Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Real estate schools of thought

Everyone seems to be after real estate investments as that is regarded as one of the safest high return investments. There are various schools of thought on real estate investments. Let’s explore two of the most common real estate schools of thought.

One real estate school of thought talks about doing a lot of analysis. This real estate school of thought advocates studying a lot of factors which are generally linked to economic indicators. This real estate school of thought evaluates the economic indicators in many different ways. It takes its cues from a number of financial indices and how they are expected to perform in the near future. This real estate school of thought evaluates various socio-economic indicators at all levels – Global, national and local. This real estate school of thought evaluates inflation and things like value of money today and value of money next year etc. It uses all these evaluations in order to come up with predictions on how real estate industry is expected to fare in the next few years. So, this real estate school of thought tries to determine the buying power of people in order to determine the course of real estate prices. When it comes to evaluating the real estate trend with regards to a particular place (i.e. locally), this real estate school of thought takes into account various local factors like the unemployment rate, the industrial development in the region, the change in tax policies and any events that might affect the real estate prices in the area. It also takes into consideration the surrounding areas and the real estate trend in those areas. So, this real estate school of thought is really followed by arch real estate consultants/investors who know a lot about finance and put all that knowledge to use in determining the trends for real estate industry. However, that is just one real estate school of thought.

The other real estate school of thought doesn’t consider those factors at all. According to this real estate school of thought, real estate is always lucrative at all times and at all places. This real estate school of thought advocates looking for great deals. It’s this real estate school of thought that asks you to go to public auctions, look for distress sales and foreclosures, find motivated seller, rehab and sell, etc. So, this real estate school of thought focuses on getting the information about the best deals in town and taking advantage of them to make good profits.

So, those are the two real estate schools of thought and following either or both calls for time and effort (if you are to make any profits out of real estate investments).

Monday, June 9, 2008

Lease to Own Property Investment

If you've dreamed of real estate riches along with dreaming of being in the position to help out those who have hit a few bumps in the road along the way but are generally good people fallen on hard times then you may want to consider a type of real estate investing in which you purchase properties and then work out a lease to own agreement with people who, for one reason or another, cannot get the financing to purchase their own properties right now.

This type of real estate investing is a great way to make money while helping out your fellow man and there are many other benefits to this type of arrangement as well. First of all, renters have no stake in a property. For this reason you will often find that renters have little regard for damage done to the property beyond how it affects their security deposit. Those who have hopes of someday owning the property however are much more inclined to take great care of the interior and exterior of the home they are renting. This means that chances are good that the value of the property will actually improve during their tenure whether they ultimately decide to purchase or not.

This also benefits you because these properties are often in high demand and will fill up more quickly then the average rental property should the sale of the house fall through for whatever reason. Common reasons for sales falling through are work related transfers, divorces, and an inability to get financing even with the money escrowed to go towards a down payment. The good news is that even if the sale falls through you can try again and the house isn't likely to sit empty for very long.

The benefits to those leasing from you are many. First of all, you will be putting a predetermined and agreed upon sum of each months rent towards their down payment at the end of the (again) previously agreed upon amount of time. This allows them to save the money for the down payment without really consciously thinking about it each month. This agreement also allows them a little more leeway for making improvements, painting to taste, and decorating than your typical rental home.

Another big benefit to those leasing to own is that it gives them a certain amount of time, typically two years, to get their affairs in order and work on improving credit, saving money, and taking other positive steps towards their dreams of home ownership. They also get the opportunity to see how they like living in the home in question. Many homeowners would love to have had a two-year trial on their homes before making the final commitment. They have an opportunity to learn about many of their neighbors, the local schools, the local commute, shopping, and entertainment among other things. These things are all great knowledge for those leasing to see and enjoy first hand before making the absolute commitment to purchase the property. It also happens to keep money filling your pockets month after month with excess paid to go to the down payment reverting to you if after two years (or the agreed upon time frame) they decide not to make the purchase.

