Real Estate Network

Posts Tagged ‘Reasons’

Torrance, CA (PRWEB) November 16, 2011

Signtronix, the leading sign company for Americas small businesses thats been in business since 1959, offers 10 Reasons to evaluate your business signage. In todays economy every advantage you can get to be seen by potential customers and have an edge over the competition is vital.

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Austin, TX (PRWEB) November 25, 2011

Homes.org recently released a list of the top 10 reasons for using a buyer’s agent. The list was derived from detailed feedback provided by numerous real estate professionals across the country. After reviewing the reasons provided it became clear that the better question wasn’t why should home buyers use a buyer’s agent but why wouldn’t they.

“HUDS Settlement Cost Booklet, Shopping for Your Home Loan advises the home buyer in Section IV on page 6: It is your responsibility to search for an agent who will represent your interests in the real estate transaction. If you want someone to represent only your interests, consider hiring an exclusive buyers agent, who will be working for you, ” points out John F. Sullivan, Vice-President & Associate Broker at Buyer’s Edge Co. Inc. “If a buyer cant find an exclusive buyers agent in their area, they should seek a single agency licensee who is an Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR) or an ABR with a small dual agency brokerage to minimize the chance of dual agency.”

Maxwell Carr Realtor

Seal Beach, CA (PRWEB) November 23, 2011

While merchants are busy gearing up for a record Black Friday filled with sales, Olson Homes wants to spell out 10 reasons why shoppers should consider spending some of that hard earned income a new home instead. For people on the fence on what to buy this holiday season, Olson Homes’ offers 10 reasons why it’s good to buy a new home and skip the big box Black Friday sales this 2011 holiday season.

1. Home shoppers have waited long enough. Good deals are available for the asking:

In case home shoppers may have missed this, this is the best buyer’s market we have seen on over 30 years. If home shoppers are waiting for the bottom, they may have already missed it! No one will ever catch the bottom mostly because no one knows where that is. The truth is it doesn’t really matter so much in the long haul.

2. Mortgages are cheap. Very cheap:

Home shoppers can get a 30-year loan for around 4.3%. In some cases home shoppers may find special buy down rates that get down to 3.75% What’s not to like about low interest rates? These are the lowest rates on record. As recently as two years ago they were about 6.3%. That drop slashes your monthly repayment by a fifth. If inflation picks up, home shoppers won’t see these mortgage rates again in their lifetime. And if we get deflation, and rates fall further, homeowners can always refinance.

3. Home shoppers will save on taxes. Tax breaks for itemization:

Here is a plus. Home shoppers can deduct the mortgage interest from their income taxes. Try doing that on your standard holiday purchases. With a new home purchase, home shoppers can deduct their real estate taxes. And theyll get a tax break on capital gainsif anywhen they sell. Sure, home shoppers need to do the math. Homeowners only get the income tax break if they itemize their tax deductions, and many people may be better off taking the standard deduction instead. The breaks are more valuable the more people earn, and the bigger their mortgage. But savvy homeowners will find that these tax breaks mean owning costs them less, often a lot less, than renting.

4. Make it personal. That new home is a design showcase:

Get in early enough on a new home and home shoppers can have the kitchen and bathrooms they really want. Homeowners can upgrade to their hearts content. They can get the flooring, window treatments, and upgraded appliances they have dreamed about. New home ownership also allows homeowners to add these items to their monthly mortgage payments at a cost that adds only a bit more to their monthly mortgage payments. Black Friday shoppers should try this instead of maxing out their credit cards at 22% interest rates. Consider that fact when in the check out line that this purchase wont will be paid back for many years to come.

5. Home shoppers get a better home:

Renting a place gives people a place to rest their heads and a space to park their belongings, but generally speaking, if they want the best home in the best neighborhood, most people are better off buying a new home. Plus new homeowners get that great new home smell!

6. It offers some inflation protection:

Black Fridays come and go but studies by Professor Karl “Chip” Case (of Case-Shiller), and others, suggest that over the long-term housing has tended to beat inflation by a couple of percentage points a year. That’s valuable inflation insurance, especially if raising a young family and thinking about the next 30 or 40 years. The rule of thumb is if anyone that plans on living in a place for 5 years or more, they may be better off buying than renting. If someone is planning on moving every few years they may want to re-think that strategy and lock-in home ownership while it is still affordable and within reach.

