Posts Tagged ‘Real Estate Investment’

How To Negotiate The Best Price For Your First Home

Oct 26, 2009 Real Estate

You submit an offer to buy a home only after you’ve done your research about your prospective home and if you’re already comfortable dealing with the seller. You still have to do some work after you’ve made your offer though. A seller can either accept or reject an offer. Be prepared to negotiate your way through in getting the price you want.

Understanding all of the terms of the contract and working on a contingency plan are just a few ways to make sure you really do get the best price for your dream home. Barron’s ‘Consumer’s Guide to Home Buying’ encourages all prospective homeowners to create a checklist of items they can practice well before the negotiation process takes place. Here are a few items to consider as you begin negotiating the price of your new home:

1. Knowing who are involved in the decision making process. Sellers usually employ the services of agents, lawyers, accountants and other third parties to transact with buyers. Knowing whom you’ll be dealing with beforehand will help you devise a specific method for negotiating.

2. Develop a contingency plan. It’s possible for the seller to refuse all your offers. While it is frustrating, some negotiations are never meant to produce a deal. Specify what you are willing to give for the house and don’t go beyond it just to come into an agreement. You have to look at other prospective homes if the seller wants you to pay more than you’re willing to give.

3. Read the whole contract in detail. Know what you’re getting into before you sign your name on the contract. Review the contract in detail and take note of any provisions that are not clear to you. It is best to clarify all terms in the contract with the seller than to assume the meaning of the terms yourself.

4. Develop a relationship with your realtor. Realtors have the experience to give you professional advice about your prospective home. Spend the time to develop a positive working relationship with them. Voice out your concerns to your realtor well ahead of the negotiation process to give your realtor time to help you in making an informed decision.

5. Be prepared for setbacks. Negotiations can break down between both parties at any time. It is important for you to keep your cool, as most negotiation problems are only misunderstandings caused by poor communication skills. Lastly, be prepared to get out of the deal if you feel the negotiation will lead to nowhere.

Minnesota Realtor Alexandria P. Anderson helps people to find and purchase Minnetonka Condos, real estate, and Minnetonka Townhomes in MN.

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Timing Real Estate Investment

Oct 5, 2009 Real Estate

by Allen Cymrot

Understanding the right time to buy is crucial when contemplating any type of investment, but it is also important to note that income property does not always follow the trends of other investment types.

It is important to note that in the case of acquiring income property the timing of the purchase is not as important as how the property is purchased. The method of purchase offers protection from the ups and downs of economic cycles.

As always, there are debates for and against this methodology but the reality of the situation is that there is now too much money in circulation. So how does this affect the importance of the way income property is acquired?

When evaluating the timing of income property investment, past recessions can provide insight into the current economical situation. The severity of a recession is affected by the amount of excess generated in the previous recession. A longer span of time between peaks results in more overage.

In assessing the past 20 recessions, the average number of months between peaks is 59 with the most recent lasting 81 months. The average length of time between peak and bottom is 14 months. Based on this information and fact that the current recession is in its 20th month, investing in income property at this time would be a wise decision.

As far as the stipulations of how the income property is acquired, certain aspects must be addressed to ensure the purchase is set up correctly. Unsuccessful investors fail due to poor due diligence, negative spread, excessive debt, bad financial terms, and negative cash flow.

Critical elements such as these must be addressed to ensure that an investment becomes profitable as NetGain has detailed in many past articles. One of the most beneficial aspects of the current financial climate is that of leveraging deflated currency to repay a loan acquired today. This works because interest rates are up and inflation is high.

The key is to negotiate the mortgage correctly using the following guidelines: -Interest Rate: Should always remain fixed -Term: 20 years or more -Due Date: None -Mortgage should be eligible for gradual liquidation or prorated write-off -Debt should be non-recourse -No lock-ins over one year -No pre-payment penalties over 1.5% -Eligible assumptions will be accepted

By carefully considering the details involved in acquiring income property, investors can take advantage of the economic state to capitalize on available opportunities.

About the Author:
Allen Cymrot is a veteran investor and strategy consultant for real estate investment. His investment principles and recommendations for capitalization rates can be found at http://www.netgainrealestate.com Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.

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How To Perform A Home Inspection As A First Time Homebuyer

Sep 21, 2009 Real Estate

by Alexandria P. Anderson

You want to avoid any major surprises when you’re considering a new home purchase so contracting with a professional home inspector can alleviate much of the stress and concerns about your prospective home early in the home buying process.

