The Basic Process Behind Bank Owned Foreclosure Homes

Author:Anirban
Foreclosures are something that is faced in current economic times. Thousands of homes are being listed as foreclosures and banks are willing to sell foreclosed houses at a cheaper price. If you are a first time buyer or an experienced investor, then this is the perfect time to buy bank owned foreclosure homes as an attractive investment opportunity.

So why does foreclosures occur? Well, the main reason behind foreclosures is the default on mortgages or taxes. Default means the homeowner failed to make principal and interest payments constantly. It also means that the owner is making partial payments as most lenders consider such payments to be void. Once the owner has reached a certain number of default payments, a legal notice is sent by the lending institution/ bank and then the foreclosure will proceed.

Before you plan to buy foreclosures property, it is very important to understand the process behind foreclosures. You need to learn many things involved in the foreclosure process to make sure it runs smoothly for the bank/ lender institution and you.

A foreclosure sale instigated by the banks generally takes place on the local county courthouse where the properties preside. The courts will set a date of sale. The homeowner will be given a notice in advance prior to the sale of bank owned foreclosure homes.

During a foreclosure sale, several properties are being auctioned. If you want to buy foreclosures property, you better conduct a good research about any bank owned foreclosure homes. You will not get any information about problems and repairs from the auctioneer.

Most bank owned foreclosure homes for sale are auctioned through a closed bidding system. Sealed bids are placed before the auctioneer highest bid will win the property. If you are the highest bidder then you will have to make a 10 percent down payment and rest in the form of cash or bank account check to buy foreclosures property.

There are some formalities required after winning the bid. You will have to sign and fill certain important documents and will have a month or 30 days to secure a loan for purchasing the property.

How Orlando Real Estate Agent Can Help You?

Author: Doug Lasley
You may find it tough to select one from a long list. Internet is the best place where you can get information about a number of real estate companies and services. They help in finding your house.

Orlando real estate services are really helpful. They are dedicated in solving your property purchasing problems. You can get the information related to the real estate properties from the Orlando real estate services. From the price of the properties, tax payment to the condition of the house, Orlando real estate agents provide all the details for the convenience of the customers. They have a good reputation in the world of real estate.

The professionals engaged in providing real estate Orlando services are well-qualified and experienced. They help the customers to purchase Orlando property that is free of any legal complication. Moreover, they can help you in finding a house in your favorite locality. For that you need to speak about your choice of community to the real estate agent. You can get the information of both the newly constructed properties and the resale properties from the Orlando real estate agents.

They can solve your problem easily. Most of the Orlando real estate companies give you the opportunity to submit your profile on the specification of the property you desire to purchase. The real estate agents give a lot of information on the community and the price range. The best part is that, you get all the updated information via email. You can get the details about the latest offerings. By availing the service of the real estate Orlando services, you can get the details of all kinds of properties. You can also compare the price of the properties with the help of the real estate companies of Orlando.

It is very essential to do proper research on the properties before buying them. In order to avoid any legal hassle, you must verify the authenticity and reliability of the property. Otherwise you may have to give heavy compensation. Orlando real estate agents make it easy for you to solve this problem. They offer the properties which are free of any legal complications.

You get the opportunity to check out the authenticity of the property documents. There is almost no chance of fraudulence, if you avail the service of the Orlando real estate agents. These professionals help n finding luxurious accommodations with amazing surroundings and environment. You can get the information of properties which offer various luxurious amenities, including parks, swimming pools, entertainment center, children parks and lots more. Condos are also great choice.

Top five reasons to hire a real estate agent in Orlando

Author: Doug Lasley
In the internet, a person can find multiple websites which provides complete detail of real estate dealers and the services that offers properties in Orlando. If you want to purchase real estate Orlando, then you need to take the help of the real estate agents of the region. By taking the help of the real estate dealers, you can get several advantages. The experts of real estate have suggested top five reasons for hiring real estate agents in Orlando.

Before purchasing a property, you need to make some research on the properties of the area on which you are interested. Someone who wants to purchase Orlando real estate can get the best property of their choice if they take the help of real estate dealers. The real estate dealers of the authentic real estate agencies are qualified. They know how to assist the customer to get the best property in Orlando. By taking the help of you would be able to get the best property within the shortest period of time. This will save your time and you would be able to utilize for some other purposes.

If you take the help of the real estate agents to purchase a property in Orlando then you would be able to know the properties that are litigation free. The real estate agents who are experienced in this field can provide you with the updated information of this field. When you are updated with the latest information on a property then you would be able to make better decisions.

Different types of people prefer different types of properties. Some people prefer to purchase a plot of land while the other prefers to purchase properties which were sold in the Orlando foreclosures. There are people who prefer to purchase sites from projects which are under construction. While there are other groups of people who prefer to purchase completely constructed property. The qualified real estate agents have information of all such properties and can show you the type of property that you want.

If you take the help of an Orlando real estate agent, then you would be able to get a property that is suitable within your budget. The authentic real estate agents of the region can give you the listings of the plot. They will give the listings of the plots that are suitable within your budget. You should give them your complete profile if you want to purchase the best property at your affordable price.

Five reasons to invest in Orlando commercial real estate

Author: Doug Lasley The real estate dealers in Orlando can give the listings of Orlando real estate depending on the choice of the customers. There are different types of real estate plots in Orlando. However, many people these days have preferred to purchase property in the commercial complexes than the other properties. Several reasons have raised the demand of the people for commercial complexes in Orlando. Experts have referred to the five reasons for investing in real estate Orlando.

People prefer property investment than any other kind of investments because of the high return that they can get by investing money on property. The price of the commercial Orlando property has been increasing in the present days. Someone who would want to get the best return of their money from real estate investment would prefer commercial properties in Orlando.

With the increase in the demand of the commercial properties in Orlando the plot available has reduced. The local government has decided to take care of this problem so that land is available for commercial properties. So, someone who would purchase commercial properties would be able to get high resell of it after some years.

The theme parks and the other adventure facilities have attracted a large number of people to Orlando every year. If you can purchase a commercial property in Orlando then you can put to use for different business which in turn will help you earn a large amount of money.

Many people have decided to relocate in the commercial areas of Orlando so that they can earn a decent living for themselves. As the commercial properties in Orlando have increased these days, the number of job opportunities has also increased. Therefore, someone who would like to improve his financial condition would invest on real estate Orlando.

The real estate sector has been booming in Orlando. Commercial properties have added to the demand of the real estate. Another reason for the popularity of the commercial properties in Orlando is the location of these areas. The commercial properties of Orlando are located in convenient places making it easier for the people to access them. Someone who wants to make the best use of his money would prefer to purchase a plot in Orlando.

Use an apartment finder in Dallas for maximum benefits

Author:Meenka Pandita
If you are looking for a solution through which you can choose your dream apartment, then an apartment finder in Dallas is the answer to your queries.

An apartment finder can significantly shorten the process of searching and finalizing an apartment in the city of Dallas. One of the main advantages of these realtors is that they have an extensive database of various apartments that are available for rent in the DFW metroplex area. Not only the location, but you can also gather other information regarding apartments in Dallas like their rentals, lease period, the facilities available with them etc. Moreover, these apartment locators have exclusive tie ups with property owners, thus you will find listings with them that are not available any place else.

