Archive for April, 2007

how to find real estate properties and houses for sale

Monday, April 30th, 2007

How To Find Real Estate Properties And Houses For Sale

Writen by Steven Jonas

First of all, if you know where you want to live, then go there. Whether it’s a new city or a new neighborhood, taking a drive through your future abode can open up plenty of possibilities.

When it comes to purchasing a home, the choices available can be a little overwhelming. With the onslaught of the internet, it seems there are thousands of ways to locate that perfect home, and a new buyer might be a confused about where to start. There are a few good ways to narrow the selection.

Realtors and independent home sellers still rely very much on the For Sale sign in the front lawn, and there’s no substitute for real curb appeal. This technique has the huge benefit of allowing you to see the properties in person and know immediately if they are worth pursuing. However, it’s rather unusual for prices to be listed on For Sale signs outside houses, so try to stick to areas that you know are in your price range. Make sure to bring a camera and a pad of paper, so you can take pictures and write down phone numbers and addresses for future reference. You might end up making an awful lot of phone calls, but it can be worth it.

While you’re in your new potential city or neighborhood, pick up the local paper. The classified ads are still the time honored way to get a house onto the market and you’ll find no shortage of listings. Prepare yourself to make some more phone calls and do some more driving. We didn’t say this would be a quick process!

Then again, it can be. For those in a time crunch, there are many ways to find houses for sale that don’t involve legwork. Many websites offer specialized house searches, which charge a small fee and do the ad scanning for you, sending you information on properties that meet your criteria. There are also several companies in your local yellow pages which offer this same service. For those who need to move quickly or don’t have the resources to hunt, these services can be lifesavers!

Finally, whether you’re in a hurry or just browsing, talk to local real estate agents. They’ll be able to give you information on what properties they are personally representing, as well as a feel for how prices are running in various parts of town. Keep in mind that agents make money selling houses, not explaining markets, so they won’t be able to offer you specialized help unless you’re purchasing from them. But if nothing else, their information may be able to point you in the right direction.

House hunting is an exciting process no matter how you do it, and there’s no right or wrong way to begin. When it’s time to go, weigh your priorities and choose your weapon, whether it’s a pad of paper and a pen or the World Wide Web. The right property is out there somewhere. The secret is to have fun finding it!

Steven Jonas, Real Estate Agent from the official Real Estate Property website. Visit the Real Estate Finder website.

the real estate corner saving more than money

Monday, April 30th, 2007

The Real Estate Corner: Saving More Than Money!

Writen by Kendall Matthews

Forget about tree hugging - the high cost of energy is making environmentalists out of everyone! Homebuilders and homeowners are no exception, and it’s anticipated that by 2010, about ten percent of all new homes will be “green.”

The biggest challenge to green building has been the misconception that it costs more to construct such a home. But if you do the math over the long run, the money saved will far outpace the money invested.

Consider that environmentally sound design actually uses less construction materials, and you can see that green buildings may indeed cost less to build than more traditional methods. Buckminster Fuller developed the idea of dome buildings decades ago, and builders are now capitalizing on the fact that a “dome home” might use only a third or even a quarter of the materials needed to construct a traditional house.

Aside from using less materials, the materials being chosen these days are also more durable than those used in the past. That translates into lower repair and replacement costs. Sounding better and better, isn’t it?

Finally, environmentally and financially friendly design manifests itself outside of the home, where dry landscaping (xeriscaping) helps to conserve water. “Green” homes also save water with fixtures like low flush toilets, low flow showerheads, and water recycling systems built right in. It’s good for you, your wallet, and your planet!

To learn How Entrepreneurs Can Use Mortgages To Fix Their Cash Flows, Take Full Advantage of the Tax Code, & Get Cash To Invest visit http://www.BeYourOwnBank.info

Understand how I help doctors, business owners, professionals, and investors MAXIMIZE THEIR WEALTH through APARTMENT INVESTING and Income Properties and KEEP IT SAFE by using mortgages and investment insurance MORE EFFECTIVELY! at http://www.KendallMatthews.com

how to sell your house for full price

Monday, April 30th, 2007

How to Sell Your House For Full Price

Writen by Caterina Christakos

Many people believe that a real estate broker is needed to sell their house. So they post it with a broker who may or may not sell it and if they do charge exorbitant fees. One would think that that commission would inspire to work harder for you. In some cases it does. In many others though, we have heard of houses sitting on the market for over a year with the realtor only showing it once.

