Digital vermieten

A survey by Harvard Business School found 78% of baby boomers and millennials want to buy a home. The catch? Most ‚think‘ they can’t afford one.

In many cases, this may be true. But the research also discovered many can. It found many had an income, credit rating, and time on the job good enough to qualify for the many first time home buyer programs and grants I’ll mention in this article.

Note: For more details, Google all phrases in bold.

1. Federal Housing Administration Loan (F.H.A).

If you have a credit score of at least 580 you could qualify for a mortgage for as low as 3.5 percent of the price of the home.

F.H.A loans have helped more first time homeowners than any other type of loan.

2. United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (H.U.D).

H.U.D offers many first time owner grants and low interest loans, depending on the state, city or area you live in.

Note: For those who now live in public or government housing you may qualify to purchase the home, condo or apartment you now live in through the HUD Public Housing Homeownership Program

3. V. A (Veterans Administration) Loans.

If you’re an active duty service person or veteran you may quality for a no down payment low interest rate loan. The VA loan is the lowest cost mortgage on the market because you’re not required to pay for mortgage insurance.

4. The Good Neighbor Next Door Program.

This program for first time home buyers offers home for up to 50% off the retail price. To qualify you must be a teacher, police officer, fire fighter, or EMT. A $100 down payment is all that’s required.

You must commit to live in the home for at least 36 months.

5. Energy Efficient (or Green) Mortgage.

The energy efficient mortgage was created to help first time homeowners add energy efficient improvements to their home. These loans are insured through VA and FHA programs.

This mortgage let you build an energy efficient home without requiring you to make a larger down payment.

6. HomeReady HomePath Mortgage.

1. Another popular program for first time home buyers. To quality you must take a short buyer education course. After you complete the course you’ll receive 3% toward closing cost for a mortgage loan. The down payment, 3%, is lower than the lowest FHA loan.

7. HUD Dollar Home Program.

After 180 days on the market, certain unsold HUD Properties are offered exclusively to local governmental entities for $1 for 10 Days. Local city of counties then offer these properties to residents to revitalize communities or neighborhoods.

8. USDA Home Loan Program.

This program focuses on homes in mostly rural areas, if you like or can tolerate country living this loan may be for you. This program guarantees 90% of the loan, which means there may be no down payment required and the loan is fixed. Sweet!

These are the top 7 programs available for first time home buyers. As always, like ocean waves government programs come and go. But as of this writing these programs is helping thousands of first time home buyers who thought they couldn’t afford a home realize their dream. Check them out… you could be next!

First Time Home Buyer Love and Other Freebies

1. No Penalties.

A first-time homebuyer can take out up to $10,000 in contributions from the Roth IRA to pay for the home without penalties. Check with your tax advisor for the latest rules.

2. Real Estate agent. This person can be your greatest fountain of information when looking for your first home. They know your local housing market, the advantages and disadvantages of specific homes. They can help you pick the right home to fit your personal and financial needs and much more. The best part? They’re free if you’re a buyer.

3. Pre-Approvals. Another amazing freebie is pre-approvals. They help save you time and energy. How? They let you know what price range you can afford, helping you and your agent know which houses you should be looking at.

4. First-time Home Buyers‘ Tax Credit (HBTC): The HBTC is a non-refundable tax credit for first-time home buyers and is worth $750. The first-time home buyers‘ tax credit must be claimed on an income tax form no later than one year after the home is purchased.

5. The RRSP Home Buyers‘ Plan (HBP)

This program was designed to let you withdraw funds from your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) before retirement for the purpose of a first home purchase. The advantage of the HBP is that the withdrawal is completely TAX FREE.

The RRSP Home Buyers‘ Plan allows you to withdraw up to a maximum of $25,000. Be sure to consult your tax consultant for more details.

For years, extremely knowledgeable home sellers, people like commercial real estate agents, real estate attorneys, and former residential agents would contact their friends in the residential real estate business, asking them to cut a deal. „Just put me in the Multiple Listing Service (back then it might have been referred to as the Multi-List) for a small fee and I will handle all the work,“ they would say. Occasionally the residential real estate agent would oblige, although they would want to keep the arrangement secret from their full paying customers. Although the home seller did not have a way to directly list their property on the MLS, they were able to gain access through their Realtor friend. The Realtors would not, however, offer something like this to the general public.