However, you aren’t required to conduct an official home inspection until after signing the initial contract, so it’s a good idea to learn as much as possible about the condition of the home by having an honest discussion with the seller, and even performing your own ‘mini’ inspection where you can check for basic structural defects or potential problems.

Sellers usually allow prospective buyers to check the condition of the property before any contracts are signed. This can give the buyer some bargaining advantage during negotiation since the buyer is already aware of any damages the property has acquired through time. ‘The Smart Consumer’s Guide to Home Buying’ advocates the use of checklists and taking a note of all known issues regarding the property. The book further explains that conducting an informal inspection is very beneficial to homebuyers, especially those who are considering buying a house that needs renovation.

Consider creating a checklist for a home inspection report so you can do a walk-through of the home and take notes about the appearance and overall condition of the home. Here are some essential areas to cover:

Learn about the age of the home - you’ll want to find out exactly when the home was built, what types of renovations or new construction took place on the home site, and if there are any architect or engineering plans available.

Examine the foundation of the house - Look for huge cracks or signs of water problems around the house and in the basement. Ask the seller about any flooding issues or other problems related to weather that the house experienced (or experiences) in different seasons.

Examine the interior of the house - Keep an eye for any defects and other potential sources of problems in the interior of the house. Specifically, you need to check if all walls are even with no cracks and if all doors are easily opened and closed. Take a picture of any visible crack, if possible. Check if there are any molds, foul odors and if all water drainages and faucets are working properly.

Examine the exterior of the house - Again, look for any obvious defects and potential problems. First, check if all doors and windows open and close easily. You might also want to check if they are properly insulated. Take note of the sidings and see noticeable signs of wear and tear.

Review heating and air conditioning appliances - ask about the average heating and cooling costs each month, and find out how long the systems have been in place. In some cases, you may need to invest in a new water heater or air conditioning system.

Take all the information you gathered and create a written inspection report. You may also use a digital camera or camcorder to take pictures or video clips that you can review later. Video clips and pictures will allow you to document your inspection in more detail. These visual documents may also give you additional negotiation leverage.

About the Author:
About the Author: Alexandria P. Anderson is an Eden Prairie real estate agent that helps people to find and purchase Eden Prairie homes and properties in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

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Property Investment Advice:

Sep 18, 2009 Real Estate

Everyone is well mindful of the current financial situation. Credit has been shut down, foreclosures are pouring down and people all over the place are tightening their purses. The days of nearly immediate returns in real estate via speculation, taking chances and unethical methods are over. Why then, do people continue requesting and offering property investment help? Simply put, because while the previous is quite true the current economic downturn has also provided a series of unique real estate investment opportunities.

While this is no time for undisciplined investors wanting to turn a quick buck, disciplined businessmen will find that the cost of getting a house is at its lowest point in years.

Debt and the threat of foreclosure have led homeowners to get rid of their homes for seventy percent or less than their fair market value. Investors who do their homework will come to know that this is a awesome time to purchase properties for less money and either flip them immediately to bigger investors for less but low risk profit or resell them for a larger profit after they have remodeled and renovated then.

There will forever be a market for well priced houses and there are alternatives to an immediate sale that can be just as advantageous. Leasing with the an option to purchase at the termination of the lease, for example, will generate at least enough income to pay for the mortgage and someone who is interested in a lease with an option is very likely hoping to buy the home at some point.

Yes, the economy has stagnated and everyone is|most people are| feeling the consequence. The removal of credit and the continued layoffs have made smaller the number of people purchasing houses. But for those seeking property investment advice I will only say this: unique and exclusive chances are available to those who are intelligent and controlled enough to make the most of them.

Jason Myers is a professional writer and he writes as a hobby about apply for hud housing online. He’s also interested in apartments rent low income families.

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Investing Foreclosures

Sep 15, 2009 Real Estate

This current economic stagnation has led to sources of loans disappearing and money being recalled as banks and credit unions try to lower their losses. As a result, foreclosures on homes whose payments have not been paid have risen considerably. Because the real estate market is in such bad shape and the values of homes have gotten to their lowest point in a long time,investing foreclosures gives us a unique chance to make future profits.

When a lender forecloses a property it is hardly ever seeking to make a profit, more so even during a possible recession. Consequently, foreclosed homes are auctioned off at values below, oftentimes far below, their actual value. If the property goes unsold during the auction then it passes into REO (Real Estate Owned) status as the bank repossesses it with a plan to appraise and get rid of it by itself as fast as possible.

