Investing in Real Estate Vehicle for Wealth Building
September 22, 2007
Real estate is one of the best vehicles of building wealth. Historically real estate has outperformed other asset classes like stocks or bonds, and is reasonably predictable and less volatile. There were times when real estate went down and there were times where it went up but on an average it has given a sizeable annualized return Development report, the price of an average single-family home has gone up from $22,300 in1968 to $206,100 in 2003, an increase of 824% in a span of 25 years
There are many ways to invest into real estate. With 100 percent financing options, low interest rates and good credit it’s fairly easy to get started. Numerous articles and books have been written about investing in real estate and success stories are a plenty.
Here, in a nutshell, are some of the most important reasons for investing in real estate.
Getting Raw Land, Not a Raw Deal!
September 21, 2007
There is more to buying raw land than meets the eye and more than a few individuals have wished they’d had a second chance upon finding themselves duped, conned, misled, ill-advised, uninformed, oversold, undereducated and often unprepared. They realize, often too late, that a raw land purchase should be properly investigated, evaluated and negotiated using a logical and rational plan.
Let me start by saying I’m not a geologist, soil analyst, surveyor, engineer or land consultant. I’m a passionate real estate investor, licensed agent, appraisal assistant and landlord who purchased various raw lots, as large as a 15-acre parcel, for investment and building projects. In addition, I have consulted with numerous individuals proficient in real estate, who have contributed to my general awareness of the conditions and merits of raw land. We, as small investors, can further use this information to our advantage in wisely choosing land and utilizing it to it’s highest and best use regarding fulfillment of our needs, wants and desires.
This chapter is not a technical sleeper and as such, it will not go so far as to tell you how much lime to add to your soil to adjust PH levels (7.0 is neutral) but it does try to get you thinking about some of the more general considerations that can lead you to further investigate your options using this material as your starting point.
Investing in Real Estate Like a Stock
September 20, 2007
A REAL ESTATE STOCK PLAN
Getting out of the bleachers and into the game!
This report is going to explain or attempt to give the stock market investors a basic one-on-one interview with a real estate portfolio manager who has consistently made a profit on 100% of the investment products that were actively chosen and managed. Never a loss, always tax advantaged and sheltered.
This report will not contain any high-tech, gobbly-gook, stock market charts, graphs, trends, analyst picks, projections, company reports or insider tips. In real estate, you personally have the power to develop and create all of those things yourself and I for the life of me could never trust other people’s second hand opinions or publicly disseminated information to get the jump on the herd.
Now if I were a company officer, or majority voting shareowner, or a paid agent of those individuals, I might think differently, for the simple fact that I am getting the jump and I can make some dinero if I know something the majority does not. Overall, people are told to build companies so they can sell it to the public through offering pieces of their company to the public in the form of stock. So I know from the very beginning that the owners of companies are selling me a piece of paper which they say is worth a certain amount of whatever value a dollar is worth at that time.
A Difference Between Appraisal, Assessment, Home Inspection
September 19, 2007
Every one should have a home inspection before purchasing any property, including new construction. You may think that’s rediculous but there are too many cases that prove otherwise. It is only a couple of hundred dollars and can save you thousands. Most importantly it makes you feel confident about the house.
Remember the horror stories you saw on the local and national news about all the new construction problems? One is leaks which leads to the dreaded word mold, a whole problem in itself. The stories go on and on. Recently a buider filled a dump and built houses on it. Needless to say, when things settle underground, they do above it. The houses were collapsing and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) found barrels of some kind of petroleum substance.
he most important thing is that you carefully select your home inspector and be there at the time he/she makes the examinination. You may not know what is supposed to happen but they should go over the property with a fine tooth comb. Every wall, shingle, window, receptacle…..is looked at and tested. The good ones go in the crawl space, attic and on the roof. When you get the report don’t be alarmed. Some things are to be expected, such as outdated electrical systems in older houses and minor settlement.
OPM - The Art of Leveraging
September 18, 2007
Equity lender, hard money lender, private investor or what ever term one uses can be a great source of funds to do real estate transactions and the question of how to find them comes up often!
There are numerous ways to do this, and no two investors are exactly alike, so it’s important to be innovative and customize your proposal to the specific “hot buttons” for each funding source.
One of the greatest advantages of real estate investing is the power of leveraging other people’s money.
When a property appreciates, it will appreciate on the value not on the original investment. Therefore, if you ‘leverage’ the property with “OPM”. You can make an investment even more valuable by having the property rented out. The monthly mortgage payment is being paid by the renter and someone else is paying for your equity growth in the property.
“Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant.” - P.T. Barnum
The best source of cash for your real estate business is other people’s money.
Perhaps one of the greatest “secrets” of the richest people in the world is summed up in those three words: Other People’s Money ? OPM for short. The majority of most successful people launched their fortunes using OPM.