Some have a difficult time making the decision to go the lease to own route when it comes to real estate investing. They feel, for whatever reason that it is taking advantage of some people and that is something you'll have to wrestle with on your own. Truthfully speaking it is a service that many people wish was offered much more often than it is and can be a huge help to those who are experiencing a bit of a rough patch but otherwise have always been on time with payments and are, at the core, good people who deserve a break. You can quell the feelings of taking advantage by offering a fair price on an arrangement that has the potential to be mutually beneficial.

Monday, May 19, 2008

What Catechism To Ask Back Renting An Apartment

When you are attractive at apartments, there are some questions to as back renting an apartment. You charge to apperceive if the locks are changed. Not all acreage managers change the locks and calculation on antecedent owners axis in all the keys. You ability appetite to ask for the locks to be changed, or ask if you can change them. This will assure you in the approaching if there are any added keys unaccounted for by the acreage owner.

Another catechism to ask back renting an accommodation is about the account bills. You appetite to acquisition out the account bill and if there is a account plan, you can be on to advance out aerial bills during the winter months. Best acreage owners accept this information, but if they do not, you can alarm the account companies and they will acquaint the advice for that address.

When you anticipate about accession catechism to ask back renting an apartment, you ability balloon the accessible catechism about adroitness periods for backward rent. Some acreage owners accord you a five-day adroitness aeon to pay the rent, if you go accomplished this day, there may again be added accuse added on for backward fees. You charge to apperceive this in case it would anytime happen. If you are in amid paychecks, you ability appetite to save some money so you are consistently advanced a month.

The aftermost catechism to ask back an accommodation is if there are any smoke detectors in the architecture and are they alive properly. In addition, you charge to apperceive the blaze exits that are accessible to get out of the accommodation in the accident of a fire. This is actual important for anyone renting or affairs a home or apartment. You appetite to accomplish abiding there is a safe avenue in case the charge arises. Many bodies balloon this catechism back renting an accommodation or a house. You ability alike anticipate of some added questions from accomplished experiences. Ask all the questions you charge to accept answers for afore signing any charter to ensure your accord of mind.

Some added questions to ask that best bodies balloon about are the academy district, the adjacency reputation, if there is accessible busline adjacent and debris accumulating schedules. These are aloof some added questions that bodies balloon to ask. Accession actual important catechism would be about parking rules and regulations if you are activity to esplanade on the street. Many cities and towns that accept winter acclimate with snow and for added affidavit do not accept parking on streets afterwards a assertive time.

You will appetite to acquisition out this advice because, you may acquisition yourself in charge of a parking abode that ability be further abroad from your home. This could become an affair if you accept to airing a acceptable ambit backward at night by yourself. If you anticipate about it, any catechism is a acute catechism back renting an apartment. You appetite to accept article that can board you and not accept you board it.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Do You Need a Property Manager?

There are many decisions that you will need to make when investing in real estate. One of those decisions, for those handling rental properties is whether or not you need a property manager. Property managers have many uses and are a great idea for those who have many properties to handle and wish to have a life away from their real estate investing businesses. A property manager is your buffer between your tenants and your family.

The benefits of a good property management service are quite numerous. To begin with you will find that they eliminate the need for tenants to have your phone number. If you've dealt with rental properties before without the buffer of a property manager you are surely aware that it doesn't matter what time of night or the morning things go wrong, you are the first person your tenants call to fix those things. A property management service is able to handle many things for you while letting you sleep through the night. It's no small favor when you consider the multiples of tenants as you purchase more properties. A few late night phone calls and many rental property owners are almost ready to get out of the business of renting properties.

Property management services also often happen to have a qualified staff of maintenance people that can handle many of the things that go wrong with rental properties. The fee for these services may be included in your fees for the using the property management service in general or certain services may charge additional fees. Regardless your property manager or property management team is often the best source to find contractors to handle the repairs they cannot make for you as well as the repairs that they can. It's nice to know that you won't be getting up bleary eyed in the morning calling around for a plumber on the first exceptionally cold day of winter. Moreover it's nice to know that someone else can deal with some of the negative things about owning rental properties.