If purchasing at a foreclosure auction already gives you considerable financial return, |buying|purchasing|investing in a group of properties wholesale from a financial institution’s REO portfolio is much less expensive. These properties, normally in a state of neglect or disrepair, can then be renovated and flipped for profit or put on the market as is to other real estate professionals looking to remodel them.

Banks are seeking, first and foremost, for a minimum guaranteed sum of money to discontinue the bloodsucking and cut their losses. Not only do they usually commence foreclosure bids at the sum that is owed ( as opposed to the cost of the property ) but they are more than happy to get rid a large group of houses under REO status for quite a bit less than the majority of them could potentially make them individually as long as the sale is guaranteed.

Investing foreclosures is a method to obtain properties for much less than they are worth and can be a source of generous income. There will always be a market for fairly priced houses and big investors are normally happy to pay for reasonable properties they see potential in.

Jason Myers is a professional writer and he writes as a hobby about prop 13 exemptions. He’s also interested in invest in real estate.

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Investing Rental Property:

Sep 13, 2009 Real Estate

House flipping has become such a common method that investing in rental property is pretty much uninteresting by comparison. The draw of the the resell is easily understood a visible investment, artistic renovations or remodeling, pushing the value up as much as possible but, the main thing, the light of the immediate profit.

A flipped house pays for itself immediately and also leaves enough of a leftover amount to make the purchase have been worth it. There are even cable shows showing it! Why then, would anyone be interested in leasing out instead of selling right away? There are a whole bunch of reasons.

First and foremost, there is no guarantee that a offer will take place immediately, especially at the center of an economic situation. While there will normally be people looking for for quality homes that are reasonably priced, more and more home seekers are looking to pay less by renting which means the market is or will be inundated with prospective tenants from the get go.

While it might be possible that a turned around house pays for itself (and then some) on the short term, it is also a fact that the right rental home will pay for itself several times over in the long run. Finally, a sold property generates a solid amount of money where on the other hand a rented property gives you a steady stream of rent over an extended period of time, giving you a kind of security that even the most lucrative of house flipping careers can’t match.

Deciding to invest in rental houses requires knowlege, money to spend and a long term commitment. An investor should know about the kinds of properties he can invest in (one family houses, homes in condominiums or multifamily housing units) their respective good things and bad things (amount of your full commitment they need, how much they generate) and not least of all the local and global real estate market (what areas are wanted right now, what is the average price of rent). Under the correct set of events and with the correct person it can make a valuable and extended source of income.

Jason Myers is a professional writer and he writes as a hobby about real estate investment. He’s also interested in real estate financing.

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Real Estate Lands Spell Risk And Profits

Sep 12, 2009 Real Estate

Many real estate gurus are against investing on raw lands. Supporting their logic they stress that this sort of investment will not give a dependable cash flow on short term basis but take years to profit if there is any to come.

The risks of embarking on real estate lands chiefly lies if the investors are confined with ownerships for a long time without resorting to developmental schemes in them. This may not cut back taxes on the bare lands and will burden the owners till they make essential amendments to build up bankable projects.

Moreover, these lands are submitted to regional rules and to convert them lucrative many initial procedures have to be consulted with the relevant authorities. The local municipalities have the final say on how to use the bare lands and it may consume some more time to clear environmental issues as well. These are the major obstacles that propel some experts to shun off from investing in raw lands.

Nevertheless, people are raring to own lands. Historical proofs suggest that owning bare land was one of the primary activities of people in the past. But today investors have other factors to gamble with, real estate land bargains, which are primarily not profited by chance.

Demographic analyses are one such major source that provides the real value of acquiring raw lands. Certain locations are expected to improve because of the growth in the adjacent areas. Population growth rate, link roads between major urban centers, isolated factories, as well as many other demographical and geographical indicators raises the appraisal of real estate lands manifolds.

Though this type of investment is involved with some risks, many investors are trusting on buying them. Nevertheless, they are always relying on demographical analyses before owning them and they lose only marginally in the long run.

Jason Myers is a professional writer and he writes as a hobby about real estate investment. He’s also interested in real estate financing.

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Real Estate Investing 101

Sep 11, 2009 Real Estate

Once you have settled your own home the thought of acquiring another might have crossed your mind. But it is something you want to think about and consider the pros and cons before making a firm decision. What is the good time to acquire and so on are some of the obvious queries that will pop up.

Possibly this might be the right time to scout what is being offered in the market with interest rates and foreclosure rates what they are now.

Next you must take into account your goals. Do you intend to rent the house or make a short term earnings? If the intention is to make a quick turn over, the suggestion would be then to flip the property. Drawing in a buyer is the next obstacle you must to hurdle.