In recent years, there has been so much demand for this type of service that real estate agents have realized that it may be a viable business to focus on this niche exclusively. Flat fee real estate brokers effectively unbundled their services by charging a base listing fee for the listing and offering upgrades that a customer could pay for, for instance, signs, lockboxes, and virtual tours. These money saving programs are becoming increasingly popular for one reason, they work. Many sellers close escrow on their properties having saved thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.

Home owners need to understand what „by owner“ listing on the MLS is. First, the listing is not technically „by owner“ at all, since anytime you list with a broker, even a flat fee broker, your property is no longer considered for sale by owner or FSBO. It is treated like any other listed property on the MLS. Buyer’s agents find the property in their customary search process and show the property knowing that a particular compensation level will be paid by the seller at closing in the event that their buyer purchases the property. The „by owner“ concept is useful, however, in understanding that the owner is in control of their own listing. They can decide how showings will be handled, when to hold open houses, and how they want to negotiate. For some sellers, simply having control over their listing is their main motivation for a flat fee MLS listing; the money they save is an added bonus. They can price the property how they see fit. They can hold firm to a particular price, or come down on price to make the sale happen. Since money is saved in commissions, they often will walk away netting more money in their pocket. Some sellers like that they can answer their cell phone for all prospective buyer and Realtor phone calls instead of worrying about those calls being unanswered.

Listing by owner on the MLS, flat fee listing, flat fee MLS, or whatever the term may be, has grown in the last few years and continues to grow even in a down market. Preserving one’s equity is important to homeowners regardless of market condition. After all, when a Realtor sells his or her own property, they usually do it themselves, offer a commission to a buyer’s agent on the MLS (often 2.5 or 3%), and save thousands in the process. Homeowners want to list their own properties in this same fashion, and thankfully now have the option.

MLS searches (or Multiple Listings Service) are based off the principle; „Help me sell my inventory and I’ll help you sell yours.“ It is a unique concept, though one not many other industries use. Real estate brokers acknowledge the advancements in technology once MLS searches became popular, and are willing to present the advantages and disadvantages of MLS queries to interested parties. The decision of utilizing this service is ultimately up to the potential buyer.

No For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Options

One of the big disadvantages to MLS searches is they do not include homes sold by the owner, unless the seller has negotiated a certain percentage of the commission to the realtors. If interested in FSBO’s, the buyer must search potential neighborhoods for FSBO signs and negotiate a price within their range. If the buyer does not know much about negotiating prices, or how much homes are worth, MLS queries still provide some contribution for comparison purposes. If excessive research is undesirable to the buyer, then MLS queries provide another benefit.

Less Research for the Buyer

Buying a home might already be considered a stressful process for some. MLS searches can cut down on some of that stress because it reduces the research the buyer must conduct. There are already so many other aspects a buyer must remember to look into, including the community, crime rate, demographics, school districts, job outlooks, among others. MLS queries place hundreds of homes from the participating brokers into one database, with hundreds of fields with which to search the properties. Knowledgeable brokers with years of experience determine these popular search fields; whereas if the buyer conducts the research by himself or herself, he or she may question whether the information they find is accurate.

The Internet Outdates MLS Queries

The younger generation might claim the Internet is called the „Information Highway“ for a reason. While it is true certain states have their MLS queries readily available on the Internet, not all states have this accessibility. It is also important to consider that information researched on one’s own time might not be as accurate as the MLS searches provided by real estate brokers.

A Trusting Community

As mentioned earlier, all MLS queries are based off the „You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours“ premise. In other words, there are no hidden agendas. All brokers participating in MLS queries are trying to provide the buyer with the greatest number of options. They keep the buyer’s requirements in mind and try to create satisfactory customers.

Ultimately, the decision to use MLS searches or to conduct the research on one’s own is up to the potential buyer.

Have you ever lived in a condominium unit? If like me you grew up in a house with a garden then chances are you have no idea what factors and features to consider when looking at condos for sale. Not being aware of key aspects that could affect your quality of life as well as the unit’s resale value could leave you with a condo you can’t live in or sell.

What to prepare before checking out condos for sale

When a person decides to try buying a condo unit the first thing they do is look through adds, this is one of the most common mistakes buyers make. Prior to looking at units, preparations have to be made which can make looking for a condo easier and in the end more advantageous for you.

Down through the ages people have always said information is the key and looking at condos for sale is no different. Prior to visiting different units hire an experienced realtor. He or she will be able to give you invaluable advice plus his or her services are free since the seller will pay the commission. Another person you need on your side is a lawyer. „Legalize“ is a language not everyone is familiar with and it’s always a good idea that we understand everything we sign, trust me on this my siblings are lawyers. Next, crunch the numbers and look through mortgage requirements. Being ready on the financial front will give you a realistic view on what you can and cannot afford.

