten a great deal on the house. Make sure to join my email list here as I am always sending out new tricks to find houses not listed on the market with a realtor.

Project Management

In rehabbing houses, you or someone that works for you will need to manage the project full time. This means being on the job everyday, ordering materials, working with a designer, getting draws from the lender, paying contractors, keeping the job site locked up every night, ordering dumpsters, communicating with the neighbors, keeping the job site clean, getting bids from contractors, and much, much more.

In closing, rehabbing houses can offer a huge return, but also be a lot of work. You might make money, you might loose money. I offer a Mastery Fast Track Program for serious investors that offer a full rehabbing system and unlimited support throughout the process. You will more than make up for the cost with the money you save on the very first rehab. It’s critical to have a highly experienced partner on your side that can walk you through the process, that you can lean on anytime.

Don’t gamble. Insure your success and sign up today! Make the commitment to your career as a real estate investor and find out what it’s like to have the freedom to build your own house flipping business. Imagine showing your friends that 6 figure. Check that you made on your first rehab deal!

Stay tuned for part 2 next week – Rehabbing Houses for Rental!

Related Best Real Estate Investing Articles

by thefuturistics

The real estate market is becoming more saturated by the minute. With fewer clients and an increasing number of agents, the business could not be more competitive. With all this competition, an agent needs to be more resourceful. An agent needs to use every possible tool and method out there to make a sale and earn money despite the stiff competition. So how is this possible? Simple: by effective real estate marketing. 

As an agent, you probably know that practically all agents are selling the same thing. Realtors are selling property. And while different properties have different traits and features, they are intrinsically the same. For instance, if two agents are selling two different properties to the same person at the same price-how would the client choose? More than the features of the properties, the client will choose depending on how the agents present the product (in this case, the property), as this is embedded in the perception of the client.

Marketing is a way of presenting a product (property) to a potential customer. Hence, in order to succeed in the business, you need great marketing ideas-but they also can’t cost a small fortune.

One great marketing idea is to find an angle for the property you are selling. In journalism, an angle is the part of the news or person the writer presents to potential readers. For instance, a general profile about President Barack Obama can begin with may angles-Obama as the first black United States president; Obama as the successor to George W. Bush; Obama the President as a family man; Obama and pop culture. Choosing an angle depends on the audience-surely, a writer would not write about Obama and pop culture for a publication like The New Yorker.

This applies to real estate properties.

All properties have an angle; the job of the agent is to find what the angle is. Is the property environmentally-friendly? Then the agent should present the property as a “green” property. Is the property considerably less expensive despite its top of the line features? Is the property a high-end property? Putting an angle forward makes marketing so much easier because it applies to a specific market.

Another savvy marketing idea is not to market your properties; instead, you should market yourself as an agent. Present yourself as an expert in the field so clients will trust you with their real estate concerns. This is great for agents with years of experience and credentials.

If you don’t have these credentials, then it isn’t too late to create the credentials for yourself. Otherwise, make yourself look or seem like an expert. This can be done through several means-for instance, make sure you always look professional with the way you dress and the way you handle yourself and your clients. With this, you are creating the illusion of power. But you also have to walk the talk. Make sure you have the “goods” to prove your worth. In your free time, write articles or papers on the industry-and try to have them published in reputable papers, journals, or even websites. These credentials will up your status in the business in no time! 

Resurgence in Commercial Real Estate Benefits Regional Banking Sector
S&P says some regional banks also benefitted from resurgence in commercial real estate (CRE), especially multifamily housing, in their respective markets. The Paragon Report provides investors with an excellent first step in their due diligence by …
Read more on MarketWatch (press release)

Related Real Estate Marketing Idea Articles

The house is one of the most real is that nobody will ever have. No matter what your home is large or small, will be very valuable. As a homeowner, selling your home can not be a very welcome development, and so, if you can not find the idea very attractive, you look out for a good Realtor that can sell your house quickly. If you’re thinking about getting into contact with any real estate agent and selling your property, you should avoid walking in a representation directly, because letting a total stranger to sell your house is not a good idea. Idea is not very safe to give your property the first meeting of everyone.

main idea is to find an agent who has some experience with the type of property you have. Take the time to research facilities well before deciding on a Realtor, because you should get the value of your home is worth. So keep all these factors into consideration when looking for a good realtor that can sell your house quickly and at a good price.

When you are a real estate agent, you and your agent must develop a strategy. You must decide the price and how long you leave the market before you think of the reduction. You also need to discuss his committee also will avoid misunderstandings in the future. If we talk about these different things when they first start to sell your home, you can find the whole process go much smoother.

