Real Estate Articles & News
The UK has Gone Property TV Show Crazy!
The UK has gone property TV crazy. There are now shows about developing, buying, doing up and selling your home on every channel nearly every day. TV show presenters have become celebrities and household names.Some TV stations have had property show weekends purely dedicated to property TV shows. The UK has got an insatiable appetite for the shows.
Prepare Your Rental Property for Occupancy
Among your many responsibilities as a landlord, the law provides for a warranty of implied habitability. This means that the dwelling must be considered habitable and any known problems must be fixed before you allow a tenant to take occupancy.
Saving for a Home
So you want to buy a home? This is a big step for anyone, and there are many factors to consider, not the least of these is how to get the money for a home. Sure there are loans available for home purchase, but you must have cash on hand to cover expenses such as fees and closing costs that might not be able to be covered by a loan.
Investing in Real Estate & REITs
Real estate investing runs the gamut in terms of risk and investment success. The first rule of real estate investing, even before location, location, location, is be very careful with whom you are dealing. For some reason, real estate is fraught with unscrupulous characters, many of whom you’ll see on late night television commercials with their "no-money" down methods of becoming millionaires. Only a very small percent of these so-called real estate gurus are legitimate.
Do I Need A Real Estate Survey?
Getting a survey before you close on any real estate is very important. Some people actually buy real estate without having a survey done. It is not a requirement from the financial institute, so does that mean you don't need one? By getting a survey you will not only get a blueprint of your property you will get your property lines marked out for you. Most importantly, you will find out if there are any infringements on your property like a neighbors fence, a neighbors ...
5 Secrets for Surviving a Real Estate Market Downturn
History repeatedly serves to show us that the real estate market is cyclical. It has boom times and stagnant times, occasionally it suffers a crash but real estate never becomes worthless, therefore if the experts are right and we’re about to suffer a slow to stagnant period in the real estate market, all is not lost!
RESPA: The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) is a consumer protection statute, first passed in 1974. One of its purposes is to help consumers become better shoppers for settlement services. Another purpose is to eliminate kickbacks and referral fees that increase unnecessarily the costs of certain settlement services. RESPA requires that borrowers receive disclosures at various times. Some disclosures spell out the costs associated with the settlement, outline lender servicing and ...
Important Facts For Home Buyers
If you are considering buying a home or have spent many years saving in preparation of buying a home, the questions and process involved in buying a home can be extremely stressful. As exciting as it is to begin looking for your new home, there are many unexpected costs and details to be considered before contacting a real estate agent. Home buyers should be aware of every aspect involved in purchasing a home before they take that big step towards home ownership.
Tenants in Common (TIC)
Tenants in Common is a way of sharing ownership of property among two or more people. Each tenant holds an undivided interest in the property, and each tenant may own a different size portion of the property. Tenants in common ownership may be established in many different ways: through a will, deed, or other document of title. Today Tenants in Common (TIC) ownership has become a popular way for people to complete 1031 tax deferred exchanges when they hold title as an individual or other ...
Atlanta Georgia Real Estate Marietta East Cobb, Roswell, and Alpharetta
Whether you’re a “move up” home buyer, downsizing, or relocating to the metro Atlanta area, you’ll find a diverse range of home styles and price ranges just north of downtown in the Marietta – East Cobb, Roswell, Alpharetta corridor. Featuring affordable single family homes, condominiums, townhouses, and luxury real estate, these communities also offer great schools and unbeatable location.
Estate Planning
Estate planning can enable you to control your property while you are alive, take care of you and your loved ones if you become disabled, and give what you have to whom you want, the way you want, and when you want, and if you wish, you can save every last tax dollar, professional fee, and court cost possible.
An Overview of Easements
Title insurance is generally associated with insuring a purchaser's or lender's interest in a particular piece of real estate. The right to use an easement is often considered less important than unencumbered title of the insured parcel. An easement, however, can significantly affect the value of the insured parcel. Questions regarding the validity or use of an easement may result in a dispute among neighbors that may require protracted litigation to resolve.
Back To The Future Big Changes Are Coming, Get Ready Now
The comments below are quoted from a recent speech by Ben Bernanke, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors...
Not Everyone is Buying or Selling, Some are Doing Both
As if one real estate transaction is not hectic enough… many of us end up needing to sell one place in order to move up to the next… this is the “real estate catch 22”. Do we buy first?? Do we sell first?? If we are fortunate, these events occur at the same time, but that is not always the case. The problem is trying to determine if it is worse to end up “temporarily homeless” because you sold first, or financially strapped because you bought first.