What to avoid while looking at condos for sale

Unfortunately not everyone is able to realize that small details can make a big difference in ones‘ quality of life. The following are some things you may not have thought to take into consideration:

• Steer clear of units that overlook the entrance to the garage or where vehicle traffic is if you value peace and quiet.

• Once again for peace and quiet do not choose a unit across from or beside an elevator.

• Make sure your suite does not look over the area where garbage is picked up; this is self-explanatory but is a detail most people will miss.

• Make sure most of the condo’s occupants are owners not tenants.

• Avoid condo buildings that are not easily accessible by any number of public transport services. Trust me you’ll need the service one of these days even if you do have a car.

• Avoid condo buildings where the neighborhood is not as pleasant as you’d like. The building itself maybe top notch but if the location is not at par then think twice.

• Avoid making a decision before going to the condo several times and at different times of the day and night.

• Remember to chat with the neighbors. You’ll need inside information about the area and if you can stand living beside them.

• Do not commit before you have discussed all the monthly fees, maintenance costs, association dues, closing fees and all financial matters. You need to know you can afford it all without breaking a sweat.

• Do not buy a suite with a view you can’t live with, no matter what the building’s amenities are.

Happy hunting.

The title to this article is a pretty bold statement, but if you’ll allow me a couple of minutes of your time today, I’ll show you how you can take advantage of a brand-new Real Estate niche that most Agents don’t know about. It’s not that they aren’t aware of it; it’s just that they haven’t put two & two together.

This new source of Real Estate Leads could mean another 100 – 600 new, very motivated (Seller) Leads that are desperate for your professional help. And that’s only for a market of 100,000 homes. You’re market could have even more.

Why hasn’t this opportunity been available before?

Well, before now all the pieces were not readily available. Today, the technology is in place, the turnkey business-in-a-box-training-systems are available, and the market for this business is very ripe & growing.

Foreclosures will be the next big thing in Real Estate Leads

We are often asked by our Coaches Corner{tm} Newsletter Subscribers (350,000+): „What’s the next big thing going to be for Real Estate Agents?“

Well, if you asked me that question specific to Real Estate Lead Generation, I’d have to say Foreclosures & PreForeclosures are going to be the next big thing for New Real Estate Lead Generation.

You’ve probably already heard that Real Estate Foreclosures, as of April 2007 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report (published by RealtyTrac® – the #1 online authority for Foreclosure data), are up by 62% nationwide from April 2006. Some states are up by as much as 3,325% (New Hampshire).

Real Estate Foreclosures Rates continue to grow

Recently USA Today printed an article about the fact that 75% of the new home mortgages in California are No-Doc-Loans (some industry experts call them liar-loans). These No-Doc-Loans allow the homeowner to use stated income and often allow them to borrow more money at higher debt-to-income ratios than they could traditionally. The no-doc loans have become very prevalent in the last couple of years and are now widely used nationwide.

In my opinion, the majority of these liar-loans are Real Estate Foreclosures in embryo. It’s likely just a matter of time before the homeowners get into trouble and fall into Foreclosure.

Over a Million Real Estate Foreclosures Each Year

According to RealtyTrac®, with whom we’ve established an exclusive partnership, the number of Foreclosures will likely exceed 1.2 million this year if we continue at this pace. To read the complete May 15th, 2007 press release for RealtyTrac®’s U.S. Foreclosure Market Report click here.

What this means for the average Real Estate Agent in a market with 100,000 households is that about 127 new properties will enter some state of Foreclosure per month. Some of the not-so-average counties will see 431 new foreclosures per month for those same 100,000 households. So, that means that there will be 14 new Real Estate Foreclosure Listings per day per 100,000 households.

If you had the home seller information in a timely manner and were equipped to deal with this specific type of lead, it could mean 100 – 500 brand new leads every month in a market with 100,000 households.

Most Real Estate Agents don’t know how to handle prospects in Foreclosure and usually see them as junk prospects. So, there’s very little competition for you in this niche if you become a Real Estate Foreclosure Expert.

Couple that with a very highly motivated home seller, and you have a recipe for New Lead Generation Success.

Do you know your State’s Foreclosure Rate? If it’s only the national average, you’ll have 1 Foreclosure for every 783 households like quite a bit of the country? How many households do you have in your market, and what does that equate to in Foreclosures? A whole lot no matter where you live!

