When a person is looking for the right living or office space, but does not know how to go about the buying process, then a real estate broker or agent is the person to approach. These professionals not only help a buyer find and select the right property, but also get some of the best deals for their customers. Today, careers in the real estate industry are highly rewarding. Hence, the importance of real estate schools arises.

Aspiring real estate agents are offered real estate pre-license, post-license and continuing education courses in the classroom. They are also provided with online courses. There are various schools that pass knowledge in this faculty. Conveniently located in various states, these schools have been training real estate professionals for more than 20 years. They help a majority of students obtain real estate licenses.

Online real estate courses offered are also second to none. Students are offered online sales associate pre-licensing and online post-licensing courses, with a wide variety of supplemental material to help students pass the real estate exam. Real estate schools offer thorough training to the candidates, making sure they will be prepared the day of their exams.

It is said that choosing the best real estate school can be a tough decision. There is an eligibility criterion that needs to be fulfilled in order to apply for the real estate license. To begin with, the student must be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or GED. In order to apply, a candidate needs to submit application to the Division of Real Estate with the appropriate fee. He must also complete and pass the state approved 63-hour sales associate pre-license course.

Real estate schools have grown in popularity over the years. Most of what is taught in real estate pre-license classes, courses, and training is designed to help the student know what is required to be a qualified licensed real estate professional. In addition to this, one needs good communication and persuasion skills to make a successful career in real estate.

Real Estate Schools provides detailed information on Real Estate Schools, Online Real Estate Schools, Phoenix Real Estate Schools, Scottsdale Real Estate Schools and more. Real Estate Schools is affiliated with Real Estate Agent Courses.

Posted in: on Friday, October 31, 2008 at at 10:37 PM 0 comments  

Whether you?re buying a residential house for investment purposes or as your home, the local neighborhood and community where it is located will make a big difference in your enjoyment of that property and in your prospects for the future. Here are some of the basic things to look for:

1. Essential Shops and Services

Are all the essential shops and services in the area and are they you?re your house? Drive around and look for the local grocery, convenience stores, church, gas stations, dry cleaners and the like. While you?re at it, take a good look at the community?s leading shopping center. Oftentimes, if the local shopping center is in decline, chances are that the neighborhood is in decline as well. In addition, if there are a lot of vacant storefronts along that neighborhood, it might be a good idea to explore other options, perhaps go down a street or two for your house hunting.

2. Proximity to neighborhood center You want your home to be neatly tucked away at the center of the residential neighborhood or as close to it as possible. You do not want to purchase a house on the edge of town or close to its outskirts. And neither do you want a house that is at the back or side of a busy thoroughfare either. If it?s a single family residence you are eyeing, try to avoid purchasing property that borders a bustling business enterprise, condominium, apartment complex or school because these places are naturally bustling with activity which can be a distraction.

3. Access to major thoroughfares The ideal property provides easy access to local highways, major traffic routes and major thoroughfares as well as to mass transit. Try to avoid purchasing a house located on a street that is a favorite shortcut of motorists between two busier streets. If it?s a residential home you?re thinking of buying, also avoid a house located at a corner lot since these tend to attract more street traffic and may not be that safe for children. Instead, try to find a house that is in the middle of the block or on a cul de sac. Now if it?s a business or commercial property you are eyeing, a corner lot would be more desirable.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Real Estate, Investing, and Finance

Posted in: on at at 5:37 PM 0 comments  

At some point we've all played the ?wouldn't it be nice to live there? game, where we press our noses up to the estate agents window like hungry children eyeing up the cakes in a bakery, wishing we could afford the homes that are way too expensive for us. We all have aspirations far beyond our wallets from time to time, but more and more first time buyers are finding that they simply cannot afford to buy anywhere as property prices in the UK have rocketed to such levels that the first step onto the ladder has begun to look more like an impossible leap.

Now a new breed of buyer has begun to emerge, or maybe I should say ?evolve?, because that?s what happens when nature finds a way around a problem, who have decided to tackle the issue of affordability head on, they are the co-buyers. If you?ve not been near your TV, radio or favorite newspaper recently you?d be excused for not having heard of this home buying movement. Put simply, co-buying is where two or more people buy a property together to join funds, divide of all the costs, and afford to buy years sooner than they could have done alone. Nothing new there, as friends and family have been doing that for an age now, what is new is the rise in the popularity of searching for your ideal mortgage mate on the internet.

Richard Cohn, Founding Director of Shared Spaces Limited, introduced us to the concept of co-buying with www.sharedspaces.co.uk, launched in December 2005. He explains, ?I flat shared for years before buying, and made some great friends along the way, and it was during this time that I came to the conclusion that was to lead to the creation of SharedSpaces. If you can flat-share with complete strangers with great success, why can?t people take it to the next level and buy together??

Of course there is more to it than just that because buying is a far bigger financial commitment than renting, but Cohn suggests that with the correct legal framework (a document called a ?Deed of Trust? that costs only a few hundred pounds from any solicitor that protects your legal rights and provides a roadmap for the relationship), mortgage payment protection insurance (to protect you and your co-owners from hardship should you loose your jobs or are unable to work due to illness), and time (as much time as you need to get to know your potential co-buyer well enough to call them a friend or a business partner in the process), there is no reason why you cannot have a successful co-buying experience.

SharedSpaces.co.uk has over 2,500 registered members across the UK looking for someone else to buy a property with, joined by a common goal, to fight the affordability gap. Whether you are a key worker or a city high flyer if you?re looking for a mortgage mate, a property pal or a future friend to buy your first home with there seems to be plenty of people to choose from. I don?t know whether co-buying solves the long term problem of property prices rising faster than salaries, but it sure does seem to offer an option for those who have been left behind.

Posted in: on at at 12:37 PM 1 comments  

A housing crisis is brewing in Miami, Florida. Cops, teachers, and other members of the middle class can't afford homes there. According to Sgt. Armando Aguilar, president of Miami's Fraternal Order of Police, none of the new cops graduating out of the academy can afford to buy a home in Miami-Dade or any nearby counties. In fact, the force is losing officers left and right to other places that pay better and where living is less expensive. Miami police officer salaries start at $37,817 which ranks Miami 36th out of 43 other municipalities reporting annual pay data. But that won't buy a cop a house here.

Or new teachers, nurses, and many more of the community's middle-class who are in the same sinking boat. Consumer-price inflation is rising much faster than wages. According to an article in the Miami Herald, inflation in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area was running at 5.1 percent, nearly twice the national rate.

Nearly twice the national rate.

Would someone please tell us what is going on?

Last week one of our staff members had to pick something up in Plantation in Broward county from a guy who was selling his house. The house wasn't new or that big, but it did have nice curb appeal in a neighborhood of unassuming homes. Inside, marble floors, an upgraded kitchen, two bedrooms, one bath, a two-car garage, and no backyard to speak of. He wanted $425,000 for it. He pointed out another house that had recently been sold. Its curb appeal was sorely lacking but it sold for close to half-a-million dollars. Why? It had a pool.

Something has to give. Teachers and police in Miami-Dade in separate incidents began standing on street corners last month waving placards and shouting at anyone who will listen about low wages and shrinking retirement funds. We believe these are the first signs of a crisis hovering just beyond the horizon that no one in local government seems to be addressing. Maybe nothing can be done until the market corrects itself with falling home prices. But what will initiate that process?

According to Bruce Nissen, a professor at Florida International University, he sees the workforce organizing more and more protests. Will that be enough to set the corrections in motion? As much as we would like to believe it will, we think that, without government action, protests will devolve into strikes effectively shutting down the economy and disrupting our lifestyle to the point where draconian measures will be called up to fix the problem. Unfortunately, we don't think falling real estate prices will be the total answer. However, building affordable housing is part of the answer. But if developers can't make a profit against their investment in land, the rising cost of labor and materials, why bother building anything at all? Even though most people can't afford to buy into the high-end condo building boom in Miami-Dade, if that sector in the local economy collapses, thousands of people will be out of work. It's a double-edged sword for sure and we don't pretend to have any answers. Instead, when considering what tomorrow may bring, we face the future with fear and trepidation.

D.C. Copeland is a writer and award-winning artist. In 1970, he co-founded Ecology Action of Florida which combined recycling and working the disadvantaged. When visiting Copeland's personal website and blog http://www.miamivisionblogarama.blogspot.com/, you will discover that Wayne Cochran is the Patron Saint and that many people consider it to be The Rodney Dangerfield of Blogs.

Posted in: on at at 7:37 AM 0 comments  

Builders aren't the only ones seeing stock prices slump from the weakening real estate market, mortgage lenders are seeing shares begin to sink as well.

Countrywide Finanical has seen stock prices fall 20.9% since May 2006. Accredited Home Lenders, a subprime lender, stock has fallen by half. Thornburg Mortgage, an adjustable rate specialist, has seen stock fall by almost 20%.

Lenders are starting to see a gloomy outlook as the real estate market continues to weaken. Borrowers are seeing higher prices to both purchase and build combined with higher borrowing costs. Sales of both new and existing homes were down 4% in July, according to the National Association of Realtors, while the inventory of unsold homes is hitting high levels.

With fewer people taking out mortgages, overall applications are down 25% for the year.

The volume of loans is declining, said Bose George, an analysist for Keefe Bruyette & Woods. The market expects declines for the next few years. And that is obviously a drag on revenue and earnings, because lenders will have to compete more aggressively.