My personal favorite reason to seek the services of a property management service is that they are qualified to handle the legalities of taking care of tenants who cannot make the rent for months on end. This is after all a business and while you can relate to the circumstances that leave some people unable to pay their rent you need the income from their property in order to make your bills. It's much easier to leave some of the less pleasant tasks to someone else, especially if you are a softy for sob stories.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Renting A Beach House

When you are considering renting a beach house, you need to keep a few things in mind. The first thing to consider is the location in regards to weather. Will it be to cool during the summer months or will it be too cold during the winter. You should also find out if the beach is private or will there be other people walking by or using the beachfront. You need to find out if this is a long-term rental, or is the property owner just renting the beach house for the winter months. This makes a big difference if you are looking for a long term property or more in the ways of a short term rental.

Renting a beach house can be very rewarding, but you should look at all the positive and negative things that go along with renting a beach house. You should consider asking about guests, who stay longer than a week to make sure that this is not going to be a problem with the rent. The next thing to find out is what your responsibilities are for upkeep of the outside of the property. You may find that renting a beach house requires more work than what you are willing to provide.

If you live in an area where snow is prominent during the winter months, you have ask about snowplowing and then consider how you will get to work if you are not plowed out in time. Most beach houses are on narrow roads that require private plowing. This can become costly if the area receives large amounts of snow over the winter months. If are renting a beach house in an area that has no winter to speak of, you might have to consider different weather conditions.

Before renting a beach house, do some research on the area and the weather conditions before committing to the rent. You want to be completely satisfied with the beach house you choose to live in for a while. Ask as many questions as you can think about to make sure renting a beach house is right for you. You might even need to talk about the inside condition. Sand from the beach can steep into carpets and it is not easy to remove. Hardwood floors can become scratched and dull looking. You should always look at these areas for wear and damage.

Depending on the location of the beach house, you might need to check the outside for areas of wear from years of being near the beach. Renting a beach house might mean some repairs are going to be needed if the weather causes any damages. A beach house in an area where hurricanes are common might not be the ideal place to set up a home.

There may be sometimes where you will have to vacate the property and in most cases, leave your belonging behind. If you are sure about renting a beach house, inspect everything and ask for any repairs that might be needed.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Differences Between Renting Vs Buying A Home

Renting vs. buying a home is hard for most people to understand. If you rent a home, you will claim the monies paid for rent on your taxes for a credit. The top line may only be three hundred dollars or so depending on your state. If you own a home, you will claim the interest and taxes paid to receive a tax reduction. If you think about it this way, buying a home is always better. Nevertheless, you have to look at the bigger picture to decide if owning or renting is better suited for you. You might want to consider some of the following before making a decision.

If you think about renting vs. buying a home from the standpoint of repairs, you might find out that home repairs can be expensive. If you are renting, the property owner is responsible for repairs that are not caused by you. If you buy a house, you have to do repairs to the home as needed. This money will come out of your pocket. Renting vs. buying a home in this case, sounds like renting will probably suit you better if you do not have the time or the money for repairs.

When you are renting a home, you will want to have renters insurance, where as owning a home requires having homeowners insurance, which may cost a little more money a year. If you own a home, you have to pay property taxes, where as a renter will not. As one can see, there are many differences to owning a home and renting.

If you own your home, you can do what ever you want in the home and with the property. If you rent a home, you have to follow the requirements of the property owner. Renting vs. buying a home is much more exciting, because when you do remodeling work, you will enjoy the rewards for as long as you own the home. If you are renting, you have a slight chance of having to move and start over. Renting and owning a home is always a matter of choice.

When you weigh the options of buying a home or renting a home, you will find that it is hard decision. Some people have been known to rent with the option to buy. This requires a monthly rental payment with some extra monies tacked onto the monthly payment toward the down payment of the house. This one way some people who cannot afford a house payment save the down payment and are renting to own. You do have to be careful in these cases and define who is responsible for what and when.

Keep in mind, that just because you have paid a down payment over the years, does not mean a bank is going to approve you for a home mortgage. This would be a reason to terminate the agreement and if you do not have the proper paper work, you could lose that extra money.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Apartment Renting Checklist

Before you begin your search for an apartment, you need to make an apartment renting checklist. This list will be your guide to inspecting the premises, finding out your responsibilities and will help you decide if the apartment is right for you. Your checklist should include, premise condition, yard usage, parking information and utility costs. If you take the time to follow this apartment renting checklist you will have a better idea about whether the apartment is right for you or not.