The sale of your home itself is not so expensive. You do not have to worry about taxes or dealing with a number of people who have a house sold. However, there is a lot of work, fewer resources at hand, in some cases, and more problems if you decide to sell the house yourself. That decision can only do so highly regarded by both sides. Of course, if you’re not in a hurry, you can add the same house before. Then, if you do not sell, you get an agent to help you.

Selling a home is never an easy task. For an owner, it is difficult to dispose of his home and a buyer is difficult to spend hard earned money. Large luxury estate homes are more difficult to sell due to their high cost. In the current economic crisis, nobody can afford to buy goods and certainly not large, extravagant houses. People prefer to buy homes that are functional, rather than the fairy tale. You may have trouble constantly trying to find a suitable place for negotiations, which will satisfy both parties. But do not get through everything that argument. There are some tips to help you sell the house, with only one third of the effort that you would have to invest otherwise.

The price is very important. First, we must examine the market trends to get the right idea of what price range as a residential area at the time. Understand that the house price is not right what you want or what they would have received if he had sold the house six months back. The right price is what the buyer is willing to pay today. Your Real Estate prices is the best bet, because most people can not afford the real estate and homes do not want to spend more than already expensive price range.

Most of the time, there are no costs that you pay out of pocket!My team negotiates aggressively with the banks to ensure you owe nothing. Occasionally, some banks will require homeowners that are completing Short Sales to take small unsecured loans (typically around $ 5,000) that the homeowner must pay off over 5-10 years. These loans are typically at zero percent interest. The banks do this as a good faith gesture on the part of the homeowner. While my team does its best to ensure you walk away owing nothing, we cant promise that because the banks are in control. Even if you end up owing a small amount, it is MUCH better than going through foreclosure or bankruptcy where you could still owe hundreds of thousands of dollars even after they take the house.

For more detail about Real Estate please visit our website: Sell Your Home

Define bathroom: Real-estate industry about to standardize descriptions
Group will meet in April to consider formal adoption of the Data Dictionary, and the board hopes adoption of the real-estate terminology will be rapid and far-reaching. By Glenn Roberts Jr Great idea! …
Read more on The Seattle Times

by Chris Devers

Article by George Wood

Real estate investing in Florida is still a lucrative way to make money. Although the market is severely depressed, now is a good time for those who have money to find some real bargains in the real estate market in Florida. There are currently many more homes on the market than there are buyers. Many of these properties are brand new and have never even been occupied. Many of these properties are in foreclosure.

Those who are thinking of real estate investing in Florida can find many different types of properties priced way below market value. Although the real estate market in Florida is depressed, now is an excellent time to buy cheap, hold onto the property for a while, and then sell.

The real estate market in Florida is no different than any other market, such as the stock market. Just as stock prices drop and then rebound, so does real estate. Florida will always be a desired area in which to own real estate. Florida has warm, tropical weather and no snow; for this reason, people are always going to want to move to Florida.

One way to invest in the Florida real estate market is to purchase rental units. Because Florida is such a popular vacation destination, rental units can usually be let to vacationers throughout the year. There are many condominiums and smaller properties that can be purchased below market value to be used as rental units. If you are purchasing a condominium, however, be sure that there are no restrictions on renting to families with children, as many condominiums in Florida have age restrictions.

Another way to invest in the Florida real estate market is to purchase your retirement home now. Even if retirement is many years away, chances are that the property will appreciate in value quite a bit by the time you are ready to retire. You can use the property as your own vacation home when you visit sunny Florida.

Because the real estate market is in such a depressed state, real estate investing in Florida can be a wise investment for those who are willing to wait until the market rebounds. Like any other market, the real estate market fluctuates. Now is the time to make a solid investment in a good piece of property for much less than the actual value in Florida.

Memphis Real Estate Firm Proves Success Possible in Slow Market
In 2011, Memphis Invest spearheaded the creation of a peer group for similar real estate investment companies, spanning from regions such as California, Florida and New York, that meet several times a year to define best practices for the green …
Read more on MarketWatch (press release)

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by Ed Yourdon

Article by James Klobasa

Investing in real estate is proving to be a lucrative proposition for most people but real estate investment without any proper research and planning can sometimes prove to be counter productive and prone to financial losses. It is, therefore necessary that proper knowledge should be acquired before investing your hard-earned money and real estate investing courses can provide this knowledge. Given below are a few tips on how to find the best real estate investing course.