The market is also beginning to see fallout from the high usage of exotic mortgages over the past few years. An increasing number of borrowers have chosen adjustable-rate mortgages over the past few years. With these products beginning to reset to higher interest rates, delinquency rates are beginning to see slight increases. Delinquencies for the first quarter of 2006 were up 0.1% when compared to the first quarter of 2005, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Borrowers are missing more of their payments than before, said Matthew Howlett, an analyst at Fox-Pitt Kelton.

H&R Block reportedly has set aside $61.3 million to offset potential losses from its subsidiary, Option One Mortgage, due to delinquent mortgage payments.

The fear of a worsening, even steep, housing slump will continue to result in investors continue to sell mortgage lender stock.

Martin Lukac represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate and mortgage rates. We specialize in daily updates, mortgage news, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

Posted in: on at at 2:37 AM 0 comments  

Some of the common types of steel buildings found are agricultural buildings, aircraft-hangars, churches, schools, retail buildings, gymnasiums, commercial buildings, institutional buildings, sports centers, riding arenas, self storage units and warehouses.

1. Is erecting steel buildings a cost effective option?

Yes, a steel building is a cost effective solution when compared with traditional building methods. Customers can save considerable time by erecting steel buildings.

2. What are steel buildings made from?

Steel buildings are constructed with heavy gauge steel for additional strength. Some are made in red-iron and solid I-beam commercial grade steel.

3. What are the benefits of using steel buildings?

Steel buildings require less maintenance. They are durable and inexpensive than most construction materials. Steel buildings are light weight and fire retardant. They can also withstand unfavorable weather conditions such as heavy snow, tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes. These buildings prevent rusting and rotting.

4. Are color options available in steel buildings?

A wide range of color options and panel of shades are offered. Customers can choose colors according to their taste.

5. What are the components supplied?

Ceiling lights, windows, doors, vents, porticos, skylights, breeze ways and wall lights are some of the components provided for steel buildings.

6. Who will help to erect a steel building?

Some people erect their steel buildings themselves. Most of the suppliers provide an easy to follow instruction manual along with the components and parts of the steel building. By following the instructions, the steel building can be easily erected. Companies also provide professional contractors to erect the steel building.

7. Are steel buildings insulated?

Different types of insulation solutions with a range of R-values are available in the market.

8. Does the manufacturer offer warranty for the buildings?

Most of the steel building companies come attached with some kind of warranty programs on their buildings. Some suppliers offer warranty on the different components and parts.

http://www.a1steelbuildings.com/commonquestions.html

http://www.afjconstruction.com/faq/faq.htm

http://www.alliedbuildings.com/faqs.htm

http://steelwise.com/swfaq.asp

http://www.crownsteelbuildings.com/steelbuildingsFAQ.htm

Steel Buildings provides detailed information on Steel Buildings, Commercial Steel Buildings, Pre-Fabricated Steel Buildings, Steel Storage Buildings and more. Steel Buildings is affiliated with Metal Building Kits.

Posted in: on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at at 9:37 PM 0 comments  

There is nothing like worldwide attention to drive interest in a region?s real estate market, and nothing drives World-wide attention like the Olympic Games. Since the announcement that Vancouver and Whistler would co-host the 2010 Olympics, The real estate market in the area between Vancouver and Whistler has been exciting to say the least.

While the Whistler Real Estate Market is historically famous for its high priced homes and chronic staff housing shortages, much of that has dissipated over the last few years. Whistler Real Estate sales remain steady as its profile is further increased, and since, compared to options like Vail or Aspen, Whistler offers a competitive option in securing ski resort real estate.

Further to the South, things are even more interesting. For decades, Squamish BC, a quiet industrial town at the end of the spectacular inlet of Howe Sound, lived in relative obscurity between it?s much more famous neighbours of Vancouver and Whistler. This quiet town of 15,000 was home to those who were tolerant of the commute to Whistler or Vancouver, forestry industry workers, and a few passionate outdoor recreationists.

However, the fact that the next Winter Olympics will take place in venues both north and south of Squamish and a concurrent booming British Columbia economy, combined with a hot Vancouver housing market have boosted awareness of the Squamish Real Estate Market. Squamish is now attracting a great deal of interest as a place to live and invest in real estate. Housing developments are springing up or being planned all over this town, which has recently branded itself ?The Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada?.

For decades, the spectacular Squamish waterfront has been dominated by industry, most notably a saw mill, a deep sea port, and a chemical plant. But the Sawmill is gone, and 1300 housing units are planned as part of ?Waterfront Landing?, a development by Pridham that will see townhouses, apartment towers, and an impressive a waterfront walkway talk the place of a former sawmill.

Further south, The District has also attained ownership of another 60 acres of oceanfront property ? a former chemical site, which it hopes to develop as a park and residential area, with perhaps some light industry to provide local jobs.

For many, Squamish?s key attraction, the one thing that by far sets it apart from just about any place on earth, is the incredible variety of outdoor recreation opportunities available in this town. Just the sheer number of outdoor recreation activities available is hard to comprehend and it is a challenge to even attempt to catalogue them all. The rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, white water kayaking, ocean kayaking, kite surfing, wind surfing, and river rafting are all frequently described as ?world class? in Squamish. Add to that three great golf courses, horseback riding, scuba diving, fishing, some road cycling and options for boat tours or air tours, and it is clear that many days of adventure can be fulfilled in Squamish, whether by resident or tourist. And of course, for those living in Squamish, a considerable bonus is the proximity to Whistler, putting world class downhill skiing a short drive away.

Moving towards taking advantage of the growing tourism opportunities, The District of Squamish has just completed a Tourism Information Centre on the well-traveled Highway 99. The $6 million structure is known as the ?The Adventure Centre?. The impressive, ?saddle shaped? building contains a coffee shop and district offices as well as standard Tourist Information Offices.

Real Estate in Squamish draws a great deal of interest from North Vancouver and with the commute from Squamish to Vancouver now shorter than from the Fraser Valley, there is a lot of interest from residents who are not sure they want to endure the daily slow drive from the Fraser Valley, the area to the east of Vancouver that has seen the greatest interest from the Vancouver based worker. And with its isolation, Squamish offers an escape from urban sprawl and an authentic small town feel.

Squamish has seen a huge increase in prices, with eight $1,000,000 plus homes for sale at the current time, and it is predicted that in a couple years time, it will be quite common to see $1,000,000 homes. At the other end of the real estate market, Squamish remains the most affordable community between Maple Ridge and Whistler.

Squamish market is also attracting young urban dwellers hoping to purchase reasonably priced homes in a favorite destination for recreation. Squamish is confident that it can sustain this growth and that it has every opportunity to become the service centre for places like Whistler and Pemberton, the other main towns in the Sea to Sky corridor. The addition of stores like Wal-Mart and Home Depot will inevitably make Squamish the place where people from Pemberton and Whistler go to shop, rather than having to drive the extra miles to North Vancouver.

Squamish Real Estate: www.myseatosky.com/squamish Whistler Real Estate: www.myseatosky.com/whistler Squamish www.DiscoverSquamish.ca

Posted in: on at at 4:37 PM 0 comments  

Pre-engineered metal buildings are created by qualified engineers and experts to guarantee a high-quality, versatile product. There are many uses for pre-engineered metal buildings.

There are quite a few agricultural options when it comes to pre-engineered metal buildings. These options include metal barns, buildings for equipment storage, houses for your animals and horses, and storage for your crops. Since these metal buildings are pre-engineered, you know that they are specifically designed to accommodate your particular purpose.

You can also purchase pre-engineered metal buildings for your home. You can find metal sheds, garages, larger storage options, home additions, porches and decks, and metal homes. You can either choose to install the kit yourself or ask for an expert. Keep in mind that metal buildings are sturdier than wooden buildings and are often portable, which makes them great options if you move frequently.

Pre-engineered metal buildings can also have industrial uses. You can purchase large storage buildings to house equipment, to provide additional office space, to use as a welding shop, and to serve larger warehouses. Keep in mind these are just a few examples of metal buildings that can be used in industry. In addition, you can purchase garages that can be used as a shop for mechanics as well as airplane hangars.

So, no matter what your needs are, you can more than likely find pre-engineered metal buildings that will suit your purpose. This option is sturdy and will offer more protection against the elements than the traditional wooden structures. They can also save you money.

Metal Buildings provides detailed information on Metal Buildings, Metal Storage Buildings, Metal Building Kits, Commercial Metal Buildings and more. Metal Buildings is affiliated with Pre-Fabricated Steel Buildings.

Posted in: on at at 11:37 AM 0 comments  

This model of business planning and goal setting for Real Estate Professionals breaks the process down to five sections and fourteen steps.

SECTION A: The Big WHY

It is important to first look at who you really are and what your core values are. These things will drive you and carry thorough to your business.

Step 1 - What is your purpose?
Uncover your purpose, what provides the foundation of our values, vision and goals.

Step 2 - What are your values?
Know your core values which dictate what is important in both life and business: how business should be conducted, your view of humanity, and your role in society.

SECTION B: Vision - Goal Setting

This is where you take a hard look at where you are at and figure out where it is you are going in your business and in your life.

Step 3 - The Year in Review
Recognize what it is you have done this year, celebrate the accomplishments and also look at what may have stopped you short of reaching a goal.

Step 4 - Is your life in balance?
The Wheel of Life, sometimes called the Balance Wheel, will help you visualize your current situation, providing a snapshot of how you see your life today.

Step 5 - Business Review
Take a look at the results of the last 12 months. Did you reach your goals and achieve what you wanted?

