Steps to Freedom

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Make Money with Real Estate - starting from where you are!

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Make Money with Real Estate Starting from Where You Are

7 tips to make lots of money with real estate

Start From Where You Are

You can do this! I don’t care where you are no matter what you do right now you can build a real estate empire. If you will just take the steps outlined here you can be on your way to a life style that others only dream about.

What To Do First - Start Saving

The first step towards your life of luxury is to save. Each week or pay day, just set aside a certain portion of your pay. Soon you will have enough saved for a start on your investment journey.

A much quicker way is to use equity, either the equity in your own home or equity that you may be able to "borrow" from somebody else.

Of course that other person would need to be supportive of your property aspirations and be willing to let you borrow against that equity.

What To Do Next

Buy Your First Property! Buying your first investment property is the most important investment step you will ever take. It is a step towards your financial freedom. Once you have made it your perspective will begin to change, sometimes very quickly.

Using the deposit funds that you have now secured as above, look for a property that is attainable.

In addition to an attainable property tyhere are several other selection criteria you need to keep in mind. Further details on these can be found on the SELECTION CRITERIA PAGE.

Don't Ever Sell

Here is where a lot if would be property moguls, make their biggest mistake. They look for a cheap unit or house to buy and possibly fix up and then they sell it. Or maybe they wait for the right time in the property cycle to buy a nice properly and then they sell it. This is like killing the goose that laid the golden egg!

The whole point is that there is no other investment vehicle that

You may be thinking "How will I retire if I am never going to sell?"
Just before I answer that question, let me ask you this:
Do you think there is anywhere that you can put your money that will give you the benefits of property ownership? I'm sure you are already familiar with the numerous advantages that investment property holds over any other form of investment.

Long term tax advantages.

Price stability.

Capital growth that is consistent through property cycles.

Set and forget – investment real estate is a simple to manage and hold investment. You don't have to check the current price every day for fear of wild fluctuations.

Pyramiding Your Investment

With all of those advantages you will be wondering how you build on your initial investment if you are never going to sell. It's as simple as this, you use the value of that property plus some of the equity from a previous property to fund your next purchase. Then after a while, say a year or so, you do it again.

Don't underestimate the value of what I have just said, or just how powerful this method is. The important thing is to maintain your faith and confidence in the long term value of the property market.

The Power Of Compounding And Pyramiding

This is a powerful driver towards you making money with real estate.

Just as an example, say you bought a property now while prices are stagnant or in decline. Yes, yes I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but buying while prices are low is a really good idea!

Any way, so you bought a property worth say $300,000. A nice little 2 bedroom unit in a new complex near the centre of an up and coming town or city.

So you put up 5% deposit and borrow the rest. That means that you need to come up with cash or equity of $15,000. But then, and this is the exciting part, then you own a property worth $300,000.

If you have bought in an in demand area, you could reasonably expect that the property will experience capital growth of 5% to 8% in the next year. That will mean that by the end of year one your property will be worth between $315,000 and $324,000.

Whet you do NOT do with that increased value is spend it!!

What you do the next year is buy another property.

This is how you make money with real estate!

Let's examine what you would have at the end of the second year if you followed this plan. Your first investment property is now worth approximately $340,000 and the second investment property you have bought for $315,000 is worth $331,000.

   START OF YEAR ONE
          Starting investment or equity:  $15,000
          First property:                $300,000

   End of first year Property 1 value:   $315,000
                Newly Acquired Equity:    $15,000

   YEAR TWO
          Purchase second property:      $315,000
          (Higher price to account for increasing values)

   End of second year Property 1 value:  $340,000
   Less purchase price:                - $300,000
            Property 1 Newly Equity:      $40,000

   End of second year Property 2 value:  $340,000
   Less purchase price:                - $315,000
            Property 2 Newly Equity:      $25,000
                                         --------
   Your Total Newly Acquired Equity:      $65,000

If you continued with this plan, where every one or two years you bought another property, then by the end of year ten you may have 7 to ten properties.