Another advantage of availing the services of these professionals in the process of searching for your Dallas apartment is that they have a wide network of expert agents. These agents are of great help in the entire process of searching and finalizing an apartment that best suits your requirements. The agents will provide personalized services and help in resolving any query that you might have regarding the apartments.

If you are new to the real estate market, then you are probably not aware of the different types of Dallas Texas apartment that are available in the market. These agents will carefully analyze your requirements and suggest the type of apartment that best suits your needs. You can easily choose between a loft or a condominium or a pent house through the assistance provided by these agents.

You can even get a cash rebate or a free move in to your new Dallas apartment. All that you need to do is to mention the name of the apartment finder, who has helped you in finding that particular apartment, in your lease agreement. This is possible since these apartment locators get a commission from the apartment owners. In turn, they provide you with a cash rebate or a free move in through that commission. This is especially beneficial in case you are running on a tight budget.

Thus, we can see that availing of the services of a professional apartment locator in searching for a Dallas Texas apartment can entitle you to a lot of benefits, apart from reducing the complexity and hassles associated with searching on your own.

How to Avoid Foreclosure in Today Market

Author: Andrewseo
Today's market is a very danger place to deal with as the value of the property is coming down drastically with a very high increase in interest rate. The most affected people of this change are the buyers and sellers who have low financial background. In this changing market people with a low income has a fear of losing their home due to foreclosure and not in position to make his mortgage payments.

We buy house in any condition for a fair deal is the motto of the leading companies today. The following steps should be taken in account to avoid foreclosure.

He must try making saving from his daily expenses for that he must analyze his expenses and cut down which are of no need like café, movie theater, gym fees etc... must be reduced for a solution i.e. paying off the mortgage and avoiding foreclosure.

One must not ignore to answer the calls of the lender and the banker and must be in touch with them. By avoiding them you may lose your property for foreclosure. If you receive any non payment mortgage document from them you must consult immediately to a housing counselor at your bank. They may give you suggestions for a change in terms of loan accordingly to your financial position which will help you in avoiding foreclosure.

Lender will help you in solving the problem because he doesn't need the house; he needs the money what he has given you so he will try to reduce the rate of interest or the monthly mortgage or also can approach for renegotiating paying back period, of your mortgage. An expansion could allow the homeowner to make regular payments. Do not take loans or advices from the companies which you are not aware of or you do not have much information about it.

It's very noticeable that one gets attracted to borrow to come out of the current problems. One must not deal with any such companies or lender whose status is not high in the market and read the document completely before signing any documents. One must be very careful, and must do whatever thing within his authority i.e. by utilizing his own resources either by changing them to ready money or using the similar to make mortgage payments.

All the above information will definitely help you not to mislay your home by foreclosure. If you are thinking to put up for sale your home you can contact to well known companies this is again a tip to avoid foreclosure.

Bank Owned Foreclosure Homes - An Overview

Author:Anirban
Buying a bank owned foreclosure home proves to be a much profitable option for the people. The reason also lies in the low-priced rates of these homes.

Bank owned foreclosure homes include those properties which have been taken away from the individual by the banks after the individual failed to make his or her payments. The number of bank owned foreclosure homes has gone high with the inability of too many home owners to pay for their respective loans.

Advantages of buying foreclosure property:

- Guaranteed, Safe and Tension free:

Bank takes the guarantee for the foreclosed property which in itself is a declaration of the property being authentic and this is the most important aspect which people are looking for these days.

- Best option for investment:

Investors can use their money to buy foreclosure property without worrying about the profit margin as these properties are often sold for much lesser price than it market value. In fact, it is one of the best and safest ways to invest money.

- Straightforward approach:

No multiple parties are involved in the deal while buying the property. A person is required to address all their queries only to the bank only. An open auction takes place and the highest bidder takes way the property. There is minimum or no interference of brokers, agents or intermediaries in the deal.

Ways of buying foreclosure property:

Pre foreclosure

If an individual is not interested in attending the auction then they can browse through the pre-foreclosure deal. They can contact the respective bank or the owner of the home directly and buy the property from them (by making a smart deal) and avoid auctions. By doing so, usually people buy a property for a much lesser price in comparison to the price in auctions.

Auctions:

This is one of the simplest and the best ways to know about the foreclosed property. If a person has an eye on some property then firstly they should attend the auctions and bid wisely to avail the property.

While all the means are existent with the promise of a better benefits in the future, the buyer of a bank foreclosed property needs to be a little judicious in deciding upon a deal only after a thorough screening of the property available.

Finding Your Dream Home- Step Two: Working Efficiently with Your Buyer’s Agent

Author: Spencer Mason
From your interview process you have made it clear that you are looking for an agent who will take your calls and be prompt about returning messages. This is a two way street. There is no measure I can give to articulate how much of a difference it makes for a Realtor to know what his buyer is thinking.

Prequalifying
This is one of the most important and time saving steps in the entire process. Here is a hypothetical example of why: I had a client named Jane. Jane and I met to discuss her search criteria and one of the questions that I asked her when setting up her search is, “what is your price range.” Jane told me that $250,000 was her max. I set her up on an automated search, we identified some homes that she was interested in and went out looking at them. It took a few weeks, but eventually Jane and I found her Dream Home and we put in an offer. The listing agent asked me for a prequalification letter and I asked Jane if she had spoken to a lender yet. She told me no, but soon went into her bank to get prequalified. Shortly after that I received a phone call from a very distraught Jane who informed me that she only qualified for a $150,000 loan. Let me stop the example here and explain what you have most likely figured out by now. First, Jane could not afford her Dream Home.
Second as her agent, I should have covered this up front and have now wasted a month of my time, but most importantly, I’ve wasted a month of her time. To make matters worse, after adjusting her search and looking at properties $100,000 less, what do you think Jane’s reactions to those properties will be? You guessed it, none of them compare to her Dream Home in a much higher price range; all this because a simple step was missed in the beginning. Thankfully this scenario is made up but it could be very real. This situation can work in reverse as well. Jane could have been looking at $150,000 homes because it sounded like a good number. When going out to look she was not impressed with any of the listings she saw and soon becomes discouraged. After months of searching, someone mentions to Jane that she should get prequalified for a loan just to see if she could squeeze a little bit more into her perceived budget. The loan officer tells her she could comfortably afford a $350,000 home! The bad part is Jane has wasted months of time which is something this simple step could have helped avoid. Hopefully these examples hit home.

Finding a Loan Officer
Prequalifying is free and your agent should have a few referrals of loan officers that they have worked well with in the past. If you do not already have a loan officer that you are working with, I highly recommend using one of your agent’s referrals. The reason is because your agent does this for a living and the loan officers that she or he recommends most likely people that they have found through, no doubt, countless bad experiences with loan officers that did not get the job done in a satisfactory way.

Just like a good buyer’s agent it is very important to find a loan officer that understands the time sensitive nature of Real Estate and can deliver on that requirement. By choosing a loan officer randomly you are taking a shot in the dark that this person, who will be integral part in the largest purchase of your life, is in fact someone who will be prompt and accurate. Your agent recognizes the importance of a loan officer that meets these criteria and should have a few people for you to choose from.

