Why Move to the Poconos?
April 30, 2008
Awaken to the sounds of softly rustling trees and tranquil gurgling streams. Stroll along quiet lush wooded mountain trails. Fish, golf, camp, and explore to your heart’s content… all within minutes of your own home. Have you ever vacationed in a beautiful natural setting and dreamed of living there permanently? Now you can make that dream a reality. The Poconos invites exciting new settling options… safe communities and quality modern housing developments, sequestered in the breathtaking mountainside of Eastern Pennsylvania.
Today, the Poconos is more than a weekend getaway; it’s thriving communities of people leading active, full lives. What better place to raise a family than one that offers clean air, gorgeous landscape, friendly faces and trusted community members; plus a host of recreational activities? Weary of the metro hustle and bustle? Take the long road home to peaceful surroundings… where the only noises you’ll hear are crickets, songbirds, and your own sigh of relief.
Choose the Poconos with confidence. Find your niche among suburban and town style neighborhoods, gated communities, country acreage, and much more. Working sewage systems, newly constructed roadways, energy-efficient homes and updated school curriculum mark the modernization of the Pocono area. Plus; with easy access to shopping, local entertainment and a broad range of leisure activities, you’ll find everything you need to live well.
Home Staging Strategies
April 29, 2008
Who are you preparing your home to sell to?
You, as a home seller, have two initial choices.
1. Sell your home as a bargain to investors or bargain shoppers with limited income, or
2. Sell your home for top dollar to your target market.
To prepare your home to sell to investors and bargain shoppers, all you need to do is look for a real estate agent who does a lot of advertising of fixers and handyman specials. This agent will list your home under market value. Then sit back, watch TV, and sell your home for a rock-bottom price. Don’t be surprised when you get many offers for lower than your asking price right away.
If you want to work a little, or perhaps a lot, you can sell your home for top dollar. Explore ways to create a buyers’ dream home. Because buyers let their emotions rule their decisions, stage your home for your specific buyer profile.
To sell your home for market value quickly, remove all your personality from the home. Besides getting rid of clutter, pack your family photos, children’s artwork, trophies, and personal effects. Buyers want to envision their belongings in their new home.
Investment Concerns for Selling Your Home
April 29, 2008
Besides the emotional upheaval of uprooting from your home, your property is most likely the biggest investment you have ever made, and its sale causes financial stress as well. You must protect your investment nest egg and secure your future.
Not only do you want the highest sales price, you want to make sure you don’t pay too much in selling costs. If you feel comfortable showing your home and handling some details yourself, check out flat-fee real estate brokers who list homes on the MLS for a lower price than the usual six percent commission.
However, note that a great listing agent may be able to sell your home for more money and make sure that you don’t pay more than your fair share of closing costs.
A friend of mine just sold her home. The first offer brought to her had her paying the seller’s closing costs. Her listing agent didn’t make this clear to her. This is why you must understand what the sales contact means to you, in detail. Her second offer–the one she signed–has the buyers paying their fair share of closing costs, plus they put up a $5,000 deposit and $140,000 down. This secure offer will pay her thousands more than the first offer.
Real Estate: Choose a Realtor You Can Trust
April 28, 2008
Today’s volatile real estate market involves complex laws and fluctuating financial conditions. Maybe you’ve outgrown your first home; maybe you’re in the process of turning over your fourth. Whatever your unique set of circumstances, you want to be well-informed every step of the way. Thus, it pays to choose your real estate advisor carefully.
Your realtor should no doubt hold considerable, first-hand property investment experience. The more financial and legal knowledge he or she has, the better equipped to guide you in your home-buying and selling decisions. If you can find a realtor who is also a licensed attorney, hang onto him for life!
Did you know: home equity yields a 10-12% investment rate with every transaction. If you put 10% down on a $300,000 home, you’ll be able to sell the same residence for $600,000 in approximately 7.2 years. The more homes you buy, the higher you build your home equity– and the lower your interest rate drops. That means the more real estate you turn over in your lifetime, the greater your net return. It’s called compound growth, and it’s a win-win situation.
Fantasy Gap [fast money in real estate]
April 27, 2008
I was in the rental business for seven-years, made 1.3 million dollars the first five years, got ill, and had to get out of it slowly, but had the money to do it. I could have made five million had I stayed in another five years. But my point in is this: I watch TV, on all these quick ways to make money, and people really belief this crap. I mean, I owned seven buildings, but I worked 24/7. Ended up in court a dozen times; fought with the State over this and that. I mean, you don’t get it for nothing like these TV fantasy folks would have you belief. Just buy this and that and don’t invest, and you’ll make it. First of all you need credit. Second, if you don’t have $20,000-in the bank, if a furnace goes out, or your gas pipes go out, or whatever, who is going to pay for it? What can happen, will happen; the fantasy people forget to add that little equation into the formula.
