The Real Estate Sage

One being a first-time home buyer, you will come across a lot of advice to go for foreclosed properties which is truly enticing due to the huge price drops that have happened in the past years. Experts will agree that these properties are truly good buys but for a better deal, you can opt for short sales which are easier than foreclosed ones. Short sales involves you (the buyer), the homeowner and the bank from which they owe money from.

Read the rest of this entry

Foreclosed properties are all over the place with prices ranging from the lowest to more luxurious ones that cost millions. There are a lot of pitfalls in the foreclosed market for these homes may have hidden problems especially when they have been vacant for quite sometime. Some homeowners have even gone as far as doing harm to their properties and some of these perils may lie hidden from most of us. This is where a well versed home inspector would come in handy, able to detect such problems and getting you your down payment back saving you all the trouble.

Read the rest of this entry

They are normally held as public affairs where people and real estate investors go head to head against each other to purchase properties that have gone on the block, victims of foreclosures and other financial problems. Some of the land up for grabs may be government owned assets or state acquired property that have been left behind by people who have passed on without a proper will and with no known heirs. These properties are generally sold on an as is basis and should be studied/inspected before they are taken to heart for they may have hidden dangers lurking just beneath the surface.

Read the rest of this entry

Investing in security for your home is one of the ways you can lower the home insurance premiums you’re paying for. While it may seem a lot of work and hassle and expense at the onset, the long term benefits outweigh these birth pains by a mile. Besides, there’s really no price for securing not only your home and properties, but also yourself and your family, right?

One of the things you should start with in home security is to invest in a security system that includes a security lock for your doors, alarms, floodlights with motion detectors, as well as a safe for your valuables. You should also install lights near possible entry point to you home - windows included - so that robbers will be visible if ever they try to gain entry into your home. Trim any shrubbery that robbers can hide in, especially those near doors and windows.

These simple to install gadgets allow you to keep an eye out on your pool when somebody falls in without your permission. Pool alarms are simple to install and come in DIY packages that allows you to mount it onto the pool’s side alerting you when the water suddenly moves, with an internal float that detects sudden movement. If you have already gated your pool, entry alarms are also good additions to prevent accidents with growing kids.

Read the rest of this entry

The need for proper monitoring and management in the housing sector has been highlighted by the recent sub-prime market collapse that caused more to lose homes in a financially troubled economy. Predicting the end of such housing market slumps is more of an art but should be based on factual details to prevent a recurrence of such disasters.
The fact that the housing market boomed because of unsubstantiated market practices that offered more houses for people who didn’t have the collateral needed for proper coverage of their homes caused all the troubles that led to the collapse. People lost houses so fast they barely had no time to react when mortgages were unpaid and the inevitable came, foreclosure. Help was offered but not in time and the problem ballooned with the fact that jobs were lost at the same time. Our hope is that such problems could be avoided in the coming times so it does not happen again.

Image Source:img.dailymail.co.uk

If there’s almost nobody home because all your children have flown from the coop so to speak, the house suddenly seems too big for just the two of you. This is how “empty nesters” usually feel. This is the time when you think of buying and moving into something smaller so you don’t prattle around the house. Transferring from a house to a condo is a big change. If you buy a condo, it means that you own your unit and a certain portion of the common areas. It is a good idea to have your lawyer review condominium documents before buying your condo. These documents are the rules and regulations, bylaws, financial statements, master deed and master insurance policy.

Image Source: ferieninitalien.net

• Keep in touch with your clients because if you did everything right, then they will be your list of repeat business. A number of owners see their clients every year, because clients always leave with an air of contentment.
• One great way to keep in touch with your customers is by giving greeting cards or giving them a call from time to time to let them know that you still think about them .
• Never be afraid to ask your customers for their feedback about everything from customer service to the cleanliness of the rooms and decors and accessories in their rooms. In fact, some owners have come up with a feedback questionnaire to gauge their customer’s thoughts and feelings
• Have some souvenir items ready to be given to your guests when it’s time for them to go back home. This will serve as a memento of their great vacation in your house.Throw in a handwritten personal thank you note to make them feel that they are welcome to come back at any time.

Green building is one of the buzzwords in the construction industry today. With the rising costs of fuel and gas prices, and the incredible advances made in building materials derived from renewable materials, green building is not only an environmental initiative, but a smart economic move as well. In fact, as early as 2003, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has required that all new federal buildings under its authority be constructed using green building practices.
Green building means a lot of things: building with materials that incorporate sustainable resources or utilize recycled materials, low energy consumption, minimal site disturbance, water conservation, solar orientation, water and energy efficiency, and healthful indoor-air quality.
Although green building practices tend to increase up-front construction costs, they often provide long-term benefits that may offset these increases. In fact, energy efficiency improvements can provide approximately 30 percent less energy than standard homes and can save homeowners approximately $200 to $400 per year.

image source: www.ebookslife.com
You see a lot of articles and books about how to make money “real estate flipping.” Perhaps you’re heard radio or television news reports about the illegalities of flipping real estate. Maybe you’ve seen the late-night infomercials promising you easy overnight fortunes.

What’s the truth about making money flipping real estate?

First, real estate flipping isn’t illegal. Because some dishonest real estate investors conspired with deceitful mortgage brokers and property appraisers, their stories made “good news” for newscasters who love to grab attention with “Investors Scam Banks and Bilk Buyers out of Millions!” sound bites. True, some investors defraud mortgage lenders and/or desperate home buyers. Cheating investors hyped up property values, helped home buyers tell untruths on mortgage applications, and conned banks and buyers.

On the other hand, ethical real estate investors make a lot of money real estate flipping. There are many ways to make money flipping real estate:

1. You can help home sellers in foreclosure save their credit by arranging a sale of the property and never even take title. In other words, buy the property and double-escrow the property to a home buyer who wants to live in the home.

2. Find a seller under stress with a bargain property, secure a sales contract, and sell your contract for roughly $500 to $5,000 to a seasoned real estate investor without financing or taking title.