The next option that you have is to sell it yourself. But how? Is placing a sign on your front lawn enough or do you have to spend thousands in advertising? There is actually a way to get the ads that you place and the sign on your lawn to have your phone ringing off the hook with excited buyers.

That way is owner financing. With the economy what it is, many individuals’ credit have dropped making it more difficult to get a bank loan. Many of them are good people who were laid off for a while or have had a sickness in the family. They are back on their feet and ready to buy a house but don’t have a ton of cash to put up front and the banks turn them down. This is where you come in. You are not just selling them a house. You are their problem solver. Instead of paying payments to the banks, you can arrange it so that you are the one who receives a monthly mortgage payment and the best part is you can demand top dollar.

Need cash now? Create a note giving you the legal right to these payments then sell that note for a lump sum to a note broker. A good note broker will even show you how to structure your note to receive top dollar for it.

About The Author

Caterina Christakos has worked with note brokers, mortgage brokers and realtors. She can help make your next home sale easy and commission free. For more information and a free course in the mail showing you exactly how to structure your notes for maximum payment email Caterina at CChrist896@aol.com

colorado real estate the top cities

Sunday, April 29th, 2007

Colorado Real Estate: The Top Cities

Writen by Drew Hodges

Lying at the foothills of the mighty Rocky Mountains, the state of Colorado with an average elevation of 6,800 feet is the state with the highest elevation in the United States. Its capital and largest city, Denver, is nicknamed “The Mile High City” because its official elevation, measured on the fifteenth step of the state capitol building’s west side, is one statute mile (5,280 feet or 1,609 meters) above sea level. Colorado Springs is the second largest city in Colorado, while Boulder and Fort Collins are two other hot spots.

The entire state offers landscapes of striking beauty with mountains and plateaus and is rich in gold, silver, and other minerals. Once primarily a mining and agricultural state, Colorado’s economy is even now driven by mining and energy industries, telecommunications, defense and other service industries. It is also a large employer of federal workers with many federal government offices located in Denver.

From a real estate point of view all four cities have been witnessing a developmental boom for several years now. While Denver has witnessed an explosion of development downtown in recent years with the Downtown Denver Partnership estimating that 13,760 residential units have been built in the city’s center since 1990, there is still a strong demand for high priced properties in the area with a spate of new projects coming up. Museum Residences and Art House Projects are two such developments designed and built by top notch architects. While Museum Residences is coming up next to the Denver Museum of Art, the Art House Project is coming up next to the Museum of Contemporary Art. Both projects have been designed to make “Home is Where the Art is”.

Colorado Springs on the other hand is going through a phase of urban renewal. The city has set up a Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority which has designated four areas as urban renewal sites since 2001: downtown’s southwest side; the City Auditorium block in the heart of downtown; the North Nevada Avenue corridor in the center of the city; and the Gold Hill Mesa property on the Springs’ west side. As a result there is now a development boom going on in the area and many new residential properties are coming up in a planned manner with good architecture and amenities.

In Boulder a change in demographics has triggered a similar real estate boom. Boulder County’s median family income has doubled over the past 13 years from $47,800 in 1992 to over $90,000 now. Similarly real estate values have also more than doubled during the same period - medians from around $122,000 in 1990 to over $300,000 now. The median rent has also shot up from $480 in 1990 to over $900 now. Boulder, therefore, is today a very hot real estate market.

In Fort Collins the emphasis is on second home and resort ventures. Demographically, Fort Collins is presently witnessing an increase in health worker and medical worker populations with many new health offices, medical centers and hospitals are coming up in the area. These workers, however, do not have very high median incomes, so homes in the lower end of the market will find more takers than up market, high value properties. So, from an investment point of view, Fort Collins is ideal for investment in second homes, resort ventures and homes for the middle class.

Colorado as a whole is on the upswing. In 2004, the state had the 10th highest job growth in the country, with a healthy chunk of that coming in the professional and business services sector. The bottom line is that Colorado has many job opportunities and is a pleasant place to live, which has led to an increasing number of people calling it home.