The Foreclosure Rates are growing almost everywhere and there are already an enormous amount of potential leads for you where you live, so take action and equip yourself with as much information as you can on Real Estate Foreclosures. The information will help you carve out a brand new niche in Real Estate Foreclosures in your area and help you grow your Real Estate Business.

I was hanging out with a few people at a wedding recently and the conversation turned to

today’s real estate market.

One of my friends, John, from a town near San Jose, CA told a fascinating, yet familiar,

story. I thought I would share it with all of you.

John and his wife, Liz, decided to sell their home. They bought the house in 2004, saw it

increase in value, and this summer decided to sell it. They interviewed four different

agents to sell their home and finally decided on the one who agreed to sell their home for

what they wanted to sell it for.

They believed the home was worth $625,000. The first three agents who came in to

interview for the listing told them the house would never sell at that price and that they

should consider listing it below $600,000. They all felt $589,000-$599,000 was the

„magic“ number.

John is a commercial real estate broker. He knew that his asking price was high but he

was in no hurry to sell. He also didn’t like the fact these three agents weren’t offering

any „solutions“ they were only discussing the „problems“ he would face at the higher

price.

These agents told John and Liz about the current market conditions for their area. If

their home sold, it would likely take up to 120 days. There was a 55% chance that the

home wouldn’t sell at all during these four months. Based on what they wanted for their

home, they needed to be prepared for this. The agents told them they needed to consider

lowering the price.

John and Liz talked very seriously about lowering their price. Then they met a fourth

agent named Lynette.

Lynette came in and presented her case. It really wasn’t much different than the rest.

She also told them about days on the market and the chances of selling their home. She

also suggested they may be priced a bit high but then she offered an option.

„Let’s stage your home using a professional home staging company,“ Lynette suggested.

„This is going to cost you about $4000. We will list the home at the $625,000 you want

but to offset some of this expense, when I sell your home, I will split this expense with

you.“

Whereas real estate professionals, like Lynette, are highly skilled in marketing, selling

and closing your home, home stagers are designers. They are artists who prepare your

home for resale.

Home stagers work with the „flow“ of your home. They will remove and re-arrange

furniture. They will eliminate clutter. They may even add pictures, bedspreads, paint,

art, rugs and other items to make it more appealing. They may even assist in enhancing

curb-appeal.

Their goal is to make an incredible first impression on potential homebuyers the moment

they pull in front of your home.

Lynette explained that although the décor of the house was very nice and contemporary,

the home was cluttered because of their three young boys and busy lifestyle. The home

didn’t feel as large as it was because it was packed with too many items to display it

properly. The home was „too personal,“ she told them. They had picture of the boys

all over the house from birth to last year’s soccer playoffs.

She told them that they needed to compete with new home builders who are offering

buyers the most incredible purchase incentives. She said that when you walk into the

model homes of the builder you are „blown away.“

„THAT is your competition,“ Lynette said. „You need to blow away the people who

walk into your home too.“ She also explained that the last few clients who hired her

home staging company sold their home in less than 60 days and didn’t discount their

asking price.

John and Liz were not crazy about spending $4000, and certainly not thrilled about taking

down pictures of their beloved family, but they were encouraged by Lynette’s creative

idea. At the end of the day, what they really cared about was selling this home, so they

did it.

John said the home staging company came in and made the house seem like a „hotel.“

„They took out way more things than they put in, but it did look better, like a nice bed

and breakfast hotel,“ he said. „It almost made me want to stay there,“ he joked.

It worked. Their house sold in three weeks….at the $625,000 list price. Lynette did an

amazing job from start to finish!!

Just this month, I sold my very own investment house that was staged in 11 days. There

were three like models listed in the subdivision at the same time. Mine was the highest

priced. My incredibly talented real estate agent did an amazing job too but I truly

believe staging was a real key as well. I did take a small loss on this home. However a

sale in 11 days is no small accomplishment in today’s market.

Experts say that if you are hiring a professional staging company, plan on spending

between $2000-$5000 based on the size and condition of the home. If you just want

consultation, plan on $100 or so per hour.

Experts, like StagedHomes.com, say that a staged home sells in half the time as a similar

home that is not staged and that a staged home sells for 7-10% higher.

Coldwell Banker tracked nearly 3,000 properties, ranging in price from $229,000 to $4.8

million, in eight major U.S. cities.

During this time, they determined the average home was on the market for nearly 31

days, the typical staged home sold in less than 14 days.