The first section on your list should be the premise condition. This will include, wall conditions, bathroom conditions, kitchen conditions and appliance conditions if they are included. Take a good look at the flooring, carpets should be clean, wood floors should be free of deep scratches, or this should be noted on a lease report. Check the windows, to make sure they are sealed properly and are the newer or older windows. Older windows seem to be a little less energy efficient.

If you do find windows that are in need of repair because of drafts or deterioration, you should comment on this the property owner. In some cases, he or she may decide to replace the windows, but more so, they will probably have someone come in and fix the existing windows. If the glass is cracked, you will want this to be fixed as well. Note if there any storm windows as well what there condition is before finishing with the windows.

The next part of your apartment renting checklist should be the parking and yard conditions. You need to find out if you are entitled to a parking spot, were it is as well as what, if any, are your responsibilities for yard work and can you use the yard to entertain if you want. Sometimes upper flats do not have yard privileges unless specified in the lease agreement. This is always important to find out before signing any lease.

If you are renting an apartment with pets, you will be responsible to clean up after your pet. If the other apartment has a dog, you need to know what the expectations are for both of you as tenants. You will also need to know about garbage collection as well as who is responsible for taking the garbage to the curb or do both of you do your own.

If you decide to rent the apartment, you will want to take pictures or a video of the entire apartment and mail it to yourself and keep it sealed until you move out. This protects you and the property manager as well from any questions about the condition of the apartment and anything that is included with the apartment.

Mailing it to yourself and keeping it sealed, protects you any cases there are questions about the condition when you moved in and it will have a postmark saying when the tape or pictures were taken. This important step should not be forgotten about and needs to be done before you move into the apartment or house.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Commercial Real Estate Investing

The financial industry greats will be the first to tell you that real estate investing has the potential to bring in serious profits. They will also gleefully inform you that the risks in some cases far outweigh the potential, especially if they are among the more cautious investors in the industry. Those who have made their fortunes in real estate however will tell you that investing in real estate is worth every ounce of risk when you manage to work through the rough patches and find your way to real estate investing fortunes.

Commercial real estate is somewhat unique among real estate investment types. This is the type of real estate that requires a high investment to get into the game, much higher than most residential property and poses equally great risks depending on what you plan to do with your commercial real estate investment. Of course you will also find more than a few options for your commercial real estate investment that many investors find appealing.

Most investors find leasing office or building space to be the safest route to take when it comes to real estate investing is the path of leasing office space or warehouse space to businesses. They feel that this is a relatively steady source of income because most businesses prefer to keep their locations as long as possible. Smart business owners are well aware that customers, clients, and vendors need to be able to find them in order to do business with them and for this reason, prefer to keep their business in the same location whenever possible rather than reestablishing themselves in different locations year after year.

Commercial real estate investing is a bit of a different animal than traditional residential real estate that many of us are more familiar or comfortable with. You will need to do a lot of research before jumping in with both feet with this particular sort of real estate investment. Commercial real estate investments can take on many forms. From strip malls and outright shopping malls to business and industrial complexes to sky scrapers and high rise condos you will find all manner of commercial real estate interests. Whether your interests lie in business or personal types of commercial real estate there are significant profits that stand to be made.

Unfortunately, beginners often find the path to commercial real estate investing laden with thorns. You will need a massive contribution to fund your commercial real estate pursuits and it is probably best if you can find a group of investors in order to share some of the risks. Real estate, in and of itself, is a high-risk venture. Commercial real estate bears a little more of the risks in the beginning however once you're established and people, particularly investors, know your name you will find that path to real estate wealth is much easier obtained through commercial real estate, if you play your cards right than many other types of real estate investing.