7. It’s risk capital. That is comfort now, equity later:

No, a home isn’t the stock market and no one should view it as the way to get rich. That is what got people into the mess we see on the news. But current indicators suggest that the economy may surprise us all and start booming, sooner or later real estate prices will head up again, too. Long after the Black Friday sale items are forgotten in the back of a closet, your new home will have gained equity. One lesson from the last few years is that stocks are incredibly hard for most normal people to own in large quantitiesfor practical as well as psychological reasons. Equity in a home is another way of linking part of a portfolio to the long-term growth of the economyif it happensand still managing to sleep at night.

8. It’s forced savings:

Suppose one can rent an apartment for $ 2,000 month instead of buying one for $ 2,400 a month, renting may make sense. But will people save that $ 400 for their future? A lot of people won’t. People have to do the math, but need to remember that part of a mortgage payment that goes to principal repayment isn’t a cost. Homeowners are just paying themselves by building equity. As a forced monthly saving, it’s a good discipline.

9. There is a lot to choose from.

Olson Homes may be biased, but when it comes to home affordability, home shoppers should consider one of our great new Southern California new home communities. From the mid $ 300s Olson Homes has the best selling Citrus Walk in Covina, from the high $ 200s Olson Homes has 2 new home communities; the final phase of Rio Walk in Montebello, and the very last home at Heritage Walk in Paramount, and in Garden Grove from the low $ 300s there is the nearly sold out Mosaic Walk. Any of these communities offer great locations and great value for new home shoppers. Olson Homes is currently offering year end savings of up to $ 20,000 off on selected home lots.

10. Sooner or later, the market will clear. Be there when it does:

Demand and supply will meet. The population is forecast to grow by more than 100 million people over the next 40 years. That means maybe 40 million new households looking for homes. Meanwhile, todays home shoppers will be so happy they bought a new home now, and be able to brag about how smart they were way back when people without vision let this once in a lifetime home ownership opportunity pass them by.

When considering the best way to spend your hard earned dollars this holiday season, homeownership may well be the wiser choice in the long run.

About The Olson Company

Founded in 1988, The Olson Company is Californias leading developer of innovative and affordable In-town communities in established neighborhoods. The Olson Company creates uniquely designed communities which redevelop and enhance neighborhoods utilizing transit-oriented developments, live/work, mixed use developments, brownstones, single family attached and detached homes in partnerships with cities and other agencies.

Headquartered in Southern California with communities throughout the state, Olson is a recipient of Americas Builder of the Year. Further information about Olson Homes can be obtained online at Olsonhomes.com.

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Article by Gautam

Charleston real estate is one of the most eagerly sought after investment options today. Here are a few reasons that make people invest in real estate in this part of the world.

The beautiful city of Charleston is the second largest city in South Carolina and has a history dating back to the 16th century. The original name of the city was Charles Towne and it was originally located on the west bank of the Ashley River from where it was moved to its present location in Oyster Point, on the South Carolina coastline in 1680. It covers a total area of 347.5 square kilometers, almost 16% of which is water. Last year’s census (2010) placed the population of the city at 120,083. The cultural diversity of its inhabitants reflects its rich heritage of history, as does the Charleston real estate. About 45% of the permanent population is made up of White Americans, with slightly less than that (43%) being African Americans, and a sprinkling of Asian Americans, Hispanics and Latinos.

Accessibility to Charleston is convenient. It boasts a world-class airport, Charleston International Airport located in North Charleston, as well as smaller airports for non-commercial flights, and is connected to neighboring states by a network of major highways such as US Route 17, US Route 52, US route 78, Interstate 26 to name just a few. For a more leisurely journey, you could opt for a sea cruise, arriving at the Union Pier Terminal. A significant percentage of the Charleston real estate belongs to out-of-state owners who have invested in beach-front properties as a second home. They visit the city over holidays for festival celebrations which annually draw large influxes of tourists, the Spoleto Festival being the most notable, featuring a 17-day performing arts extravaganza. Not surprisingly, tourism is the major industry in Charleston and hotels grand and budget are very much a part of the Charleston real estate landscape.