Indulging in any business without proper training and knowledge regarding the intricacies of the business is the best recipe for financial disaster. Real estate investment can also boomerang if you do not do your homework properly and invest recklessly. In order to avoid such a situation, many real estate investing courses are available that can train you in this sphere of business activity. However, it is necessary that you should choose the best real estate investing course so that you get comprehensive and effective knowledge that would prove to be useful to you when you invest your valuable financial resources.

How To Select The Best Real Estate Investing Course

When you are looking for a real estate investing course, you should try to find out the reputation and experience of the person who will be conducting this course. You should select the course if the teacher has an established standing in this field with many years of relevant experience. Moreover, you should first identify your interest in the real estate investment business, which could either be in investing in commercial real estate or foreclosures or in any other aspect. You should then check up whether the real estate investing course provides pertinent knowledge regarding your area of interest and whether you will be able to generate wealth quickly and without much effort, with the help of the knowledge gained through that course.The real estate investing course that you choose should offer a flexible and comfortable learning environment without being very expensive. Normally such a course should not cost more than $ 500. Moreover, you should also be able to get reading material, case studies and opportunity to indulge in live calls within the scope of the course fee.

Online CoursesA great way of learning about real estate investment is to attend online classes and workshops as you can stay at home and learn about the ins and outs of this business. These courses can help you in making your own investment portfolio irrespective of whether you are new in this line or you have plenty of experience. Apart from real estate investment, some courses also help you to tackle risk management, financing and relevant taxation aspects. You have to find the course that will impart the basic competencies so that you can make the correct decisions at the right time so that your investment grows effectively.

While choosing the real estate investing course, you should ensure that you can gain access to databases of various properties and of countrywide foreclosures. Moreover, it would be ideal if you can receive the latest data trends and news regarding various aspects of real estate. You would be able to gain many competencies if you can find a training program that would offer individual tutorials so that you can get personalized attention.

Last but not the least, the real estate investing course that you choose should be backed with proper testimonials and a good track record so that you can be assured of gaining maximum competencies and abilities in this field. A real estate investing course that provides fun along with the potential for making effective profitability on your investment would be the ideal one for you to choose.

Detroit real estate investor who flipped homes, committed fraud is sentenced
By Tresa Baldas A Detroit real estate investor is going to prison for 40 months and has to cough up more than $ 2 million in restitution for running a mortgage and tax fraud scheme that involved flipping houses, the US Attorney's office announced today. …
Read more on Detroit Free Press

It is important to have the right blueprint for real estate marketing online when you get into the industry. This is because most potential clients go to the internet to decide on future purchases and also go there to research who the best realtor will be for their needs. A major component in a real estate professional’s marketing strategy is to make sure that they are known online and are visible to many people.

A realtor who makes it in today’s market will need to take advantage of the online tools and use the opportunities of internet marketing to meet the customer’s needs and wants. There are many things that will help you with real estate marketing online. Use the following suggestions to learn how you can make this preferred method successful for your business.

Most home buyers use the internet as their main source for information.

Real estate marketing online can really help them to gain better information more quickly. Potential clients that use the internet will be more informed, also.

Most internet buyers that view a home via real estate marketing online will drive by and see it for themselves. This is good for you because it cuts down your driving time. You will not waste as much time this way.

When the realtor advertises over the internet, it saves money and time rather than using more traditional and outdated forms of marketing.

Better clients are typically gained from the internet from real estate marketing online. They actually end up spending more money than traditional clients.

The internet can also make the home search much shorter. It can cut the time you will have to drive the potential home buyers around looking at homes.

Using the web can help the client look at homes before they decide to drive out to look at them.

When you are attempting to sell homes and you are a realtor, you need to use the internet as a tool to gain more clients. Real estate online marketing can be a major asset to your real estate business if you use if properly. Make sure that you use the internet to your advantage.

Advertise yourself and your listing all over the web in as any places as possible, including social media. You can do this through blogs, social networking and advertising. Make yourself known and you’ll get more quality clients. Create your own website and advertise your listings. Your clients will think you are much more professional.

Imprev expands business, adds marketing team
The company says it serves about 200000 agents. Research firm Borrell Associates said that the real estate industry was projected to spend nearly $ 22 billion in 2011 on advertising in the US, with $ 8.9 billion spent online. That's up 8 percent from 2010.
Read more on Puget Sound Business Journal

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by Casey Serin

Article by John Root

California real estate investing is thought to be a lucrative and safe business owing to the consistent prices maintained by the California real estate market. One of the main advantages of real estate investing is that the price of land never comes down, and this is very much true for a much happening place in the world like, California. There can be fluctuations, but if you are careful you can come out very much unscathed.