Drew Hodges recommends that you visit http://www.cohomefinder.com for more information on Colorado real estate.

buying spanish property the brain in spain is left mainly on the plane dont leave yours there

Sunday, April 29th, 2007

Buying Spanish Property The Brain In Spain is Left Mainly on the Plane Don’t Leave Yours There

Writen by Vince Barnes

Buying a Spanish home is no longer the domain of the rich or criminal fraternity. The popularity and proliferation of programmes and magazines extolling the virtues of Spanish lifestyle, coupled with the UK property boom in the early 2000’s and cheaper Spanish property prices means many people now have the means to buy a second home - something which, only a few years ago, was inconceivable.

Traditionally the older generation came to Spain to retire or live during the winter months. Now, though, the sands have shifted and many younger families are making a permanent move here, realising the great benefits to living in Spain, warmer climate, healthier living, better for bringing up children to name but a few.

Buying a property in your own Country is a complex and sometimes frustrating undertaking and, second to going through a divorce, is reckoned to be the most stressful thing you can go through. Add to that a different culture, language and process and what you have is a recipe for disaster.

Buying a home in Spain is no more risky than buying one in your own Country. Your investment is secure, there is likely to be a long term growing market and the process is straightforward, if not a little long winded. However there are some pitfalls which can cost you lots of money if you are not careful.

It is quite incredible but many people coming to Spain leave common sense behind, get carried away by the thrill of buying a new home in a new country and forget basics that they wouldn’t dream of at home. Such things as

1. using a solicitor

2. carrying out due diligence before buying a property

3. researching the area they are looking to live in, or the zone they are going to buy in

4. accepting what someone tells you as gospel

They then wonder why there are problems later or why the house they bought that was so idyllic and cheap is not acceptable because it is miles away from anywhere.

So how do you reduce the chances of mistakes and make the process as seamless as possible?

It is really very simple. Most of the things that can and do go wrong - do so because a lack of attention to detail or lack of knowledge on behalf of one of the parties. So the basic answer to this is two fold:

1. Arm yourself with knowledge.

Ask yourself this question. If you had

real estate market research

Sunday, April 29th, 2007

Real Estate Market Research

Writen by Steven Gillman

Start your real estate market research with the U.S. Census information about a town. You want to invest in a town that is growing, especially if you are investing in income properties. It’s getting easier to do this now, with all the information available online. Just go to the official U.S. Census site at www.census.gov.

If you call the chamber of commerce, or the local department of economic development, they may have a packet of statisics they can send you too, showing population figures, employment mix, and more. These are a couple of the statistical tools and information that can help, but one of the easiest and most useful research tools, is talking.

Real Estate Market Research Choosing a City

Talking is a great way to research a town. I once called the Chamber of Commerce of Deming, New Mexico. In the course of our conversation, the chairman casually commented that the city was using up the water faster than the aquifer was being replenished. I also learned that they had no back up plan. That was enough to cross Deming off our list.

When you want to know more about a town, use the phone. Use any excuse to call anyone from a real estate agent to a random resident. Ask questions about crime, whether the local government welcomes new businesses, what the climate is like. Are houses sitting for sale for a long time, or do they go fast? Where are the good and bad areas? What are the good and bad things about the town?

Prior to moving to Tucson, Arizona, part of our real estate market research was to call people in potential towns to see if they owned a snow shovel. If they did, we crossed the town off the list. Two different places can both get 25 inches of snow per year, but in one it stays all winter, and in another it melts before noon. Our snow shovel question told us the truth behind the statistics.

That was just a personal thing with us, of course, but talking to people can tell you much that is more directly related to investing. In fact, a good local bar can be a great place to do your research once you are in a town. Patrons will tell you what big employers are about to move in or out of the town, how fast homes are selling, whether there are gangs, and much more.

Ask which areas are improving, and which are getting worse. Listen for stories about noisy or animal infested areas. This kind of information is important, but hard to get from the raw data. Of course, people do sometimes exaggerate, so try to verify what you hear. Still, talking to people of can be a great way to do real estate market research.

Steve Gillman has invested in real estate for years. To learn more, get a free real estate investing course, and see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

real estate price your home right the aggressive bird gets the worm

Saturday, April 28th, 2007

Real Estate Price Your Home Right (The Aggressive Bird Gets The Worm)

Writen by Will Daly

For the last ten or eleven months we have experienced an unbelievable real estate market. I’m sure most everyone has read about the phenomenal appreciation that home and land sales have garnered. Prices are going up at an incredible rate. Few people, even real estate professionals, truly recognize how crazy it is.