Charleston is a mature, gracious city, the balmy sub-tropical climate and costal lifestyle adds to the quiet, low-bustle ambience. No wonder that it is a popular destination for visitors and for relocation. Sprawling colonial homes and bungalows combine with plush condos as part of the Charleston real estate, along with new homes for sale in the rural fringes. Downtown Charleston still evokes the imposing colonial atmosphere with its cobbled streets, large wrought iron gates at the entranceway to bungalows, numerous parks and gardens alive with exquisite colorful flowers all year round and an array of museums and churches to visit. In fact, the number of church spires and steeples on its skyline has earned Charleston the nick name of “Holy City”.

New home communities are also popular and are being developed rapidly, contributing to the Charleston real estate, while not conflicting with the quiet charm of the city. The Charleston Metro Area affords options in plenty in Mount Pleasant, Charleston Peninsula, James Island, West Ashley, Johns Island, North Charleston and Daniel Island. Charleston real estate includes beach properties on the Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Folly Beach, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Wild Dunes. In Rural Charleston are the engaging settlements of Rural West Ashley and Mclellanville. Look up more on these and other locations, for homes to purchase on the links below. We are sure we can provide you with several available options matching your requirement.

There are a lot of gulf homes for sale that are good real estate investment because of their locations and affordability taking into account of the region’s overall geographical resources, sceneries, and commercial prosperity.

Being the ninth largest body of water in the world, the Gulf of Mexico has abundant natural resources. The wide array of natural resources includes fisheries, minerals, and ecological habitats. Specifically, fisheries such as shrimps and oysters account for half of the U.S.’s fisheries products. Mineral resources such as petroleum in the Gulf produce a quarter of the U.S. domestic natural gas and one-eighth of its oil. Lastly, ecological habitats like coastal wetlands, submerged vegetation, important upland areas, and marine/offshore areas have great commercial values to the region.

The Gulf region is famous for its beautiful sceneries. Florida beaches are one of the hottest spot for vacationing or local recreations. The spectacular beauties and first-class facilities and services are the best features of Florida beaches that have drawn million of people there monthly. Mississippi river is another beautiful spot in the Gulf Region where people can visit Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, and national historical parks like Natchez National Historical Park, and New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. Down to the more southern part of the Gulf region, one can visit the El Cielo and other attractions in Mexico. Even more south, you can also enjoy Cuban beaches such as Varadero Beach, the Eastern Havana Beaches (Playas del Este) which are also famous for its sunshine and great facilities.

In addition, geographically, the Gulf of Mexico is surrounded by Gulf Coast states of the United State such as Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas; regions from Mexico such as Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan; and also the inland of Cuba. Because of its unique geography, the Gulf region definitely has tremendous commercial potentiality. Tourism is one of the most important commerce in the region. The beautiful beaches and shores are popular spots for tourists and local alike that generates billion in revenues for local businesses.
 
Ports and shipping industries, on the other hand, are also commercially important in the Gulf region. The entire region is approximately 600,000 square miles which is measured of about 995 miles from east to west, 560 miles from north to south. Specifically, the area from Cape Sable, Florida, to the Yucatan peninsula is more than 3,540 miles, with another 236 miles of shore on the northwest tip of Cuba. And the total shoreline will be more than 16,000 miles in the U.S. if bays and other inland waters are also counted. Seven out of top ten sea ports in the U.S. are located in the Gulf of Mexico. For instance, the Port of South Louisiana in New Orleans and the Port of Houston are two of world’s busiest sea ports.

Residential real estates in the Gulf region offer you varieties of styles from villa to townhouse. And investing in Gulf homes is a wise choice not only because of the region’s rich resources, and commercial values, but also because of the many beautiful sceneries and mild weather.

Gulf Homes for Sale is a free website where homeowners from the Gulf region can submit their properties for sale or rent. We also publish interesting articles related to Gulf Homes.

With more and more information bring readily available online, clients sometimes ask “Why should I hire a real estate agent?  We can look for a home ourselves online” They wonder if they could buy or sell a DFW real estate on the internet or through regular, old school, marketing and advertising means without using a DFW Realtor It’s possible, a very few do okay but most don’t.  If you’ve wondered the same thing, here are good reasons why you should want to consider hiring a professional real estate agent.