Step 6 - Goal Setting
Don't hold back, dream LARGE, think BIG, aim HIGH.

Step 7 - Production Goals
Work the numbers. Create specific number goals for the next one to five years.

SECTION C: Creating an Action Plan to Achieve Your Goals

All Real Estate Professionals know they need a Business Plan. By following these steps you will create a plan that will help you hit your business goals.

Step 8 - Define Your Niche and Value Proposition
Become a specialist and build perceived value. Know your true value and learn to articulate your value proposition to your clients.

Step 9 - Lead Generation/Marketing Plan
Recognize what specific changes to your current plans are necessary to make in order to reach your goals.

Step 10 - Define Your Team Organizational Structure
Understand the organizational structure of your team.

Step 11 - Development Plan
Capture all of those things you have wanted to research, create, do, perfect, delegate and implement in your business.

Step 12 - Budgeting
Review your expenses for the current year and include any new marketing and development changes.

Step 13 - Production Plan
Create and monitor goals on a monthly basis in order to hit your production goals for the upcoming year.

SECTION D: Achieving Your Goals: How do I get there from here?

By breaking your large goals into smaller steps you will always know what you need to do next in order to keep working toward hitting your business and personal goals.

Step 14 - Creating a Master Project List
Change your goals into projects to actively work on over the next twelve months, and from this create a Master Project List.

Real Estate and Life Coach Cheri Alguire has partnered with hundreds of Real Estate Professionals to help them become more successful in business and in life. Coach Cheri is also the creator of the highly sought-after Five Year Business and Life Planning Guide for Real Estate Professionals. Learn more about this and Coach Cheri's other products and services at http://www.NextLevelServices.net

Posted in: on at at 6:37 AM 0 comments  

You should be on the look out for any major problems which may cause you significant problems and money later on down the line! It?s a good idea to do your homework when you?re looking to purchase an existing home or any home you may be considering. You want to know what you should be looking for? Well consider some of these tips and information while you?re shopping for an existing home:

1) Consider having a home inspection done on the property you?re thinking about purchasing. This is very important! By having a home inspection, you will be provided with valuable information about the condition of the home you want to purchase by an independent expert. You can find a certified home inspector via the American Society of Home Inspectors(ASHI) www.ashi.org. You?ll be glad that you hired an independent inspector to go over the home you may want to purchase. It may save you major headaches in the long run! Make sure to make the home inspection a contingency of the prospective purchase agreement of the home you?re considering.

2) Look at the price the existing home is being sold for. In most cases you?re able to get a better price for an existing home than you would for a new one. The existing home is usually in a neighborhood which is already established. In addition, the home will probably have upgrades already done. If you have children, schools are usually already established for the neighborhood that you may be planning to live in.

3) Try to steer away from existing homes which have some form of preexisting structural and roof damage. If you don?t, this could cost you thousands of dollars in the long run!

4) If you decide to purchase an exiting home, you may want to establish a home maintenance account for any potential repair problems in the future.

5) Make sure you check out the landscaping of the home which of course includes the lawn, plants, flowers, bushes and trees! If there is a potential problem with the landscaping, you can put in your contingency agreement that this problem must be corrected by the seller, prior to you purchasing the home. This could save you money in the long run.

6) Research and investigate any easements on the property you?re planning on purchasing. You want to make sure if there are any easements, that this will not create a problem for you in the long run.

7) Purchase title insurance! This will protect you from any potential problems that may come up about the legal owner of the property that you have purchased.

The purchase of an existing home can be a good thing if you do your homework before and during your prospective purchase. There are some great deals on existing homes if you do your research. Just keep in mind some of the tips and information that you?ve learned, while you?re planning to make your purchase. You?ll be glad that you did.

Nocita Carter is a writer and web designer that creates websites providing informative tips on various subject matter including personal finance tips on your personal finances at http://www.personal-finance-tips-for-you.com ; dating tips at http://www.mydating-tips.com and your choice of ebooks at http://www.ebook-corner-for-you.com

Posted in: on at at 1:37 AM 0 comments  

Has the housing bubble finally burst? Or has it cooled down?

According to DataQuick Information Systems ?A total of 27,286 new and resale homes were sold in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties last month. That was up 10.3 percent from 24,748 for the month before, and down 11.7 percent from 30,886 for May a year ago.? Statistics like these may support that the real estate market?s bubble hasn?t necessarily popped, but has slowed down.

Other facts that DataQuick published, the move-up category of home sales, when homeowners literally move up from a 2 bedroom home to a 3 bedroom home, have slowed down. But the entry-level homes and mid-range home sales have not slowed down and those prices are still rising, but at a slower pace.

Foreclosures are showing a moderate increase in numbers which means this market could be easily tapped by home buyers and investors. There are a number of sites on the Internet which make it easy to access information on foreclosure properties, including PoliceAuctions.com , a site that allows it?s subscribing members to access over 2653 government auctions in its database which include residential and commercial properties. The site will also allow its members to access listings for thousands of foreclosure properties.

Trends culled from DataQuick support the idea that the real estate bubble hasn?t popped, but has cooled down. This cooling trend maybe more apparent in some areas, but otherwise the real estate market overall is still healthy.

Posted in: on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at at 8:37 PM 0 comments  

An interesting twist to the Souhegan Valley real estate market!

Since late 2005 the real estate market in the Souhegan Valley of New Hampshire has seen declines in the number of homes sold, increases in the number of homes on the market, and falling prices. This is completely logical. Lower demand and higher supply inevitably leads to lower prices. But there is an intersting twist in this market.

The number of homes sold through October 2006 is down 23% from last year, while there is currently a 13 month supply of homes on the market. This has lead to a drop in home prices, as evidenced by the drop in per square foot sold price since the end of 2005 (see Charts at Web site below).

Despite this drop in home prices, the average price of a home sold has increased slightly over 2005. In fact, the average price of a home sold in the area is up about 0.7% from last year. This is perplexing! The price of a home is dropping but the average price of a home being bought is increasing.

If the major problem in the New Hampshire housing market is that homes have become unaffordable and the prices of homes are falling due to lower demand then one would expect that the average price of a home sold would fall as well. Instead, the average price of a home sold has clearly increased. This is an indication that many buyers have the means to buy a home and are willing to spend that money to get the home they want. So as the prices of homes drop, buyers are simply buying more house for their dollar.

This is not to say that buying a home is easy for everyone. In southern New Hampshire a first time home buyer faces difficulty in finding an affordable first home. They can expect to pay $230,000 or more for a single family home in the area. Even a condominium can cost $180,000, which is difficult for the first time home buyer.

However, with a strong job market and increasing wages, buyers in the market are taking advantage of lower prices and low interest rates to buy the home they want. Today, buyers do not have to compromise on home size, location or amenities like they did when the market was hot. These indicators also highlight the fact that this market was not precipitated by a major economic event, such as major job losses, that prohibit people from buying. Therefore, this market will probably not last long. I do not expect a return to the red hot real estate market we had with 15% appreciation per year, but I do anticipate increases in buying with moderate appreciation. (Of course this assumes no changes in economic conditions that will impact buying power.)

As a closing note, I have noticed over the last few weeks that the news media has begun to run stories about the market hitting bottom. These stories are important to note because they will change buyers perception of the market. When buyers believe that prices have hit bottom perhaps, they will begin to buy.

Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday!

Market Notables Single family home sales through the 31st of October 2006 were down 23% from the same period last year. Single family home sales in the month of October were down 38% from last October. (Recall that sales in September were off 53% from a year earlier, so this is an improvement.)

The number of single family homes on the market was down in October to 840 homes. This is an improvement from September when there were 902 homes on the market.

Despite the lower demand for homes the average selling price of a home in October was $387,009, 0.7% higher than in October of 2005.

The towns with the largest percentage increase in average selling price so far this year are Greenville, where the average price of a home is up almost 20% and Mason, up 14%.

Two towns in the area have the distinction of actually exceeding the number of sales they had in 2005. These are Temple and Wilton.

Note:

This data in this article is based on information from the Northern New England Real Estate Network for the periods indicated for the towns of Amherst, Bedford, Brookline, Francestown, Greenfield, Greenville, Hollis, Lyndeborough, Mason, Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Temple, and Wilton.

Carl Johnson has been a Realtor since 2002 and serves home buyers and sellers in the Amherst and Milford area of New Hampshire. Visit http://www.SouheganHomes.com for complete market reports for the Souhegan Valley of New Hampshire

Posted in: on at at 3:37 PM 0 comments  

If you are looking to buy your first home in the Phoenix metropolitan area, you may want to consider Glendale. It is located west of Phoenix and offers easy access to the city, as well as to the many businesses.

Glendale is one of the most affordable home communities throughout the Valley. For first time buyers, this community gives you options of getting more home for your money. Of course, buying your first home is a big first step, and you can take some steps to avoid those mistakes of home buying.

Not Being Prepared

Most first time buyers think the first step is going out and looking for a home. Actually, the first step is working with a mortgage agent. A big part of your home purchase is getting a mortgage, and your mortgage agent is best qualified to help you through the process. A good agent can show you where you may experience potential problems, take a good look at your credit, and give you some suggestions of the price range for your potential home.

Focusing on the Long Term

When you look for a home in Glendale, be careful not to focus too far in the future. It's hard to predict where you'll be or what you'll be doing ten or fifteen years from now. If you are focused too far in the future, you may buy a larger home than you really need. Focus on your needs for the next five to seven years, how close do you need to be to work, how many bedrooms are ideal, how big of a home do you want.