Maintaining Small Town Charm In An Ever-Changing World
September 17, 2007
Virtually any state in the country has the appeal of multiple small towns. Ask almost anyone who lives in small town why they are here and they’ll tell you they enjoy the small town feeling while being close to all the conveniences of a larger city. One of the greatest joys of living in a small town is how familiar people are with one another. When you walk into a store or restaurant you are welcomed by name. As an area grows, you risk losing the "down home" charm.
On the other hand, due to the growth in many areas you will find a more diverse population. This too has appeal to many. Maintaining the magic that is small town while embracing the inevitable changes that are occurring is something everyone in your community can participate in.
One of the appeals of a small town is how longtime residents frequently make an effort to get to know the new folks who move into the area. For those who are new to the area introduce yourself to your neighbors. Whether a familiar face in your town or new to the area you can host a block party to get to know your neighbors.
How To Negotiate A Higher Price For Your House
September 17, 2007
Negotiation is where many FSBO home sellers really have problems. The wrong attitude or a slip of the tongue could cost you thousands. Here are a few pointers to keep you on the right path:
1. Show interest in selling the house. In an effort to project a sense of strength many people either take an aggressive “take it or leave it” attitude, or they appear to be overly relaxed, almost disinterested. It is better to have an open mind, stay calm, be helpful.
Carefully investigate and analyze the facts. Make an intelligent response to the buyer. Being helpful makes it easier for the buyer to relax and be more willing to see your point of view.
2. Listen carefully to what the buyer has to say. Try to learn about the buyer’s needs, wants, desires, fears, frustrations and problems that need solving. This will give you the information you need to work with the buyer and close the deal.
3. Don’t let your personal feelings get in the way of accepting a good offer. Don’t get thrown off by the little eccentricities of people. You may not like the buyer, but that doesn’t matter. A little patience on your part could make you thousands of dollars. After the sale of the house, you never have to see him again. Keep emotions and finances separate.
Real Estate Bankruptcy
September 16, 2007
Although real estate bankruptcy cases no longer dominate the bankruptcy courts’ dockets as they did in the early nineties, but they continue to be filed with great frequency in UK. At its essence, the real estate bankruptcy is a two party dispute between mortgagee and mortgagor. Real estate bankruptcy cases are typically filed after a foreclosure sale has been set. Upon learning of the bankruptcy filing, a secured creditor has a number of available options, all or some of which should be exercised, depending on the facts of the case, to maximize loan recovery.
A lender can ask the court to dismiss the bankruptcy case as a “bad faith” filing. A creditor asserting bad faith must prove the subjective bad faith of the debtor and that any reorganization by the debtor is objectively futile. For subjective bad faith, the court will examine whether the debtor invoked the protections of the Bankruptcy Code without either the intention or ability to reorganize its financial affairs. To determine objective futility, the court will examine whether there is indeed a “going concern” to preserve and whether there is any realistic chance for the debtor to reorganize. Most courts require a very strong showing to dismiss a case for bad faith at the outset of a case.
Staging Homes for Top-Dollar Sales
September 15, 2007
Wouldn’t it be nice to have Roger Hazard’s design team from “Sell This House” come visit for a weekend?
Many “redecorators” and designers offer “Staging Homes” services from $250 to $5,000. These services usually give good advice, some help with the actual work involved, and others even move in new furniture for you.
However, using Design Psychology strategies will help you make the right choices on what is necessary to stage your home for a top-dollar sale.
Residential Design Psychology encompasses your entire home setting, from the fist sighting, whether your home is a condominium, single family home, or a manufactured home. Design Psychology, based on years of research on how our environments affect our emotions, helps stage homes with the buyers’ emotions in mind. Also, this interior decorating system uses the underlying physiological response to design details– how our senses react to colors, patterns, textures, and furnishings, to entice a buyer to REALLY want your home.
Home buyers make their ultimate home selection based on their emotional reactions to the properties they visit. The way their brains interpret what they see, hear, touch, smell, and even taste causes them to feel connected to the home they choose. Buyers may think they make a choice based on economics, but even this decision is based on the way they feel because they’re getting a deal.
Should You Buy Real Estate Now
September 14, 2007
I have been seeing the market on fire for a long time and have started telling my friends, “don’t buy now”. No one can accurately determine exactly when it will happen, but it is definately on the way. The time to buy, unfortunately for the losing party, is after the crash. Housing will go down in value drastically and when this happens it has a ripple affect on other things, such as employment, consumer spending and federal obligations.
Right now the department of Federal Housing and Development is busy as bees. One reason is because President Bush was made aware of some problems in the industry, mainly with pressure being put on appraisers, by loan officers, to come in with high values and no repairs. I have personally been threatened with not getting future work. The second reason is HUD is worried. If you remember the savings and loan hearings, that is the legitimate concern again, now.
The only thing I can recommend is buying in an extremely rural location, where the supply and demand has not been established yet. That is also a good place to invest in land, which will never go down in value, provided it is problem free, environmentally and so on. Please rate and tell friends.