Your first two or three properties would have approximately doubled in value and the median priced house that you were aiming to buy would be valued about $550,000 to $600,000.

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Where Can I Find Foreclosure Property Listings For Free?

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By Hector Milla

Where Can I Find Foreclosure Property Listings For Free?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Hector_Milla]Hector Milla

Before the introduction of the free repossessed property listings online, locating this kind of property was difficult. The numerous sites available have made it easy for real estate investors and individual buyers to locate property that has been put up for sale by banks and other financial institutions. You can find repossessed property listings online for free, with the best sites available. Dispossessed homes are known to be very expensive and a lot of credit should be given to the sites for providing the home listings free of charge. The best place you can bank on the services of the free sites is where you register with them to receive updates on the latest listings of repossessed homes.

The greatest advantage of finding a good listing site is so that locate a perfect home by going through the listed homes and choose one. Since the sites list the homes with their states it becomes even easier in locating your perfect home. Banks and real estate developers mostly use this sites to place their property for users to cases. The best thing about the free home/property listings is that you can get your dream home at the cheapest price possible you can even compare home prices. The additional information added on the home or property listings includes descriptions such as the homes footage, features the condition of the home and the price.

Most of the time the free listings online are normally done for a trial basis of seven days. Before using this services however it is important to compare and contrast the sites because same may tend to charge their services. You can find the sites easily on search engines with various options to help you conduct a search easily. It is however wise to sign up for these services in the numerous sites available. Signing up will guarantee you frequent alerts on the latest repossessed homes. The listing services come with competent customer care; the sites provide help for the users who are interested in the properties. The listings are nationwide meaning that you can locate homes in neighboring states.

By the way, by researching and comparing the different [http://www.bestfreeforeclosurelistings.com]free foreclosure listing services in the market, you will be able to determine the one that meets your specific requirements, plus the free or cheaper options. This way you will save time through up to date foreclosure listings and money by getting better results over your investment.

Hector Milla runs the Best Free Foreclosure Listings website, where you can see a review of the best rated free foreclosure listing service.

Read our full reviews, plus hundreds of articles and video training about this subject.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hector_Milla
http://EzineArticles.com/?Where-Can-I-Find-Foreclosure-Property-Listings-For-Free?&id=2687034

Monday, August 10, 2009

Real Estate Investors & The Importance of Knowing Your Exit Strategies

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By Chris Parks

Real Estate Investors are often tasked with knowing his/her exit strategies before getting into a particular situation. It is important to remember that exit strategies will be different depending on what type of investing you plan on doing.

One particular difference is whether you are planning on holding a property long term (as a rental) or if you are planning on making money as soon as possible.

If a property has little or no equity, holding long term will generally give you more options then if you are looking for short term exit strategies. And then it depends on how much the mortgage is vs. how much you can get for rent and how much your expenses are. Also, how much money you are willing to spend and whether or not you are willing to go negative in terms of cash flow (which I do not recommend, but know many investors who will).

If you are looking to get in and out of a property quickly, then properties with little or no equity would not be the way to do it unless you or investors you know work short sales or are interested in buy/hold like I explained in the previous paragraph. If this is the case then you can pick up bird-dog fees all day long by referring these types of properties to real estate investors who are looking for them.

Always ask around at your local REIA meetings to see which real estate investors are buying properties with little or no equity and find out what exactly they are looking for.

A property with a lot of equity generally gives investors the most options, especially if it needs work and provided the seller needs (not wants) to get rid of it. Of course a real estate investors' overall purchase criterion needs to look at more than just equity.

There are a lot of different ways to make money in Real Estate. You can bird-dog properties, wholesale properties and/or rehab them as well. Investors often make the most money rehabbing properties from sellers who need to sell. Many of these types of properties can be major fixer-uppers, or condemned properties that have equity.