To create even bigger profits it is often best to work as part of a team of investors when it comes to commercial real estate investing. Not only does this approach spread out the risks to some degree but also helps find the good buys, spreads the labor pool, creates an environment of ideas, and allows you to bounce those ideas off one another seeking temperance and enthusiasm for members of your investment group in like measures. It is a great idea for those who are looking to build a prosperous future in the field of commercial real estate investing and can be extremely profitable for all involved.

Commercial real estate investing can be extremely intimidating if you allow it to be. Avoid putting yourself in a situation where you feel out of control or completely uncomfortable for your first commercial real estate investment but if you have the means, the price is right, the deal appears to be solid, and you feel you are ready for the challenge, commercial real estate profits can be a serious motivation.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Things To Consider When Renting With Pets

When you are looking for a place to rent and you have a dog or a cat, you may find the apartments available are few and in between. Many property owners today do not want to rent their properties to owners of pets. The reason is because of bad experiences in the past, or they do not like pets. If this is the situation, you may have a hard time finding a place where your pets will be welcomed. If you do find a place that will allow renting with pets, you may have to pay an extra pet deposit or even a higher monthly rent.

If you are renting with pets, and decide after a while, you do not want pets anymore, you want to have a clause in your rental agreement that will lower the rent if you are paying extra or that the property owner can inspect the place and return your pet deposit. The property owner and you as the renter should agree to this prior to signing the rental agreement. You do not want to have monies held for a pet you do no longer have in the apartment or house.

Renting with pets is sometimes the hardest thing to accomplish. You may find that places that allow pets are not as nice as a place that does not allow pets. You should always look at many places rather than just a few before making a decision. Another issue with renting with pets is that you may find the apartment or house that previously had pets, attracts bad behavior from your pets. There is one sure way to find out if there are pet urines spots that could attract your pets to follow suit.

Property owners can do this before returning pet deposits as well. Take a black light and go over carpets, walls and hardwood flooring to see if there is evidence of pet urine. This works well for finding out if there could be potential problems with your pets. If you do find areas with urine, you should point these out to the property owner before your pet enters the rental unit.

You are going to find that most property owners will not accept pets. There are some however, that do but you need to know how to present your pet. If you have a dog, it is a good idea to explain the age, how long you have had the dog and if it has any behavior problems. Property owners also look at the type of dog you have because many homeowner insurance policies will not provide insurance if you have a certain breed of dog. This will be a deciding fact for property owners even if they allow pets.

If you have a fish aquarium or a small rodent such as a hamster, it may not be a problem with a property owner. You just have to learn how to present your pet in a way that is flattering and not negative.

Monday, April 21, 2008

When Selling A Property, Who Is Responsible For The Property Taxes

When you are selling a property and it is in the middle of a property tax year, the seller is responsible for the property taxes up to the day of closing after which time the remaining tax is due by the buyer. Now some people are very unaware of this fact when they close on a property and usually find out at the closing. The seller will bring a check along for their part of the taxes and the seller's mortgage company receives the check, which is deposited in the buyer's escrow account. This however is only one option presented for coving split property taxes.

Many times the seller's mortgage company will keep the funds and send it directly to the property tax office at the appropriate time of year. This rare of course, but has been done in the past. It all depends on the new mortgage company for the buyer and the mortgage company for the seller. The proper way many believe is to give the monies to the buyer's mortgage lender and have them send the check to the property tax office by passing the intermediary, which is the buyer. This ensures the buyer's mortgage lender that the money is indeed going for the property taxes.

You might wonder how they divide up property taxes and for a year. The mortgage lender of the seller will take the total property taxes owed from the past year and divide this by twelve months. After finding a monthly amount owed every month, they then will divide the number of days in the month of the closing that the buyer had the property in their name by the monthly amount. This will give a prorated property tax amount owed by the seller. The same is done to calculate the remainder of the months for the buyer.

Who Receives The Lottery Credit If There Is One

The lottery credit is usually awarded to the buyer. If the lottery credit is smaller than the previous year, you may have to add some money to your escrow account to pay the property taxes. If the lottery credit is smaller, you may see a small refund coming your way. This amount however is never very much, it could be as high as fifty dollars or as low as five dollars that you would owe or receive a refund for unless there are other circumstances you are unaware of with the taxes.

