Saturday, March 1, 2008

Real estate agent: All about real estate agents

Real estate agents are professionals who help in connecting the buyer to the seller. A lot of real estate agents also do rentals wherein they connect tenants to landlords and even maintain the property on the behalf of the landlords. The real estate agents work by linking together the two interested parties and charging a commission for their services. For sales, they charge commission only to the seller but for rentals (i.e. agent managed rentals) the commission is charged to both parties involved in the transaction. Real estate agents generally calculate their fee as a percentage of the selling price (in case of sales) and as part of the rent (for rentals). People, who want to sell/let their property, leave the details of their property with the real estate agent (and in fact, even leave the keys of the house so that the real estate agent can arrange for viewings without them getting into any hassle). The other interested party (i.e. the buyer/tenant), gets access to this information by contacting the real estate agent. That’s how the real estate agents become a hub of information.

A lot of home seekers (including real estate investors) use the services of real estate agents not just for getting good deals but also getting them quick. Since real estate agents are probably most familiar with the market situation in their region of operation, it makes sense to approach them to get an idea of the going rate for properties in that region. Real estate agents would generally know the prices of various properties of different types and at various locations in the region.

A property seller can possibly get a few thousands more for his/her property by using the advice received from a good real estate agent. A good real estate agent will also analyse the needs of a home buyer/tenant and provide suggestions on what kind of home could be available to them within their budget. So a good real estate agent will not just throw a list of available properties to the buyer/ tenant but will actually discuss their needs and make a suggestion. This, in fact, works in the favour of real estate agent in two ways. Firstly, if the real estate agent is able to sell the house they get their commission and secondly, if they make the buyer happy too they earn a good reputation (and hence more business).

However, it is worth noting that real estate agents work on seller’s behalf. So, beware if they are trying too hard to sell a property.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Does the Housing Market Affect House Flipping Success?

very news story published these days related to the real estate and housing market seems to predict doom and gloom. Property prices diving, out of this world foreclosure rates, mortgage meltdowns, and stagnating market articles dominate the headlines. As a real estate entrepreneur, shouldn’t this information keep you awake at night? Shouldn’t it make you rethink getting into house flipping in the first place? Shouldn’t it cause some serious concerns?

The short answer, to put it plainly, is not really. The housing market should have little to do with your achievement as a house flipper. Your success as a flipper depends on many things: buying undervalued homes; making correct improvements; keeping costs low; making your property the best in its neighborhood; but it does not depend on the market itself.

Why then, are all the house flippers saying the sky is falling and the business is doomed? Because they aren’t in this business with the right mindset. They are speculators, hoping to buy a property and let the market itself increase the value. When the market stops going up, these individuals unexpectedly see their profit dry up (or turn into huge debt) and they think the flipping business is finished. When the market stops increasing for flippers, it can be a bonus, as the price for buying properties stops going up, which means really great home become more affordable, which means the market for the less desirable homes becomes saturated, and all of a sudden you have your pick of the litter. Your opportunities for success can actually go up in a stagnant or declining housing market.

If you are beginning in this business your perspective should be one of creating equity. See your property flip as an opportunity to take something that is not worth much, add something to it, and provide it to someone who will pay top dollar. It shouldn’t matter that the market itself is not appreciating in value, because you are creating value and equity completely separate and apart from the market!

Remember this any time a naysayer tells you your real estate dreams are far-fetched. You don’t need market increases to flourish. All market increases do is boost your profit margins. All you really need is the right property in the right neighborhood that needs the right fixes. Find those three things and it doesn’t matter what the market does, you can be successful.

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STRATEGIES TO SAVE MONEY FOR THE SAVY REAL ESTATE PURCHASER

As real estate attorneys, we are often asked by our clients how they can save money when purchasing real estate. They are grateful to us for any suggestions that we can make which result in money remaining in their pockets and/or pocketbooks. The following is a list of strategies that purchasers can use to save money on lender fees, title company closing fees and other related fees.

Lender Fees

● If your credit score is less than perfect, you should consider pre-qualifying with numerous lenders to avoid paying application fees to each one.

● Have your Good Faith Estimate of closing costs reviewed by your real estate attorney who can determine if the fees being charged are unusually high before you decide whether to use a particular lender.

● Never sign a Loan Commitment which is not fully completed by a lender to avoid additional charges appearing at the closing table.

● Avoid paying lender's Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) by borrowing 80% or less of the purchase price thereby decreasing your monthly mortgage payments. Should more money be needed, consider applying for an additional home equity line of credit ("HELOC").

● Be weary of locking in an interest rate too early or for too short a period. Rate lock extension fees can be substantial and most transactions take approximately 60 days to close (or longer for cooperative units).

● Try to schedule your closing at the end of the month to reduce the amount of prepaid interest that the lender will take at the closing.

