Real Estate Network

Archive for August, 2011

  If you are selling your house, it may affect how fast your house sells or how much it sells for; if you are a buyer, it could impact how much you end up spending on your home, or even whether you find what you’re really looking for. Here are a some checklists for both buyers and sellers to look for when choosing a Realtor.

Experience in selling homes in Local market. Ask your Realtor candidates which homes they have sold in the past. Are any of the homes they have sold in your neighborhood? A local Realtor should be familiar with your particular area and can guide you towards making the most profit for your neighborhood.

Look for Realtors with lots of client success stories. If they are not upfront with their past successes, ask for references and examples of properties they have sold in the past. Referrals can be a good way to find a successful Realtor.

Burnaby houses :In today’s market, while selling a home it’s important to have all the advantages possible. Ask your potential Realtors about their experience with new Media. Whether they can able to list your home on Craigslist and other online places? Will they work with social media, such as Face book, to maximize your home’s potential?

License is very important, since a licensed Realtor has the training and background necessary to complete the complex paperwork that comes with selling a home.

Selling a home is a complicated process and you should have a great Realtor on your side. Take time to ask questions to determine just how successful your Realtor is. Asking these questions now will save you plenty of time and frustration down the road.

As a buyer, you should make sure that your Realtor has strong enough computer skills to assist you in your search for a home. You can assess this by checking out an Realtor’s website and making sure it’s a modern site with all the features you would expect from a computer-savvy Realtor.

Most of the buyers start searching for a home with a pretty good idea of where they want to buy. Make sure your Realtor has plenty of experience where you want to buy. A Realtor with local expertise will have a good sense for pricing trends in a neighborhood, and be able to advise you better on what is a good price to pay.

Strong negotiating skills – You do, however, want your Realtor to have the same good negotiating skills that you would look for in a Realtor. Your Realtor will have to be able to help you decide on a reasonable offer and negotiate a good price if the sellers make a counteroffer. Just as with a Realtor, a good way to find out about an Realtor’s negotiating skills is to ask for references.

Although most people only interview one or two Realtors before fixing theirs, be smarter than the pack — take the time to look for what you really need in a buying or Realtor!

Ben catalano is a representative of Burnaby Homes, the foremost source for Burnaby real estate. For all your Burnaby property needs, Burnaby Homes has you covered.

For more details about Burnaby Realtors

A low credit score generally is one of the main obstacles for real estate investors. If you’re a real estate investor with a FICO credit score under 600, credit repair is crucial for your success.

Without having a relatively good credit score, it is extremely hard for real estate investors to have traditional loans. Although many investors make use of private money, you never know when you will have to use your own credit for you to fund a deal.

Don’t Let Low Credit Score Stop You From Being A Real Estate Investor
The bad news?

It takes a little time. This isn’t supposed to discourage you, though. Many people really don’t want to tackle their credit problems. They will see the collection notices in the postal mail, but won’t open them.

Sad to say, real estate investors often allow their credit rating cease them from being real estate investors. If you would like be described as a successful real estate investor, you should tackle your credit issues directly.

What To Do If You Have Low Credit Score Know for sure.

You have to get a copy of your credit rating report. This is very important. Many people don’t regularly check their credit reports, which often contain lots of errors. Simply by religiously examining your credit just about every six months, you can eliminate many credit report errors.
Get a copy of your credit report from the three major reporting bureaus: Trans Union, Equifax, and Experian. You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report if you’ve been refused credit or credit agencies charge a small fee for a copy.

Become A Credit Repair Specialist

Now, compare the credit accounts listed on all three of your credit reports. It is very easy for credit reports can consist of different, sometimes erroneous, information. If you discover a mistake, dispute it.
In case the creditor just can’t prove that you legitimately owe the debt in 30 days, they are demanded by law to remove it. If you do not have the time to devote time to your credit report, you might want to take into consideration hiring a credit repair agency.

Article by Addi

The turmoil from the wall street crash is going to be a high pitched one for the Indian real estate market. All the demons are now shaking there hands to create barricades in front of the never ending parade of the India inc. And, the realty is going to be the worst sufferers. The reasons are simple. The market demand and supply forces are now at their lowest ebb. No outsourcing company is now planning to expand in India. The IT giant has cut short its Rs. 5 lakhs sq Ft expansion plan to 3 lakhs. There is an overall 30% deduction in the demand for official space. The residential space has already faced a hibernating demand graph. The rise in home loan rate is forcing many prospective buyers to stop their purchase.

In the supply side of the real estate story, there is a gloomy tale to be told. The major chunk of the inflow of money into the Indian real estate market comes through FDI and private equity. The RBI has given strict instruction to the Banks in the Indian banking system not to invest in real estate. In such a scenario, the FDI and private equity hole to be pivotal for the growth of Indian real estate market. But the FDI in real estate segment is now destined to decline. The real estate prices almost crashed in the United States and other developed markets. So precarious is the condition of the real estate investors active in those economies are that they are filing for bankruptcy. So, where is India in this perplexed situation which has a nascent and yet to be organised real estate market!

Both Lehman and Merrill Lynch have a significant stake in a number of Indian companies. As they are facing a financial catastrophe even remaining afloat, they are offloading their stakes in the Indian companies. This has affected share prices of those companies and also caused a real estate slow down. The FIIs in Indian real estate have pulled out a net $ 8.01 billion since the beginning of 2008, with over $ 900 million of this outflow having taken place in the first half of September alone. According to the available data, Merrill has invested in more than 200 companies, out of which in 177 companies, it owns more than one per cent of the paid up capital as on June 30, 2008. The Lehman Brothers has also invested in more than two dozens companies and in some real estate projects.

The US major Lehman Brothers has alone invested 700 crores in the Indian real estate market. keeping the current situation of Lehman, anybody can predict the future of that investment. In such a case, the ball is now at the Government of India’s court. The Government needs to cut down the home loan interest rate to boost up the residential property market at least.