You never have to worry about the property taxes when a property change takes place, the mortgage lenders would not allow the seller to forget about their share. There are officers of the mortgage company that have special jobs and one is the property tax issues and insurance as well.

Your first year of property taxes is always your best, it can change after that, especially if they raise your taxes after a sale of the property and you are not escrowing enough money to cover the raise. Your mortgage company made alter your monthly payment to cover this issue.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

5 Sneaky Ways To Lower Your Property Tax

Many property owners do not want the city assessor to come into the interior of their building. If you have done extensive work, well, then okay, you have a reason. If you have done no repairs and feel the interior of the property is a bit to be desired, you may wish to invite the assessor inside. Make sure you are available to walk around your property with the assessor and point out the bowed walls because the roof needs to be replaced. Point out the unleveled floor because the property has shifted a bit over the years and probably needs some support beams. Point out some good things as well, never dwell on just the bad points. This might help to lower your assessment, thus lower your property tax liability.

Look at your tax card at the county assessor's office. You might find some interesting things about the assessment of your property. In a home, the assessor may include a room as a bedroom, but in all reality, you cannot fit a bed in the room. You can also see if they note any improvements or structure damages. If you see any information on the tax card that does not appear correct, talk to the assessor and have the corrections made. This is going to help lower your property tax liability as well.

If you think an in ground pool will benefit the family or a deck for fry outs, or maybe even a larger garage, you might think twice. Any permanent structure that you place on your property will increase your property tax liability. You might consider a nice above ground pool, a backyard barbeque area and forget about the larger garage. This will help keep your assessment value lower, this is a big plus to lower your property tax liability when the assessor comes knocking.

The next way to lower your property tax liability is to keep your decorating ideas at a minimum. Although assessors do follow a set of guidelines for assessing your property, something that looks like a splendidly elegant property will play a role in the assessment. You may find yourself with a higher assessment than a property similar because your property is elegantly decorated. You can decorate, but when the assessor comes to inspect and judge the property, you might not want to impress him or her.

The next thing you can do is know the neighborhood. Sometimes viewing similar properties just like your property may show you some inaccuracies as far as assessed values. Sometimes mistakes are made and you can point this out to the assessor. If you find a property exactly like your property, except it has a larger garage, newer windows, a shed or even a deck and it is valued lower than your property which has none of these things, you might consider calling this to the assessor's attention. They can and do make entry mistakes as well as observation mistakes. You need to do some checking and thinking before the assessor comes to visit your property.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Commercial Real Estate Investing

The financial industry greats will be the first to tell you that real estate investing has the potential to bring in serious profits. They will also gleefully inform you that the risks in some cases far outweigh the potential, especially if they are among the more cautious investors in the industry. Those who have made their fortunes in real estate however will tell you that investing in real estate is worth every ounce of risk when you manage to work through the rough patches and find your way to real estate investing fortunes.

Commercial real estate is somewhat unique among real estate investment types. This is the type of real estate that requires a high investment to get into the game, much higher than most residential property and poses equally great risks depending on what you plan to do with your commercial real estate investment. Of course you will also find more than a few options for your commercial real estate investment that many investors find appealing.

Most investors find leasing office or building space to be the safest route to take when it comes to real estate investing is the path of leasing office space or warehouse space to businesses. They feel that this is a relatively steady source of income because most businesses prefer to keep their locations as long as possible. Smart business owners are well aware that customers, clients, and vendors need to be able to find them in order to do business with them and for this reason, prefer to keep their business in the same location whenever possible rather than reestablishing themselves in different locations year after year.

Commercial real estate investing is a bit of a different animal than traditional residential real estate that many of us are more familiar or comfortable with. You will need to do a lot of research before jumping in with both feet with this particular sort of real estate investment. Commercial real estate investments can take on many forms. From strip malls and outright shopping malls to business and industrial complexes to sky scrapers and high rise condos you will find all manner of commercial real estate interests. Whether your interests lie in business or personal types of commercial real estate there are significant profits that stand to be made.