The average home sold for 1.6% over the seller’s asking price. The staged homes, in the

Coldwell Banker study, over the same time, went for a 6.3% more.

This means, if the average home price is $300,000, you can expect the average staged

home to sell for $318,000-$330,000. Obviously, this makes the $2000-$5000 investment

a no-brainer.

Inventory is at an all-time high in many areas. The National Association of Realtors

recently reported the biggest drop in home prices since the trade group began compiling

price data in 1968. Many experts are now saying housing prices will continue to decline

though 2007.

So do you take your home off the market until 2008, and hope it gets better, with the

possibility it gets even worse, or do you separate yourself from the competition and do

what it takes to give your home the very best chance it has to sell today?

We are in a slower real estate market, however the people who are most committed to selling their

home will likely still be successful. When you are selling real estate it’s no different

than selling any other product. You have to market to find a capable buyer and then you

have to impress him.

Your real estate professional will market the property to bring the buyers but the product

and how it’s displayed will determine if it sells and at what price. This is where the

professional home stager comes in.

OK, so you want to give Home Staging a try? Here’s how.

There are many websites out there. Just type „professional home staging“ into your

favorite search engine like Google, Yahoo!, or MSN and you can start looking for the one

that best fits you.

If you want to try doing it yourself, take these tips from professional home stagers like

StagedHomes.com and others:

HOW TO „STAGE“ YOUR HOME YOURSELF

MAKE AN AWESOME FIRST IMPRESSION

Look at your house like you will look at the homes you want to buy next.

Prospective buyers make up their minds about your house even before they get out

of the car.

This is your chance to WOW them. Clean up the yard; rake the leaves and sweep

driveways and porches.

Get out the rags and cleanser and spend 30 minutes scouring your front door,

porch, railings and steps.

Make sure all of all your trash cans, recycling cans, other bins, discarded wood

scraps, extra building materials, etc., are in the garage.

Check gutters for roof moss and dry rot. Make sure they are swept and cleaned.

Look at all plants. Prune your bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking

windows.

Weed and then mulch all planting areas. Keep lawn freshly cut and fertilized.

Remove dead plants or shrubs.

Clear patios or decks of all small items such as small planters, flower pots, charcoal,

barbecues, and toys. Box them away and store them.

Check the paint condition of the house, especially the front door and trim.

UNCLUTTER YOUR HOUSE

Empty your closets to a minimum, clear out the cupboards, and get rid of the small

appliances. Take books off the shelves, get rid of all of the magazines, the CDs,

video games, and DVDs, and lose the kid’s toys. Minimize it all.

Rent a storage unit or box what you want to keep and toss the rest.

Now is the time to say goodbye to your house and your stuff and transition. Your

life may be a bit uncomfortable during this time but you are now in the business of

selling your home.

GET RID OF THAT FURNITURE

An easy way to „unclutter“ and create a much greater sense of space is to get rid of

some furniture.

Consider moving your sofa, extra chairs, and end tables into storage so you can

make the home feel like it is larger and has much more space.

If your furniture is old, you may want to pack it away and rent a few more

contemporary pieces.

The goal is to sell your home, not display your old furniture.

MAKE YOUR HOME „THEIR“ HOME

The goal here is to get the potential buyer to imagine that he is living in your house.

If he feels like an intruder during his tour, your chances of selling the house are less.

That means put away anything connected to your family or personal interests. Like

trophies, family vacation photos, and personal mementos. Box it all away!

Clear refrigerator fronts of all messages, magnets, pictures, reminders, etc.

Stagers say the bathroom is a crucial place to pay close attention too. Shampoo

bottles in the shower and toothbrushes near the sink make it very hard for the

buyer to picture himself there. Box it away during the day and bring it out at night

for your use.

Keep the towels to minimum as well. Think „neat hotel bathroom“ on the day you

checked in.

MAKE THAT HOUSE AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE

If your house is clean, the buyer tends to believe everything else is great with the

house as well. This means clean everything! The mirrors, walls, floors, carpets,

drapes, bathrooms, kitchen, and even door handles, light fixtures and pantry

cupboards.

If you hate cleaning, bring in a professional maid service regularly while your home

is listed and get someone in to do the windows, driveway and walkways. Remember,

it costs money to make money.

HIRE A PROFESSIONAL HANDYMAN

As I mentioned, I recently sold an investment property of mine that was staged in 11

days. I staged it myself by following all of the items listed here.

The day before my agent officially placed my home in MLS and started contacting

all of his previous clients, I called a handyman to come out and fix a few things.