As has been observed that real estate prices and stock markets are highly correlated. The reason being that in a rising stock-market, real estate becomes a hot spot avenue for high net worth individuals to park surplus funds. This leads to an escalation in immovable property prices. In a falling market, however, they tend to cover losses in one market by selling off their investment in the realty segment. Any decrease in investor wealth means that the market gains and this is converted to cash for re-investment in property, have been sucked out of the system, thereby reducing the total demand in the realty market. This leads to a continuously accelerating change in the economy of price correction feeding from one asset class to the other. And there are fears that Indian real estate trend may follow the stock market.

In real estate display ads, you will see many realtors with initials listed behind their names. These are realtor designations, representing the certifications held by the realtors. Here are just a few realtor designations:

• ABR — The abbreviation stands for Accredited Buyer Representative. This certification means the realtor specializes in representing buyers.

• ALC — The Accredited Land Consultant specializes in land brokerage transactions.

• CIPS — The Certified International Property Specialist will have more knowledge of the international real estate market.

• CRB — The Certified Real Estate Broker has specialized knowledge in brokerage and real estate business management.

• CRE — These realtors hold a Counselor of Real Estate certification that is by invitation only. They give seasoned advice on real estate and land-related matters.

• CRS — The Council of Residential Specialist certification means the realtor concentrates on the buying and selling of residential homes.

• GRI — The realtor with a Graduate Realtors Institute certification has attained what the industry considers to be the highest professional standing for a residential realtor.

• SRES — The Seniors Real Estate Specialist has specialized knowledge for working with seniors, who probably have not sold a home for many years. This realtor is able to properly explain new terms, laws, procedures and financing to seniors, as well as help them to more fully understand their seller and buyer rights.

Why Get Designations?

Realtors who have these designations have studied specific areas of real estate in order to gain advanced knowledge within these areas. Qualifying for these designations takes a lot of classroom time, testing and learning extensive practical knowledge. Some designations require up to six-to-eight months of regular classroom study. In addition to giving the realtor more knowledge, such study also increases the realtors’ professionalism.

Realtors have found these designations quite valuable; since the more knowledge they have, the more confidence their clients have in their skills and ability. Such certifications are especially valuable for new realtors, increasing their knowledge faster than with on-hands experience.

All realtors are required by their state to have a certain level of knowledge in order to be licensed. Additionally, realtors are required to take coursework every four years to maintain their license. Certification coursework is completely optional for realtors.

What Does This Mean to the Buyer or Seller?

That depends upon the individual realtor. I worked in the insurance industry for many years, where such designations are aggressively promoted and just as hard to obtain. I found the following concerning insurance agents and their designations that easily translates to realtors and their designations:

• For many, the coursework improved their knowledge and ability to sell,

• The designations attracted more clients,

• Many of our firm’s top insurance agents held designations,

• Many of the top agents held no designations, and

• One of the most successful agents the firm ever had held no designations, continuously topped everyone in sales each year, and was so successful that he had his own private secretary, who screened all his calls, because he was so busy with clients who just seemed to gravitate toward him.

My point is this — A designation indicates that the realtors have completed some extensive study on their own time. It means they should be well versed in that particular area of real estate. It does not mean that they are more knowledgeable than a realtor without the designation, because the latter may have learned much more through actual experience than the person holding the designation.

So, when looking to hire a realtor, keep a good perspective on designations. Opt to do a good interview with the realtor, rather than simply accepting he/she is the best because of a designation.

Website design for Realtors must specifically focus on attracting targeted visitors who have a higher likelihood of becoming customers. Once the visitor has reached the site, the web pages must be very user-friendly with intuitive navigation so that potential customers can quickly find the information they are seeking.

Sites should preferably be designed by companies with specific experience in website design for Realtors. If your company sells commercial real estate, then you should seek a company with specific experience in website design for commercial Realtors.

A company with the experience in the field of real estate will understand the industry and will be able to design sites that more effectively reach client goals. An experienced company will know what potential customers look for when visiting a Realtor’s site and how to make the right information available as effectively as possible.

The Importance of Attracting Traffic
One of the key factors in creating an effective site is optimizing for higher placement in search engine result pages (SERPs). The techniques used to optimize websites are known collectively as search engine optimization (SEO) and are vital for a successful online marketing campaign.

Experienced SEO companies will know how to design pages that are search engine-friendly and that have the correct density of targeted keywords and key phrases. Web surfers find sites by searching for keywords, and you must focus on the right keywords to attract targeted traffic to your site. However, search engine algorithms may assign a lower rank to pages that have too few or too many of a specific keyword.

SEO specialists know how to distribute keywords and keyword variants in a way that boosts search engine rankings. They will also be familiar with the most popular keywords used for the real estate industry. A company experienced in website design for commercial Realtors, for example, should know what types of searches are used most frequently by people interested in specifically purchasing commercial real estate.

In addition to proper page design, SEO depends on external factors including the number and quality of external pages that link to your site’s pages. Search engines consider such incoming links as similar to votes of confidence by one’s peers. However, the best links must come from sites that have are highly relevant to the topics on the linked page. SEO specialists will offer link-building services that can involve direct solicitation of links from relevant websites. They will also help new sites in getting listed by major web directories.

Converting Traffic into Sales
Once your site is able to generate sufficient numbers of visitors, the next step is to convert those visitors into customers. Companies experienced in website design for Realtors will know what works best in creating conversions. They use advanced analytical software to track how customers behave when visiting Realtors’ websites. The statistical information gives them special insight into what types of information visitors want to find quickly when looking to purchase real estate.

In many cases, visitors will not waste time on sites that load slowly or that have overly complicated navigation. The online consumer is accustomed to finding required information quickly and with minimum effort.

Realtors who want to do short sales can potentially do well in the current market, but there is a problem. Doing short sales really takes time away from what Realtors should be doing. Realtors should be helping regular sellers sell their properties and helping buyers buy properties. Realtors should partner with companies that specialize in the short sale process

　

Here is the problem. A short sale includes two steps that are not found in a regular real estate sale. And most Realtors are not trained to perform these steps.

Let’s look at the structure of a short sale:

- Acquisition

- Negotiation

- Sale to buyer

　

The acquisition and negotiation steps are the culprits. These steps require the Realtor to interact with the short-sale lender. This interaction doesn’t occur in a “normal sale.”