Unfortunately, beginners often find the path to commercial real estate investing laden with thorns. You will need a massive contribution to fund your commercial real estate pursuits and it is probably best if you can find a group of investors in order to share some of the risks. Real estate, in and of itself, is a high-risk venture. Commercial real estate bears a little more of the risks in the beginning however once you're established and people, particularly investors, know your name you will find that path to real estate wealth is much easier obtained through commercial real estate, if you play your cards right than many other types of real estate investing.

To create even bigger profits it is often best to work as part of a team of investors when it comes to commercial real estate investing. Not only does this approach spread out the risks to some degree but also helps find the good buys, spreads the labor pool, creates an environment of ideas, and allows you to bounce those ideas off one another seeking temperance and enthusiasm for members of your investment group in like measures. It is a great idea for those who are looking to build a prosperous future in the field of commercial real estate investing and can be extremely profitable for all involved.

Commercial real estate investing can be extremely intimidating if you allow it to be. Avoid putting yourself in a situation where you feel out of control or completely uncomfortable for your first commercial real estate investment but if you have the means, the price is right, the deal appears to be solid, and you feel you are ready for the challenge, commercial real estate profits can be a serious motivation.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Apartment Renting Checklist

Before you begin your search for an apartment, you need to make an apartment renting checklist. This list will be your guide to inspecting the premises, finding out your responsibilities and will help you decide if the apartment is right for you. Your checklist should include, premise condition, yard usage, parking information and utility costs. If you take the time to follow this apartment renting checklist you will have a better idea about whether the apartment is right for you or not.

The first section on your list should be the premise condition. This will include, wall conditions, bathroom conditions, kitchen conditions and appliance conditions if they are included. Take a good look at the flooring, carpets should be clean, wood floors should be free of deep scratches, or this should be noted on a lease report. Check the windows, to make sure they are sealed properly and are the newer or older windows. Older windows seem to be a little less energy efficient.

If you do find windows that are in need of repair because of drafts or deterioration, you should comment on this the property owner. In some cases, he or she may decide to replace the windows, but more so, they will probably have someone come in and fix the existing windows. If the glass is cracked, you will want this to be fixed as well. Note if there any storm windows as well what there condition is before finishing with the windows.

The next part of your apartment renting checklist should be the parking and yard conditions. You need to find out if you are entitled to a parking spot, were it is as well as what, if any, are your responsibilities for yard work and can you use the yard to entertain if you want. Sometimes upper flats do not have yard privileges unless specified in the lease agreement. This is always important to find out before signing any lease.

If you are renting an apartment with pets, you will be responsible to clean up after your pet. If the other apartment has a dog, you need to know what the expectations are for both of you as tenants. You will also need to know about garbage collection as well as who is responsible for taking the garbage to the curb or do both of you do your own.

If you decide to rent the apartment, you will want to take pictures or a video of the entire apartment and mail it to yourself and keep it sealed until you move out. This protects you and the property manager as well from any questions about the condition of the apartment and anything that is included with the apartment.

Mailing it to yourself and keeping it sealed, protects you any cases there are questions about the condition when you moved in and it will have a postmark saying when the tape or pictures were taken. This important step should not be forgotten about and needs to be done before you move into the apartment or house.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Beginners Guide to Flipping Houses

Flipping houses is becoming big business in the world of real estate investment. Unfortunately it takes all kinds of 'flippers' to make the world go around and some of them aren't nearly as conscientious as others. If you are going to get into the business of flipping houses and want to make a living, and build a good reputation, for producing quality results you need to see to a few details throughout the process.