For a prospective investor, there are several California real estate investment options available such as investment in vacant land, condos, luxury homes and commercial properties. To gather more information on California real estate investing ideas, approach professional real estate agents specializing in California or look in similar web resources.

The plus with the latter option is that there is no need of moving physically from your home or office to find information on California real estate investing. You can surf the many sites offering California real estate investing information with a few clicks of the mouse. However, when dealing with California real estate investing through the internet, it is important that you get to have a look at a preferably large photo of the property before considering investing in it.

This is because with these pictures, you will be able to find any existing flaws in the property. It is even better still if you can have a personal look at the property before investing in it. Find out if there are any legalities pertaining to the property before investing in the property. If it is a house or condo that you intend to buy, then it is better to have a thorough investigation of the house before concluding the deed.

If you prefer approaching the real estate agents for your California real estate investing needs, choose the real estate firms that are more famous and reputed. Else, there is a chance that you may receive false or non-genuine information about California real estate investing, for it is something that requires professional research and analysis of the current market trends. Don’t make commitments with real estate agents as once you make a commitment with a real estate agent; you will be stuck with their persistence. Such a risk however does not exist if you deal through online means.

To sum it up, whichever mode you adopt for California real estate investing, it is very important that you initially do some comparisons on the rates of the real estate in different areas of California before making your final decision. That will make sure that you will strike the best deal available.

REAL ESTATE: Investors like the Inland area
BY JACK KATZANEK A first-of-the-year forecast on commercial real estate conditions across the country cites the strength of Inland Southern California for investors looking to sink money into industrial properties. The key to Grubb & Ellis' findings on …
Read more on Press-Enterprise

by susie.c

Article by Rodriques Nitta

Buying a piece of real estate is a significant financial investment, so it’s important that you go into the transaction with your eyes open. Make sure that you have given yourself a solid education in the basics of the real estate market. This article can help give you the information that you need.

Potential buyers should be sure to get everything in writing. This is especially important when working with a builder, as options and upgrades which are verbally promised may not end up being honored. Ask your Realtor to draw up a very specific contract and be sure both parties sign it. This can help you to avoid frustration and confusion on closing day.

Take a risk. You may think it would be impossible to afford, or too good to be true, but if you see a home that you absolutely love, go for it! The worst that can happen is not getting it. You will never know what a seller may approve unless you try.

Stash away everything you can to save towards your new home. Get a second job on the weekend or offer to do odd jobs for family and friends. Anything that you can save will make for an easier time getting financed, as well as, having a savings account in place to do repairs or remodeling, once you buy that house.

Have a sizable down payment. It is possible these days to put down just a little bit of money when you buy a property, but consider this: the more money you pay upfront, you will pay less over the price of the loan. Remember that there are interest rates involved, so pay more today so you don’t pay more later on.

Making sure you have enough for a down payment is essential. Without it, chances are you will not be able to purchase a home. If you do not have enough for a down payment on a home, try asking family members for help or sell items that you do not use.

Be sure to ask your realtor for a copy of the information sheet for each home that you view. This will give you a record of homes that you have seen, and a good way to remind yourself of that particular house. This will also test your agent to see how cooperative the agent is to your needs.

Make sure to assess whether the house you are interested in buying is located on a quiet street or a road that is much more busy. If the house is located on a road that has a lot of noise then that could potentially affect the property value of the house.

Do not buy the most expensive house that is located in your neighborhood if you ever expect to resell it at some point. It will be very hard for you to sell your home to anyone if they see that comparable homes in the area cost much less than yours does.

When buying a home for the first time, ask about having your mortgage payments, homeowner’s insurance premiums, and property taxes rolled into one payment and deposited into an escrow account each month. While your monthly payments will be higher, you will not have to scrounge for money to cover the insurance and tax payments when they are due.

Cash challenged buyers can also be on the market to buy a property. The way to go is a lease-to-buy or rent-to-buy agreement. In this case the rent payment, or a part of it, goes towards the down payment of the property. Due to higher monthly rent payments, this is an option only to the serious home buyer.

As stated before in the article above, the real estate market has many buyers. Becoming a buyer for home or selling purposes can be rewarding. Before becoming a buyer, remember the information from this article, as it will help you with purchasing choices and getting the best value.

Baylor University Publishes Quarterly Real Estate Research Report
Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business has published its quarterly Keller Center Research Report, an online compendium of academic articles focused on residential real estate research and summaries of scholarly journal articles and books …
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