You don’t need to know everything there is to know about buying and selling a DFW home if you hire a professional Dallas Realtor who does. The trick is to find the right Realtor. In most cases, the seller pays your Realtor for you.  Why not hire a Realtor with more education and experience than you, than most other Realtors?

Realtors take much of the stress out of your property showings and visits. If you’re buying a new home, your Realtor will keep the builder’s agents at bay, preventing them from over aggressive sales tactics.  If you’re a seller, your Realtor will filter all the phone calls that lead to nowhere and try to induce serious buyers to write an offer.  If you are buying Dallas foreclosures your Realtor will act as you liaison between you and the bank.

Realtors possess intimate knowledge about your community. They can identify comparable sales and provide this information to you, in addition to pointing you in the direction where you can find more data on schools, crime or demographics. You may know that a home down the street was on the market for $ 235,000, but an agent will know it had upgrades and sold at $ 217,500 after 57 days on the market.

Contrary to what many people believe, Realtors do not set the listing prices for sellers or buyers. A Realtor, however, will help to advise clients to make wise decisions. If a listing is at 6%, for example, a Realtor has 6% vested in the sale, but the client has a 94% interest. Selling agents will ask buyers to weigh all the data supplied to them and to choose the listing price. Then based on market supply and demand and the conditions and upgrades, the agent will devise a negotiation strategy.

Realtors can determine market conditions, which will dictate your selling or buying process. There are many factors that determine how you should proceed. Data such as the average price per square foot of similar homes, median and average sales prices, average days on market (DOM) and ratios of list-to-sold prices, among other criteria.  These things will have a huge impact on how you ultimately decide to proceed.

Realtors network with other real estate professionals, many of whom provide services that you will need to buy or sell. Due to legal liability, many Realtors will not directly recommend a certain individual or company, but they do know which service companies have a good reputation for efficiency, competency and competitive pricing. Realtors many times, however, provide you a list of vendors with whom they have confidence in.

High producing Realtors negotiate effectively because, unlike most buyers and sellers, they can remove themselves from the emotional aspects of the transaction.  Because they are skilled it’s part of their job. They are professionals who are trained to represent their client’s as best as possible and hold client information confidential.

Today’s contract packages run 20 pages or more. Most real estate files average thicknesses of one to three inches of paper. One little error or omission could land you in court or in or cost you thousands of dollars.

When I talk to people about California real estate prices and what their opinion is of the market I get a few typical answers.

– The California market is going to be great in the long run.  It always goes up in value.

– California real estate is going to be great again, people will move here because it’s sunny.

– California is at the bottom of the market so it’s time to get in now!

The problem is that most people in California, heck, most people around the world obtain these types of opinions based on what someone else tells them or they are strictly emotionally based.  We all get information like that in one way shape or form but how do you know what is really going on and what is brainwashing.  You look at the data!  Well here is some of the information I see coming down the funnel to make California real estate prices drop once again.

(1) I speak to multiple real estate investors in California daily and they are telling me they can “feel” the pricing in the market declining.  The reason they feel this is because it is taking them 2.5 buyers to actually get a property closed, the comparable sales when they bought the property are different 3 – 6 months later when they are going to sell the property to the end buyer and appraisals are not coming back from the banks accurately. 

(2) In California we see the most option arm loans coming due through 2012.  Option arm loans are those loans that adjust after 3 – 5 years to the current market rate and continue to adjust going forward.  Things are great right now when the rates adjust lower than the 3 – 5 year fixed rates.  People will have lower rates and their payments will be lower.  However, when the U.S. government loses control over rates and the option arm loan rates rise, homeowner’s payments are going to skyrocket.  When that happens and the homeowners are already under water by $ 200,000 because their loan is greater than the market value of the home there are going to be massive strategic defaults.   That coupled with knowledge that the banks are stealing from the public, fraudulently signing foreclosure documents can be a receipt for disaster.