Chances are you'll be looking for a new home in five to seven years, and you'll revise your home search based on your needs at that time.

Waiting Too Long to Buy

Taking that first step to buy a home is a huge decision, and at times it can be a little frightening. Maybe you've heard rumors of a real estate bubble, and you think if you wait it out that bubble will collapse and you'll find a house at a better price. Actually, most experts have already said that the real estate collapse is not going to happen. You aren't going to see home prices fall in the near future. In fact, most likely home prices will continue to increase, just at a slightly less pronounced rate than the last couple of years.

If you decide to wait too long, you may find that you can't afford the increased prices. And, the longer you stay in your rental property, the more money you give to your landlord that you could be investing that money in yourself.

Looking for Perfection

First time buyers see themselves living in a home for years, and want to find the home that is perfect for them. Unfortunately, there is no such house. All homes will have a few problems, some that are easier to fix than others, some that you just have to learn to live with. When you look for a home in Glendale, be prepared to walk in with an open mind. You'll find that you have a lot more options when you do.

Do a little preparation in advance and you'll find the perfect Glendale home for you. You home is an important investment in your future, the right home will let you begin upon the path of accumulating wealth, it's a good road to be on.

Reg Gustin is a senior loan officer with Sun American Mortgage and specializes in helping families and their financial lending needs.

Get a FREE mortgage rate quote from a reputable Arizona mortgage company at http://www.arizona-homes-store.com/arizona-mortgages.htm

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Posted in: on at at 10:37 AM 0 comments  

Because hurricanes have come and went in Miami, Florida, many future homeowners and property buyers are worrying on how this will affect the Miami Real Estate Market. ?Be not afraid,? these are the words of real estate experts. That is because investors are actually looking into more cash flow. To many people's surprise, the properties actually gained higher net worth from twenty five to thirty five percent. Miami is significantly one of the top ten housing markets in the U.S.

Miami Real Estate still ranks in far above the ground sophistication. The place never fails to captivate any new homebuyer with the blue lakes, the sidewalks and the streetlights.

After the hurricanes, many local residents were heard to tell some sellers that they would go back to other states, but experts say that this will never happen. As one of the most exciting places in the country, Miami will still continue to attract yuppies and retirees who would still want to have a place of their own in the sun filled Miami.

Hurricane memories will eventually fade away, said one of the directors of the regional housing market, Bradley Hunter. He mentioned that all the memories of the hurricane will soon be forgotten when the season has come around and the same number if not more buyers will arrive.

The hurricanes that slammed against the coasts of Miami pounded the enthusiastic real estate market. And due to the storms, many would like to flee. But in the history of a hurricane that drenched Florida as well in 1992, there was a merely less than ten per cent of residents who mentioned that they will not come never really came back. Most of the locale still went back to their Florida homes. The same is not true with Miami when in 2000, the residents dropped to almost thirty five thousand residents but has sprung back to around 2.3 million.

The president of the National Association of Realtors? (NAR), Thomas M. Stevens said that the ?People displaced by hurricanes are having a large impact on the apartment market across many areas of the South. Consumer spending is sustaining retail real estate, but that sector is seeing relatively modest growth and conditions vary widely. He also mentioned that the condo conversions for the year are still at unprecedented level.

Many experts say that after the hurricanes last year, there will be a growth in the rental sector of Miami Real Estates. This will be expected to be at 7.2 per cent come the fourth quarter. The lowest to have vacancies will be coming from the retail markets of Miami.

Another affected by the storms in Miami Real Estate market is the hospitality in the commercial sector. This will experience temporary inflation in occupancy levels. This is due to the demand by the evacuees during the hurricanes.

But this will not put down the Miami Real Estate market spirit. More rebuilding is yet to be done and this will eventually generate earnings for Miami. At this time, the local housing market is still booming and demand is even higher. The effort for recuperation is anticipated and this will boost more buyers for the new and second home markets as well.

This is just a reality that Miami is never affected by far when it comes to real estate market.

Cleo Capili

http://www.miamirealestateinc.com

Florida Real Estate Expert Cleo Capili specializes providing assistance to buyers in Florida. She guides families who would like to invest and purchase their dream home in the exciting warm paradise of the Real Estates in Florida. Her skills in negotiating and inventory to make sure that sales and experience bring out the best for each purchase sets her apart from the different common realtors in her location.

Cleo have good background in marketing, business, real estate financing, and advertising to give clients the best options when buying a Florida property. No matter what your needs are, Cleo could share her professional and interpersonal skills for outstanding results on each of your property purchase in Florida.

Posted in: on at at 5:37 AM 0 comments  

Homeowners have a seemingly insatiable appetite for information about the housing markets. Are prices going up? How's the market? Is now a good time to sell? they ask. Research reports and newspaper articles provide useful answers, but the information is usually buried in economic jargon. What is a median price anyway? What does seasonally adjusted mean? Does anyone understand unsold inventory index?

To help you follow the numbers, here are some helpful definitions:

Median price. An oft-cited indicator of the strength and direction of a housing market, a median price is the midpoint of all the prices of homes sold in a given area during a specified period. Midpoint means half the homes sold for higher prices and half the homes sold for lower prices. The median isn't the same as the average, which would be calculated by totaling all the prices and dividing by the number of prices. The median price can be affected over time by the characteristics and sizes of homes sold as well as price trends. For example, if the market shifts from starter homes to luxury mansions, the median price will increase even if homes are not appreciating in value.

Seasonally adjusted. Housing markets are naturally more active in the spring and summer months because people prefer to move during the longer warmer days and between school years. That pattern means it's difficult to make meaningful comparisons between results for different months or quarters of the same year. To overcome this hazard, economists statistically tweak the reported number of homes sold during various periods to reflect seasonal variations. The tweaked numbers are denoted as seasonally adjusted.

Price discount. The price discount is the percentage difference between the seller's initial asking price and the actual purchase price of the same home. For example, if a home were priced at $200,000 and sold for $190,000, the discount would be 5 percent. Price discounts are usually reported as an average for a set of home sale transactions. A small percentage, on average, means the market favors sellers, while a large average discount signals a buyer's market. Unsold inventory index. This index, which indicates the pace of the market, is calculated by measuring how long it would take for all the homes currently on the market to be sold at the current rate of sales. A smaller index is a positive sign for sellers, while a higher number is good news for buyers.

Affordability index. An affordability index measures whether a typical family can qualify for a standard mortgage to purchase a typical home. A typical family is defined as one that earns the median income in a given area, and a typical home is defined as a median-priced single-family house in the same area. An index value of 100 means a median-income family has exactly the amount of income needed to purchase a median-priced home. A number higher than 100 means the family's income is more than adequate, while a number less than 100 means the typical family can't afford to buy the typical home.

Knowing these real estate terms will give you a better measure for evaluation the value of a home.

To learn more about home valuation and other real estate topics, visit my website at www.fordrealty.net

John Ford is the found Ford Realty Inc., a Boston are real estate agency. He's participated in hundreds of real estate deals in the Boston area. He maintains a real estate blog at www.fordrealty.org/blogs

Posted in: on at at 12:37 AM 1 comments  

There are many great reasons to consider purchasing a property in Turkey for both fun and profit; here are a few great reasons why any serious property investor should not miss this superb opportunity.

Over the past 5 years Turkey's popularity with holidaymakers from across Europe has been increasing rapidly year on year.

This has lead as in all other holiday destinations to an equally rapid growth in ownership of property by non-Turkish nationals from many European countries but significantly from the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Many of Turkey's out dated airports have recently been fully re-furbished with new terminal buildings becoming the norm.

Large amounts of capital have been invested by the Turkish Government on the improvement of infrastructure including new motorways to enable shorter travel times to the main holiday resorts.

Many new Golf courses have been built to attract a higher end consumer and others are currently under development.

The cost of property in Turkey whilst still very good value for money when considered against property in the already built up markets of Spain, France, U.S.A and Portugal has risen in many areas by up to 100% over the past 3 years.

Property is still available from below ?20,000 for a one-bedroom apartment in Altinkum or Didim and the potential rental yields could prove very attractive to the serious property investor looking to diversify their portfolio.

The climate in Turkey is amazing, the people are friendly and helpful and Turkey is quickly becoming the destination of choice for an ever-increasing number of holidaymakers looking for a cheaper alternative to Spain or Portugal for their summer holidays.

In certain locations it is possible for some months to go skiing in the morning and after a spot of light lunch swim in the warm ocean by afternoon.

There are an increasing number of budget airlines starting to fly into Turkey's airports and they are extending the length of the season to allow for those who have holiday homes.

For further information and a wide range of properties in Turkey's most popular locations please visit www.onestopturkishpropertyshop.com

Posted in: on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at at 7:37 PM 0 comments  

Thousands of Victorians (Australia) risk losing their homes for falling behind in their loan repayments. Around 3700 home owners have been issued with property repossession warnings in the courts already this year. This wil be triple last years total.

Causes for this are being blamed on easy credit, soaring petrol prices, tighter household budgets and new home owners not allowing for rates, property maintaince and insurances when purchasing their first home. When they were renting they didn't have to pay these outgoings. Many home owners are living on the edge and more pain is on the way with a likely rate increase.

Australians owe $753 billion on home loans. A .25 % rate rise would add an extra $14 a fortnight to an average $225,000 loan. People are loading up their credit on up to ten credit cards and they are not allowing for any hiccups that can occur. An illness or rate increase can cause every thing to go pear shaped. Then they risk losing everything. Some home owners are desperate and are taking on no deposit loans from last resort lenders preying on them.

