Listing Your Home For Sale - Do It Online

Writen by Raynor James

Do you know how many homebuyers use the Internet to find a home? You should if you want to sell your home in a reasonable amount of time. The answer is 71 percent.

Viva La Internet Revolution!

There has been a revolution over the last five years in the real estate industry. It is called the Internet. Long gone are the days of buyers wasting weekends driving around looking at homes. Now, they sit at their desks and view homes on the Internet. If your home isn’t on the net, there is a good chance a person interested in your home will never find it.

When listing your home for sale, you’ll be able to provide a bevy of information to potential buyers. Essentially, you’ll get to provide everything you would in a typical MLS listing such as bedrooms, bathrooms, garages, appliances, price, square footage, contact information and so on. There is, however, one major advantage to listing on an online real estate site compared to regular MLS listings - photographs.

The key to selling any piece of real estate is curb appeal. Curb appeal is simply the notion that the first view of a home is the key to making a sale. Using online sites, you can create curb appeal that will have a buyer running for the car keys.

Photographs are the key to making this happen. You should only list your home on sites that allow you to upload at least 10 photographs. The photographs should highlight the best aspects of the home as well as unique characteristics a buyer isn’t going to find anywhere else. Buyers drive to homes to get a first impression. They sit in their bathrobe, drink coffee and click away. A buyer who likes what he or she sees in your photographs is already half way to making an offer. If you don’t upload photographs, you are wasting your time listing your house anywhere.

The Internet revolution in the real estate industry is charging ahead at a full steam. Don’t get left behind!

Raynor James is with the FSBO site FSBOAmerica.org homes for sale by owner. Visit our home buying page to buy homes and read relocation articles.

Houses in Bulgaria are Plentiful

Writen by Surrinder Ahitan

If you are interested in houses in Bulgaria, you are entering a buyers’ market. At this point in time, there literally is a real estate boom within the country through which the market is flush with houses for sale in Bulgaria.

When it comes to houses in Bulgaria that are on the market at the present time, many people want to purchase property in an urban area. In this regard, when it comes to Bulgaria home sale options in the larger cities in the country, there are a number of viable options available to people on the hunt for houses in Bulgaria.

Over the course of the past decade, a number of the more historic, grand properties in cities in Bulgaria have been subjected to serious and significant renovation. As these splendid residences are being restored to their traditional splendor, they are also being updated with the latest and more modern accoutrements available today.

While the prices associated with these historic houses for sale in Bulgaria are climbing, a person interested in owning and renovating such a residence can obtain such a property for a reasonable price at the present time. However, a person looking towards a Bulgaria home sale featuring a notable historic property in a city needs to keep in mind that real estate experts predict the prices associated with these properties to sharply increase during the coming eighteen months.

The costs associated with all types of real estate properties in Bulgaria, included houses for sale in Bulgaria, are expected to climb dramatically as the country moves closer to full membership of the European Union.

Although many men and women are seeking these historic properties in the major cities within Bulgaria, some people are interested in historic houses for sale in Bulgaria for more commercial reasons. As an example, there are a growing number of people interested in historic houses in Bulgaria to be purchased and used as lodging for tourists. A number of these fine houses in Bulgaria are being converted into inns and “bed and breakfasts” for people who are spending time in the country on holiday.

Surrinder Ahitan’s website Bulgarian Property Advice.com provides detailed information and advice on the most lucrative areas to invest in Bulgaria. You will learn how to get around, get a flavor of the language, history, culture and more.

Everything A Real Estate Agent Doesn’t Want You To Know Part 1

Writen by Jim Hart

MONEY MATTERS

Are you planning on buying or selling a home? Maybe refinancing? Perhaps you’d just like to pick up a few tips on home buying, selling and mortgage borrowing if so you may want keep track of Money Matters in the months ahead as I will be giving out all kinds of tips and insights as we approach the home buying selling season. I will be discussing a wide variety of real estate and mortgage financing issues you should know (Things real estate agents don’t want you to know). Well, good agents won’t have a problem with you knowing this information but the part timers and less ethical operators would certainly prefer you not know what I am going to share with you!