(3) Median income levels across the U.S. are not rising with inflation but are staying steady if not declining.  That means that people will have much less disposable income, and can afford less, as the middle class and poor are squeezed by the rising cost of living.  In states like California, the historical median house price to historical median income is 200%.  Right now the historical median house price is 300% of income which means prices have to come down to historical standards (a 30% drop) in order for them to become affordable.  The only reason the prices are still as high as they are is because of the governments’ quantitative easing programs and artificially keeping the rates low making them more affordable.  This is just another way to bail out the banks and have Americans pay more for a property than they are worth.

(4) 40% of the GDP comes from California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois.  California accounts for 12% of GDP and has an unemployment rate above 12%, the third highest in the nation.  If these states lose more jobs, which is almost inevitable given how much financial trouble those states Municipalities are in, then the U.S. income will go down significantly hurting growth even further. 

(5) If you look at the California economy you will see major economic challenges.  The California municipality is way over leveraged and is close to going under.  There is over a $ 20 Billion dollar gap in the California budget, it’s an unfriendly business state, tax rates are rising, it’s a hugely volatile real estate market and it’s still over valued compared to the median income.

The point is to invest in markets that are undervalued, not overvalued if you plan on investing for the long run.  If you are flipping in California you had better get something at 65% of the market value in order to have the proper downside protection.  And unless you are a professional real estate investor with multiple contacts and can act extremely quickly (within hours) you will not be able to pick a property up in California for that type of price.  I personally invest in Memphis, Tennessee one of the most undervalued and affordable places to buy in the U.S.  It has great economic indicators and cash flows like crazy based on the amazing rent to price ratios there.

Invest where it makes financial and economic sense, not based on emotion.

Article by Seymour Sawyer

When you know the repairs that require to be carried out and the believed price tag of the work, you can use this details as leverage to negotiate for much more savings from the operator.Shopping for Inexpensive Attributes from Financial institutions:Bank foreclosures are offered as is, so property inspection is also a need to. As with buying from distressed owners, you can also use the data on repairs and charges as leverage to request for more discount rates from banking institutions. It is not uncommon for banks to reject your initial give for a home. If you assume that a home is worth investing into, then organize your finances so that you will know how far you will go with the negotiation.Low-priced houses for sale are just about everywhere. You just have to make convinced that you locate the appropriate a person that is worthy of each cent you will pay out for its buy.All property traders want to do it – invest in cheap home for sale and sell it at optimum profit swiftly.This piece of writing is all about the finest spots to do this in and how to get the most significant money achieve with the lowest risk in the shortest interval of time.We all know the North American and European markets appearance vulnerable as financial growth slows and curiosity costs rise. It is really an financial fact that home charges fall under these problems.So what’s the answer?Get inexpensive residence for sale abroad it really is affordable uncomplicated to do and the threat to reward is way superior.If you have never thought to be acquiring low-priced home for sale abroad you really should as you can make stunning gains with lower danger and you don’t have to go significantly.Central The united states is booming at existing and Costa Rica just a three hour flight from the USA gives residence at up to 70% less than in the US and Americans are shopping for in actually escalating figuresWhy?Because their generating large gains take into consideration this:Investors who purchased $ 30,000 of authentic estate just 15 decades in the past in the vicinity of the favorite resort of Jaco, are price as significantly as $ 800,000 today.These gains are not uncommon and as foreign investment pours in gains are acquiring larger in several spots traders are turning 100% earnings in a yr.Certainly not acquire cheaply just for the sake of itProperty is less costly in Costa Rica but it is important not to purchase the lowest priced you can come across. Preserve in mind it’s cheap for a good reason!Investors generally make the error of shopping for countries or destinations wherever they imagine as price ranges are cheap they will need to go greater, but this is simply just not the scenario.What you require to do is, buy residence in a booming country close to expanding favorite resorts or modifications in the infrastructure in which you KNOW that prices are likely to raise speedily.Risk and rewardThis way you will have large money growth likely and low chance. It is really essential to keep the risk small, as you don’t want to purchase a low cost property for sale and be caught with it.

Property dealing is an intricate issue, it needs meticulous planning as well as efficient handling of legal matters in order to make the dealings legal and secured from all aspects. It is definitely not possible to know all the legal intricacies for a common person while dealing a property matter; therefore, the assistance of an expert realtor is needed to make a property deal hassle-free and legal. For example, if you are intended to conduct a property deal in Louisville or in Lafayette, you should seek the professional assistance of an expert Louisville or a Lafayette Realtor and it is best found from online available Louisville Colorado Realtor list.