Look a “normal sale” first.

In a “normal sale,” the Realtor usually follows the following steps.

The Realtor signs a listing agreement with a seller and lists the seller’s property on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The Realtor also uses various means to market the property.

- Buyers make offers (usually through other Realtors) to buy the property.

- The listing Realtor presents all offers to the seller who selects the most appealing offer.

- The process then moves through escrow to closing.

These are not complicated steps.

Now with the short sale, things are different. The value of the property is less than the amount the owner (seller) owes on the loan. This creates some selling problems.

Buyers will not buy the property for an amount that will help the owner cover the existing liens and closing costs.

There is no way the Realtor ( a business person) can make a commission (business income).

What now?

The Realtor finds out about short sales and how the “short-sale lender” may take less than what the owner owes on the property. But there is a procedure.

This procedure involves those two steps I mentioned earlier: Acquisition and Negotiation.

So the Realtor stops doing what he or she normally does (finding properties to list and/or buyers of properties) and enters the acquisition phase of the short-sale process. Acquisition means Buyer

The owner fills out lots of documents to convince the “short-sale lender” that the owner’s hardship prevents the owner from paying his or her loan. This is the short-sale package.

But one thing is missing! An offer to buy the property.

You see, the complete package must contain an offer from a buyer to buy the “distressed” property. And the listing Realtor does not have any offers yet.

Of course, the Realtor can put a price in the listing without having an offer. But that price has nothing to do with reality. And the listing will no doubt include the words, “lender approval necessary” or some words like those.

But suppose that price attracts some interest from buyers whose Realtors send offers to the listing Realtor.

Now the Listing Realtor can send a complete short-sale package to the short-sale lender.

This takes us to the next step and MORE UNPRODUCTIVE TIME, Negotiation.

Lenders usually have a department called Loss Mitigation. A loss mitigator is assigned to the short-sale package and this person’s job is to “mitigate” (lessen) the lender’s loss.

The Loss Mitigation departments of lenders vary in their procedures, but one thing is for certain. They consume irreplaceable Time.

But stop here for a moment. This is not really about the Loss Mitigation departments of the lenders. It is about Realtors.

How much time has the Realtor spent attempting to assist this owner in default?

Some Realtors spend 20 hours or more on a short sale. And the outcome very often is not successful and the property goes to foreclosure.

In the end, lots of time (which is money) is wasted, especially because the Realtor was not pursuing tried-and-true money-making activities.

Thankfully, all is not doom and gloom, for there are companies that will help the Realtor and take away the pain. The Realtor still controls his or her listing through closing and gets the commission.

A close friend of mine and entrepreneurial genius passed away last year. We were very close.

Phil S. was also world class entrepreneur and a personal advisor.

Phil launched dozens of very profitable businesses.

But his claim to semi-fame came in the early 70′s when he almost singlehandedly developed a unique twist to the self-storage business model.

I’ll explain everything in a second.

But know this……

The business model he developed generates more money per square foot home rentals, apartment buildings, office space, strip malls, medical office space and even Las Vegas hotel rooms!

You can duplicate his formula.

Self storage or “mini-storage” as it was known at the time started gaining momentum in the late 70′s. Experts claimed it peaked in early 2000.

But my friend’s twist on this concept is still producing money like a printing press today.

The essence of his approach is the “go to” real estate investment of super rich players like Wayne Hughes.

My friend’s concept was to place self-storage holdings within a real estate investment trust REIT.

His strategy worked … and today self-storage REIT is a multibillion dollar concept.

I’m going to give you a brief background into this business, and show you how to get profit on small scale (single location) or on a large scale (multiple self-storage locations and REIT).

The mini or self-storage business started in Texas in the late 60′s.

But believe it or not – self-storage units was recorded in the UK more than 800 years ago!

Today, you’ll find thousands of self-storage buildings dotted along interstate highways throughout the U.S.

What’s more, there are self-storage properties in almost every town and village in North America.

Have you seen the commercials for ?

Pods are portable self-storage units which are dropped off at the customer’s home or business.

A truck returns after it’s been filled and delivers it to a huge Pod warehouse.

Anyway, the average size of a self-storage facility today is 100 units.

In larger cities, facilities with 500+ units are pretty common.

Each self-storage rental unit varies in its dimensions.

But the most typical sizes are 5′ x 10′, 8′ x 10′, and 10′ x 10′.

You can rent a self-storage unit for as little as 30 days or as long as 5 years (or longer).

The average rent for a 10′ x 10′ storage unit in the U.S. is about $ 77 per month, according to Inside Self Storage magazine.

The rent in larger cities can be as high as $ 300 per month.

Late fees are a nice source of revenue for this business too.

Late rent fees are usually from $ 5 to $ 25 per month.

Forfeiture and the auctioning of storage unit contents is another source of revenue too.

If you search quick “self storage auction” on Google you’ll see get an idea of the size of the industry.

In the 1970′s and 80′s, self-storage owners usually purchased back-lot properties which were hidden from view by other buildings and structures.

Today, large self-storage operators are buying prime frontage and Class A retail lots, and paying a premium for them.

Gary Monroe, for example, president of GMI, a California-based general contractor which has developed dozens of self-storage projects in prime areas between San Diego and Northern Los Angeles County.

What’s more, entrepreneurs are converting existing structures (or abandoned buildings) into self-storage locations. This option is welcomed by most city governments where abandoned and foreclosed property has become an eyesore.

Former big-box stores used to be the main draw for self-storage entrepreneurs, now out-of-business retail sites (such as car dealerships, shopping centers and warehouses) have become targets.