● When a lender does not require you to do so, do not escrow for real property taxes and hazard insurance. This will leave you with more cash in hand after the closing and reduce your monthly mortgage payments.

Title Company Fees

● When taxes and insurance are not escrowed, the lender may also not require the title closer to pick up the next real property tax payment at the closing thereby saving you the title company's escrow service fee. And, if the new tax amount is unknown, you will avoid having the title company hold a substantially higher amount pending the determination and payment of the tax and then waiting for a refund of the overage. Alternatively, if the sum is known, request to make the check payable directly to the taxing authority rather than having the sum included in your title bill to avoid paying the title company's escrow service fee.

● Consider declining the Market Value Rider offered by the title company (which increases the insurance amount to the higher of the value of the property and its purchase price, in case the title company is liable for damages due to a mistake). The price of the Rider is usually at least a few hundred dollars, however, statistically title companies rarely make a mistake which obligates them to pay out the full property value.

● Inquire into whether your attorney and/or title company has attempted to locate a survey of the property being purchased. Ordering a new one can cost over $500.00.

● While title closers customarily receive a gratuity from the purchaser at closing, you should review the title bill to ascertain whether the title closer has added a fee for his/her services. The purchaser should be able to decide the amount of the gratuity to be given.

● If a property is being transferred between family members, consider not obtaining title insurance (which may be required by the lender if the purchase is being financed). However, it is unwise to accept title until you have completed and reviewed a title search to reveal whether there are any existing liens.

Miscellaneous

● If the seller retains post-closing possession, make sure that your attorney holds sufficient funds in escrow to cover the cost of repairs in case any problems (plumbing, heating, electrical, etc.) are discovered once seller relinquishes possession.

● Note the termite provision in your contract of sale. Most require the seller to repair any damage if an inspection is done and the seller's attorney is advised of the extent of the damage within a specific period of time. However, if you miss the deadline, the sellers are no longer obligated to make repairs.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

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Making Money From Buy To Let

Rising house prices and a strong economy make highly favorable conditions for a buy-to-let real estate project. A particularly effective investment, a buy-to-let leaves you with an asset which appreciates in value over the years, in addition to a sustainable rental income accounting for up to seven or eight percent of the overall value of the property year on year. However, requiring a substantial investment up-front, and an ongoing financial and time dedication, the buy-to-let is far from an easy project.

To begin with, you firstly need to analyze areas with potential for high rental income, and low property prices. This means you need to look for somewhere with a high demand for rental properties, and a low demand for ownership. One of the best areas for a buy to let project is near a University or college - students will always need somewhere nearby to live, and will be willing to pay excessively for that prime spot. Another option available to you is to find an older property, or a property which requires some degree of renovation. This will ultimately mean you're paying less on the purchase price, which should allow you to make more on the subsequent rental income.

For most of us, this means raising finance. There are a number of different approaches you can take towards this, namely setting up a limited liability company to raise funds, or by staking your own neck with the bank. Either way, bank funding is likely to be the only real source for the amount of capital you'll require, although you might find special deals on long-term loans for this purpose. You will probably also be expected to put up a substantial deposit from your own funds, so again, it's good to have some spare cash floating around.

After you've bought the property and begun renovation work, it's time to find some tenants. It is crucial at this stage that you check the legal implications of taking on tenants, and understand your obligations and responsibilities as landlord. On top of that, make sure you check all references from tenants to ensure reliability in terms of rent payments. This way, you can reduce the risk of having a non-paying tenant, which could ultimately ruin your venture and destroy profitability.

All in all, the buy-to-let project is a great way to realize an eventual sustainable income, although it is definitely no easy task. By working at it, and ensuring you have fully done your home work, you should eventually end up with a sustainable business which can provide you with an ongoing income and a perpetually appreciating asset.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Hire Property in South Africa

South Africa is a wonderful place with all sorts of peace like animals, sanctuaries, civilization etc are very much close and many tourist come over there for finding a true as well as real adventure and make himself close with the beautiful nature. But all we knows south Africa and its continent for poverty also because that’s was the truth but south Africa is a country in the whole country which is modern & advanced and relating to that many people Hire Property in south Africa because of better prospects in future, well I also a real estate investor as you knows from my blog and I know very much that investing in south Africa and Go Property for real estate investment is very beneficial because the interest rates over their on homes are low and the country economic stability defines this very much. So if you are looking for buying an property and selling the property as well I think propertyhome.co.za is an prime website, if you are selling your property in south Africa just for relocation I think you can be listed on this website. And if anyone planning to buy property in South Africa checks their website page South Africa Property Listings. One thing more this website of propertyhome.co.za is the most visited website because of Point Five Properties features in it and provides all sorts of information to their visitors and offers easily as well as user- friendly interface for easy navigation and search.