There were nearly 3700 court writs against loan repayers this year compared with 2581 last year.Some people end up paying the debts or refinancing to another institution. But the rest are opting out of their mortgage and going back to renting. People are being taken to court for being behind in only two payments on their home loan.What some finance brokers are doing is reaping in commissons by signing up people to loans that they cannot afford. There needs to be tougher laws to crack down on these irresponsible lenders. Non bank lenders had 4.5% of home owners behind in their payments by up to 90 days, compared to bank loans of .3%

As the economy tightens there will be increasing opportunities for investors to pick up deals as unsurspecting home owners get trapped into home loans that they can no longer afford. This will also push up rental prices because the people that default on their loans will be paying big weekly repayments already. And going back to renting will seem like a breeze after struggling through high mortgage repayments as well as all the outgoings associated with owning a property.

It is forcast that the percentage of people renting will increase upto 36% of the population by 2015 compared to 26% now. A lot of people are more than happy to just pay their rents and not be bothered with the hassles of owning their own home. Generally these people are very good tenants, they look after the property and always pay their rents on time.

These are the type I ensure my property managers put in my investment properties.They give me less problems and I am able to increase the rents in line with the CPI increases. There will be some great opportunities for smart investors in our present economy. What I intend to do is off load any under preforming properties and replace them with some of the gems that will be coming up in the near future. There will be some great deals available to savvy investors who are able to strike as they come up. It will be a good time to reshape your portfolio to ensure you have blue chip properties in it. The real kicker is it will not cost you any more to replace any of your underperforming properties as you will be buying in these new ones at heavily discounted prices.

As these lean times move in I intend to keep an eye on my own gearing. The last thing you want is to end up on the scrap heap as well.

To your investing success.

Leo Love

PS If any of your family or friends are interested please pass this on to them.

http://www.therealestateinvester.com

I am an experienced and passionate investor. I buy typical mum and dad type houses that give me cash flow and capital growth. My website offers helpful tips and ideas for any type of investor to help you with your wealth creation. Using my site will help to prevent you falling into the traps the inexperienced investors do.

Posted in: on at at 2:37 PM 2 comments  

Arizona, the Grand Canyon state, is a land of desert sands, sparkling waters, beautiful mountain ranges and a warm climate. It is the sixteenth largest state in America. It is a state famous for its race- courses, resorts and golf courses. Scottsdale is the fifth largest city of Arizona. One of the most livable cities in America, Scottsdale boasts of numerous art galleries, indoor and outdoor theatres, parks, museums, athletic fields, open arenas, grand prix field, polo fields, a center for arts. Availability of all services and commodities essential for personal luxury makes it one of the best places to live in. Scottsdale is growing fast, especially in the northern regions of the city. There is a huge increase in the number of new residents every year. Scottsdale has seen a high increase in population every year, which also contributes to a boost in the real estate industry. Low housing rates make it a favorite for investors. Comparatively lower taxes in the state of Arizona make it more enticing to already- retired people and those planning to retire soon.

Well-planned homes, villas and condominiums grace this beautiful city. The houses usually have mountains as their backdrop, which gives a view of beautiful sunsets. The luxury homes in the north Scottsdale area provide some of the best resort and retirement community.

Although traditionally, Scottsdale has always seen a great demand for real estate, the industry is showing a decline of recent. In spite of the fact that many people are relocating to Scottsdale, the profits are not as large as they used to be. Though this has not affected the industry drastically yet, it has certainly made it a less popular destination for investors. Profit rates are lower as compared to previous years. Proper pricing of property has become an issue of concern. This has lead to a decline in construction of new houses. People now tend to prefer renting houses rather than buying or constructing them. Nevertheless, the real estate industry contributes a large part of the tax revenues that are collected every year in the state. This gives an indication that it is still one of the most profitable industries in Arizona.

Scottsdale Real Estate provides detailed information on Scottsdale Real Estate, Scottsdale Arizona Real Estate, Scottsdale Arizona Real Estate Agent, Scottsdale Real Estate Agent and more. Scottsdale Real Estate is affiliated with Tucson Residential Real Estate.

Posted in: on at at 9:37 AM 0 comments  

Many cities in the Midwest struggled with weak economies in 2005, however the city of Indianapolis, true to its car racing spirit, zoomed ahead of the competition with the fastest economic growth in the region. According to the Property & Portfolio Research, a real-estate analysis firm in Boston, the demand for commercial real estate in Indianopolis is growing and job vacances are down in most sectors.

A central location served by by five interstate highways and low costs have helped Indianapolis become a national distribution hub. Commercial property prices in Indianapolis are lower than the national average and the cost of doing business is lower compared to the nearby cities, including Chicago and Cleveland. Plenty of land is available since there are no mountains or hilly regions nearby. Several real estate firms predict that the commercial and residential real estate markets will continue to do well due to these reasons.

According to a report released by C.B.Richard Ellis, a leading real estate firm, a large number of Indianapolis-based small and medium-sized businesses that relocated to larger spaces and the suburbs grew last year. The report forecasts a drop in vacancies in the suburban office market, fresh investments in office buildings, and continued popularity of open-air shopping centers.

The growth trend in the office buildings sector in 2005 is expected to continue further, boosting occupancy rates. Suburban office buildings were highly popular, with 25 percent of them trading hands in ownership or occupancy in 2005. The CB Rihard Ellis report suggests that these trends might result in a modest increase in rents, but not everybody agrees.

For the fifth consecutive year, residential real estate sales also continued to grow in Indianapolis. This was possible because of the low mortgage rates. In its 2006 forecast, CB Richard Ellis forecasts that Indianapolis will continue to see the growth of tenants-in-common investors in multi-family housing units. The company also anticipates a slowdown in single-family home sales, as prices gradually continue to increase.

Indianapolis real estate information and trends can be obtained from local newspapers such as the Indianapolis Star, Marion Country, Daily Journal, Herald Bulletin, Reporter-Times, and Shelbyville News. Online versions of some of these newspapers are also available.

Indianapolis provides detailed information on Indianapolis, Indianapolis Real Estate, Indianapolis Hotels, Indianapolis Directory and more. Indianapolis is affiliated with Cleveland Golf.

Posted in: on at at 4:37 AM 0 comments  

Lakefront property is land that is on the border of a lake. It is a highly valued type of property, in that there is a limited amount of lakefront, and a large group of people who would like to own it. The pleasure of having a home on the water so you can enjoy this serene beauty is incomparable. And this is one reason why owning lakefront property is so desirable. Any property along the borders of a lake is referred to as lakefront property.

The allure of lakefront property is partially due to the fact that one can go water skiing, fishing, hiking, sailing, boating and canoeing whenever they choose. Also, the scenic beauty offers a calm atmosphere. Lakefront property is considered a valuable asset, which can also be rented out or be used as collateral for a loan. A lakefront property should be looked upon as an investment, providing years of fun and family vacation.

On the other hand, some shortcomings are that many lakefront properties are jointly owned, and jointly utilized. These result in more disputes and clashes than other properties. In case of safety issues, there is always danger associated with drowning, fast boats or diving into shallow water. The lakefront property owners also have to pay higher taxes than other property owners. The maintenance costs are very high, as the lakefront property has to be kept clean. However, when it comes to price, the cost of land next to a lake can be expensive, but the memories that you will be left with will be priceless.

Lakefront Property provides detailed information on Lakefront Property, Michigan Lakefront Property, Lakefront Property For Sale, Wisconsin Lakefront Property and more. Lakefront Property is affiliated with Lake Havasu City.

Posted in: on Monday, October 27, 2008 at at 11:37 PM 0 comments  

1.Using an out-of-town lender.

Getting a mortgage in a timely and hassle-free manner is the ?key that opens the door? to your new home.

Lenders who don?t live in the area you are buying in will not have the contacts needed to process your loan in an efficient and timely manner. Are you aware that if your lender fails to get you your loan on time, that your earnest money deposit may be at risk of being forfeited?

Your best bet is to ask your real estate agent whom they have used before and who they trust.

If it is important to you to use a lender from out-of-state (family member, friend etc.), your best bet is to have your lender refer your business to a local lender. This will help insure that your out-of-state lender receives a referral fee, they don?t violate state mortgage laws, and most importantly you are able to close on the home you want to buy.

Mortgage story: The very first transaction I was involved in after I got my real estate license was a nightmare due to a negligent lender. I was representing a buyer from Las Vegas (I live in St. George, Utah) that insisted on using a Las Vegas lender. Unfortunately the lender would rarely return calls or answer his phone. He failed to close on time. We extended the closing date time and again, and time and again the out-of-state lender failed to have the loan ready. The buyers were frantic and the sellers were angry. Finally eight weeks after we were supposed to close my buyers finally dropped the lousy lender and went with a local lender that I recommended. To my buyer?s amazement, by using the local lender, we closed the transaction 10 days later.

2.Not using a loan approval letter when making an offer on a property.

You?ve found ?The Home? and want to make an offer to buy it. Now anybody can make a full price offer and get it accepted.

What if ?The Home? is priced at $275,000 but you offer $250,000 and say that you will pay for the home by getting a new loan?

The sellers, when presented with your $250,000 offer, know nothing about you except that you seem to think their home is worth less than they feel its worth. At that point they will probably do one of two things. They might reject your offer outright. Or they might counter your offer at close to their asking price. As far as they?re concerned they never considered your original offer to be a ?real? offer.