An expert realtor knows the pros and cons of the real estate market, he is operating in. Therefore while buying or selling a property a realtor can suggest the best possible way to profit on the deal. A realtor is the best person who knows all the intricacies of property dealing; therefore, he can plan to execute the deal by mitigating all the legal and formal hassles according to the requirements. This saves time, money, and energy of the client and they can enjoy their purchase or sale deal with better shape of mind.

While selling a property, it is not easy to find a prospective buyer. On the other hand a real buyer will definitely go for a realtor’s reference for purchasing a property because of his industry knowledge. The primary arrangement of a property selling is to bring the property in buyers’ knowledge. Unless you will utilize the coverage and reach of a reputed real estate agent of your locality, it is not possible to avail maximum exposure for the said property. Hence the assistance and suggestion of an expert realtor is expected in all aspects of a property selling. For an example, if you have a property in Boulder, you should contact a Boulder Realtor for professional help and relevant suggestion.

On the other hand, for buying a property one should seek the expertise and professional assistance of a trade expert realtor. For example if you wish to purchase a property at Louisville area you have to seek assistance from Louisville Realtors. You can overview lots of properties placed on web ready for sale and these property listings are available only with realtor’s websites with all initial description of the said properties. Online browsing for the realtor’s website is great way to sort out some best reference of purchasable properties. If you like a property initially, for further negotiation you need to contact the said realtor and ask for his assistance to complete the said deal.

There is another situation where we should always consult a realtor for his suggestions. It is the case of purchasing foreclosure homes. Superior Realtors who are members of Superior Realtor Association in Wisconsin are the best resources to advice on the purchase transaction of foreclosure loan. Therefore if you have decided to purchase a foreclosure home from a Boulder Realtor, or Louisville Realtor, or Lafayette Realtor, if your realtor is not enlisted in Superior realtors’ list, you should not forget to consult any of the advice form of Superior realtors to know better about purchase deals of foreclosure homes.

Article by Steve Gillman

Why is there cheap real estate? Is it just that some sellers don’t know what their property is worth? Sometimes this is the case, but only rarely. More often a seller is willing to sell for less because it means selling faster or more easily. In other words, sellers will trade a little equity for a fast sale or peace of mind, as in the following situations.

Ten Cheap Real Estate Motivators

1. Death – After the death of a loved one, family members may want to sell any real estate cheap to be quickly done with the bad memories, or to get their inheritance faster.

2. New Job – A job transfer or new job can give a person a lot of motivation to sell fast, and therefore sell cheap. Often, the seller will end up with two payments, and you will be helping by taking one off his hands.

3. Divorce – When people divorce, sometimes they need to sell to settle things, and the faster the sale, the sooner they get to be done with it all. Also, sometimes neither one can afford a home that was being paid for with two incomes. A fast sale prevents late payments and credit problems.

4. Behind in Payments – If a seller is already behind in payments, he or she is facing possible foreclosure. Selling to you at a discount is preferable to losing a lot more equity in a foreclosure.

5. Back Taxes – In most places an owner has to be more than a year behind on property taxes before he faces losing the property. If he is close the the deadline, however, you may get a deal. Just be sure you take into account the taxes that have to be paid.

6. Absentee Owner – It is difficult to deal with a property from a long distance, especially rental units. These sellers often get to the point where selling fast and regaining peace of mind is more important than getting full market value.

7. Income Problems – Whether due to a lost job or declining business, a seller may no longer have the income necessary to keep his home or other real estate. He may need to sell fast to avoid further financial problems.

8. Negative Cash Flow – It doesn’t make sense to lose money on real estate every month, so sellers with negative cash flow may drop the price to sell fast. Just be sure that you have a plan to increase that cash flow once you own the property.

9. Damage – This is one of the most common reasons for cheap real estate. The walls have holes, the roof needs replacing, and the cats peed all over the carpets. Fixer-uppers always sell for less, and the scarier they are the cheaper they get. But be sure you know what you are getting into.