You see, buying or selling a home is the largest investment of a lifetime for most people and it is a BIG business deala transaction composed people, emotions, contracts and cashall the ingredients for legal and financial pain if you don’t know what you are doing. Real estate agents earn a commission when a home is sold whether they are the listing agent, the selling agent or both. Real estate agents typically (and legally) represent sellers in a real estate transaction and not buyers. Yet, every day, homebuyers refer to the real estate agent as “my real estate agent”they are not your real estate agentthey are the home seller’s agent and agents have a legal duty to get the best selling price for the seller. Further, anything you tell them can and probably will be used against you to extract a higher selling price out of the deal. Sellers on the other hand are often manipulated into signing long term listing contracts for up to a year by an agent who will simply throw the listing into the multiple listing service (MLS) and hope another agent sells the property for them.

For agents, the name of the game is to get listing contractsa common slogan amongst real estate agents is: “if you don’t list, you don’t last”. Once an agent gets a listing contract from a home seller, they will get the bulk of the commission when the house is sold whether they sell it or another agent sells the home. Not many sellers know this fact and many are swooned into long term listing agreements with hopeful promise of selling their homes at the highest possible price only to find out they don’t. Agents will say and do most anything to get a listing contract shy of breaking the law. And the big question for home sellers is are you working with a part time or full time agent? What is their background in marketing and sales? Do you really want to sign a long term listing agreement with a part timer that has one toe in the tub and no business background? Were talking about a business deal right?

Whether you are buying a home or selling a home you should be clearly aware that you will enter into legally binding contracts and relying on mortgage lenders to provide financing for the project. The question then becomes; how much do you know about contract law and mortgage financing? What are the most important elements of a contract and how does that impact you as a buyer or seller? This series of articles is generally drawn from my E Report (101 Real Estate Tips for homebuyers, sellers and money borrowers). The report is designed as a crash course to provide you the information you need to know to protect your legal and financial interests whether you are a homebuyer or seller. This series of articles will touch upon the information you should know to keep from making blatantly stupid mistakes that could hurt you legally and financially and we’ll try to have some fun in the process

Which reminds me! If you would like to receive a FREE copy of my E Report: 101 Tips For Homebuyers, Sellers And Money Borrowers, go to smart Books website, send us an email and requesting a copy and we’ll send it to your email address within 24 hours absolutely free Another Ezine Articles Exclusive! Don’t forget to say you saw it at Ezine! Stay tuned!

Copyright © 2006 James W. Hart, IV All Rights reserved

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Greece: The Mediterranean Choice for Real Estate Investors

Writen by Rhiannon Williamson

The Greek real estate market is currently one of the most exciting in the Mediterranean region because it offers real estate investors the chance to build an entire and well diversified property portfolio within one country.

The wealth of opportunities available in Greece for the international property investor really became known after the Athens Olympics in 2004. The promotion of Athens and mainland Greece to the wider world not only promoted the appeal of the country for investors, it resulted in a massive influx of tourists particularly to the mainland throughout 2004 and 2005.

Now add these growing tourism numbers to the large volume of visitors who annually holiday on the Greek islands and the total level of interest in this Mediterranean country has surged which has created more demand for rental and resale accommodation.

In terms of the immediate opportunities available to real estate investors they include commercial and retail investment property in the main cities of Greece the majority of demand and the highest yielding assets are available in Athens tourism accommodation to let out along the Greek coastline and in every resort on every Greek island, retirement and second home demand in the main Greek resorts and of course residential accommodation to rent across Greece particularly in the main employment hotspots. And for those who seek emerging market opportunities there’s the Peloponnese region of Greece where property investment is just beginning to return attractive dividends.