I had a missing face plate for a light switch. I had some mold around one of the

toilets. One of the sinks had a broken drain valve. The door leading out to the

garage was dinged up a bit and needed a coat of paint. This was less than $100

worth of work. Many sellers would simply have ignored these items, offered the

buyer a blanket repair credit, and said „get it fixed yourself when you move in.“

Because of my research on this topic, I knew better and made an appointment to get

the handyman out to fix it. He was busy so he committed to come in a week.

However, my home went on the market the next day.

Two days later, five days before the handyman came; the eventual buyer of my

home toured my house. He came back a week later, after the handyman had been

there, and bought it. When I finally met the buyer at the final walk-through, I

asked him whey he didn’t make the offer the first time through.

He told me the missing face plate on the light switch and the dinged up garage door

really bugged him. When he came back and it was fixed, he was impressed and

knew I cared about the home.

A $3 item from Home Depot and a simple coat of cheap grade white paint almost

cost me the sale of my home.

Don’t wait! Fix those minor problems today!

COLOR UP THAT HOUSE WITH PAINT AND CARE

A fresh coat of paint in key areas of your home really makes a big difference. If

your home feels „special“ like you care, that will translate to buyers. Experts say

flowers in the entry or near the front door make your home feel more special, warm

and inviting.

FACE IT, YOUR HOUSE STINKS…MAKE IT SMELL BETTER

Stagers say that people don’t realize it but many of their homes simply stink. They

stink from pets or just everyday family use. The easiest way to overcome this is to

keep your windows open for 10 minutes a day.

This strategy works better than deodorizers, says Barb Schwarz, president of

StagedHomes.com, since a lot of people have allergies to artificial room fresheners.

The oldest trick of all? Leave chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven. The smell

helps buyers bond with your home.

MAKE YOUR HOME BRIGHTER AND MORE ALIVE

When things are lighter they feel more vibrant and alive. Dark is depressing. You

don’t want the buyer feeling depressed walking through your home.

Staging experts say clean windows let in as much as 30% more light than dirty ones.

Get them cleaned.

Clean the shades on your light fixtures and add floor lamps if an area seems dim.

Get rid of those energy-saving 60-watt bulbs and go with higher wattage lights for

maximum illumination.

When it comes time to show your home, make sure all the lights are on.

GET HOMEY AND CREATIVE

Flowers, plants, candles, expressive art are all items that are not overly personal

that give a good vibe to the buyer walking through your home. Show these off or go

buy some to add that touch.

You want your home to feel like a model home you see at a new house tract or,

better yet, a comfortable hotel lobby.

For real estate agents, in my opinion, this is a great tool to separate yourself from your

competition in trying to get a listing and sell the home. I think it’s a good idea to take a

few home staging classes or have a professional home stager as part of your team as an

option to present sellers.

StagedHomes.com offers two-day home staging workshops for real estate agents.

For homeowners with a lot of equity, I think hiring a professional stager is a tremendous

idea as well.

If you don’t have as much room financially and the costs of hiring a professional stager

seem preventative, you may want to try the „do-it-yourself“ ideas listed above first.

If those still don’t work, but you notice the feedback is more positive, you may want to

then consider hiring a home staging professional.

From all indications, and I can tell you first-hand, the price of staging your home is small

compared to the benefits you can realize.

Although, we are, presently, experiencing, a Sellers Market, in housing, which, we have never seen, in recent memory, to this extent, and, resulting, escalating, home prices, and, far – more, qualified, potential buyers, than houses, for – sale, instead, of over – reacting, etc, a smart buyer, will take the time, and make a concerted effort, to better understand, and, truly, appreciate, those significant factors, which every buyer, should! These factors, are, of course, in addition, to closely, examining, the specific features, and quality, of the house! With, that in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, 7 key ones, and why, they matter.

1. Area/ region/ neighborhood: Consider, what you like, and don’t, about a specific area, region, and/ or, neighborhood! What are the strengths, weaknesses, and neutral considerations? If, you are familiar, with the area, why are you attracted to it, and what does it offer? If, you are not, do some research, speak to neighbors, and drive – around, and observe!

2. Your personal, present/ foreseeable – future considerations: Each of us, is unique, in certain ways! Since, for most, their home’s value represents, their single – biggest, financial asset, it is wise to pay keen attention, to what you are seeking, and differentiate between, your present and foreseeable – future needs, priorities, and goals, and how a specific house, might, serve your purpose! What attracts you, and not, and, why?