A big part of my job is to research home values for folks who are considering selling their home. Because market conditions are so unusual I have had to abandon the traditional way of determining value and develop a “new math” for values. The old, traditional method just doesn’t hold up anymore and can cost sellers profit. My new process has resulted in my clients continually getting far and away more money than anyone else in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, most agents are still using the “old” system.

I recently came across a home that sold just a month ago for $35,000 over full price. As this was such a huge number I had to hear more so I called the agent to get the story. He explained to me that there had been no unusual concessions or extenuating circumstances. Rather, within hours of putting the home on the market he received four offers, one of which was for $35,000 over full price. He was not shocked by the disparity between asking price and sales price and was very proud of the job he had done. He further shared that he was mystified to have been accused by a neighboring home owner of selling the home for too little and hurting the neighboring home values. I agree with the neighbor. In my opinion that agent may have cost his client thousands of dollars. Why?

In this market no home should sell in hours or even days. If the agent truly has his clients’ best interest at heart the home should take at least two to three weeks to sell. Homes that sell quickly were not priced aggressively enough to begin with and money was left on the table; at the seller’s expense. Now I’m not suggesting that one prices himself out of the market. But we should all test the waters to see how high we can go. I recently listed a home which I thought would garner about $360,000 at the most. However, I used my new system and decided to start at $399,000. We got a lot of traffic but no offers right away. Instead I received five phone calls from Buyer agents asking me how the heck I could justify such a high price. We ultimately put a deal together for $380,000 and my clients were delighted. I truly believe that our aggressive position put $10,000 to 15,000 extra in their pockets. They have since referred me to several friends and a co worker.

Will Daly, a Realtor with RE/MAX Excalibur in Phoenix and owner of the marketing labels http://WeKnowUrban.com/, http://CondosPhx.com/, and http://WillDaly.com/, combines years of experience, a thorough understanding of current real estate markets, and cutting edge technology to provide his clients the best advice for proven results. He specializes in Loft and High Rise Development/Sales and Condo Conversions. You may reach him directly at (480) 510 8755 or by visiting one of his web sites.

fractional ownership vacation homes a smart investment

Saturday, April 28th, 2007

Fractional Ownership Vacation Homes A Smart Investment

Writen by Mark Goldberg

Fractional Ownership is something that has been around for years but has just now hit the investment real estate market ( i.e. vacation homes, townhouses, condos, etc). For years business men and women have been using the fractional ownership technique to purchase everything from private jets to expensive jewelry. Fractional ownership broken down basically means that you and a group of people (often times friends and family) pool your resources together to purchase an otherwise expensive product. This product is then split up evenly among the investors and each investor owns an equal fraction of the investment. With vacation homes that means that each investor has either one or two months to use the vacation home (the number of months depends on the number of the investors). Fractional ownership works very well for the family that wants a nice vacation home to call their own but doesn’t want to spend $400,000 dollars on a place they will only use a few weeks out of the year. If you are only planning on using the vacation home one month out of the year do you really want to pay the mortgage and upkeep costs the other 11 months of the year? Now if your anything like me a big alarm is going off in your head and your thinking that fractional ownership is nothing more then a fancy way of saying timeshare. Well it’s true that fractional ownership vacation homes do share some similarities don’t confuse the two as the same.

Here are some of the major differences between buying a fractional ownership vacation home vs. a timeshare:

1. Luxury Fractional Timeshares are much bigger and usually a lot nicer. Timeshares tend to be small cheap cookie cutter housing pawned off to unsuspecting tourists by pushy salespeople that don’t take no for an answer. Fractional ownership properties are very classy and are actually worth the combined total of the investment from each investor. This may sound a little confusing so I’ll break it down for you:

Timeshare:

25 investors (each investor buys 2 weeks) x $47,000 = $1,175,000 house

Usually these timeshares are valued well below $150,000

Fractional Ownership:

12 investors (each investor buys 1 month) x $50,000 = $600,000 house

Fractional ownership houses are valued around $550,000 600,000. In fact if you compare timeshare to fractionals you’ll notice that per week timeshares are more expensive for less room and lower class furnishings.

2. Global Exchange Global exchange gives you the option to exchange unused weeks at your fractional to vacation in multiple vacation spots around the world. Many timeshares offer this as well but the houses and amenities in times are typically much much lower then a fractional. If you’re going to a vacation in Greece do you really want to spend it in a cramped 500 sq ft studio apartment in the bad part of town?

3. Easier Financing Banks and lenders consider fractional ownership homes to be similar to a second home, so it’s usually easier to finance a fractional over a timeshare. Also, the rates are often time lower on a fractionals.