Major self-storage markets like Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Orlando, Miami, New York, and Chicago have seen a substantial “shift” in market characteristics, according to the 2009 Self-Storage Almanac:

There’s been a notable change in the number of self-storage brokerages which manage the buying and selling of self-storage properties, businesses, and franchises.
There has been a reduction in rental rates. Mom-and-pop operators (less than 5 self-storage locations) have reported an increase in rent rates nationwide. Larger operations (with 10-40 locations) have reported a reduction in rent rates on the benchmark 10′ x 10′ units
There has been a growing rural and “exurb” demographic. The new exurb areas are typically within 3-4 hours (or more) from major metro areas.
Layoffs and corporate downsizing effects self-storage operations. Corporate business accounts for up to 30% of the revenue for self storage operators. However, smaller operators have reported an increase in traffic, rental rates and ancillary business.

There are many products and services which cater to the self-storage industry.

You’ll find self-storage consultancies, brokerages, REITs, and financing companies which specialize in this market.

On top of that, self-storage development seminars are selling out nationwide!

This approach has some flaws – not the least of which is expertise, capital, location selection, as well as signage and marketing. But this is the preferred method of the largest operators because of the potential for significant cash flow and capital appreciation.

There are hundreds of self-storage facilities for sale at any given point in time. When the economy is down you can find owners eager to negotiate pricing and extend terms. In most cases, small mom-and-pop operators are the most flexible. But large operations are available too.

By asking two simple questions you can determine if a self-storage business is worth what they are asking and it has the potential to make money:

How many units does the self-storage facility have?
What is the current (actual) occupancy rate?

The owners can’t fudge the numbers regarding how many units there are … but they might try to “cook the books” regarding occupancy.

If you do your homework, you’ll know if a particular self-storage business could ever be profitable.

First, if a self-storage business has at least 100 units … and the occupancy is 40%-50% … AND there are more than 3-4 competitors in the Yellow Pages … this would be considered a “prime target” for self-storage insiders.

This is according to my friend Phil S. and his associate of 30 years Paul K.

Direct marketing is the key to boosting the occupancy to 95% (or more).

For example, if you market the business by offering to help people move from their home, business, or a competing self-storage facility and throw in two free months of rent in addition to offering a reduced monthly fee – you could fill up your self storage location in very short order.

You could also acquire a self-storage facility in a prime location – one where the traffic (and cash flow) is very strong.

But prime self storage locations are always pricey….so be prepared to spend.

Loudon, NH – 27,200 sq ft, $ 1.2 million

San Clemente, CA – 22,760 sq ft, $ 3.1 million

Augusta, GA – 29,900 sq ft, $ 545k

Bow, NH – 16,900 sq ft, $ 450k

Las Vegas, NV – 74,800 sq ft, $ 3.2 million

Coos Bay, OR – 13,500 sq ft, $ 550k

Lubbock, TX – 54,445 sq ft, $ 1.1 million

S. Chicago Heights, IL – 49,600 sq ft, $ 1.2 million

Hickory, NC – 21,240 sq ft, $ 300k

Paris, TN – 7,800 sq ft, $ 225k

Prescott Valley, AZ – 40,300 sq ft, $ 2.1 million

Gainsville, GA – 14+ acres, $ 1 million

Ankeny, IA – 10 acres, $ 1.1 million

Kissimmee, FL – 35,200 sq ft, $ 2.4 million

 

There are rundown buildings in almost every city, town and village across the country which could be converted into a profitable self-storage operation.

In some cases, you can acquire old buildings for 10 cents on the dollar!

City officials often welcome this type of businesses because it’s “clean”, trouble free and they’re losing business due to the economy or depression or real estate fallout. There has also been a slow moving exodus to the suburbs and “exurbs”.

Here’s an example of what an entrepreneur (K.S) in Atlanta did recently:

He purchased an older, 3-story building in a rundown section of Atlanta for $ 350k (owner-financed), and converted it to a mini-warehouse consisting of 110 units.

The mini-warehouse is currently 86% full.

The monthly rent for a 10′ x 10′ unit is $ 100.

The math is simple: 93 units x $ 100 = $ 9,300 per month in revenue.

The mortgage payment is about $ 900. The site required a surveillance system, as well as a full-time (night and day) -manager.

But this is an example converting an older building into a profitable self-storage business.

An entrepreneur in North Chicago (L.M.) found an abandoned warehouse which was scheduled to be demolished.

L.M. was able to lease the building for $ 1,000 month.

She converted the space into a self-storage facility with 75 10′ x 10′ rental units.

Each unit rents for $ 200 per month. The facility is 95% full!

On top of that, L.M. converted the small upper section of the warehouse into a hip urban apartment. She lives there, rent-free, while her self-storage business generates more than $ 14, 000 per month.

By the way, you don’t have to limit yourself to older buildings in the center of town.

There’s a growing trend to convert empty barns and steel buildings in rural areas to self-storage facilities. You see this lot in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Upstate New York….as in other parts of the country.

Let’s compare revenue with the gal in North Chicago. She has 75 10′ x 10′ units, for a total of 7,500 square feet.

Her potential revenue (with 75 units rented at $ 200 per month) is $ 15,000 per month.

$ 15,000 divided by 7,500 gives her $ 2 per square foot.

Meanwhile, a typical 3-bedroom home with 2,500 square feet rents for about $ 1,500 per month.

$ 1,500 divided by 2,500 equals only 60 cents per square foot!

Can you see why self storage warehouses are so attractive?

Before you get into this business, here’s some of the “homework” my friend recommended you do:

Locate and identify every self-storage warehouse in your area or state.

Physically look at the locations – and take notes.

Talk to the managers of the facilities as if you were a customer looking to rent a unit.

Spend one hour per day getting up to speed on the industry. Most people won’t do this, but my friend did and that’s how he became an expert….and multi-millionaire.

Subscribe to the industry’s main trade publications (listed below).

Self- and mini-storage is a great business opportunity!

The profit margins can be as high as 70%.

One attractive aspect is unlike other kinds of real estate investments there are no people in the units!

Therefore, there is no plumbing, heating, air-conditioning (with some exceptions), complaints, or other things which constantly need to be fixed.

There are other ways to profit from this industry too, including publicly traded self storage real estate investment trusts.

There are also investment partnerships which specialize in self storage facilities.

One of the best ways to learn about the self-storage market is to attend the largest trade show event of the year – Inside Self-Storage Expo. This year, the expo is in Las Vegas.