At this point you will find yourself coming up against stiff competition with those who are in the business big players and small players and you will realize your need to educate your self in the finer points of real estate investing and selling. A practical place to start out is by going over the classifieds and sales in the various print media over a period of time. This will give you the market trend. You will be able to make an appraisal of prices that will prevent you from over pricing or under-pricing.

Find out prevailing banks offer in terms of mortgage loans, down payments and other particulars useful when negotiating prices.

Your aim is to make a profit and you must remain focused. As in any business endeavor, the standard principles of business employ. Hence a business plan is crucial together with a sound budget. Bear in mind that this is an unpredictable market and you have to be flexible for such a situation as well.

Jason Myers is a professional writer and he writes as a hobby about real estate investment. He’s also interested blogging about real estate financing.

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There Was Never A Better Time To Invest In Real Estate

Sep 10, 2009 Real Estate

The current economic crisis and the fear of an impending recession has driven the average real estate market, which was built on speculation and gambling to a virtual standstill. The credit that normally sustained it has dried up as savings associations have started to massively recall their loans and to bring foreclosures down upon those who have defaulted.

A direct side effect has been the falling of house prices to their lowest point in many years as debt weary owners desiring to get rid of their real estate before they are foreclosed are selling their houses for far below their market value. This means that the opportunity to claim investment properties is here.

There is always a market for reasonably priced good homes even in the midst of a potentially unpredictable financial climate. In addition, housing markets tend to be cyclical and prices will eventually return so their current nadir, as long as it lasts, may be the final opportunity to grab investment properties at such bargain prices. The amount of property desperately on sale at more than reasonable prices fringes on the staggering.

Investors who are knowledgeable enough in real estate, are aware of market tendencies and are willing to run the risk which can be as high or low as the investor feels ok with stand to make a killing in the middle and long term.

Whether an investor is looking to purchase a property to resell it immediately or to fix it up before selling, this is a great time. As long as the investor is disciplined, evenhanded, methodical and not seeking to make a fast and simple buck there has not been as a good of time to buy valuable houses on the cheap in quite a while. This is no time for speculators or unskilled investors who depend upon luck and smooth talk. For serious businessmen, however, the opportunities are yours for the taking.

If you’re interested in real estate investing or if you want to become a real estate investor right away be sure to visit these two websites of mine you’ll find a great deal of useful resources on them.

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Key Things to Consider When Buying Your First Home

Aug 13, 2009 Real Estate

by Alexandria P. Anderson

When you’ve made the important decision to stop renting and buy your own home, you’ll need a plan to get started on your search. While most real estate agents can advise and guide you through the home buying process, identifying exactly what you want and being clear about what you’ll settle for - and won’t settle for - will help you make the best decision for your long-term home investment.

The home buying process can be confusing to first time homebuyers simply because of the number of decisions a buyer has to make. A buyer first has to decide about the location of a home. The buyer is then confronted with other choices such as what type of home to buy, the condition of the home and the home’s amenities. It would be better to create a criteria of a perfect home to judge all homes you encounter on your search easily. Create your criteria with these questions and considerations in mind:

1. What are the amenities you are looking for? Ask yourself if you want a fireplace, swimming pool, a garden, etc. Create a basic criteria of amenities you would want in your home to narrow down your options. If a home doesn’t meet your amenities criteria, simply say no to it and move on to the next one.

2. Be specific about your location. Author Ilyce Glink of ‘100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask’ explains that location is one of the most important factors when considering different homes. You’ll need to think about where you will be located in relation to schools, places of worship, shopping venues and even your friends and family. Your final location will determine how much you may need to drive each day - and if it’s worth the extra effort.

3. How big do you want your home to be? The size of your home will largely depend on your family’s needs. If you expect your family to grow in the near future, you may want to buy a bigger space to accommodate your family for the next three to five years.

4. Do you want to buy a home that needs renovation? Are you willing to put in the time, effort and finances to renovate a home? How much are you willing to invest on repairs and modifications? Create a standard concerning renovations so you can remove certain homes from your search.

5. Do you worry about security and safety? You might prioritize safety and security if you are living alone or with your children. Determine the things that you will need in order to feel secure in your home and neighborhood. Cross-out houses that do not meet your criteria.

Being specific about your home buying criteria will help you save time in searching for your home. It will also make your stay in your new home more enjoyable because your new home would match your needs and wants.

About the Author:
Minnesota Realtor Alexandria P. Anderson helps people to find and purchase Edina houses, real estate, and Edina property in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

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