As a rehabber, the very bottom line for quick-cash is this:

Buy low
Improve
Price it to sell quickly (especially in today's market)
Deposit your money

That being said of the three, rehabbing is not the quickest way to profit and by far much more involved. Real Estate Investors who know his/her exit strategies before putting any property under contract will have the most flexibility and thus the most choices.

About the Author:

Chris Parks is a member of a small group of Real Estate Investors and Entrepreneurs who created Real Estate Investing for Newbies http://www.REIforNewbies.com in order to teach and assist new Real Estate Investors in a step-by-step and easy-to-understand manner.

Visit http://www.REIforNewbies.com Today to Claim Your Free 7-Day eCourse!

(c) Copyright - REIforNewbies.com. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Parks
http://EzineArticles.com/?Real-Estate-Investors-and-The-Importance-of-Knowing-Your-Exit-Strategies&id=966375

Sell Your Real Estate Notes

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Sell Your Real Estate Notes

Steve Gillman

People sell real estate notes to raise cash quickly. A real estate note is just the loan document created when you financed the sale of your house or investment property. It could be a mortgage note, or a land-contract or contract-for-sale. The point is that the buyer is making payments to you, and you want to cash in.

You can sell the entire contract, or just a certain number of payments if you want. The buyer of your property will have the same terms and payments. He'll just be making those payments to somebody else.

Selling real estate notes can be an intimidating process. You know you won't get the full face value for your note, but will there be other fees you have to pay too? How do you know if the buyer is reputable? What is a normal discount on a note? Here are some guidelines to follow:

No upfront fees. If they ask, go someplace else. You should be able to find many note buyers who will check your buyers credit and give you a quote without charging you.
No other fees, with a couple exceptions. The buyer has already figured his expenses before making the offer, so there are only a couple fees you should have to possibly pay. First, you may have to pay for the title policy, if there are problems with the title that prevent purchase. Second, if the property appraises at less than the sales price, you may have to pay for the appraisal. You should only pay exactly what these cost the note buyer though.
Be sure that the note buyer gives you a written purchase agreement with the purchase price and contingencies. Ask questions about anything that isn't clear.
The note buyer should check the credit of your property buyer upfront. Unscrupulous buyers can quote one price initially, and then lower it later, using the excuse of the property buyer's bad credit score. This is called "bait and switch," and it isn't ethical.
Contact several note buyers for quotes. You'll need to provide information like the type of property, sale price, payment amounts, current balance, etc. They should respond within a day or two.
When you get a quote you like, you'll have to send copies of the Mortgage or Deed of Trust, the Note, the closing or Settlement Statement, and the Title Policy. If there is no recent appraisal, they will usually arrange for that.
Processing time varies, so ask. Usually, once you agree to the offer and send the documents (if done by mail), you can expect to receive a certified check or electronic transfer to your account within two to three weeks.

Get Top Dollar When You Sell Real Estate Notes

Notes with a balloon payment get a higher price. "Seasoned" notes sell for more too. Those are notes that have had payments made on them for a while. Some note buyers will buy new or "unseasoned" notes, but if you can wait until six payments have been made, you're likely to get a much better price.

Higher interest rates and shorter loan periods will get you more money too. This is something to consider before you sell the house, if you think you might sell the note in the future.

You can sell second mortgage notes, and other second-place real estate notes as well. Note buyers will look at these differently though. The first and second place notes can't add up to much more than 70% of the value of the property, or you'll be looking at a steep discount

Discounts, by the way, will almost always seem steep. It is common for note buyers to pay 20% to 30% less than the current balance on the note. I'll let them explain why. Suffice it to say, they need to make money on the deal, and you should be sure you have a good use for that cash before you sell those real estate notes.