It’s a good idea to subscribe self storage trade publications featured below.

Search the Web!  You can bring yourself up to speed quickly on this fascinating business opportunity by searching the web and devouring trade websites.

Talk to current self storage owners! The best way to do this is at trade conferences. But nothing is stopping you from talking to owners in your area.

Determine which approach works best for your situation: starting from scratch, buying an established location, converting an existing structure or barn, forming a self storage REIT, or by investing in a publicly traded self-storage REIT (Public Storage is one of the largest: symbol PSA.)

(franchises)

 

Article by Thomas Lloyd

The Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen real estate market have had some of the world’s most interesting growth rates and fascinating examples of regional trends. During the 1990′s the little village was known as the pier town where you grabbed the ferry to get to Cozumel. Now, during this decade, this little village has become more intertwined with the international business world, and consequently, adjustments to the real estate market have been witnessed from the direct effects of the world economic downturn. The loss of jobs and loss of corporate sales in the economies of the United States and Canada have reduced the number of buyers here in Mexico. The bankruptcy of several international banks on the world wide scene has also tightened the regulations on credits and the amount of available capital for investments. These and other economical occurrences have had a decrease effect on the demand here in the Riviera Maya market place, but interesting financing options for real estate buyers have also been introduced in greater varieties from bank institutions and creative transaction models from seller-financed sales are becoming more common. With economic turbulence, also comes opportunity. Surrounding yourself with regional-market-intelligent real estate experts is the first important step towards a safe Mexico real estate acquisition and profitable investment, and this recommendation is even more prudent during times of market adjustments.Back in the 1980s and 90s Playa del Carmen was not THE destination, it was the Pier village where you picked up the ferry in order to get to Cozumel. This soon changed as people began to notice Playa del Carmen’s beaches and its growing international community. European backpackers began frequenting the area and the 5th avenue began to make a name for itself. Hotels and investors began to notice the potential of the area quite quickly. Hotel room inventories grew from 10,000 units up to 15,000 – 20,000 by the later 1990s. Today, the Riviera Maya hotels have more rooms than Cancun. With the tremendous growth in various industries in Playa del Carmen, the population boom began and the real estate market began taking off. Over the past five years, Playa del Carmen has been one of Mexico’s strongest appreciation markets with returns in the double digits. During the first years of the 2000 decade, many investors would purchase pre construction condo units and sell them 8 or 12 months later with 30% or more appreciation. It was a boom all over the coast. In the middle of this decade, it was quite common to hear buyers comment, “I should have bought that property 2 years ago when I first saw it!” These observations from the buying market in 2006-2008 were also accompanied by a decline on the appreciation rates. Each year, as the price per square meter crept upwards, the rate of appreciation began losing some steam as the world economic engine began skipping some beats. 2008 and spring of 2009 brought a unique occurrence to this regional marketplace. The recession from the northern neighbors brought its first effects onto the Riviera Maya market place and in the Mexico real estate industry. The appreciation rates had flattened and begun to drop slightly. Large amounts? NO, but very interesting amounts. Some people like to say that the glass is half empty; but not the smart investor. The current scenario in Riviera Maya presents some fantastic opportunities for the investor who is open to options from professional and market-intelligent real estate experts. Financially leveraging off of the property is becoming more common when purchasing real estate here in Mexico. Large multi-national banking institutions that weathered the fall out of the financial crises remain in the market offering their mortgage products to non-Mexicans buying properties in this country. Some of these lenders have made recent adjustments to their requirements such as lowering the LTV ration from 70% downwards to 65%. Also the FICO scores might have increased in the spring of 2009 in order to reduce risks and to approach this year slightly more conservatively. If qualified, these financing options can create some interesting opportunities for investors ready to take advantage of market pricing that is adjusting downward. Developer and home owner financing options are increasing as well. Some of these home owner deals can be very attractive with interest rates equal or quite similar to the rates commonly seen from our home countries. However, such offers need close professional review of the conditions in order to protect monies, to protect the property, and to protect all parties involved in such transactions between non-financial entities. Certain contracts and bank trusts can be established giving ample protection and security to both the buyer and seller allowing for immediate physical possession while a percentage of the commercial value of the property remains outstanding. Many people feel that the time to invest into the Riviera Maya market has passed and it is too risky given the world economic conditions. However, this is an interesting period for investment with high potential, if you are able to hedge yourself with qualified and top experienced advise. In fact, when reviewing the factors on some investment alternatives in the market it can be noted that 2009 is an even healthier market for investment purposes than the investment environment originally witnessed during the beginning of the years 2000. At the beginning of the Great Appreciation Boom of Playa del Carmen, there were still many risks in the market, there was the risk of new developers’ lack of experience, risk of the poor reaction and acceptance of the buying market, risk of the unknown infrastructure development to support the construction growth. Today, investors have first hand, regional real estate history data. The market absorption and projections are based more on historical facts and data rather than a guessing game or correlating future results based on similar marketplaces from other regions. Risks within investment alternatives can also be managed with the assistance of a well chosen team of regional experts. Purchasing finished products, versus the unknown results of investing within a new construction might be an example of strategies to take advantage of the current market conditions. These first hand facts and historical results give you and your consultant better data to manage your investments and increase your probabilities of strong returns. The probabilities of continued long term growth are strong in favor of the real estate investor when purchasing properties in the Riviera Maya. Obviously there is a short term downturn. But as this article discusses, if you are able to surround yourself with TOP-knowledge and experienced advice, the summer of 2009 can present some incredible and unique real estate opportunities. For those who missed the appreciation wave of the early 2000s, this is your “Second Chance” to enter into the market before the next wave.

Flat Fee Realtor can be defined as, realtors who gets your property list in MLS charging you a small sum of money as flat fee. The other term can be also discount Realtor who charges you small upfront fees to list in MLS. When you think of selling property you will always search for the cheapest way to sell it. You might think why go for flat fee realtor to sell your home and what is the saving you are going to make with discount realtor. Discount realtor will provide the best guidance to list in MLS and let you know the advantages you will have. Homes are bought and sold everyday with the use of flat fee realtors who do a lot of research and planning required to sell a home.