1) Do what needs to be done. Don't cut corners and create situations that will put the family that purchases your home in personal or financial risk. You want to create a safe home for the family or person that ultimately makes the purchase. You do not accomplish this by taking shortcuts and using shoddy workmanship.
2) Avoid spending money that doesn't need to be spent. By this I mean don't spend money creating more work. Many people do this by deciding to tackle additions, rip out walls, or changing floor plans. These kinds of changes are best left to the buyer unless they will significantly improve the asking price you can bring in on the house. Otherwise spend the bulk of your money in kitchens and baths where they are best known for bringing in bigger profits.
3) If it ain't broke don't fix it. There is a lot of wisdom in this age-old saying. There is no reason to go in and fix something that doesn't need to be fixed unless doing so will improve the value of the house to its buyers.
4) Always work within a budget. Most people set a budget when planning to flip houses but very few manage to work within that budget. This is the difference in making the profits you anticipated and putting the entire project at risk.
5) Create a home that the buyer will want to live in not the home that you will want to live in. You should never flip a house or design a flip according to your tastes; it is a recipe for disasters in more ways than one. First of all, it is unlikely that buyers will be able to afford it. Second, it sets you up for hurt feelings if a potential buyer rejects any small details. Third, it often raises the price you must seek for the property in order to cover the increased costs of decorating and designing according to your taste. Finally, it often leads to unnecessary expenses, which defeats the purpose of a quick flip type of project.
6) Time is money. Remember this in all things. The more time it takes to do the flip the more money it's going to cost and the less money you are going to make. Plan small changes that have a big impact and can be done quickly to get the most out of your flip.
7) Never attempt a champagne flip unless you have a champagne budget to back it up. Just as flipping above the market is an unwise move it is equally unwise to flip a property beneath your target market as well. Do not attempt to flip a house in an upscale neighborhood if you can't manage the upscale building supplies and appliances that will be needed in order to make it a success.

While these aren't guarantees for success they are solid advice that will minimize the risks you face when flipping properties.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Some Tips For Avoid House Flipping

When it comes to authoritative money in the business of flipping houses and added absolute acreage investments you will acquisition all kinds of do's and don'ts forth the way. The accuracy of the amount is that these are acutely advantageous whether this is your aboriginal abode cast or you accept been flipping houses for years. In actuality you ability aloof acquisition that you can apprentice article new on break by account lists such as this alike if you've been flipping houses for years and accept abounding acknowledged flips beneath your belt.

1) Don't balloon to analysis out the adjacency afore you buy. You will appetite to accomplish abiding that the acreage you are because is a acceptable fit for the neighborhood. You should additionally booty the time to accomplish abiding that the plan you accept in apperception for the acreage will bout able-bodied with the added adjacency association in adjustment to agreement a quicker sale.

2) Don't draft your account after aloof cause. Your account is what you acclimated to actuate whether or not the abode would be a assisting venture. If you draft your account and cannot balance the added money you've spent in the affairs amount on the abode you will accept actively cut into your profits if not alone them all together. The ambition in acreage flipping is to get in and out bound and absorb as little money as accessible in adjustment to accomplish as abundant money as possible.

3) Don't balloon to set circadian goals and authority yourself answerable to those goals. If you don't ability your goals for the day it can set the absolute activity aback by as abundant as a ages depending on the goals and what has to be rearranged as a result. Stick to your timeline and your circadian agenda in adjustment to abstain potentially cher delays in time and money.

4) Don't carelessness the exterior. Curb address is what brings buyers into the property. If you absorb all your money, time, and accomplishment authoritative improvements to the exoteric of the home you will accept little larboard to accomplish the alfresco ambrosial to abeyant buyers. A homebuyer is in the bazaar for the absolute package. A home that looks run bottomward on the alfresco leaves the consequence of actuality alone on the central and abounding abeyant buyers will never airing central if the alfresco looks forlorn.

5) Don't absorb money you don't charge to spend. While it would be abundant to put in granite countertops and gourmet kitchens into every home it isn't consistently applied and this is generally money that will not be recovered, decidedly in homes that are in bordering neighborhoods. If you appetite to get the best for your money abstain cher costs that aren't absolutely all-important for the acknowledged achievement of the flip. Resurface bath accessories rather than replacing them if accessible and use new chiffonier doors or accouterments rather than abacus new cabinets all calm to cut bottomward on expenses. In added words, deliver what you can, fix what needs to be fixed, and add a few corrective touches afore affective on.

The bazaar for absolute acreage is a actual arbitrary market. Abstain risking too abundant time and money on a acreage that isn't activity to balance those added touches and expenses. Instead authority assimilate those account for college end flips already you accept a few acknowledged flips beneath your belt.