10. Sudden Cash Requirements – Sometimes a seller has a better investment or other reasons to need cash fast. For example, selling fast might prevent him from losing another property to foreclosure, or it might mean getting into an investment that will make him far more profit than the little bit of equity he loses selling cheap to you.

Other reasons people sell below market value include sickness, partnerships gone bad, bad tenants, excess debt, and any number of changes in people’s lives. Remember, however, that the immediate reason for a lower price is to get a faster or easier sale. To get cheap real estate, then, make offers that close fast and easy.

When it comes to real estate, the topic of the day is the downturn in the market, the number of people losing their homes, and how much this is going to hurt the economy. In the seventeen years I have been in the real estate business, I have witnessed every fluctuation the market has to offer. While it is true that many property owners are enduring trying times, rarely does the same happen to knowledgeable real estate investors.

There are those individuals who remain emotionally unattached and invest wisely in real estate. As a result, they live a very comfortable, if not lavish, lifestyle. Investing in real estate, especially during a downturn, can widen an investor’s opportunities and bring about lucrative returns. This is a truth. If you are thinking about becoming a real estate investor or have already made the decision to start, the following information is priceless.

Wanting to secure a comfortable financial future, most of us go to work every day hoping to build a nest egg. Since, it is common knowledge that real estate investors have the capacity to not only build a nest egg but also create a fortune, why aren’t more people joining the ranks of real estate multimillionaires? Why aren’t there more people fighting for a seat on the real estate bandwagon?

Well, the truth behind real estate investing is that it is a business and therefore, must be treated like one for it to prosper. Just like any other promising venture, investing in real estate requires a well-defined vision, a strategic plan, and an entrepreneurial mindset. Even with the overwhelming evidence revealing success, only a microscopic segment of the population is willing to take the risk, do the work and follow through. The rest simply watch and call those of us doing the work “Lucky”.

When I began my career in real estate, I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t invest. I didn’t even see past my next commission check. What kept me hanging on was a desire to live like the people I worked for, most of whom were real estate investors. Years later, I committed to create serious wealth through real estate. As soon as I mindfully committed to my goal, I began to make deals and more money than ever before.

By choice, I am not one of those investors who vacations six months out of the year. I work all the time meeting with clients, looking at properties and refining my strategy. Add to that a growing number of mentoring/coaching clients and my schedule is officially full. Nevertheless, I am continuously increasing my net worth as I am doing something that never feels like work.

Besides creating amazing wealth, being your own boss and having a place or two to call home, owning a real estate investing business has many other advantages. The following five play a special role for the novice investor.

1. Safe Investment

When we use a timeline to compare the real estate market to other investments, such as the stock market, it is easy to see that real estate continues to increase in value over time without any serious instability. Although, there is currently a housing crisis in various parts across the country, every indicator points out that what we are actually experiencing is a readjustment of highly inflated real estate prices. Just as prices may be dropping, in time they will undoubtedly increase. In contrast, the stock market has put investors through a dizzying rollercoaster ride made up of swift highs and abrupt lows throughout history. Regardless of what type of market we are in, it is clear that an investment in real estate guarantees a profit over time.

2. No Cash Necessary

For beginning real estate investors, sometimes the only investment they can make is their time. For every real estate investor, finding a lucrative deal is as good as striking oil. There are plenty of seasoned investors with money in their pockets itching to buy a piece of discounted property. Wholesalers often utilize this method. Therefore, if you are new to the game, consider finding a deal, tying it up and connecting with an investor who can take it off your hands…for a price, of course.

3. Almost Anyone Can Do It

Real estate is such a lucrative field that it opens doors to countless amateur investors everyday. There are how-to books and seminars at every turn teaching would-be investors a myriad of ways to make huge profits in the real estate market. While it is true that overnight success is practically unheard of, anybody with the heart, mind and determination can make it big in real estate. The keys are to continue learning and to monitor market conditions.

4. Leveraging Power

While novice investors can turn a quick profit by wholesaling their deals, Buy-and-Hold investors can yield a profit by borrowing against (leveraging) their properties. Typically, lenders will allow holders of owner-occupied property to borrow up to ninety-five percent of their property’s value and up to eighty-percent of non-owner occupied units. This means that you can either purchase property with a minimal out-of-pocket investment or acquire financing that will allow you to pull cash out of your property’s equity to use for future ventures.