Do you think that they would have taken your $250,000 offer more seriously if you had said you could pay cash? Of course they would have, after all money talks.

What if you had already received full loan approval from a lender. Not just pre-qualified, or pre-approved (Being pre-approved is kinda like being pre-pregnant), but fully approved for a home loan with a letter from the underwriter to prove it. A letter that is as good as ?cash in the bank?. You?ve become a ?Power Buyer?! You never know, maybe the seller would accept your offer, rather than letting a good buyer get away.

Wow, if your offer was accepted, you just saved $25,000 on the purchase of your home! And all you had to do was meet with the lender before you went house hunting.

3.Buying too much house for your income.

I used to do ?Broker Price Opinions, or BPO? for banks. This is where a bank would contact me to find out the value of a home that they had given a loan on. Often times this ?BPO? was because the homeowner was losing or had lost their home because they could no longer afford the home. What a terribly sad event for that family.

Things happen in life that you might never expect. Don?t unknowingly ?open the door? to future foreclosure and bankruptcy by getting a mortgage that you can ?grow into?. Life rarely works out the way you expect.

One of the best moves I?ve ever made was purchasing my current home. When I bought this home I qualified for a home twice as expensive as the one I bought. Payments on my home rarely cause me stress or concern.

4.Thinking ?short-term?.

Want to really scare me? Tell me you want to buy a home today and that you will want sell it in two, three or four years. Yikes! Talk about wanting to lose money.

Real Estate home values generally rise very slowly in a slow or soft real estate market. In St. George, where I live, our average time between hot markets (when home values rise quickly, usually doubling) is ten years. If you bought $250,000 home in a slow market, in three years it might be worth $265,000. Your cost to sell with commission and other costs would be $18,200. You would lose $8,200 for your short term thinking.

If you have to move within three years of buying a home, it would be better to use the home as a rental for a few years, and sell it when the market will allow you to make a profit. Better yet rent it out until the top of the next hot market, then sell it and potentially make $250,000 profit.

5.Using 1031 exchange money to buy personal property.

Do you really want to risk having the IRS charge you with fraud? Enough said.

This article is continued in Part 2?

About Me:
I have lived in beautiful St. George, Utah since 1998. I have been a real estate agent here (Washington County, Utah) since 1999. I have survived terrible housing markets and thrived in amazing markets (38% home appreciation in St. George in 2005). For more interesting articles, or to sign up for receiving my weekly St. George foreclosures email please visit my website: DonGlasgow.net. I also provide homebuyers with instant access to the Washington County MLS. I have gotten tons of compliments on my website, so make sure and check it out!

Posted in: on at at 6:37 PM 0 comments  

If you?re involved in real estate, you know that every single transaction you go into, from the seemingly insignificant notices of past due rent to transfer of titles for properties, need to be recorded, properly documented and filed. In some instances, these documents need to be created from scratch, but in most cases, for contracts or notices that contain very basic information, generic or standardized forms will suffice.

Those who secure the services of real estate agents need not concern themselves with the preparation of the requisite forms to complete a real estate transaction as these are usually included in an agent?s service package. However, for one reason or another, more and more people opt to conduct real estate businesses: from renting a room, to selling a home, on their own. For these individuals, securing the proper documents to formalize and legalize real estate transactions at a fairly reasonably price, is of utmost importance.

Recognizing the growing trend of individuals to conduct real estate businesses themselves, several real estate-related websites have been launched to provide this new breed of realtors with on-line assistance and round the clock support. These sites not only give tips on how to properly market and sell properties, they also provide links to the websites of support services such as banks, realtors, and law firms.

Indeed, real estate websites are a boon to the industry. However, the benefits these sites have on realtors do not lie on the entertaining articles and useful links. These websites are visited primarily because these are excellent sources of the forms needed for every real estate transaction imaginable.

The forms that are available on most real estate websites were prepared by professional real estate agents. The contents and format conform to existing laws, thus these documents will be honoured and recognized by any court of law in the city, state or country.

What?s so good about these downloadable forms is that these can easily be opened through basic word processing programs without the need for special software; and though basically quite standard in format, all the forms can easily be modified to suit the needs of the user.

The downloadable real estate forms can be purchased per piece (on an ?as needed? basis) or as a complete set (over 60 forms and contracts), and once purchased, these forms can be reprinted or reproduced as often as needed. Payments for purchased forms are secure and may be done through the use of major credit cards, PayPal, and even electronic check payments. Concerned about the cost? Don?t worry, these forms are very affordable. A single contract usually costs around $5.00, and the complete set is within the range of $60.00 ? comparable to the standard rate a professional would charge for preparing a single document.

So the next time you find yourself needing legal real estate forms, you now know that you don?t need to run to a realtor or a law office for help. Simply go online, look for the specific form you need, click to purchase and voila, you?re ready to go.

This is article is brought to you by Gloria Smith at LegalHomeForms.com. Created by a former, licensed Real Estate Agent, LegalHomeForms.com was designed to offer instant access to the most sought after type of real estate forms. For the cost of what others charge for one real estate contract, you can have instant access to over 60 downloadable real estate forms. You can find all these real esate contract forms at: www.legalhomeforms.com

Posted in: on at at 1:37 PM 0 comments  

The French Leaseback Scheme can be a great way to buy new build or newly refurbished property if getting a fixed rate of return on your investment is a high priority and you don't mind restrictions on the amount of time you can use it.

Essentially what you are doing when you enter this type of contract is buying a freehold property but granting its lease to a holiday company for a period of between 9 and 11 years where the rental return is fixed and guaranteed regardless of whether it is rented out or not. They are hence normally located in popular holiday resorts. It is possible to get a higher return from renting the property during the summer months yourself but this of course brings with it a risk and hassle factor.

Refunded VAT:

One of the great bonuses of this scheme is that the purchaser gets a full refund of the TVA (VAT) of 19.6% if it is a new build property which is either refunded 6-9 months after the purchase or paid and reclaimed by the developer in which case the purchaser never has to pay it.

At the end of the initial lease period, the holiday company usually reserves the right to lease it again until the 20th year after its construction but this is very rarely insisted upon if the client is not in agreement.

If you choose not to lease your apartment out again or sell it then you will have to pay a proportion of the TVA according to how many years are left outstanding from the first 20 years. For example, if the property has been under lease contract for 11 years and there are therefore 9 years remaining, then the amount of TVA that must be paid back to the French government is 9/20ths of the TVA. After 20 years TVA is no longer payable. Remember, if you sell the property during its lease contract then it must be sold with the contract intact to a likeminded individual who is prepared to see the contract through.

Guaranteed Return on Investment:

The guaranteed investment return will typically be around the 5% mark net of all costs tax-free as you benefit from non-professional lessor of furnished property status (LMNP). This in effect means that you will receive as much interest as you would in a high yielding savings account as well as the opportunity to gain from capital appreciation of the property.

Personal Use:

Leasebacks often allow the owner the option to occupy the property for a number of weeks a year in return for slightly lower investment yields. If you choose not to use the weeks then you will usually get a higher annual yield.

The Management Company:

An experienced management company will take care of the entire maintenance of the apartment or villa, usually with hotel services available such as reception, house linen, well-kept gardens, swimming pools and 24hr security.

Furnishing:

All furnishing, decoration and electrical appliances are supplied and taken care of by the management company.

Accounting Impacts During the Leaseback's Term

* Deductibility of the loan interest

* Deductibility of miscellaneous expenses (property taxes)

* Amortisation deductibility - 3.3% per year for 30 years. However, they are deferred and not imputable in regard to the business income.

After the leaseback's term, the deferred amortisation can be imputed and set against the received net rents.

Notary Fees and Sales Process:

The sales process follows the same routine as for new build properties with the same corresponding notary fees: 3% on new builds and for refurbished leaseback properties you will have to pay the usual 7-8% notary fees on the property before refurbishment - working out at between 4% and 6% of the value of the purchase price.

Better than Timeshare:

Unlike time share schemes, the owner actually sees a return on his/her investment through annual rental yields and also appreciation in the value of the property which can be substantial - so it is not money down the drain. The bonus though with these schemes is that, like time share, the property will be well maintained by the holiday company with no responsibility for changing of linen and cleaning - you simply turn up during your chosen weeks and enjoy it!

Nick Dowlatshahi is the managing director of Leapfrog Properties, a UK specialist agency in French property. Leapfrog offer an online database of up to 200,000 properties for sale in France plus a personal service from fluent French speakers to help you find, view and buy your property. Leapfrog Properties website is at http://www.leapfrog-properties.com.

Posted in: on at at 8:37 AM 0 comments  

Each year, a large number of homeowners make the decision to put their home up for sale. If you are considering selling your home then you have a number of options. You can either sell your home with professional assistance or without it. If you are like most homeowners, you would prefer the professional assistance.

Making the decision to obtain assistance from a realtor is a large decision; however, it is not the only one that you will have to make. Real estate agents in the Los Angeles area are likely to charge different fees. If you are interested in making a profit from the sale of your home, you will have to find a real estate agent that has low fees. To do so you will have to do a little bit of research.

One of the many ways that homeowners find cheap realtors is by price comparison. This comparison is similar to shopping at your favorite retail store. Before deciding on a Los Angeles realtor, you should contact a number of realtors and determine how they charge for their services. Many real estate agents charge a flat fee and other charge commission based on the finial selling price of a home.