Another underlying factor supporting the appeal of Greece currently is the fact that large swathes of the real estate sector are highly competitively priced - especially when you compare the country to another Mediterranean favourite, namely Spain - this means that an investor can get far more for their money in Greece than elsewhere on the Med and are therefore potentially buying into a market with healthy room for growth.

As there are very few restrictions placed on the foreign freehold ownership of property in Greece and the property buying process is very straightforward, more and more investors looking for portfolio diversification opportunities are examining the wealth of opportunity in Greece currently and therefore Greece is emerging as the Mediterranean choice for real estate investors in 2006.

Rhiannon Williamson writes about real estate investment around the world and has just published information about the property buying process in Greece on her site http://www.AmberLamb.com

The Advantages of Owning Your Own Home

Writen by Jan Wilhelm

You pull in the driveway and look with a sense of pride at your new home. What a wonderful feeling! You realize that thee are advantages of owning your own home.

When you rent, you are not always able to decorate the way you choose. Now you can get out the paint brush and paint to your heart’s delight. Some people argue that you should leave the walls a neutral color for resale purposes. Hey, you can always repaint later if you plan to sell the house. As for now, be adventurous! Here’s a great idea. Let the kids pick their own bedroom colors. A little pride in their territory might inspire them to pick up their clothes more often.maybe.

I can remember hesitating to hang pictures in apartments if the landlord was real picky. You don’t have to worry about that any longer. Hang pictures. Hang valances. Do whatever you like to beautify your home because it is yours.

Is there some small design problem in your new home? You don’t have to put up with it. You are in charge of the house. Go ahead and make that closet larger or add that patio. The sky is the limit. Personalize your house.

Work on the outside of your home (if you are so inclined). Increase its curb appeal. It gives you a sense of pride to know the neighbors turn their heads to look at your yard as they drive by. Not only that, but working on the yard can keep you in shape.

Next I want to mention one of the biggest advantages to owning a home. You will really appreciate it at Tax Time. It is a great tax advantage to have a mortgage. Before you buy, find the best mortgage deal. Then be sure to talk to your accountant about the tax advantages of owning a home.

A home is something to enjoy. It is your own space in this world. Make it comfortable. Make it yours. Enjoy it!

If you are thinking of buying a home please check out http://www.findthebesthome.net This is a lot of information to help you get the best deal. Also links to other sites which will help you. Jan Wilhelm also invites you to visit http://www.profitsr4u.com and http://www.fitness health exercise.com

Foreclosure Investing and Structuring Deals with Private Investors

Writen by Paul Wells

As a foreclosure investor, you’ll want to find private investors and structure deals with them. So you might ask yourself, “How much money do I offer my private investors?” That’s easy: if it’s a new relationship, make sure it’s attractive enough that they are going to say yes! In this article, I explain how to successfully work with private investors.

There is no set amount that private investors expect to make on deals with real estate investors. Some private investors would like to lend you money at 10 12% interest per year. Others may want a percentage of the profits. They all have different expectations. Your job is to understand what they want in exchange for lending you their money.

The terms of private money can be anywhere from one month to whatever deal you need to strike. As long as the investor is getting paid the interest rate that you’ve promised them they’re probably not going to pressure you to give them back their money before the agreed upon date as long as it remains secured.

The more private investors you have at your disposal the less your money is going to cost you. And as you continue to have successful transactions with your private investors, their trust in you will go up and they’ll be more likely to lend you additional funds.

With our private investors we let our interest accumulate. For example, we borrow $100,000 at 12% per year, or $1000 per month in interest only payments. Let’s say it takes 6 months to close the transaction; we will not pay them $1000 a month for six months. We will pay them $6,000 at the end of 6 months, plus their principal back. Most real estate investors will only do interest only loans. They will not reduce the principal as the deal goes on like a bank would.

What you need to do when working with private investors is find someone who understands return on investment. If they don’t know a lot about the real estate business and return on investment it will be your job to educate them with statistics on the real estate industry that show them that investing in real estate through you is a good risk.

These days many investors are scared of the stock market and are looking for alternatives and most investors are looking for something solid. Explain to your potential investors that real estate is a solid investment that is secured by a Deed of Trust.