5. Tax Breaks

The popular 1031 exchange and depreciation are just two of them. The United States government has set up multiple tax breaks favoring real estate investors. Owning real estate with the goal of making a profit allows you to deduct interest payments, repairs, and vacancies among other expenses when preparing your tax return. It is important to note that purchasing real estate makes economic sense; it should not be purchased solely for the tax benefits.

Ultimately, owning a real estate business is the way to achieve financial freedom regardless of economic conditions. Whether you quit your job and dive right in or you work at it in your spare time, you can make it happen. Worthwhile benefits are waiting faithfully for the taking.

Some people choose to use a real estate agent and some people choose to go it alone. One thing I have noticed over the years is that a number of seasoned investors looking in a new city will seek out a good agent while novice investors will frequently go it alone. I have even had a number of successful real estate agents seek out my help when they are moving to our city. Why do some of these seasoned investors choose to work with an agent? Below is a list of 7 benefits of using an agent.

1. Understand potential restrictions of the property. I recently heard a story from a friend at the city development office in Austin Texas. A couple had saved up for their retirement. They wanted to retire and live out in the hill country. They went to the foreclosure auctions. At the auction they purchased a lot for 500,000. It had great views and they were going to build their dream house on it. They had researched the lot before the auction and found it was zoned SFR which means a single family residence can be built on it. After purchasing the lot they started plans to build their retirement house. At this time they discovered the lot was in the 25 year floodplain. My friend at the city development office explained that the lot could not be built on and was basically worthless.

2. Know about new developments that might affect a properties value. A good realtor will know of proposed new developments that might affect different properties in which a buyer is interested. Whether these developments are positive or negative can be valuable information when weighing different housing options.

3. Find potential problems with a property. It is always a good idea to have a home inspector look at a potential house. However, a Realtor is a good first line of defense to see if a house has inherent problems. A Realtor that can know about common problems, such as foundation or electrical, that affect a particular neighborhood.

4. Understand contracts specifics. Whenever you buy or sell a house you are entering into a large personal transaction. It helps to have someone on your side that deals with these types of transactions on a daily basis. A Realtor can help you understand contracts and can explain what is typical for your area. The most common pitfall into which I see unrepresented buyers fall is to become involved in an atypical contract that is not to their benefit. For instance a seller will sign an offer that has an option period that is 4 times longer than what is typical. A buyer might put in offers on multiple properties with long option periods. The buyer will wait and see if the market appreciates. If the market has appreciated the buyer buys the house at now and undervalued price. If the market has gone down the buyer walks away.

5. Misperception of a benefit of going it alone. Buyers frequently think that by not using a buyers agent they will get a better deal from the seller. In most situation the listing agent asks for 6 percent from the seller. If a buyer comes with an agent the listing agent splits the 6 percent with the buyers agent. If an unrepresented buyer comes the listing agent keeps the whole 6 percent. On the selling side, For Sale By Owners (FSBO) often think they are saving alot of money by avoiding a listing agent. Nationally, FSBO homes sell for 14 percent less than agent listed homes in the same neighborhoods. In addition alot of FSBO’s still end up having a buyers agents involved. There is also money spent on advertising. Since an agent has experience marketing homes the agent often can spend money more effectively on advertising. Agents often know which advertising sources produce the most potential buyers.

6. Save time when looking for listings. Looking for listings without an agent can take up large chunks of time. When looking with an agent you can see several homes in a few hours. When going it alone you have to call the listing agent for each house and wait at the house for the agent to arrive and open up the house. In addition agents often know houses which are not listed or may have already identified potential problems with a particular house of interest.

7. Insure Security. When a home is listed with a broker, agents coming to the house have to usually log in. This allows the listing agent to keep a record of every party coming into the house. Since their business is on the line, agents are more likely to protect the house from damage or theft. For a variety of reasons, it is generally not a good idea to have random people you do not know come into your house. Often sellers simply have a phone number, but that phone could be their house, a friend’s house, a pay phone, or even a stolen phone.

Searching for a home can be stressful and difficult but it can also be fun. Whether you choose to look for a home on your own or with a Realtor its a good idea to be a extremely careful when you seek out your dream home.