4. An Actual Investment Fractional ownership is an actual investment unlike a time share that plummets in price as soon as you sign the paper. If you go on Ebay right now you’ll see hundreds of people trying to sell their timeshares for a tiny fraction of what they paid for it just a few months prior. With fractional ownership the property value increases and so does your investment (especially if you invest in preconstruction fractional ownerships)

On average a family uses it’s vacation or second home about 28 days a year. This is why fractional ownership has started, it was created because their truly is a market for it. Fractional ownership opens a door for the thousands of investors that want a luxury vacation home but don’t want to pay hundreds of thousands for it.

For more information on Fractional Ownership vacation homes and housing visit our website: http://www.investrealestate101.com

Goldberg Executive Realty Group Mark Goldberg Phone: 1 866 247 2259 E mail: GoldbergRealtyGroup@cfl.rr.com http://www.investrealestate101.com

buying and selling distressed houses for maximum profit update

Saturday, April 28th, 2007

Buying and Selling Distressed Houses for Maximum Profit (Update)

Writen by Jeanette Joy Fisher

If you want to become a real estate investor, find a “fixer upper” owned by an anxious seller. Finding distressed houses at bargain prices, fixing them up, and then selling them on a consistent basis can make you a multi millionaire.

Why Sellers Sell At a Discount

Home owners’ problems often prevent them from staying on top of their home’s upkeep. Factors such as job loss, divorce, serious illness, various addictions, or other personal problems quickly overwhelm distressed home owners, forcing them to sell. These sellers can’t make the needed repairs because of financial or physical limitations, and when that happens, their home becomes a low priority and sometimes will go into foreclosure.

Look for the “Triple D”

Home sellers with three problems give beginning investors a great opportunity. A “Triple D” is a Doghouse, involved in a Divorce, and in Default. The label “doghouse” comes from Southern California Realtors who used this term to describe the worst fixers. These houses maybe “tired” and need only cosmetic work in order to favorably compare with other homes in the area.

What to Look for in a Doghouse

The hardest house for a homeowner to sell is a “doghouse,” “dump,” or “fixer upper.” These run down houses scare off most buyers, who don’t have the money to cover the down payment, closing costs, new furniture, carpeting, appliances, roof repairs, and other deferred maintenance required to bring the home back into top condition.

As you look through the classified ads or at Realtor listings, keep an eye out for terms like “handyman special,” “as is,” “fixer,” or other tell tale words. Also have your agent use similar terms when scanning the Multiple Listing Service for your target area.

Once you’ve found a property that you can turn from doghouse to dollhouse, find out the seller’s problem and then offer a solution. Distressed sellers frequently experience financial problems and need cash as soon as possible. Therefore, if you’re ready to close quickly, you’ll be set to negotiate a lower sales price.

How to Close Quickly

Find an experienced lender and get yourself not only “pre qualified,” but also “pre approved.” Taking that second step assures worried sellers that you already have your loan in place for their property, and this puts you well ahead of other potential buyers.

How to Know When “Bad” Is Good

When you first start out in the real estate “fixer” business, you’ll want to look for “ugly” houses needing only cosmetic work. Look for entry level fixers that just need some cleaning up, painting, and carpeting.

When you’re new to the fixer business, always remember your limitations and use caution when considering houses needing structural repairs. My husband replaces structural beams, sub flooring, walls, plumbing, and electrical systems, but he acquired those skills after years of experience.

If you find a house with structural problems, get estimates from reliable contractors to do the work. Experience teaches you how to do more over time. Until then, rely on experienced professionals to do the repairs. Take professional estimates into account before deciding whether or not to purchase an investment property.

The Easiest Houses to Sell

A dollhouse, located in a popular neighborhood, sells the quickest. For instance, we once sold a home we named “Orange Tree Cottage” in just three hours! To qualify as a dollhouse, a home must be in a location that buyers want and must offer the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and amenities they’re seeking. Beyond the price, however, buyers purchase the house that meets both their basic requirements and their emotional needs.

Filling Buyers’ Emotional Needs

After many years of investment experience, we’ve found that using Design Psychology and Marketing Psychology techniques greatly increases our profits. Both concepts go far beyond “curb appeal.”

For instance, we use colors that target our prospective buyer’s income level and match the selling season. Generally, buyers of higher priced homes prefer complex colors. And using cool colors during hot weather and warm colors in cold seasons makes buyers feel like they’ve found an oasis or sheltering haven.