Here’s my secret for keeping my private investors happy: when I do a good deal with my investor’s money, I reward them with bonuses. If I make a substantial amount of money, let’s say $35,000, I might reward my investor with a $5,000 bonus check. Why? Because I like 12% money with no points. I want to keep my investors happy. It needs to be a win win situation for everybody.

Continue to seek out private investors in your foreclosure investing business. It can be hard but very rewarding.

About the Author

Paul Wells has been investing in foreclosures full time for more than 5 years. For more foreclosure investing secrets like the one in this article, subscribe to Paul’s Free Foreclosure Investing course here: http://www.FreeForeclosureInvesting.com

Tips on Decorating Your House to Sell

Writen by Kathleen Yamauchi

When potential buyers step into your house, they want to see a clean, neat and attractively decorated house. What they DON”T want to see is something so overly decorated they can’t imagine their own furniture and possessions in the house. Plus, too many shelves and tables with knickknacks, too many overstuffed sofas piled with pillows can hide the architectural and structural features of a home.

Here are a few tips on keeping a minimalist approach to your home decorating.

Flip That House Style Real Estate Investing

Writen by David Neese

I love those TV rehabbing shows like Flip That House. On the show people buy a house needing to be seriously updated and repaired. Usually the kitchen is heavily upgraded with new cabinets, cutting edge appliances, new countertops and more. The bathrooms are completely redone with new tile, tubs, showers, sinks and more. The living rooms and other areas usually have walls taken out to open up the floor plan and usually carpet is replaced with some type of hardwood flooring. It’s realistic to do what they show in a high dollar housing market like California to make the huge profits they usually get on that show. In a lower priced market like Memphis, TN rehabbers are looking to make $20 30,000 per house minimum. In California and on that show they are looking for $50,000 150,000 per house. That’s because homes are so much more expensive in California where the show is produced.

In a market like Memphis many of the same upgrades are done but maybe skipping the granite countertops and some other high end upgrades. In any market you are going to repaint and redo the floors. The areas to spend the most money to upgrade are the kitchen and the bathrooms. A great value add that sometimes adds tremendously to the value of the home is if you can add a 2nd bathroom to a home with only one bathroom. While this will probably cost in the $10,000 range to do, it could increase the value of the home by $20,000 40,000 and significantly add to your profit potential.

To do deals like this you need to go through several steps. First of all you have to get set up with a hard money lender as you cannot get a normal mortgage on a house in disrepair. You need to see what homes are listed for in your area and figure that when you fix it up you want it to be nicer and cheaper than all other equivalent homes on the market for that neighborhood. Working backwards from the price you could sell at to undercut the market, take out the repair costs and pad it by at least 50% for unforeseen costs(always there) and then subtract your expected profit and holding costs(interest), realtor fees(if you use), advertising and more. If you can still make at least $20k it should be worth doing.

Managing your contractors is a very important part of this whole process. Ask other investors who they know and trust to come in and do your work. Require the work to be done on time and put penalties in the contract for late completion. Don’t pay for the work up front, but agree to pay them a part like 25% as each 25% of the work is completed.

One thing important to understand about these types of deals is that they aren’t super quick money. Typically the work will take a couple of months and then it will usually take a month or two to find a buyer. Hard money lenders typically loan money for 6 months as this time frame usually is sufficient to sell the fixed up home.

Homes like these may be homes the sellers can’t afford to fix up or simply don’t want to fix. In real estate listings these may say things like handyman special. Foreclosure homes and bank real estate owned(REO) listings are generally good candidates. Mailing to out of state landlords can produce some homes that are good as rental homes typically need updating as they aren’t set up to sell retail.

David Neese is a real estate investing author who offers a free course for real estate investors delivered by email, audio and teleseminar which you can get for free at: http://www.FreeRealEstateInvestingCourses.com You can find more information about David at http://www.DigitalSuccessCoach.com