Flat fee realtor has the benefit of access to MLS who help buyers and sellers both in their respective transactions. When you plan to buy or sell a property either you are looking to invest or buying for your own use MLS plays an important role. It is the platform where you might find the right buyer and right seller with right price of the property. List in MLS provides indefinite options to choose from to both the buyers and sellers. Searching for the right kind of property can be a exhaustive affair and that too at your provided budget and locality you are looking for. List in MLS solves these issues as the property listed by flat fee realtor have all the details with respect to size of home, number of rooms, number of baths, images of the property and of course the price.

For this reason we can say choosing the flat fee realtor can make a difference for you in both buying and selling process. Discount realtor work on the best interest of you and your property however it might depend on the realtor you go with. Once you decide to go with any of the discount realtor the first step one should take is verifying the back ground of the realtor. You need to check if the discount realtor is registered to involve in the real estate deals and have a valid license. It is to make sure that the discount realtor must have experience in closing the deal for you with a valid interest of both the parties. You also need to check that the discount realtor you decide to go with must be comfortable to work with as buying or selling a property involves good amount of investment. There might still many issues in mind of owners if list in MLS will be the right platform for selling their home. Often questions are raised whether flat fee realtor who list in MLS gets you the good price for your property. When your property is listed in MLS by flat fee realtor they will always ask you maximum amount of information about your property and suggest the right price prevailing in the market.

Flat fee realtor will list your property in short time as soon as they are provided the details regarding the property to be listed. Discount realtor deal with hundreds of customers on daily basis and they have the expertise to define and compare the best market price of your property. Flat fee realtor will always try to get you the best price for your property and you as a seller or buyer will always look to approach a discount realtor to make a deal for you. For more benefits one can get in touch with Continental Real

Article by James Murr

In today’s turbulent real estate market, it has never been more important to select the realtor that will best represent the interests of the client. In a marketplace filled with opportunity, valuable tax incentives and fluctuating values, proven experience, integrity, market awareness and outstanding communication skills are essential. No client can afford to compromise on these qualities. Real estate acquisitions and sales are too significant to place in the care of inexperienced, unproven realtors.

Whether dealing with a commercial or residential property transaction, the client should verify that the realtor is a member in good standing with the National Association of Realtors (NAR). This membership assures the client of the realtor’s commitment to educational programs and compliance with standards of ethical conduct and cooperation. The National Association of Realtors has been instrumental in developing and implementing high ethical standards of conduct throughout the industry.

In addition to enrollment with the NAR, the realtor that can best locate and list for sale either residential or commercial properties will be a member of a Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The MLS is a regional marketplace that is designed to assure clients of maximum exposure to available properties and the cooperation of many other real estate companies. Whether buying or selling, clients should insist that the realtor be a member of the local Multiple Listing Service.

It is important to recognize that the term realtor refers to the agency itself. Realtors, or real estate brokers, retain agents that list, sell and lease real estate, on behalf of the realtor. However, the realtor is responsible for the activity and conduct of its agents, the company’s marketing plans and the interaction with other cooperating brokerages. Selecting a proven and reputable realtor can maximize the sale of a real estate property and assure the buyer of making an informed choice.

Real estate marketing has changed dramatically in the past few years. The industry has been impacted by the advent of enhanced MLS services that have made properties available for review on the internet. A recent survey showed that nearly 70% of residential homebuyers began their search on the internet. In today’s marketplace, the best realtors have fine-tuned internet strategies, marketing plans and communication programs that keep their agents, their listings and their clients abreast of activity as it occurs.

Programs such as virtual tours and digital photography can do much to enhance the visibility of listings and can be supplemented with the availability of aerial photographs, tax documents and copies of deeds and disclosure statements. Good realtors are capitalizing on the public’s desire for internet access by creating web logs for listings, agents and relevant projects.

As important as the internet is to overall real estate marketing, it is imperative to select a realtor with outstanding communication capabilities. There is no reason for a realtor to miss a call or be unaware of market activity as it happens. The best realtors understand the importance of being on top of the market at all times and are always available to their clients. With advances in new telephone systems, buyers and sellers alike will benefit from a relationship with a realtor who is always at the ready.

Traditional real estate marketing activities, like signs, brochures, flyers, business cards and even Open Houses still have value in the marketplace. Good realtors incorporate these standards with new-age technology to maximize exposure and facilitate the purchase and sale process.

All sound realtors are current on mortgage markets. Many of the best realtors have direct lines of access to lending institutions and programs. In today’s marketplace, clients should examine the realtor’s knowledge and connections to the financing arm of the industry. A realtor’s ability to connect buyers and sellers to suitable financing can have a big impact o a property’s marketability and can help bring transactions together easily.

Today buying a home is tremendously easier. Though there might be some changes in the market, especially in this economic sense, there are also improvements because of the internet.

Now you can get access to all the information that you really need by searching through the World Wide Web. The online search will also provide you the best resources that will substantially cut the amount of time from the process.

Among the first thing that you have to do when buying Coral Gables real estate is to check your credit scores. These reports are important tools that you need to acquire top help you purchase the home that you wanted. And if there is one thing that matters most when it comes to purchasing a home these days, is your credit score. It only means that checking your credit score beforehand is very crucial.

There are plenty of reports that you need and it will be useful if you check them all. But when it comes in the actual search for home, the internet will be the most useful tool. Now there are several real estate sites that offer real estate listings for Coral Gables. But keep in mind to focus only with those real estate sites that are relevant to your search. Like for example, you are searching for luxury home, use only those websites that offer large collection of luxury homes. There are several types of real estate websites and you have to know them in order to address your search properly.

Aside from the real estate websites, there are also online tools that you can use in order to speed the financing procedure. During the process of investing, there are plenty of things that you need to consider and this includes determining how much mortgage you can afford. Mortgage calculators are great helping hands when you are considering the numbers.