Finding Listings
It is now time to take some steps to get yourself on the right path to streamline the process of finding your Dream Home. According to studies a vast majority of home buyers use the internet to do searching, contact an agent and many other tasks related to the process. No doubt you have visited one or more sites that give access to home listings. Many if not all of the reputable sites draw their information from a centralized, agent-only database called the Multiple Listing Service or MLS. These sites are great for start but once you have begun working with an agent they should not be used any more unless it is for quick reference and here is why: These sites have “cached” information. What this means is that these sites draw all of their information from the MLS and then save it on a computer that allows the company that provides that information to re-format it and re-present it to users often in a pretty more visually stimulating way than the true MLS listings. One problem with cached websites is that they are not updated often enough to keep the status of properties accurate.

Real Estate is a very time sensitive affair and as such it is paramount that you are working with information that is updated in real time. The only way to do this is to have direct access to the MLS. As a licensed Realtor your agent will have access to this system and more importantly can provide you with access to this system. By now your agent should have asked you a series of questions related to your needs. These will include but are not limited to: Price range, the area you wish to find a home, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and more specific things like parking etc. With that information your agent will set you up with one or more automated searches on the MLS that will initially send you every available listing that meets your needs and then daily (or at an interval you desire) will send you any new listings that pop into the system that meet your needs. These searches will email you automatically and provide you with the ability to log into a customized website that will allow you to view all available listings in real time. This will help you avoid falling in love with a listing that has been sold for a week or a year, as can happen with cached sites. When you log into this system you will be given the ability to view a listing sheet very similar to what your agent sees. If a property that was previously above your price range experiences a price drop and is now in your range you will be notified of it the next time your search runs. This is why I recommend daily updates to all of my clients. By the same token if a property you were considering goes under contract it will be immediately removed from your search results. Each MLS is a little different so these examples will be for the one I use here in the Chicago market. When you log on to view the listings that your agent has sent you will not only be presented with the information about the listings, you will also be given the option to mark them “interested,” “maybe,” or “not interested.” There is also a “notes” section for each property. These are VERY important to your agent’s ability to zero in on your needs. You should mark “interested,” etc. for every property and the more notes you leave about what you like or dislike about a property the better your agent will become at formulating an understanding of your true Dream Home.

Ideally you should be sent no more than 100 or so listings. If you are sent more than this I would recommend adding more criteria to narrow your search. For example: If you are looking for a condo and originally laundry in-unit was a “plus” but not a “must” for your search you may want to consider changing that to a “must” if your search comes back with too many listings. With the addition of more criteria to your search this will help sort out the properties that may have less appeal when you go to resell down the road. Other value-added things to look for are: Garage parking, a master bathroom in the master bedroom, etc. Talk to your agent to find out which additional criteria make sense for your situation if your search is coming back with too many listings.

Viewing Possible Dream Homes
This is one of the most fun steps for many of my clients and for me as an agent as well. I recommend viewing no more than five or six listings at a time. At this point you should have narrowed your search results down to a top ten or fifteen so you will be able to see them all in a few trips out. Often times it can be difficult to keep things straight so here are some pointers I have developed that have great success for my clients:

1.Your agent should provide you with a listing sheet for each property you look at. Organize these listing sheets in the order that you view the homes.

2. Take lots of notes. Do not depend on photos because if you are viewing occupied homes the current residents may not be comfortable with you taking pictures of their belongings (and in come states I believe this could be a liability should that home be robbed etc.).

3. Establish a clear winner for each day out. In other words, when you find a home that you really like a lot make that home your Top Choice of the Day. From then on, you only have to keep two properties in mind, your “Top Choice of the Day” and the one you are currently viewing.

If the one you are viewing is not as good as your Top Choice then forget about it and move on to the next one. If the one you are viewing is much nicer than your Top Choice, make it your new top choice and forget about the other one. It is okay to have a Top Choice and a runner-up for the day, but try hard to really decide which one or two homes out of each tour is the best. Do this each time you go out until you have viewed all of the potential candidates. After that, you should ask your agent to do what I refer to as, a Greatest Hits Tour. This is a day that you go out and look at all of the top choices from previous tours and view them for a second time, back-to-back. From there you may need to come back a third time for the top choice or two and then, it’s time to make an offer!

Finding Your Dream Home- Step Three: Making an Offer

Author: Spencer Mason
There are a few different kinds: Traditional; Sales which are the most common where the seller is not in any financial trouble, Foreclosure; where a bank has repossessed a home and is now trying to sell it at a reduced rate, and Short Sale; where an owner has contacted their bank and has begun a process of selling their home short of what they owe.

Making an Offer On a Conventional Property (In Illinois)
Our first advice to you is: do not fall in love with your Dream Home. This may seem weird but here’s why: If you are not able to walk away from this home your agent loses all of their power to negotiate. If you have a couple top choices it affords you a much greater leverage during the negotiation process.

Also – now is the time to contact your real estate attorney. Notice we did not say “attorney” we said “real estate attorney.” If your uncle or family friend is an attorney but does not have experience in such things, we recommend asking them for a referral of someone they know rather than using them. Real estate is a time sensitive affair and you need someone with experience who understands this or you could jeopardize your offer and worse yet, your earnest money.

Your agent should provide you with recently sold comparable units either in the building or area of the subject home you are interested in. using these comparables your agent will then help you determine an appropriate offering price. The next step is for your agent to prepare the paperwork and then walk you through the contract line by line. You should feel comfortable every step of the way. By this time you should already be pre-approved and have a letter from your lending institution stating as much. I recommend having them type you one that is property specific without a dollar amount on it. In other words: Jane Doe is approved for 123 Fake Street Unit 101. This way you are not showing all of your cards (your final approval amount) to the listing agent. This isn’t a must, just another advantage for your agent. Next you will need a copy of your earnest money check. For a conventional loan this can be a personal check or any type of certified funds such as a cashier’s check. Talk with your agent about what an appropriate amount of earnest money is based on the value of the home you are bidding on. This amount can often tell a buyer how serious you are. Remember that just like everything else on the contract, this is negotiable and you may receive a counter on it! The next step after signing the contract is for your agent to submit it to the listing agent. You should receive an answer with in a day or so (deadline is stated on the offer). Given that your agent is on the ball they will most likely be phoning the listing agent by the following day if they haven’t had a response. The beautiful thing about Illinois (and many other states) is that the rest of the negotiations is verbal until the terms are agreed upon. Meaning you do not need to keep re-submitting your offer back and forth in writing. Once your agent submits an offer they can call the listing agent, get their counter and then run the number by you all by phone. Once there is a meeting of the minds one more written contract typically an edited copy of the first page will suffice. Once the contract is signed by both parties it is known as an “executed” contract. At this point your agent has 24 hours to get the initial earnest money to the listing agent. Make sure your attorney gets a copy of the contract asap.