About the AuthorSteve Gillman has invested in real estate for years. See a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500 on his home page, or go straight to the section on Investing In Real Estate www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Renovating Government Foreclosures and Building Sweat Equity - On a Budget

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By Joseph B. Smith

Many government foreclosed homes are in great shape and ready for you to move in. However, many excellent bargains on the foreclosures market require a little bit of work - sometimes only some clean up and paint - to make them look their best. If you have a foreclosure property that needs a little bit of a touch-up, that is actually great news. It means that you can quickly and easily build sweat equity. This means that you can renovate, clean, and repair a few minor things in the foreclosure and actually build the value of the property.

If you have a foreclosure that you would like to repair and clean up a little bit, you will want to spend as little money as possible while creating the most dramatic results possible. While it is possible to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a renovation, it is also possible to spend a fraction of that amount to get the same terrific results. Plus, the less you spend on your renovations, the more profits you will realize because the less you will invest to build your property's value more.

The first step in making your foreclosure look its best is to look for quality, low-cost supplies you can use to make the property look great. You may need molding, for example, or replacement flooring, doors, windows, or appliances for your foreclosure. You can save money on these purchases by looking in classified ads.

Classified ads are filled with low-cost supplies that are in great shape. Rather than paying full retail price, you can save a lot of money by purchasing used items. Some classified ads even feature brand-new building materials that are sold at a fraction of the price of the materials sold in stores. Write down what you need and then write down the specifics of what you need - such as the dimensions of those windows - and start scouring the newspapers. You never know what you'll find.

Another great option is to become friends with a contractor or renovator. These professionals often have access to very good quality used products. For example, a contractor may need to remove cabinets from a home in order to install new cabinets. The homeowner will usually ask the contractor to simply dispose of these cabinets, even if they are still in very good condition. If you know a contractor, he or she may be willing to sell you these items for a very affordable price. Some contractors even give these items away to avoid having to pay for their disposal.

When renovating your government foreclosure, also consider painting or replacing only parts of items. For example, if a wood floor needs some work, consider replacing only a few floorboards rather than the whole floor. You will often still get a great result, but at a fraction of the price. Similarly, if the fridge that came with the government foreclosure works great but has lots of chips, consider re-enameling the fridge. A new coat of enamel paint costs a tiny fraction of the price of a new refrigerator. You'll be amazed at the number of things you can fix simply by repairing or repainting. As an added bonus, you can often paint and repair these items yourself, so you will save money on contractors as well.

Joseph B. Smith has been educating buyers on the finer points of Government Foreclosures at ForeclosureListingsNationWide.com for over five years.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_B._Smith
Renovating Government Foreclosures and Building Sweat Equity - On a Budget

Friday, August 7, 2009

Real Estate Investors Discover Forex to be a Better Deal During Bubble

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By Scott Shubert

Every day we read more news about the real estate "bubble" and how prices are leveling off or even dropping around the country. Naturally this news makes many real estate investors more cautious about buying. Flippers are no longer able to rely on rapid appreciation in order to make their profits. Investors who buy and hold or lease option properties are wondering if their deals will earn any profit in the next 2 to 3 years and many wonder how long they will have to hold a property to realize any profit. Many investors have discovered that they may be stuck with a property they cannot sell for a profit and cannot rent with a positive or break even cash flow now that real estate is just not selling the way it was in the recent boom cycle. Some investors are considering other alternatives and either holding off on further buying or getting out of the business altogether until there are signals that the market has reached the bottom of its current correction.

Accelerated Wealth Through Forex Trading

While it is currently uncertain as to whether real estate prices will see any rise over the next few years some investors have chosen to postpone any further buying activity and look at other alternatives. One of these alternatives that has become quite appealing to some is Forex trading. Investors who have been taught the power of leverage through "no money down" buying strategies quickly understand the power of leverage in the Forex market. Forex trading is one of the few businesses in which one can start with a relatively small amount of capital and within a short period of time begin multiplying that capital into a larger and larger numbers. Some traders who have mastered this business have taken accounts from $1000 to over a million in one year. Not only would that be extremely difficult to achieve in real estate, in most cases the equity that is achieved in real estate is not necessarily liquid.