But if professional is the only thing that lacks to your purchase, those websites that offer Coral Gables real estate properties are also great sources if pertinent services. There are even websites that are maintained and operated by agents themselves. You can achieve half of your buying process by using the internet. But of course you have to be careful when it comes in doing online search. There are some websites that are bogus and you might get trap with a costly mistake as you deal with them. In doing an online search, you have to make sure that you have checked the credibility of the websites before giving any information and also money.

Online search for Coral Gables real estate property is a lot easier. But because there are plenty of websites that you need to deal with and property to browse, it is important that you have to practice due diligence as well as patience. Investing in Coral Gables real estate should not be done in a hurry in order to end up successfully.

Ella Ayson
Coral Gables Real Estate

~List properties/view responses on your mobile, without any Internet connection~

Makaan.com, People Group’s Indian Property site announced the launch of ‘Makaan Mobile’ – the country’s 1st SMS-based Real Estate Mobile Application. The application, developed by one of India’s leading MVAS companies, Mauj Mobile is aimed at enhancing the overall consumer experience for property sellers. Makaan Mobile provides an attractive alternative to property sellers who currently need to log on to the Internet either to list their property or to view responses from interested buyers. Harnessing the power of SMS, the Makaan Mobile application is compatible with almost all GSM models, and will cater to a subscriber base close to 200 million in India alone, which is almost 4 times the size of the Internet consumer base.

With this application, Makaan.com becomes the first Indian Real Estate site to have launched a pure SMS based product. The website aims at making property buying and selling effortless and non-technical for the user. Ease of use, and mobile convenience are the cornerstones of success for Makaan Mobile.

Speaking on this initiative, Mr. Aditya Verma, Business Head, Makaan.com said, “All our innovations till date have revolved around ensuring ‘customer delight’, and Makaan Mobile is another step in this direction. The idea of the application germinated from the need to connect with users who are generally on the move and do not have regular access to the Internet. This application will take Makaan.com product offerings to a far greater audience. With the launch of this service, we anticipate a 30% growth in daily property listing rate over the coming months.”

Makaan Mobile is expected to revolutionize the way properties are bought and sold in the country, and given the fact that Makaan.com sees around 8.5 lakh unique visitors per month, the application is sure to garner acceptance amongst the property-selling community, especially real-estate agents, for whom the mobile phone is the weapon of choice.

 

Commenting on the relevance of the application to the Indian market, Mr. Manoj Dawane, CEO, People Infocom (Mauj Mobile), said, “For Makaan, we needed to create a service that would have a high penetrability facilitating greater reach, and which would be completely user-friendly. Hence, we opted for an SMS-based service that would function without any Internet connection. And, with Makaan Mobile, we have achieved just that.”

The Makaan Mobile innovation comes close on the heels of theMakaan.com TVC on IPL, which also aimed at achieving greater consumer connect, and growing the online real estate industry as a whole.

Makaan.com is an online real-estate service promoted by People Interactive; the consumer Internet division of the Anupam Mittal led People Group. This site has been conceived to explore and invent opportunities in the online real-estate space. Makaan.com is committed to helping users make wise and profitable decisions related to buying, selling, renting and leasing of properties, in India and key global geographies. This user-friendly portal has Pan India presence, with physical offices in top 13 cities of India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kochi, Vizag and Vijaywada.

People Interactive was founded in 1997 to help architect India’s Internet landscape. Today it is one of India’s leading Internet companies and boasts brands such as Shaadi.com, Shaadi.com Centres, Fropper.com, Makaan.com and Astrolife.com. The company is focussed on discovering and developing scalable Internet business models around communities and classifieds. It prides itself in being a pioneer of Indo-centric Internet business models and believes in innovation led growth.

The company won the IT People Award 2007 for Excellence in Information Technology, and was also awarded the Red Herring Asia Top 100 Awards in 2006. In September 2007 Business Today recognized the company’s flagship brand – Shaadi.com as one of the Top 10 Marketers in the country. Shaadi.com was also felicitated at the WEB18 ‘Genius of the Web’ Awards 2007, as the best E-Commerce site (Matrimony), and Shaadi.com Centres won the ‘Franchisor of the Year Award’ for the third consecutive year in 2007. People Interactive was also named as one of the Top 500 companies in Deloitte Technology Fast 500 – Asia Pacific Awards 2007.

People Interactive is a Sequoia Capital backed company and is part of the Anupam Mittal led People Group.

While the face of the real estate and property marketplace is varying greatly as well speedy transversely the orb in hot times, landed property in India has as well developed by numerous folds. Chiefly, the country’s capital city Delhi has observed escalating leasing and property rates yet through the financial recession. A small number nation would have probable that costs can increase at this speed in this mounting country. On the other hand, a speedy peruse during one of the numerous online real estate sites recording the properties athwart this multi-ethnic city would have offered the real estate searcher a bumpy scheme regarding the price ranges in this contemporary city.

In India, at the moment, there are as a minimum in relation to a hundred online real estate sites that register leasing properties additionally properties for sale. The augmented number of these online porches is owing to the abrupt climb of interest in property in the midst of people.

It’s astonishing that most of these online portals were fashioned in the last couple of years, throughout the monetary recession, apart from the apex few, in sequence to overprotect the escalating interest and stipulate for real estate in India. These online property portals clutch prosperity of information concerning each of the properties scheduled on their websites.

Returning to Delhi, most populace these days conclude that it’s no longer their vision to pay for a property contained by the foremost Delhi city. This is owing to enormously elevated ground rates that concerning 80% of the existing Delhi residents cannot pay for.

One more motive for this augmentation is that the city is previously flattering an existing forest the image of most of the other major cities in India that property is also scant to some amount. Consequently, the city is increasing in all courses. Suburbs are too leisurely being incorporated into city limits on account of the rising expansions and conclusions in these regions.

Connaught Place, solitary of the very stylish regions in Delhi is currently the eighth most luxurious regions in the globe. It’s not classy just to buy realty in this region but also to hire a property in Delhi. This place is famous for best defrayals and can only stay a vision for the focus class. As of the last year, leasing rates have roughly amplified by 15% in this region alone. Still throughout the start of slump in 2008, leasing profits saw a point of concerning 12% in now the first quarter of 2008. These tremendously lofty rates are owing to the commercially expanded central place of the region.