Good Tenants Learn Twelve Ways Landlords Keep Them
Happy, Long-term Good Tenants Paying On Time How to Create a Win-Win Relationship for the Both of You!
Land Subdivision $1.2 Billion Dollar Developer Tells You How To Do It
Land subdivision is a bit like helping Mom slice up her beautiful Apple Pie; it’s all so easy, when, like Mom, you’ve done it a few times. So let’s see if we can get the ingredients for a land subdivision correct so you can do it right first time, OK?
Branded Email in the Real Estate Industry
Branded Email in the Real Estate Industry You’re in the real estate industry, and that means you’ve got a brand. Chances are, you’ve spent quite a bit of money to build that brand, whether it’s through franchising fees, marketing, websites, business cards, other print materials, advertising, yard signs, and/or through other means. And whoever answers your phones probably answers it with your brand as well – “Good morning, thank you for calling Your Brand Here Real Estate, ...
Inspecting Your New Home 17 Areas You Must Inspect Before Taking Possession
Congratulations! You've made your decision; you've chosen your new home and your builder. So what needs to happen next? Once you have a firm contract and you have selected the features that will go into your new home, it is time for the builder to turn your dream into reality.
Find Out If There Are Sexual Predators Nearby Before You Buy A Home or Property!
When looking for a new home or property, buyers ask many questions. Typical questions might be about the history of the property, property tax amounts, the school system, proximity to medical facilities, shopping malls, etc. Of course these details are important but fall short of getting all the information necessary to make an informed purchase.
Buying Your First Investment Property
"Begin With The End In Mind" I first heard the phrase "Begin with the end in mind" in a Steven Covey book called "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". This expression makes a lot of sense because the fact is, you can't get where you're going, unless you know where you want to go. Most new investors understand that real estate is an investment vehicle that makes sense. We all know that many fortunes have been built with real estate. But when you are first getting ...
Investing In Real Estate Investors
With the never-ending changes in our Real Estate Markets real estate professionals are starting to pay attention to the sound of new commission streams of income. Some realtors have either shied away or ran-away from such terms as “Cap Rate,” & “Cash-on-Cash Returns.” Terms that only the ‘smart’ and ‘numbers-oriented people use to determine if a Real Estate purchase is a “Good Deal”, or not. A majority of the realtor brethren attended real estate school because they are excited and ...
Expense List for Buying a Home
There are many expenses that come with buying a home. The following list is a good example of what to expect:
3 Strategies For Buying Property With No Money Down
Everyone has heard a story or read about someone who bought a property without paying a single dime as a down payment. But how does this work?
Hiring A Contractor 10 Mistakes To Avoid
A very smart attorney I know paid $7,000 for a roof repair, only to have the roof leak the next time it rained. The contractor stalled, made excuses, but never did a thing about it. Anyone can have these kinds of problems when having repairs or improvements done, but to make it less likely, avoid the folowing mistakes when hiring a contractor.
Boom or Bust
For those looking to invest in the real estate market…keep your eyes on the headlines. According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), the number of areas across the U.S. with real estate booms shot to 55, increasing by nearly two-thirds last year. The FDIC warns, “these booms may be followed by busts”.
Realtors Get Ready To Make More Money For Less Time - Times Are Changing And So Is The Industry!
Does your day sound like this? Check the MLS for properties for a new client, return calls, place an ad for a new listing, make sure the inspection is on schedule, return more calls, iron out problems on two different contracts, show properties all afternoon, write a contract, and try to remember to eat lunch. Return more calls all evening while searching the MLS before going to bed and then start doing it all again tomorrow. It did to Caroline Maki who, until recently, was one of RE/MAX’s ...
U.S. Real Estate Sought By Foreign Investors Due to a Weaker Dollar
The weak US dollar has been good news for real estate. Taking advantage of the favorable conversion rates, foreign investors are eagerly picking up real estate in major cities across the US. Who is buying and where are they investing?
Trading Inspectors!
As sure as the spring flows at the Fountain of Youth, a home inspection provides a stream of knowledge to wash away the fears of homebuyers. But fear may be replaced by frustration if the wrong inspector is chosen!
8 Essential Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector
Congratulations! You've decided to purchase a home. We all know that when purchasing a home, every detail is an important one. And choosing a home inspector is no exception. It's critical to choose an inspector the same way you've chosen a real estate professional - very carefully! You'll get a great educational experience when you hire a professional with the right credentials.
Things To Consider Before Buying a Condo Hotel or Resort Residence
Resort home ownership, such as condo hotels and fractional shares is different from typical home ownership. So it is important to ask certain questions before signing the purchase agreement on a resort property. The following list of questions typically applies to most types of resort property ownership unless otherwise noted.