3. Real estate taxes: Remember, often, real estate taxes, are a significant component/ part, of your monthly costs, of home ownership! When, doing your calculations, don’t forget to seriously, consider, the impacts of these!

4. Safety/ crime: Examine the area’s relative – safety, and crime figures! For most, living in a safe neighborhood, is a most, significant factor! Look at the data, rather than, just asking someone!

5. Conveniences: How convenient is the location, especially, as it relates to your needs, and priorities? Is it, close to shopping, markets, drug stores, etc? How about access to mass transit? Is it easy and convenient, to use a car, etc?

6. School quality: If, you presently, have, or plan, to have a family/ children, or, even, if you don’t (because it affects, future resale values), examine the reliable data, regarding the quality of the local school system! Many states publish official data, etc!

7. Your personal comfort zone: What makes you feel comfortable, and how, would a particular property, enhance your enjoyment, etc? Do all the facts, fit into your personal comfort zone, especially, in terms of costs, monthly expenses, area, location, and all other relevant factors? Remember, if you aren’t comfortable, you probably, shouldn’t purchase that specific house!

Be a smarter home buyer! Consider these, and any other, personally – significant factors, carefully, before making a final decision!

Buying pre-foreclosure is said to be very prosperous in return. What say you? There are abundant of advantages in buying pre-foreclosure and 1 of them is getting under market value pre-foreclosure home. If you are an investor, then for sure buying pre-foreclosure is prosperous. However, no matter investors or home buyers, we should anyway first to understand pre-foreclosure in order to get handsome return, shouldn’t we? For great bargains are always earned.

Pre-foreclosure is the first stage of a home being foreclosed. This happen when the home owner has missed at least one payment and is now considered delinquent on the loan. The home owner will then receive a Notice of Default, which is a formal warning sent to the homeowner. The homeowner will be given a certain period to respond to the borrower regarding the solutions of the un-paid payment/loan. In this state, foreclosure home owners are considered to be very motivated to look for home buyers to buy their house.

To go any further about buying pre-foreclosure, we have to first understand the psychology of the foreclosure homeowner. In most of the cases, the owners are dealing with negative events in his life that has caused him to fall behind in his mortgage payments. It could be the outcome of illness, divorce, job loss, family illness or other monetary obligations that have grown out of expectations. Therefore, foreclosure home owners are very distressed when things come to worse where borrowers send in the warning of foreclosure. Because this will not only make their home being fore closured, it will also leave a bad mark in their credit history, causing a long term consequences.

Remember, we as investors or home buyers could always help those foreclosure homeowners. If we are able to buy their foreclosure home with some amount above their mortgage balance, homeowners could settle part of their financial problem which helps much in either financial expect or psychology expect. Thus, buying pre-foreclosure is a win-win situation for both buyers and homeowner, where we can get a under market value foreclosure home while homeowners could settle their unpaid home loan.

However, there are challenges in buying pre-foreclosure. Out of them, the biggest challenge of buying pre-foreclosure is getting the attention of homeowner. Great deals attract people. Thus, acting fast and effectively will help you to reach homeowners with better and deeper impressions. This is why real estate listings are important. Whenever a new pre-foreclosure home is unfolded, you can be the first person to review its details in the foreclosure listings. Besides, we could get info on the pre-foreclosure properties in foreclosure listings too. Foreclosure listings are just a necessary tool in order to buy a great bargain of pre-foreclosure.

A lot people, including big names like Jim Cramer of CNBC’s Mad Money and TheStreet.com, are suggesting investing in Mexico real estate. So, this is great – let’s invest in Mexico! This is about as useful as being told to invest in stocks to make money. Which stocks? When? How much?

For a real estate investment in Mexico, you also need to know where, when, and how much. Especially, if you are buying on a smaller budget, you will need to find good properties for a good price. Two basic steps can help you with this question. One is to do some on-line research using MLS listings from reliable sites and information about different market areas. The other is to contact an expert.

Some MLS listings provide properties from throughout Mexico. You can start by calculating how much you can invest, and take a look at listings within this range. Browse through, see what’s there.

You can also search by area. Take Playa del Carmen real estate,for example. You want to make a small investment, under $100,000 USD. A options you will find:

• around $70,000 – a home on the beachfront, in a small gated community. This home could be rented out to vacationers looking for something a little quieter, away from the main tourist traffic. It’s only 10 minutes away from town.
• around $90,000 – lots in an upscale gated community; homes in this area go for around $500,000 USD. It is a full-service marina and golf community, with a mall, church, school and small shop and restaurant area.
• Around $100,000 – a 2 bedroom, 2 bedroom home in a new development, about 10 minutes from the beach. There is a pool, 24 hour security and plenty of green space. A great property and community for renting to vacationers on a budget (a proven constant source of income), your own vacations, or family living.