Making an Offer On a Foreclosure Property (In Illinois)
Foreclosures and Short Sales (distressed properties) are a bit trickier and we will discuss them one at a time. Assuming you have narrowed your foreclosures down to your Top One or Two, it is time to act! Typically the banks price these properties to sell and they can go quickly. In fact, the goal of many of these brokers is to list the property so cheap that they encourage a multi-offer situation. This is similar to a silent auction in the way that others will be bidding on the same property but you don’t know what they’re bidding. The difference will be that once they have decided to stop taking bids they will send around a call for “best and final offer.” This will give everyone who bid another chance to up their bid to make sure they come out victorious. This step can be tricky for you and your agent because you may be the highest offer already. In essence you could be bidding against yourself. What you and your agent have to decide is, whether your bid was good enough to begin with. It is common to bid higher than listing price and still be out-bid! There is no clear-cut advice that can be honestly given to navigate a “win” in this situation. With a qualified agent working with you giving you all of the comparable properties that have been listed and sold – go with your gut. If you’re not comfortable bidding more, don’t. Ask your agent to call the brokerage after the best and final bids have all gone through and ask them to let you know if you are not the top bidder because, if not you’d like to move on. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it does not, but it’s worth a try and can save you some waiting time. The final step here is, wait. Sometimes this can be a week sometimes a month or more. One silver lining to that cloud is that it is not in a banks best interest to hold on to this property and they want to sell it as much as you want to buy it.

Making an Offer on a Short Sale Property (In Illinois)
If you need to close on a deadline, do not pursue a short sale! Despite its name a “short sale” is the longest purchase you could endeavor for. If you are thinking about buying a foreclosure or short sale, make sure you have an agent that has references for successful completion of these. There is no end to the financial and time waste that can be associated with this type of purchase. When a person gets into financial trouble for whatever reason and realizes that they can no longer afford their mortgage one option they have before being foreclosed upon is to contact their bank and ask them if they may sell their home short of what they owe in hopes that they will not have to foreclose. This is attractive to the banks because often times they will get more for a home in short sale than they would in foreclosure, plus the seller is doing most of the work. The problem is that many agents, on both sides of the transaction, are under-educated about these. Often times the seller and the listing agent have no idea about what the bank will accept for this place so when they list the property on line it is a shot-in-the-dark at what they feel the bank would be willing to take mixed with how much of a loss the seller is prepared to absorb. Many times even if a buyer makes an offer for a place that is over what the asking price was this can still be declined by a bank, only it’s not that simple. If a bank gets an offer from a buyer that is below what they are willing to take they will not simply say, “no” or counter your offer. They will sit on your offer for one, two, three months to a year (no joke) waiting for a better offer to come in. When it gets to a point that they do not feel another better offer is coming, assuming you haven’t pulled out by then, they will counter your offer and the negotiation process will begin. Also, since many times short sales and foreclosures are not in the best condition, you had better have a strong down payment and good credit because your lender’s appraiser will be very picky about whether or not they will approve you for a loan on this type of property.

Bonus step: The Cover Letter
This is for any one of the three types of properties listed above. Something we have found to be useful in a multi-offer situation is a Cover Letter. A cover letter explaining your situation could make all the difference when a seller is looking at a bunch of offers that are all similarly priced. An example that has worked for one of our agents was a newly wed couple that put an offer in for a home that was right by where their mother lived and where they grew up. They now want to return to their home town and be close to relatives because they’re going to be adding a little one to the family and would love to be close to grandma etc. You get the picture. Some sellers want to know that their home is going to be handed over to someone who will really appreciate it. The cover letter, even if your story is not as engrossing as this example will show that you are serious enough about this home that you took the time to go the extra mile. Just like a good earnest money offer, sellers want to know that the prospective buyer is invested in buying this property and won’t back out on them and waste their time.

Chicago’s Top 5 Places to Live for Convenient Biking

Author: Spencer Mason
Lincoln Park
Paved paths crisscross the expansive namesake park, providing easy access to the site’s many attractions (such as the Lincoln Park Zoo, Conservatory and History Museum), and underground passes and a skywalk with ramps to North Avenue Beach make crossing busy Lake Shore Drive carefree. The bike trail along the edge of Lake Michigan has become a main artery for city cyclists heading south to downtown and beyond or north to Lakeview and other north side neighborhoods. Actually, the path is part of a continuous 18-mile-long lakefront bike trail that hugs the shoreline from the South Shore Cultural Center up to East Rogers Park.

The bike lanes in Lincoln Park are especially useful in areas like DePaul University where many students ride bikes around campus; Armitage Avenue, which is a popular boutique shopping district that is easier to walk or bike to than drive; and the Clybourn Corridor where a bunch of big box stores and chain retail options make for a parking shortage that bikers do not have to deal with. Lincoln Park residents who work in downtown have a quick commute to the business district in the Loop. Bikers can shoot down Wells Street and be in the midst of City Hall, Chicago Board of Trade, Sears Tower and other major office buildings in less than 10 minutes.

The Loop
Living in the Loop, you are already in the heart of Chicago and close to many of the city’s main attractions and its thriving business center. That’s exactly why a good number of Loop residents ride bikes around the neighborhood: everything is nearby and it sure beats sitting in traffic or waiting for the “L” train to come by. The inner blocks of the Loop are fairly congested with cars, taxis, buses and pedestrians, so cyclists should be cautious when riding through these hectic downtown streets (wearing a helmet and reflective gear is always recommended). Just west of the Chicago River, Canal and Clinton streets have bike lanes, which make for quick and safe north-south routes that pass by both Union Station and Ogilvie Center (Chicago’s main transportation hubs). Ride east pass Michigan Avenue and you’ll be in the sprawling park grounds of Millennium and Grant parks, which offer several outlets to the extensive lakefront bike trail—a wildly popular means for travel by city cyclists.

Once on the lakefront trail, bikers enjoy well-maintained, paved paths with mile markers and lane designations for orderly riding and directional assistance. From the Loop, bicyclists can head down the trail 5 minutes to the Museum Campus to spend a day at the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium or Adler Planetarium, or see the Chicago Bears play at Solider Field. And, instead of paying through the nose for parking, bikers can lock up their bikes outside for free!

Lakeview
Bike riding is such a common form of transportation in Lakeview that you’re bound to see bicyclists coasting down the streets even during winter! The strong cycling interest in this north side Chicago neighborhood has prompted the establishment of bike lanes and shared lanes on several of Lakeview’s major thoroughfares. Halsted Street, which divides East Lakeview and Lakeview proper, has handy bike lanes that provide a north-south travel route right by loads of dining options, trendy night clubs and comfy neighborhood watering holes. During the summer, Cubs games are always cause for bottlenecks around Wrigley Field, but bikers never get caught up in the traffic jams. Those swift two-wheelers can fly right by the line of cars backed up at lights and diverted by barriers set up for the crush of fans flooding the ballpark grounds.

Chicago’s well-traveled 18-mile lakefront bike trail makes a tour through Lakeview East with easy access from the neighborhood streets to the path via three Lake Shore Drive underpasses at Barry, Roscoe and Waveland. Bike riders can take the vehicle-free trail north a few minutes to the Sydney Marovitz Golf Course and Montrose Harbor and Beach, or south past the Belmont Harbor Dog Beach to Lincoln Park and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. And, Lakeview residents who work in downtown might just find this picturesque trail to be the fastest way down to the Loop (roughly a 20-minute ride). Try to beat that time in a car during rush hour!