We also paint the front door a happy color and entice buyers into the house by placing potted plants on the porch. Once inside, we use home staging strategies to create a buyers’ dream home. We don’t use a lot of furniture; just a few accessories to suggest happy activities. The idea is to make the buyers believe that if they buy your home, they’ll enjoy a new lifestyle.

Over the years, we’ve bought and sold dozens of distressed properties. By using caution and common sense, as well as following a few simple rules and using Design Psychology strategies, you, too, can become a wealthy real estate investor!

(c) Copyright 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars: Using Design Psychology to Increase Real Estate Profits, Sell Your Home for Top Dollar FAST, Home Staging, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, newsletters, and blogs for your questions, see http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com/

reit real estate for the elite

Friday, April 27th, 2007

REIT: Real Estate For The Elite

Writen by Luigi Frascati

While real estate syndicates are formed for a variety of reasons, the typical reason is to create a tax shelter. More specifically, the purpose of a Real Estate Investment Trusts or REIT is to reduce or eliminate corporate income taxes. In the United States, where they are generally more widespread as investment vehicles, REIT pay little or no federal income tax but are subject to a number of special requirements set forth in the Internal Revenue Code, one of which is the requirement to distribute annually at least 90 percent of their taxable income in the form of dividends to shareholders.

The first REIT was introduced in the United States in 1960. The vehicle was designed to facilitate investments in large scale income producing real estate by smaller investors. The US model was simple, enabling small investors to acquire equity interests in vehicles holding large scale commercial property. In order to ensure that REIT are widely held, they must have at least one hundred shareholders, no five or fewer individual shareholders can own more than 50 percent of the equity value of the REIT’s shares, and the REIT must be managed by one or more trustees or directors. At least 75 percent of the gross income of the vehicle must come from real estate related sources, and at least 95 percent of the REIT’s gross income must come from real estate related and other passive income sources.

To maintain competitiveness, many REIT have distributed in recent times among investors all or even more than their annualized earnings, often resulting in dividend yields comparable to bond yields. This is not, however, a practice that can be sustained for long even during times of appreciation of real capital assets and market values, much less when values are dropping. In fact, if an investment company such as a REIT distributes more than its taxable income, the excess distribution is considered “return of capital” for tax purposes, which is taxed to the individual investors as a capital transaction, rather than regular income. The end result is, therefore, that the distribution requirement may hamper a REIT’s ability to retain earnings and generate growth.

Because of this, the shift to privatization is driven by the realization that private buyers will pay more for the company than stock market investors will. In addition, rising costs of being publicly traded companies are another factor enticing REIT to pull out of the stock market. And finally, being private gives Real Estate Investment Trusts a freer hand to reach out for deals in an increasingly competitive market. The reason is that public companies find it very difficult to grow through acquisition, as investors invariably do not justify the risk of development alternatives. The combined power of reduced expenses, consolidated pools of capital and abating real property values are exactly the perfect recipe for making a kill in real estate - and they are doing it!

The inverse relationship between interest rates and prices of REIT’s shares plays a role as well. On average, it is safe to assume that interest rate increases are likely to be met by REIT’s price declines in the Stock Exchange, because increasing rates correspond to a slowdown in the economic growth and less demand. But out of the context of the frantic buy and sell of Wall Street, even slowdown in the market for single family houses can actually benefit REIT. This is so, because even though real property prices are in decline, it is still cheaper to rent than to own, especially during a period of rising interest rates. And REIT thrive on rentals. No city is a better environment for REIT to operate in than New York City, where some 70 percent of residents rent.

Bottom line is that the privatization trend has taken off this year, and that it is likely to continue for the next foreseeable future. For a list of the Top 100 US REIT, visit http://www.forbes.com
/2006/02/15/real estate REITS cz_sf_0215reits.html?partner=msn

Luigi Frascati

Luigi Frascati is a Real Estate Agent based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics and maintains a weblog entitled the Real Estate Chronicle at http://wwwrealestatechronicle.blogspot.com where you can find the full collection of his articles. Luigi is associated with the Sutton Group, the largest real estate organization in Canada, and is based with Sutton Centre Realty in Burnaby, BC.

Luigi is very proud to be an EzineArticles Platinum Expert Author. Your rating at the footer of this Article is very much appreciated. Thank you.