Of course, your options broaden with a larger budget, with the most options right within the $150,000 – $200,000 range. But there’s no need to spend more; you can also explore a variety of areas. You can find more information on the web about areas, how tourism and how the economy is.

After you’ve explored your price range, however, the best source for information is an expert real estate broker. A qualified, experienced broker will be able to make suggestions for areas and property types according to your needs. Their knowledge of the market will also allow them to advise you if your plans are feasible or not, and provide alternative suggestions.

Start your search today; regardless of your budget, Mexico real estate will an investment suitable for you.

When you are invited by the owner of a commercial property to submit a proposal to sell it, you may only have that single opportunity to convey the proposal message and your marketing strategy. Unfortunately most vendor invitations to present sales proposals are made to multiple agents for the single property, so the message in the document has to be clear, and the conversion outcome is critical.

Before you start any proposal, ask yourself this one question. ‚What makes me different in the marketing of this property?‘ If you have not got a clear answer then a major problem exists.

Far too many agents enter a competitive property sale proposal situation with a focus on one or more of the following:

• Discounted sale fees
• Discounted commission
• Discounted or agent paid advertising
• Inflated price quotation

Whilst the client may initially think that some of this is attractive, it does little to sell the property and may even be counterproductive. Why prostitute yourself? If you are the best real estate agent in your area then show it and make sure the message is clear in your sales proposal.

A great proposal to sell a property is strategic and targeted to the outcome that the client seeks. Everything in your document should be displaying your dominance and understanding of the task at hand. To be the best agent to do the job, the proposal has to illustrate that.

So what are the rules to adopt here? In essence the proposal is to be all about the property and the client in all respects. The following will help you with the blueprint for a great sales listing proposal.

1. A statement detailing the property location and features. Market appeal of the property is also part of this opening to your proposal. Copies of property titles, plans, photos, tenancy schedules, and encumbrances should also be displayed here.
2. A summary of the requirements of the client to sell the property should be made. Make sure that this is quite clear so that the client knows you totally understand the brief.
3. A list of the clients concerns and questions that you have identified is very useful at this point. As a direct follow on to that, you can provide answers for the client. This shows that you are really aligned to the needs of the client.
4. An overview of the property market and its current trends is essential. As part of this you should then position the subject property into the market you have described and then comment on the competition properties that impact the property marketing today.
5. Clearly define the target market that you see as relevant to the promotion of the property. Then explain how relevant the property is to that target market and the features of the property that will assist you in the process of marketing.
6. Recommendations regards methods of sale become the natural flow on from point 4 above. You must give reasons for your selection of the method of sale. Also give the client some comment on the ‚factors of time on market‘ that exist at the time, and the success factors of your chosen method of sale. Give the client some clear comfort that you really do know that the method of sale selected is the best.
7. Use time lines as an illustration of where you would like to head with this property sale promotion. Illustrations are much better than words. Gantt charts are great for this purpose.
8. At this point it is best to provide an innovative marketing strategy that complements the chosen method of sale and attracts the defined target market. The promotional strategy offered should have 2 or 3 alternatives of marketing that provide the client with a selection of budgets. Vendor paid advertising is the rule and not the exception in listing a commercial property. Stick to this rule.
9. Copies of adverts are useful to give the client an idea of what the promotional material will look like and how it will be formatted.
10. A summary of fees and costs to do the sale should be simple and clear. Whilst costs are always important, if you have done your job in the earlier parts of your proposal, then the fees and costs will be less critical to the client.

All of the above points centre on the property and the client. Very little is said about the agency and what you bring to the property for the client. Only after all the points above are handled should you move to the matters of agency promotion and relevance.

As listing Commercial property for sale or lease is a competitive process, it is important that written submissions for owners are presented promptly. The company that has their submission before the owners first is likely to be given most consideration. However, the listing agreement or contract is an important document and it needs to be prepared carefully to ensure that all the arrangements negotiated with the owners have been included.

You should, if possible, present the submission in person so that you can „walk“ the owners through the documents and immediately clarify any matters of concern. If possible obtain exclusive listings, but whatever the situation, ensure that the document is accurate, well presented and that your oral presentation complements it.

If you think you are the best real estate agent in the market to handle the property sale, then your proposal has to show that very clearly.