Most real estate investors waste time and effort chasing deals in all market area and losing focus in a target market.  some people think you can buy and sell houses nationwide without ever seeing those properties.

 this article allows you to focus on what works best for maximum profits.

When I started investing, my very first deal was almost one and a half hours away.   In my inexperience, I just sent out letters without regard to geographical location.   The Dallas Fort Worth metroplex is big so I figured that was a good target market.

 I had to physically show the house to other real estate investors who wanted to buy it as a wholesale deal.  It was not vacated yet, so I could not give them the lockbox code.

 I spent about 40 hours on the road or at the house, sometimes more than once a day.   Yes, I was relieved when it was over!

 You will always find good deals right where you live.  Competition is never a problem; there are enough to go around.

 You will be surprised how many deal you can find around you if you target a particular market.
 I rarely drive more than 20 minutes away unless the deal is too good.

 Choose  an area where you have little stress in travelling and where you can comfortably manage a deal from start to finish.  It does not matter what your exit strategy is.

Just target a specific farm area that you are comfortable with and stick to it.   Once you are used to it and all your systems are in place, you can expand further.

What about virtual real estate investing?
Sometimes you may think it’s possible and even convenient to buy properties you have not seen.   Especially so if you work with other real estate investors and buy nationwide.

Personally I do not buy properties I have not seen and would not recommend this to anyone.  Stick with the simple deals you can handle and grow with the times as you gain more experience in real estate investing.

 Also important is to focus on the types of properties you buy – wholesale deals, rentals, lease to own, subject-tos,  etc.  This helps you decide the price range and the best neighborhoods that have your kind of properties.

 Your marketing method needs to be well targeted both on the internet and direct mail such as letters, post cards, etc.  Whichever method you use, it is important to have a real estate investing website that tells your story and runs your business.

 This way, your real estate investing business will succeed more by spending less time money and effort to close more deals.

In order to run a success real estate investing business, it is necessary to automate most aspects of your business, increase efficiency so you spend less time, money and effort while closing more deals. A lot of real estate investors have achieved this with database driven real estate investing web sites that also automate most tasks of real estate investing.

For people who know that Myrtle Beach is a great city, it can actually be confusing to hear that it is one of the prime residential cities in the country. Here is the problem. Myrtle Beach has a reputation for being the ultimate vacation spot. The city actually brings in billions of dollars each year from the tourist industry alone. When you consider the world class golf resorts, such as Grande Dunes, and the beaches, it’s easy to think that Myrtle Beach is actually nothing more than a vacation spot. This is a misguided perception of this South Carolina city. If you are looking for a quiet community to live in with plenty of facilities and amenities, Myrtle Beach is a great place to settle down. A great market in Myrtle Beach is Pawleys Island real estate.

If you know about real estate, then your first question about Pawleys Island real estate is going to concern the kind of people who live there and why they choose to live there. To begin with, this community is an adult community with plenty of golf courses, quiet walks, fitness facilities, and tennis courts. This is the kind of community that appeals to people who have worked to live the kind of leisurely yet active lifestyle that only top notch living can offer. This is a quiet community that still offers plenty of activity.

Another great feature of Pawleys Island real estate is its proximity to all of the action in Myrtle Beach. Sure, you are separated from the bright lights and crowds of tourists, but you aren’t that far away. As a matter of fact, you are only a short car ride away from all of the action. This also makes this adult community a perfect place for those who want to live in peace and quiet but who want to go out and enjoy some entertainment and fine dining now and again. You should also remember that when you are in Myrtle Beach, you always have the coast right there whenever you want to be close to the ocean.

If you are ready to get serious about Pawleys Island real estate, make sure that you get a real estate agent who understands your needs. You will be able to find the perfect house in the perfect community for the right price, but you have to be sure that your agent is in tune with you.

Whether you buy or sell houses, your real estate investing business must be driven by marketing that generates leads.

This article focuses on marketing properties that you have for sale and how to reach out to potential buyers and sell your houses fast.

Of course, the main assumption when you are marketing is that you have prepared the house for sale.   Preparing your property could involve staging, clean-up and making sure potential buyers are attracted to the property.

You need to get a few things in place:

1)    Get a real estate investing  web site
You must have a stage for presenting your properties.   This purpose is served by a good real estate investing website.

 You can describe your house, present pictures and  documents, all from your website.  You can also present video virtual tours if you have any.

 The staging platform for your properties is real estate investing website.

 A good real estate investing website is recommended at the end of this article.

2)    Build a buyers list
 A buyers list comprises people in your local area who are looking to buy the houses you sell. Again, a good real estate investor website is necessary – it acts as the place to manage your buyers list and send out email messages to potential buyers.

3)    Target your market
 It is necessary to target your marketing to a geographical region. Most likely you will want to target the immediate neighborhood more aggressively than places farther away.

4)     Put a human aspect in your message
Do not describe your house like a thing. Describe its unique features and how they appeal to the needs of the buyer.

 Show a buyer how these features will help them. Instead of saying located near a school or park, say something like “your kids can walk to the nearby elementary school or play in the nearby park”.

You must appeal to the emotional psychology of potential buyers by highlighting benefits rather than features.

5)    Target all marketing media
 Target both old fashioned newspaper readers and people who search the internet for properties.

 You must start by sending out the property to your buyers list.   These people buy properties in your local market. You can easily get your buyers from this list.

Make sure you post your property in all marketing websites you know, including places like Craigslist, Kijiji, etc.

Make sure not to forget social networking media like Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Target your local newspapers, signs in front of your property, leaflets in your community bulletin boards, bandit signs if your city allows it.

And always make sure you send them to your website to view full property details.   From your website, they can join your buyers list.

6)    Review your marketing
Always have a way to determine the success or failure of your marketing and to change at a moment’s notice.

Remember marketing is a numbers game. Good luck selling your properties!

No matter what your real estate investing business model is, your real estate investing business can be more efficient so you spend less time, money and effort closing more deals. Learn how you can manage all aspects of real estate investing and automate your business from a real estate investor website that runs real estate investing.