As a homeowner, you can select whichever real estate agent you choose to. However, it is important to note that many homeowners have had success working with a realtor who obtains their fees from a percentage of the final selling price of the home they listed. Many homeowners are concerned with the percentage that a realtor will take, but this percentage is preset. That means that you should be able to determine the exact percentage before doing business with a realtor.

In the Los Angeles area, it is possible to find a 1% realtor. 1% realtors are individuals who only charge a 1% commission. If you are looking to make a profit from the sale of your home, a 1% realtor may be your best bet. No matter how much your house sells for, 1% realtors will only take one percent for their fees.

Does a 1% realtor sound too good to be true? Unfortunately, there are many individuals who believe so. The truth is that 1% realtors are completely legitimate. They tend to differ from traditional real estate agents, but their benefits are still unlimited. Instead of dealing with a number of potential buyers who are unsure as to whether or not they want to buy a home, 1% realtors are able to focus their time and money elsewhere.

If you are wondering how your home will get sold without individual showings, you are not alone. Many homeowners are concerned as well. If a showing does occur it is often private or in the form of an open house. An open house enables a large group of people to view your home all at once. In addition to open houses, many realtors allow their potential buyers to privately view your home. This viewing is usually only allowed after they meet certain criteria.

If you are interested in learning more about 1% realtors, you are encouraged to contact one today. After speaking to a 1% realtor, it is likely that you will see the unlimited benefits of using their services.

Brad Horn is a writer for 1 percent realtor where you can find a great 1% Realtor in Los Angeles

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In our modern society, homeowner?s associations and their rules govern more and more housing developments. Some rules can be very restrictive.

Some HOA Rules To Watch Our For When Buying

If you are considering buying a home, there are wide variety of things you need to keep in mind. These days, many newer homes are parts of developments and developments come with something known as homeowner?s associations. A homeowner?s association is essentially a cooperative for a development run by the owners of the various homes.

The association is created by the original developer who sets out a variety of rules regarding what can and cannot be done by homeowners living in the development. The idea behind the rules is to keep the neighborhood appearance uniform as well as maintain common areas such as landscaping, pools and so on. These rules can be changed, but it is fairly difficult to get all the homeowners to agree to do so.

If you are considering buying a home in a development, you need to be very careful. Specifically, you need to read the rules of the homeowner?s association. Then you need to read them again. They are boring and tend to be rather thick. Fail to read them, however, and you can end up with a home where you cannot live the lifestyle you are used to.

Things to watch out for include:

1. Are pets allowed in the development? If so, are there restrictions on the kind or pets? Are there restrictions on the number of pets? Many developments have severe restrictions in this regard.

2. Parking is an often overlooked issue by many home buyers. Specifically, the rules may contain restrictions on the number of cars that can be parked on the street, in a driveway and so on. If you have teenagers, this can quickly become a problem.

3. If you decide you want to rent your property at some point, you may be surprised to learn some association rules are so restrictive as to make it impossible. Again, read the language closely.

4. If you prefer to change the oil on your car yourself or do some maintenance, many associations bar any such activity.

5. If you have younger children, you might be surprised to learn that some homeowner?s association do not allow them to play in the front yard. Talk about a nightmare.

The list of rules and regulations for developments tend to be voluminous and a bit on the heavy handed side. Make sure to inspect them closely before buying into a development.

Raynor James is with the site - FSBO America - FSBO homes for sale by owner.

Posted in: on Sunday, October 26, 2008 at at 10:37 PM 0 comments  

Maybe you?re buying your first home in Connecticut, or perhaps you?re relocating to Connecticut from another state. Either way, it?s important that you educate yourself on Connecticut home loans before shopping for a home and mortgage. This article explains what you?ll need to know before buying a home in Connecticut:

The median price of a home in Connecticut is $166,900. Recently, homes in Connecticut have been appreciating at rates comparable to the national average. However, in some parts of Connecticut, appreciation rates are at an all time high. As a result, income levels in many parts of Connecticut are too low to purchase a median-priced home with a conventional loan. In fact, homeowners in many Connecticut cities pay more than the recommended 30% of their incomes toward housing.

The price of homes in Connecticut varies widely between zip codes. For example, in Greenwich, Connecticut, the median price of a home in the summer of 2005 was $1.2 million; however, in Westport, Connecticut, the median price of a home was $750,000, and in Danbury, Connecticut, it was $365,000. Average interest rates in Connecticut are below the national average.

Connecticut state law does allow the issuance of home equity lines of credit; however, it does not allow borrowers to draw on them by means of a credit card or similar device. The borrower must draw on their loan by obtaining a check or cash distribution from their lender.

Connecticut?s Fair Housing Act prohibits mortgage lending discrimination against individuals based on their race, color, religion, gender, familial status, or national origin.

Jessica Elliott recommends that you visit Mortgage Lenders Plus.com for more information about Connecticut Mortgage Rates and Loans .

Posted in: on at at 5:37 PM 0 comments  

In the last article, I pointed out when, as a real estate investor, doing a 1031 Exchange on the sale of a Real Estate Property may not be your best option.

So, let's assume you do want or need to sell a real estate investment, don't want to do an exchange, and don't want to pay a huge lump sum capital gains tax payment of 15-40% on your gains. Now is the time to see how a Private Annuity Trust can save you money.

It's important to know that you don't avoid paying your capital gains tax obligation, you just get to defer all payment for a while if you're under 70 years old, or you at least get to spread out the obligation over many years. The total of years can be your lifetime or a fixed number of years determined by you when you set up the trust.

So, how does that help you? Well, if someone were to offer you a 0% interest loan on let's say $300,000.00 for the next 30 years, and you only had to make minimum payments, would you jump at the chance? Most people sure would. Think of how you could invest that 300K so that you could enjoy the benefit of the interest it accrued. This is effectively what a Private Annuity Trust does for you. It allows you to keep most of your gains working to your advantage, while paying back the money owed to the IRS over a long period of time.

This also holds for the depreciation recapture if you owned your property for a long period of time and depreciated it according to a schedule to realize annual tax advantages of owning investment real estate.

If you do not put a tax strategy in place and sell outright, not only do you owe capital gains tax, but you also owe depreciation recapture, which can be another 25-35% of your total depreciation taken over the ownership cycle of your investment.

And, you will avoid the possibility of the dreaded Alternative Minimum Tax trap. This is something else that may catch you by surprise when you least expect it triggered by your outright sale of property. This could mean having other legitimate tax deductions disqualified and a higher tax payment owed by you.

As you can see, it's definitely worth it to consult with an expert in Capital Gains Tax saving strategies before you make the decision to sell your real property.

The PAT can also work with the sale of a second home, vacation home, or even your primary residence. With these assets, a 1031 exchange is not an option.

Paula Straub will help you understand the Capital Gains Tax Saving Strategies and save you money. Get your free report Seven Secrets to Help Real Estate Investors Hang onto Their Capital Gains at the Keep Your Capital Gains website.

Posted in: on at at 12:37 PM 0 comments  

The housing boom has been the main engine of America's economic growth in recent years. Indeed, it is the main reason why the American economy held up better than expected, after the Stock Market bubble burst at the start of the Millennium. Since 2000 the real wages of most American workers, measured in terms of disposable income, have barely budged, yet surging house prices have allowed consumers to keep spending - on credit.

Over the past five years, according to the National Association of Realtors, the cumulative total market value of American homes has increased by more than USD 9 trillion to reach a record-shattering USD 22 trillion. These gains have helped to offset both the slide in stock prices as well as the feeble wage growth. In real terms, home prices have risen at least three times as much as in any previous housing boom. Not too long ago, in the Fall of 2005 to be exact, appreciation of housing value was a hefty 15 percent annualized and most analysts thought that average prices were unlikely to fall across the nation.

Readers of my articles on Real Estate Economics know that I was one of the few lonely voices anticipating a drop in pricing levels and a slowdown in real capital appreciation which, far from being the beginning of the dreaded bubble burst that many were so fond of predicting, would have instead the beneficial effect of consolidating market wealth achieved thus far. Allowing the economy to get an even footing through a slowdown of real capital appreciation and, at the same time, allowing real wages to catch up - I reasoned - was exactly the tonic needed for a healthy foundation.

America's housing boom, though as impressive as it has been, looks far more modest than booms elsewhere. Since 2000, in fact, average selling prices in the United States and Canada have almost doubled but all this is dwarfed, for example, by the gain of almost 180 percent in Britain throughout the same period.

The real estate boom has lifted the economy in three major ways:

[ it has boosted residential construction and, as a direct and proximate result, it has benefited also all related fields such as banking, brokerage and insurance;

[ it has made people feel wealthier and has encouraged them to spend more;

[ it has allowed homeowners to use their real properties as a gigantic cash machine, taking out money by borrowing against their capital gains.

Merrill Lynch estimates that the three foregoing factors, taken together, accounted for more than half of America's GDP growth in 2005. Counting construction, banking and real estate agency firms, the housing boom has also been responsible for one-third of all jobs created since 2001.

Fuelling consumerism is both good and bad. Consumerism is good for the economy, as it promotes trade and the exchange of money. It is also bad, as it fuels inflation. Particularly when spurred by investment stimulated by a property boom, there is very little base to boost long-term growth. In the overall national flow of capital, expensive houses merely redistribute wealth to homeowners from non-homeowners. Worse still, exaggerated real capital appreciation and the rush on the part of everybody to invest so as not to miss the boat has diverted resources away from productive sectors, thereby causing households to save even less and thus exacerbating America' economic imbalances.