FSBO - Selling Your Home FSBO (for sale by owner) ? Is It Worth It?
April 26, 2008
FSBO, what is it? FSBO means For Sale by Owner, and it’s a term that’s generally referred to when you’re selling your home without soliciting help from a Realtor.
FSBO, what’s the benefit to you? You’ll save thousands of dollars in commissions if you sell your home this way. However there are some headaches you’ll have to deal with and here are just a few:
- 1) Unqualified borrowers ? you may negotiate a deal in good faith just to find out the potential home buyer couldn’t obtain the financing for purchasing your home.
- 2) Sunday shoppers ? just looking on a nice day.
- 3) Insulting Offers ? someone offers you a ridiculous price trying to buy your home way under market value thinking you don’t know your homes value.
- 4) No shows and late night phone calls ? nothing more frustrating.
Do you have the time and patience for this? Is it worth saving thousands of dollars? These are a couple of questions you must ask yourself before undertaking such a task. If you don’t have the time and patience and have plenty of equity in your home then it is worth it to you to hire a realtor to list your home. An experienced realtor will have the resources to sell your home with little or no hassle to you, but as in anything else interview your prospective realtor and make sure your comfortable with him / her and the company they represent.
Why Commercial Real Estate is the Hottest Retirement Asset
April 25, 2008
For small business owners, commercial real estate investment is the hottest new retirement asset. If your mind has already jumped to "REITs" - or shares in Real Estate Investment Trusts - think again. I’m referring to the ownership of the commercial facilities small business owners currently lease, or new commercial facilities they can buy or develop.
Small business owners can thank the U.S. Small Business Administration for this rather substantial opportunity.
The SBA sponsors a specialty lending program designed to assist successful small business owners who want to acquire or develop their own facilities. The SBA did not design the program as a vehicle for creating superior retirement assets, but it doesn’t take a financial genius to connect the dots - and the business owners who have done so already are profiting enormously from their decision.
It’s called the SBA 504 program and it’s been around, though not well promoted, for nearly twenty years. If a banker failed to mention it as an alternative, don’t be too dismayed. Traditional lending institutions prefer conventional financial instruments because they offer traditional lending institutions greater profit margins. The SBA 504 program is clearly intended to benefit small business owners, not necessarily the financial community.
Rapid City Real Estate Agents
April 24, 2008
Take me Back to the Black Hills
Located in Western South Dakota, Rapid City is a thriving community with many amenities to offers its residents. This city is nestled among the beautiful Black Hills, offering endless recreational activities for the outdoor enthusiast in the Black Hills National Forest. It is home to the spectacular Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and many state parks with wildlife roaming free. It is common to see fields of buffalo and large, open grazing lands for livestock. Rapid City real estate agents can direct you to open farmlands or family housing in the suburbs; the possibilities are endless.
The weather in Rapid City, South Dakota is also a main attraction. With mild conditions year round, the temperatures rarely reach extremes. Summer months are warm and pleasant, around 70 degrees, while winters are mild with little snow.
Walnut Creek Real Estate
April 24, 2008
Looking to relocate to a Californian suburb with a low crime rate, beautiful luxury homes and the convenience of being located just minutes from Oakland and San Francisco? Look no further than Walnut Creek. This city of just over 65,000 people is staying relatively stable in population, but new luxury homes are being constructed in this northern suburb all the time, and there are countless options.
Walnut Creek real estate is not only open to those looking to purchase a home. Many vacation homes are available for those who wish to spend only part of their year in the Bay Area. Walnut Creek homes are also available in many gated communities. The best way to explore all your options in this area’s real estate is through a certified real estate agent.
Your Walnut Creek Agent
San Diego Home Evaluation
April 23, 2008
The Southern California city of San Diego has all the attractions of a big city with the tropical feel of the coast. Covering nearly 350 square miles with over 1.2 million residents, the city has much to offer in all aspects of life. These offerings extend to the real estate field, which is good news to those who are looking to buy or sell a home. The population is growing as well, meaning more people need to buy San Diego real estate. If you are looking to sell your home in this seaside city, you have endless options.
First Things First
When first considering selling your home, you will want to set up an appointment with a qualified professional to have a San Diego home evaluation done. This process will take into account various factors and give you the estimated market value of your home. The value you get from your home evaluation will help you determine what you should list as your initial asking price for your home. This can be one of the most important things you do as you sell your home for a number of reasons. Many people try to estimate their home’s value on their own and then formulate their own asking price. While this may work sometimes, it many times leads to frustration as the asking price is much higher than what should be listed due to market trends, etc. This then causes the homeowners to drastically slash their prices, causing the home to sell for much less than it should. To avoid this kind of trouble, take the time to get a home evaluation done.