South Loop
The South Loop is a budding Chicago neighborhood that has the right idea when it comes to “bikeability.” As one of the lucky communities with public parkland along Lake Michigan, the city’s extensive lakefront bike trail runs right through the South Loop, connecting it with 18 continuous miles of scenic shoreline cycling. On the north end of the neighborhood, bikers can hop on the path from Grant Park. Cruise by Buckingham Fountain and watch the impressive water jets shoot 50 feet in the air then take the paved trail south through the Museum Campus and right past Burnham Harbor. Further down, bikers can easily cross Lake Shore Drive at the overpass/ underpass at 18th Street and another elevated skyway at the massive McCormick Place convention center on Cermak Road.

Students at Roosevelt University and Columbia College (both located on Michigan Avenue in the South Loop) appreciate the convenient bike routes through the park and the designated bike lanes along the neighborhood’s high-traffic streets. Wabash is useful for north-south travel and Roosevelt provides bikers with a safe east-west avenue to cross the Chicago River. Just west of the waterway, Roosevelt meets up with Canal Street, which also has bike lanes and allows cyclists to head up to the business district in the Loop from a less-congested west side approach.

Bucktown
Unlike Chicago’s other top neighborhoods for biking, Bucktown is inland from the water and does not share in the popular lakefront bike trail that runs practically the entire length of the city shoreline. Nevertheless, this ultra-trendy community shows a fondness for cycling that has spurred neighborhood-wide measures to provide safe and convenient bike routes within the Bucktown borders. Streets with designated bike lanes are concentrated in the center of Bucktown, where most of the area’s business and entertainment are focused. Damen is a north-south running thoroughfare that bisects the neighborhood and intersects all the other main avenues in Bucktown with bike lanes or shared lanes. From Damen, riders can pick up Armitage to the west or Cortland to the east, which crosses the Chicago River and hooks back up with Armitage in Lincoln Park and takes bicyclists directly to the waterfront (about a 10-minute trip from the heart of Bucktown).

Slicing diagonally through Bucktown is Milwaukee Avenue, another heavily-traveled Chicago road that passes through numerous neighborhoods and is the site of countless shops, restaurants, bars and other businesses. Up in Bucktown, Milwaukee has shared lanes (marked by chevron and bike symbols on the pavement and yellow diamond warning signs). At Division, the shared lanes change to bike lanes (indicated by solid stripes on the pavement and signage alerting motorists to its existence), which continue to Grand Avenue where Milwaukee dead-ends in the River West neighborhood. Because Milwaukee angles straight towards the Loop, it provides a great way to transverse downtown from the near northwest side community of Bucktown.

Various amenities available along with rented Dallas apartments

Author:Meenka Pandita
In Dallas, you will be spoilt for choices when it comes to selecting a Dallas TX apartment on rent. You can easily find condos, townhouses, duplexes or lofts that are available at different Apartment rentals Dallas and along with numerous amenities that you can choose according to your needs and requirements.

One of the first things that you will have to decide upon is the number of rooms that you want in your Dallas apartments. This step is important since the rentals would depend on the number of rooms that your apartment has.

The next step is to decide on the different amenities that you require in your Dallas TX apartment. You can find furnished as well as unfurnished apartments, apartments with air conditioning or heating, different styles of floorings, a fire place, a yard or a balcony, etc along with your rented apartment. These amenities are optional on your part and you can decide to go in for them while keeping your budget in consideration.

If you are a pet owner, or want to adopt a pet in your Dallas apartments then it is imperative for you to choose an apartment that has a separate provision for pets. This point will have to be cleared beforehand with the apartment owner; a written permission will have to be taken, and a small fee will have to be paid, before you can bring your pet to your apartment.

Other amenities like a parking space, garage, pool, wheelchair access, etc are also available with most Dallas TX apartments. It is necessary that you decide beforehand about all your requirements and shortlist an apartment that best suits to all your needs.

In most cases it gets quite cumbersome and tiring to visit different Dallas apartments and check for the amenities available with that apartment. It is here that the role of an apartment locator gains importance. These apartment locators have a wide spread network of agents, who collect comprehensive information regarding the different apartments on sale in the Dallas TX area. The information collected by them is uploaded on the websites of these realtors. This makes it convenient for you get an exact idea of the apartment rentals Dallas, along with the various amenities provided with those apartments.

Thus, we can see that it is quite convenient for an individual, who is looking to relocate to Dallas, to find an apartment that fits into his/her budget and also provides the necessary facilities to make their life more comfortable.

Understanding your emotions a part of Real estate investment strategy

Author:Jeff Adams
As you approach the prospects of buying your next home or investment property or selling either, for that matter, keep in mind that you're about to go through a Grand Canyon of emotional ups and downs. It is said that while buying properties, people gain emotional rewards but they subsequently justify their purchase with logical reasons. Market men say that the buy/sell advertisements must trigger emotions that will persuade the prospects to impulsively act. The single largest reason why people buy homes is in response to their emotions. A study on emotions and their effects on the buying process conducted by University of Florida stated "Americans More Likely to Let Their Emotions Do the Buying" and "emotions were nearly twice as important as knowledge in buying decisions."

It is interesting to note that several sales training institutes even has a course entitled: "Emotional Response Marketing - The Key to Producing Results." Quite often a buyer buys properties because he liked the property appealed to his ego, sense of pride, or even a feeling on envy that he should have more than the John next door. People never buy a house in a spirit of emotionless stoicism although they later hypocritically justify the decision as being logical. If we all purchased homes only based on logic, then we would be living in the most basic property that met our basic needs. But it is never the case. Honestly speaking, part of the real estate frenzy of the last several years was driven by emotions.

However, there is no denying that it was the emotional approach that instant riches would follow that got more people into real estate than the fact that it was a good investor websites this business of real estate investing is clear that letting your emotions unduly interfere with your decision may prove disastrous. Instead, you need to have a powerful mindset to grow and succeed. The biggest enemy to your real investment gains is not the market but you and your mental make-up. Your biggest enemy is of your emotion. You must also have the right mindset if you want to belong to the group of real estate investors who actually succeed.

Some of the most common mistakes people impulsively make in their real estate buying/selling decisions are - buying for the sake of owning a property, even if it's not the best one to buy, buying because it is cheap, without even analyzing why it is selling at that price, opting for the second best, simply because they cannot afford anything better instead of looking in another location, to find a better property, needlessly improving a property on the wrong location where the spending cannot be recovered.

With so many resources available, you can get confused on which direction to take your real estate investments. The world of real estate is like a jungle, where only the fittest will survive. A real estate transaction is often a very emotional experience for a lot of people, especially for first-time buyers. If you do not manage your emotions well, you can end up committing serious mistake. Recognize that our emotion in real estate investment has no monetary value and, as a matter of fact, misplaced emotions can even lead to serious losses. The one guiding principle for successful real estate investment is emotionless; be objective.

Estimate the Value of Your Gold before Selling

Author: Anirban
With the price of gold at a peak, it is a good time to sell gold. Every family has bits and pieces of gold lying around, single earrings, a gold ornament you never liked, broken necklaces you don’t know what to do with, jewelry pieces without hallmark, a ring without its original stone or something most unfashionable!