Additionally, too much consumerism is bad in trade and finance as it creates too much dependence on imports and thus generates large trade imbalances. The flip side of these imbalances has been a sharp rise in the net foreign liability position of the United States and a massive accumulation of foreign exchange reserves especially by Asian countries such as China and India. China has amassed reportedly more than USD 450 billion of reserves. India too has seen a marked rise in international reserves, to roughly USD 150 billion. Even more striking, as of the end of 2004, all of Asia (including Japan) had accumulated USD 2.1 trillion in foreign exchange reserves. Subtracting this quantity of dollars from the economic monetary cycles forces the U.S. Government to borrow more and the Federal Reserve System to print and lend more money, with the deleterious effect of diminishing the purchasing power by weakening the strength of the currency.

For all these reasons, therefore, it is sure better for Americans to start saving in the old-fashioned way, that is by spending less of their real income rather than relying on rising asset prices. This will lift inflationary pressure on prices and will help stabilize US monetary policy by allowing the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates. Which, in ultimate analysis, will not only save the economy from a recession, but will also contribute to the consolidation of real estate market wealth I was referring to a few months ago.

Luigi Frascati

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

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

Posted in: on at at 7:37 AM 0 comments  

If you had enough money to pay off your mortgage right now, would you?

Many people would. In fact the American Dream is to own a home - and to own it outright, with no mortgage. Imagine owning your home without having to send a cheque to the bank every month, the feeling one will enjoy when - after thirty long years - the moment finally comes to make one last payment so that the house is paid off, at last. Being so fortunate must evoke a sense of security, gratification and well-being that anyone only can dream of.

But if in fact the American Dream is so wonderful, how come thousand of financially successful people - folks who have more than enough money to pay off their mortgages right now - refuse to do so? Why is it that a small group of Americans and Canadians, who are invariably among the wealthiest five percent of the population, insist on carrying on a mortgage even if they can afford to wipe it out entirely today? Because they are aware of the biggest untold secret of homeownership: a mortgage is primarily a loan against the borrower's income, not primarily against the value of the house. It this was not the case, then naturally anyone with a $30,000 annual income would qualify to purchase a multi-million dollar mansion.

All of which, then, makes the whole difference in the world when it comes to a process known in Economics as the accumulation of wealth. Prosperity in any society and at any given time is the epitome of financial stability, reliability, and security. Specifically in Capitalism, additional capital value (commonly referred to as ?surplus value') is what drives the accumulation of wealth. Although capital accumulation does not necessarily require production, ultimately the basis for it is value-adding production which makes net additions to the stock of wealth. Capital can accumulate by shifting the ownership of assets from one place to another, but ultimately the total stock of assets must increase. Other things being equal, if surplus value fails to grow sufficiently, the level of debt will increase, ultimately causing a breakdown of the wealth accumulation process.

This is exactly the reason why saving money has never made anyone rich. For some obscure logic people generally tend to equate the concept of saving money with that of making money, yet the two are not synonymous. As people want to save money in interest payments, they will go the extra length to pay off their mortgages. With that issue out of the way after a considerable number of years, they then start focusing on saving for retirement and do their best to save regularly. As a result, they fail to accumulate wealth and cannot figure out why.

The issue is relatively simple, though not necessarily transparent. By prioritizing mortgage repayments, they fail to consider the role that mortgages play in their wealth building process. The battle to reduce interest expenses is won, but the wealth accumulation war is lost. The reason is that every dollar they have returned to the bank is a dollar they have not invested.

Mortgages today cost anywhere between 5.5 percent to 6 percent annually. Over the next thirty years, on an annual basis, will alternative investments earn at least that much? Of course they will. Even government bonds pay nearly that amount, and stocks have been averaging 10 percent a year since 1926. Thus giving money back to the banks to save 6 percent denies people the opportunity to invest that money where it might earn 10 percent. Which means that, rather than actually saving money, those who opt to pay off mortgages factually lose money. And which, furthermore, goes to explain why bi-weekly mortgage payment plans are not a great idea - because they speed up the process of mortgage repayments.

Specifically as it relates to real estate, furthermore, the irony is that people somehow feel they are making a ?good investment' by paying off their home loans. In fact, all they are doing is burying money under a mattress - they are not investing at all. Consumers, and a great deal of them, strive to pay off their mortgages as quickly as possible so they will be able to borrow later on against their equity to pay, among other things, for their kids' tuition bills. But isn't that refinancing? Talk about bizarre strategy! Consumers struggle to give banks their money back now, so they can borrow it again in the future. Why don't they just invest their cash, so that it earns competitive returns and, at the same time, remains available whenever needed?

Their homes will grow in value over the next thirty years whether they have a mortgage or not. When it comes to selling a home, does any Buyer care about what the Seller's mortgage outstanding balance is? Of course not. And neither does the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) or the CCRA (Canada Customs and Revenue Agency) when it comes to calculating taxable capital gains, losses or recaptures.

The simple truth is that mortgages do not affect home values. But being primarily financial instruments anchored to income, they do affect the wealth maximizing process of investors and market participants by opening up a host of possibilities to invest liquid money derived by consumers' own income elsewhere, for higher rates of return. Which is what the wealth accumulation process is all about.

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

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

Posted in: on at at 2:38 AM 0 comments  

Maybe you are buying your first home in Wisconsin, or perhaps you are relocating to Wisconsin from another state. Either way, it?s important that you educate yourself on Wisconsin home loans before shopping for a home and mortgage. This article explains what you will need to know before buying a home in Wisconsin:

The median price of a home in Wisconsin is $112,200. Recently, homes in Wisconsin have been appreciating at rates below the national average. However, in some parts of Wisconsin, appreciation rates are at an all time high. As a result, income levels in many parts of Wisconsin are too low to purchase a median-priced home with a conventional loan. In fact, homeowners in many Wisconsin cities pay more than the recommended 30% of their incomes toward housing.

The price of homes in Wisconsin varies widely between zip codes. For example, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the median price of a home in the summer of 2005 was $331,000; however, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the median price of a home was $275,000, and in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, it was $164,000. Average interest rates in Wisconsin are above the national average.

In Wisconsin, borrowers are required to sign a Mortgage Broker Agreement along with the lender in addition to a Truth-In-Lending disclosure. Additionally, a lender must provide a borrower with a Consumer Disclosure statement that states the nature of they services the lender will provide and how they will be compensated for it.

Wisconsin?s Fair Housing Act prohibits mortgage lending discrimination against individuals based on their race, color, religion, gender, familial status, or national origin.

Jessica Elliott recommends that you visit Mortgage Lenders Plus.com for more information about Wisconsin Mortgage Rates and Loans

Posted in: on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at at 9:37 PM 0 comments  

As of June 2006, the sales in the U.S. real estate market have decreased for the eighth time in the last 10 months, directly accountable with increasingly mounting interest rates. Nonetheless, a certain level of consumer confidence has boosted, contrary to expectations.

Statistics show a 1.3% drop in home resales as it fell to a 6.62 million annual rate from May?s 6.71 million rate. The positive thing, however, is that the 6.62 million level of resales in June was slightly above the 6.60 million projected resales rate made by Wall Street analysts. Concurrently, average 30-year fixed interest rate was 6.68% in June, up from 6.60% in May. These resales statistics show signs that the U.S. real estate housing market is apparently equilibrating.

The median home prices also rise up from $229,000 in May to $231,000 in June. This translates to a 0.9% increase from corresponding median home prices in June 2005. Significantly, such price increase represents the lowest comparative year-over-year price gain since May 1995.

The inventory of unsold homes also rose to a new record of 3.725 million units. This is equivalent to a 6.8 months supply based on the June sales pace. Such a growing level of inventory, if it persists, would further decrease prices in coming months.

Statistics for demands on U.S. real estate properties are accrued for 4 regions in the U.S. Demand fell by 3.5% in the Northeast and 2.3% in the South. On the other hand, sales did not change from their previous levels in the Midwest and in the West.

The major alarming concern at present is that the imminent sharp drop in U.S. real estate sales could send serious repercussions through the entire U.S. economy, a potential slump akin to the economic recession in 2001 following the bursting of the stock market bubble in the previous year. Real estate investors generally express cautious optimism regarding the performance of the U.S. real estate industry in the coming years. The likelihood of still ever increasing interest rates curbs expectations of a robust year.

Tom Barrack, arguably the word's greatest real estate investor according to Donald Trump, thinks the catalyst for the slowing down of the U.S. real estate market performance is a steep rise in the price of construction materials as well as labor. Construction costs have spiked 20 percent in the past nine months, Barrack states. The reasons he enumerates are: shortages of labor and materials like lumber because of the boom in construction, and increases in the oil prices. Oil is an essential raw material that is required to produce materials such plastic piping, insulation, and shingles.

The direct effects will manifest first in speculative real-estate hot spots such as Miami and Las Vegas, where condo developers are pre-selling their projects for what appears to be substantial profits. Barrack predicts, ?When [these developers actually build the units over the next year or two, they will end up spending more then the units are now selling for.? As a consequence, the developers will try to hoist selling prices. However, since speculation is the primary scheme in buying, Barrack claims that buyers will either ?sue the developers to get the original price or take their deposits back and walk away.? Hence, the developers will then lob the units back into the market, thereby contributing to the surplus of unsold condos. When the supply rises up, naturally the prices go down. The domino effect of busted deals brought about by rising construction costs is the underlying factor causing the deceleration of the U.S. real estate market.

By Earl Juanico

Miami Real Estate

By Earl Juanico - http://miamirealestateinc.com

Posted in: on at at 4:37 PM 0 comments