The gold trader will buy the items mentioned as well as pendants and lockets, broaches and pins, watches and even a single cufflink, dental gold, pre 1946 English silver coins and all varieties of trophies and tableware, hipflasks and cigarette cases besides gold coins, ingots and diamonds. Generally the gold trader will not accept gold dust or gold leaf.

So how do you sell gold ? Get an estimate first. On the web site you have a ready estimator. Weigh your gold in grams using a balance. You must remember that your kitchen balance is generally very unreliable and you will get an approximate weight, which you key in. Next you key in the carat value of gold that you have. Generally your options will be 9, 14, 18 or 22 carats. If your jewelry has a hallmark or a receipt there will be no problem. The estimator will give you the price of your gold for that day till 5 PM.

Next you give your personal details online. You will receive an insured gold pack and a special delivery postal envelope. You need to put down all the details of the valuable articles and seal the pack. Put the gold pack in the envelope and post it. The contents are insured up to a certain value. If your pack’s value is greater you have to pay a small amount, which is refundable. The gold trader will evaluate your valuables under CCTV surveillance and quote a figure. If you accept the quote you get payment in cash or by bank transfer.

Tips for a superior home selling deal

Author: Andrewseo
If you ever want to sell your home the best, the foremost and finest way would be by hiring a listing agent which will be very helpful for selling a home. Selling home to a person who resides in the same city is easier when compared with a person who resides in some other state or country. To choose for the best listing agent you must interview them. You must at least approach to 2 or 3 you better understand which one is perfect for you.

The next step which is important for selling a home is to clean it and make all the necessary repairs and improving hold back demand. So that the buyer may get attract to it and you may get a nice deal out of it. Look after your privacy while your home is on sale in the market. If you at all have pets in your house before selling it locate a new place for them to live.

The next part is to fix up an amount for sale it must always be fixed up in such a way that buyers feels it worth paying it must not be overpriced. Before fixing up a price you must do an analysis on the market situations so that it makes easier to price up your house based on the previous deals fixed up.

The next important part of home selling is marketing. Make an online promotion with attractive pictures of your home so that people from other country you are searching for a home in your town can get information when they browse on the web.

The next important thing in house selling is to sell your home in spring season than in a winter season. Do not sell it in a holiday period as there is a chance of getting sold in lower prices. You will get many visitors to have a look at your house if you permit the agent to use the lockbox. After visitors have a look at your home asks them for suggestions and feed back so that you can adjust your terms and marketing campaign.

The other important key terms which should be focused are negotiation on purchase offers, open escrow, properly plan up the appraiser’s appointment; you must allow the buyer for the home inspection before that collect all the seller needed inspections. Make negotiations asked for repairs, ask the purchaser to release contingencies if he fails or do not agree to it you can cancel the deal at any moment and many other things.

Top five reasons to hire a real estate agent in Orlando

Author: Doug Lasley
In the internet, a person can find multiple websites which provides complete detail of real estate dealers and the services that offers properties in Orlando. If you want to purchase real estate Orlando, then you need to take the help of the real estate agents of the region. By taking the help of the real estate dealers, you can get several advantages. The experts of real estate have suggested top five reasons for hiring real estate agents in Orlando.

Before purchasing a property, you need to make some research on the properties of the area on which you are interested. Someone who wants to purchase Orlando real estate can get the best property of their choice if they take the help of real estate dealers. The real estate dealers of the authentic real estate agencies are qualified. They know how to assist the customer to get the best property in Orlando. By taking the help of you would be able to get the best property within the shortest period of time. This will save your time and you would be able to utilize for some other purposes.

If you take the help of the real estate agents to purchase a property in Orlando then you would be able to know the properties that are litigation free. The real estate agents who are experienced in this field can provide you with the updated information of this field. When you are updated with the latest information on a property then you would be able to make better decisions.

Different types of people prefer different types of properties. Some people prefer to purchase a plot of land while the other prefers to purchase properties which were sold in the Orlando foreclosures. There are people who prefer to purchase sites from projects which are under construction. While there are other groups of people who prefer to purchase completely constructed property. The qualified real estate agents have information of all such properties and can show you the type of property that you want.

If you take the help of an Orlando real estate agent, then you would be able to get a property that is suitable within your budget. The authentic real estate agents of the region can give you the listings of the plot. They will give the listings of the plots that are suitable within your budget. You should give them your complete profile if you want to purchase the best property at your affordable price.

How about investing in real estate niche market?

Author: Sharon Samraj
We are aware that the residential real estate market for investors has immense competition, number of real estate seminars will urge you to search for desperate home owners. After the stock market crash, the real estate market is witnessing boom and we need to understand the fact that boom indicates greater competition. Hence we need to explore a new opportunity that has less competition like the niche market investments. This market is already setting new trends in the commercial real estate investments.

Now something in detail has to be explained about the niche market, it’s nothing but commercial real estate. You can find several niche market investment opportunities within the commercial real estate. You can question the fact of why there is less competition in the niche real estate market; this is because the real estate investors need to qualify themselves for commercial financing. Most of the investors are made to believe that they require a 20% down payment to initiate the process, but this is not completely true. Consider for instance you need to finance a property worth $2.5 million dollars and 20% on it will be $500000 further you need to add the legal fees and the closing costs. We know that there are few investors who can meet these requirements. But you need to be aware of the source from where the finance has to be arranged, visiting a commercial bank is a wrong choice because of its feature of structured nature of offering finance, lack of flexibility and these banks are also regulated by the federal government for underwriting confirmed loans. We need to remember that in most of the cases the loans require 20% down payment, you can derive the benefit of using private or hard money lenders only when there is no other alternative. Financing is a major concern for the real estate investors but there are very few people who understand from where the finance has to be arranged and how. All real estate investors prefer shopping for properties and then arranging for finance but it is important to remember that finance is vital and shop for finance first so that you can easily place the order for the commercial real estate property you are intending to buy. First tracking finance will help you save and make more money over time in the real estate commercial properties.

Some of the benefits of purchasing commercial real estate by the real estate investors are as follows: The commercial real estate aims at making money for the investors, consider there is a 7% cap rate on the $5,000,000 sample property, there would be an annual cash flow of $350,000 now isn’t this great. Further with commercial real estate you can totally eliminate the rehabbing process. There is no need to pay penalties to lenders for the mere reason of not being in owner occupied properties. You can easily qualify to purchase these properties by using commercial tenant’s credit rating and the long term rental leases.

No risks while investing in a Bank Foreclosed Property

Author: Anirban
These properties are absolutely risk free because of the fact that the bank foreclosure home has already been possessed by the bank, all tenants or owners have been evicted from the property and any liens on deed have also been cleared.

Apart from that, there are no complications while buying a bank foreclosed property. This is because of the fact that all the legal documents of the property have been properly examined by a lot of people and therefore there is no risk of any kind of fraud or deception. The process of foreclosure is quite simple and you do not need to worry about any hidden clauses or requirements. Your money is also not at any kind of risk as the sale of a bank foreclosed property is done through an auction in which you have to pay what you have bid for and if you cannot afford to purchase the property, you can quietly stop bidding.
It is also safe to buy a bank foreclosure home because foreclosure properties are usually in good physical condition. This is because a family lived in it a few months ago and that is why it has been well maintained. Therefore, you can shift into the home just after purchasing it, without the need to make any repairs or renovations in it. If you purchase a home from any other source then you will definitely need to wait for a few days so that work can be done in it to get it ready to reside in.

You do not even need to wait for the legal documents to be prepared for the bank foreclosure home. This is because the documents are already prepared at the time of auction and the only thing remains is to fill in your name and other details in the blank spaces.

With all these benefits of purchasing bank foreclosed properties, you will definitely be proud of yourself to make the decision of purchasing such a viable property, and that too without any risks involved.

Importance of knowing the trend of the local real estate market

Author: Sharon Samraj
Incase you know the real estate market it is important to remember the fact that you will be able to know the pulse of the local community and you can easily stay abreast of the changes in the trends, sales prices and the rental rates. Having insight knowledge of these changes is very critical for the investing future and this article will provide you with an overview about how these areas will affect your future:

Trends: The National Media outlets are always involved in the activity of revealing the leaps and bounds of the real estate, but it is important to consider that even in the state of the depressed real estate market, you can easily find many of the isolated pockets and neighborhoods property values that are increasing. Incase you are really not aware about trends in the local real estate market then you are just committing the non sense act of estimating the value of the property in the wider market. When you are in the process of negotiating with the homeowner’s then it is important that you know what the worth of the property is. Otherwise you will always be burdened with the risk of either paying too much for the property or too little for the property which could either offend the property owner or in the other case you will feel the pain of the kick.

Another reason that you should know about your local real estate market is for the reason that there are certain areas within a community that have better investment avenues than the others. Incase you are investing your hard earned money in an area that is declining then it is important to note the fact that either the property values would be falling and either some or the entire amount of your investment would be at risk. Just by having an eye on the local trends in the market, you can always benefit by the taking the advantage of the opportunities and the ride the wave of your property appreciation valuation, thus enabling your bank account to reap the benefits.

Sale value: What is the worth of the property in the local real estate market? You need to have the answer for this question or it is important that you need to atleast have the clue for this answer. You need to be aware of the property values these days atleast because the property values are changing rapidly. In this volatile world it is not something new for the property value to fluctuate from $15000- $20000 in a period of month. Incase you own a property and you are considering to sell then you can either gain or lose large sum of money in almost no time, this is not something new that is happening.

An overview on the lending institutions in the mortgage market

Author: Sharon Samraj
It is important to note the fact that the mortgage industry requires a good understanding of the loans and what is the procedure through which the loans gain appreciation and what is the reason for which some loan are being offered by only some lenders. This article provides you with an overview about the different institution that caters to the need of mortgage brokers.

Institutional lender Vs the private lenders: The first and foremost classification is the comparison of the institutional versus the private lenders. Some of the institutional lenders include commercial banks, savings and loans, credit unions, mortgage banking companies, pension funds, and insurance companies. The loan is generally granted by them based on the income and credit of the borrower and they follow the set of standard lending guidelines. It is important to note the fact that generally the private lenders are the individuals and the small companies that do not have many guaranteed depositors and they are not even guided by the regulations of the federal government.

Primary Vs Secondary market: First and foremost it is important to understand eth fact that these markets should not be confused with the first and second mortgages. The primary mortgage lenders should deal directly with the public. They themselves originate the loans and then lend the loan amount directly to the borrower. They are often referred as the “retail” side of the business, and the lenders generate the profits based on the loan processing fees and it is important to note the fact that the profit is not generated through the interest paid on the loan.

The primary mortgage lenders are the lenders who generally lend the money to the consumers and then they also sell the mortgage notes to the investors in the secondary mortgage so that they could replenish their cash reserves. The largest buyers in the secondary market are the Federal National Mortgage association, FNMA, or Fannie Mae, the Government National Mortgage association or GNMA or even the Ginnie Mae and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation or FHLMC or Freddie Mac. There are a number of private financial institutions like the banks, life insurance companies, other private investors and the other thrift associations that are also involved in the process of buying notes.

Mortgage brokers versus mortgage bankers: There is general assumption prevailing in the mortgage market that the mortgage companies are the banks that lend their own money and it is important to remember the fact that the company that lends you money may be either a mortgage banker or a mortgage broker. A mortgage banker is a direct lender that lends you its own money; however they sell the loans to the secondary market. But it is important to remember the fact that these bankers sometimes retain the servicing rights also. On the other hand the mortgage broker is the intermediary who does the loan shopping, the analysis for the borrower and he brings the borrower and the lender together.

Issues regarding sell and rent back

Author: Andrewseo
But your problem can be solved as you can stay in the same house as a tenant. If you sell your house through a property cash buyer you may receive 75% of market value. It is very difficult to sell a house in the falling market. So majority of homeowners choose sell and rent back because they are desperate to move house or wish to stop repossession.

If you sell your house through a real estate agent it may take a few months or sometimes a few years also. But with the help of sell and rent back scheme you quickly sell your house. Sell and rent back normally covers legal fees and the availability of a property cash buyer means that there is no 1-2% estate agent fee.

If you sell your house through sell and rent back you can prevent home repossession, sell the house quickly, no estate agent and legal fees, affordable rent etc. A sell and rent back means that seller has to pay low monthly rentals.

There are other reasons for people to sell their house. One of the main reasons is because of financial difficulties. If you want immediate cash, then sell and rent back would be the best solution. If you sell your house through sell and rent back scheme, you can stay in the same house. Children need not change schools and you don’t have to look after another house. Other reason for a person wanting to sell his house is he might be in debt, he might have a lower income now or there might be a break up in relationship. His son or daughter might be going in for further studies for which money might be needed or he might have planned a dream holiday for which money in a lump sum may be needed. Whatever the reason, the whole process will be over quickly for both the seller and the buyer. The house that you rent back can be taken on lease for a minimum of ten years that can be renewed. This lease can be taken for a longer time, if necessary.

In great financial difficulties, when people are afraid of losing their homes, sell and rent back facility is definitely a great solution.

Real Estate: Tips for Buying Water-Front Real Estate

Author: Andrew Stratton
Thinking about investing in some real estate on the water? Now is a great time to buy a home or vacation house at the lake or on the ocean. However, you have to do some homework before laying down the cash to determine if buying waterfront real estate is right for you. Here are some things to keep in mind while you are looking for property and doing your research:

* Specialized agent

It is usually a good idea to hire a real estate agent to help you with a purchase, but it is especially true for waterfront property. But, you don't want to hire just any agent, but one that specializes in the waterfront area. This agent is familiar with the land and the water. He can tell you what the fishing is like from your dock, when the seaweed gets bad and if there are any unseen obstructions to keep you from using a boat.

* Insurance

Every year insurance costs are making it more and more expensive to own a piece of real estate by the water. The record damage sustained in recent years from hurricanes, floods and wind damage have caused rates to skyrocket in popular water-front areas. So, you have to decide if the cost is worth it as well as the risk of future weather situations.

* Land value

Sometimes the land is more valuable than the house sitting on it. If you have plans to tear down and build, then definitely give the land more attention. However, you do want to pay attention to how the current home is sitting. Is it leaning a little, sinking anything that may indicate unstable or wet soil underneath?

* Prior property damage

On the water, stuff happens. Wind, rain and flood damage just go with the territory. When you have the house inspected, choose an inspector familiar with looking for common signs of past problems. If it was damaged once, it may not be able to withstand another round or gale-force winds or flood and then you'll be stuck with it.

* Rights as a home owner

Just because you live on the waterfront doesn't mean that you own it. You just have you little piece of land next to it. That means that you have to be willing to share the benefits and also be prepared for it to get busy during peak season. You also have to know what your responsibilities are as a homeowner. What upkeep are you expected to take care of and what are the rules of using the waterfront?

* Plan your financing as soon as possible

Beach and lake front real estate is expensive and considered a luxury. Getting pre-approval on a hefty loan gives you some bargaining power as well as buying power.

You and your family can make some great memories, whether you're living on the waterfront or just settling in for summer vacation. It can be a great investment because these properties are so desirable. But, you have to weigh the costs against the return you'll get to see if it is worth it to live right on the water.

Real Estate: Tips For Investing In Rental Property

Author: Andrew Stratton
Buying rental property can be a risky investment, but it can also be a fun and rewarding experience that adds some cash to your bank account. Before you jump into the job title of "landlord", there are some things you must consider.

1. Find out if you even qualify for a second mortgage. Know your credit score before you even apply for a loan. You will likely need an excellent credit rating, not just good or ok, to get approved. Another deciding factor is your debt to income ratio. The bank wants to know if you are going to have the funds for this loan.

2. Decide what kind of real estate property you want to purchase. There are a lot of options when deciding to invest in real estate. The scope of it all depends on how aggressive you want to be and how much money you have to spend. Single-family homes, apartments and duplexes, commercial buildings and even vacation rentals are all possibilities.

3. Enlist the help of a real estate agent. She will steer you towards good rental locations and help you determine the market value of the surrounding properties. When you buy rental property, you want to make a profit so the market value of the house should be in-line with or lower than the rest of the houses in order for you to get what you want for rent.

You may not make a lot your first time out, but if you only get the mortgage amount and the management fees, you are still building free equity in the property. That is quite valuable and will allow you to make more down the road.

4. Crunch the numbers. The whole point is to make money right? Once you find a piece of real estate, determine how much it will cost to make any repairs or upgrades, if any, to get it rent ready. Figure in these costs with the mortgage and insurance, what you want for rent and the cost of hiring a manager if necessary to determine if you will be in the black, flat-lined or hemorrhaging money.

Another financial consideration is whether or not you can afford for the place to sit empty and for how long you can afford this. Also, you need to decide if you have back-up funds in case a renter defaults or skips out leaving behind a damaged property. (Screening renters helps reduce your risk of this happening.)

5. Hire a rental manager. This is very important if you do not live near the rental property. You need to hire some who is trustworthy and doesn't take a huge chunk out of your monthly profits to handle issues that may arise with the real estate property.

Buying real estate as a rental property and becoming a landlord carries a lot of responsibility. Even if you hire out the management of the property, you still have to make sure that business is being taken care of and that the renters are happy as well as abiding by the rental agreement. Being an investment property owner can turn into a fun side business or even a full-time job as long as you have the credit and the resources to do it.

1 Strategy for Profitable Real Estate Investing

Author: Philip
Are you interested in the lucrative real estate market? Have you watched the Do-It-Yourselfers on TV who purchase a home, renovate or upgrade, then resell it for a profit of more money than most people make in a year?

It sure is tempting, but what are the pitfalls? What should a new investor know BEFORE putting money into real estate?

DON'T GET OVERSOLD

New investors can easily get caught up in the sale. Without experience or a background in real estate you may think your instincts are good and quickly get in over your head.

Investment properties need to be undervalued and YOU need to do your research first. Don't plan to buy without spending a lot of time comparing values. Your goal is to purchase an undervalued property which can take time and experience to spot.

The best way to determine the true value of a property is by comparing similar properties and noting the common features. The properties MUST be in the same area since location can drastically affect price range.

Take note of the features and failings of each property, how long they're on the market and the price they sell for. Once you have a good understanding of the value of properties you will be able to tell when a property is undervalued - perhaps because a quick sale is needed or the seller is inexperienced. Don't hesitate to barter for the best deal possible.

KNOW YOUR MARKET

You're not buying for yourself so spend time noting the trends in the market. You can often find data in the local real estate papers listing the percentage of growth for various properties in the area over the past year.

Keep an eye on what's moving quickly through the market and what features are promoted in new constructions. You can use this information to make your upgrades as market friendly as possible.

Be careful not to make the mistake of renovating to your personal tastes. Use neutral palettes and current styles to appeal to the broadest market.

KNOW YOUR BUDGET

The more time you spend researching the costs of your venture, the higher the profits you will see. Know how much you can spend, the price of materials and labor and the time frame to have it completed. Some experts would tell you to double or triple that amount. In any case, the more research you do the more accurate your budget will be.

Don't get swept away in the process either; concentrate on the most profitable renovations. Kitchens and bathrooms are important. Adding French doors or updated lighting can also be a good investment. A fresh coat of paint is a must.

Investing in real estate is a financial business. Plan your investment like a business; make well researched decisions, stick to a budget, don't let personal preferences get involved, and you're ready to make some money!

Successful Building Tenant Lease Renegotiations in these Economic Times!

Author: Sonny Moyers
Leases in traditional office buildings can be problematic in that in tough times, you have to pay for the space even when it is not needed. In addition, most long-term leases appear on your balance sheet and represent long-term liabilities. This may make it more difficult to obtain loans or maintain lines of credit.

The use of executive suite facilities for branch offices may be a solution for some. Executive suite space can also be described as “Flex-Space.” Executive Suites typically allow a lease term of one year or less. As a result, they are frequently categorized as short-term liabilities and therefore are more favorable to a lender.

Short-term executive suite space allows a company to expand and contract quickly and economically. Bret Chapman of ABT Executive Suites in Dallas, Texas says, “Many of our clients grow and contract several times during their tenancy with us. They find it especially helpful that we can meet their expansion requirements in the good times and help them defray costs in economically challenging times.”

When a company is considering regional, national, or international business, they should always explore the executive suite solution. Landlords find this type of facility to be a major benefit to their building complexes. Executive suites allow a Landlord to accommodate space users that are too small to be profitable for the Landlord. By taking a large floor and building it out as an executive suite center, a Landlord can build out the space and make minimal changes over a ten or twenty year period.

If you are managing multiple leases with various termination dates, you should carefully consider letting some of your less desirable leases expire and moving your operations into an executive suite facility. While your cost for the space may be more per square foot, you will realize significantly better economies in that you share conference rooms, kitchen and break areas, and large reception or meeting facilities.

A careful analysis should be done of all of your real estate leases. This analysis should include a long-term transition plan to minimize higher risk, long-term leases with shorter more flexible arrangements.

As an Industry Consultant and recognized expert in the executive suite industry, I would be more than happy to discuss your situation with you and make recommendations. As a Realty Advisor, Consultant, and Real Estate Broker in the State of Texas, I have the credentials, success and experience to guide you through this vital area of business planning.

*Sonny Moyers is a Realty Advisor, Consultant & Real Estate Broker in the State of Texas. He is not a tax consultant or financial planner. Please contact your Financial Advisor or Accountant for your specific situation.