No "Down" or "Bear" Market in Forex

"Forex" is short for Foreign Exchange or the currency market. Because currencies are traded in pairs such as the Euro vs. the U.S. Dollar traders are never stuck with a downward trending market. If the Euro's value is falling relative to the U.S. Dollar the dollar is rising relative to the Euro and vice versa. A trader may buy or sell the currency pair at any time and profit is earned by trading in the direction of the movement whether it be up or down. If a Forex trader believes the Euro vs. the U.S. Dollar pair will rise she will enter a trade position of buying the pair. In this case Euros are being bought and dollars are being sold. If the trader believes the pair will fall he will simply enter a trade position of selling the pair. For trading purposes it makes no difference whether the pair is rising or falling. Buying and selling are both executed the same with the click of a button and profits can be seen immediately as the pair moves in the direction of your trade.

100% Liquid Market

The Forex market is the largest market in the world and it is driven by banks and institutions as well as managed funds and individual investors. A currency represents and entire nation's economy and it is not possible to manipulate the value of a currency the way it sometimes happens in the stock market. Because banks throughout the world always have an exchange rate for currencies there is never a time when a Forex trade is not totally liquid. A Forex trader does not need to wait for a broker to locate a buyer because a trade is always immediately closed with the click of a mouse. Transactions are settled in cash that appears in the trading account immediately when the trade is closed.

What is the Risk?

Often we may hear that trading Forex is risky business. There are risks and expenses involved in any business. One of the benefits of starting a Forex trading business is that a trader can open a demo account and trade while learning the business without ever risking any real money. Only when the ability to trade profitably consistently over time has been demonstrated should a live account be opened. One of the most important aspects of learning to trade is using proper money management and risk management. Successful traders know how to identify trading opportunities and they know exactly how much to risk on a given trade. Win to loss ratios and risk to reward ratios are a part of trading just like knowing what products to stock are an important part of the retail business. If you hear of people who lost their trading capital while learning to trade you can be assured that they did not 1. learn to trade before opening a live account and 2. use proper money management and risk management.

How to Learn More about the Forex Trading Business

There are many sources of information on Forex trading available all over the internet. Unfortunately, very little of it is really effective in helping people to master the business of trading. Most of the information available is connected either directly or indirectly with the Forex Broker industry. And as many traders have discovered, the methods being promoted are often designed to benefit the brokers more than the trader. Is there any way to bypass the process of trial and error and really save time on the learning curve that is required in Forex trading? Entrepreneurs who have been successful in other businesses know the answer to this question. Find people who are already successful in the business of what you intend to do and do what they do. Mentors and mastermind groups provide the key to the fastest route to success. Just be aware that many "mentors" and training companies are connected with the broker industry as Introducing Brokers and they have a vested interest in teaching trading strategies that may not be in your best interest. For more information you may want to discuss the credibility of training programs with other traders in a trading discussion forum or at a trading club in your local area.

Scott Shubert is the founder of http://www.TradingMasterMind.com , a community of traders who share insights and results to contribute to the success of the entire community.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Shubert
http://EzineArticles.com/?Real-Estate-Investors-Discover-Forex-to-be-a-Better-Deal-During-Bubble&id=368079

Thursday, August 6, 2009

The Foreclosure Process for Real Estate Investors

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By Rick Halperin

Are you looking at foreclosures as a way to continue to build your real estate portfolio or to reposition equity? This article looks at the foreclosure process for real estate investors.

Changing market conditions and rising interest rates have pushed increasing numbers of property owners over the edge. Is their misfortune an opportunity for you? Based on the numerous seminars advertising to explain the foreclosure process for real estate investors, seminar promoters sure think so. Let’s explore where you can find some information on potential foreclosure properties on your own.

First, there are many search engines that can give you information on foreclosure properties and the foreclosure process for real estate investors. Once found, you can contact the property owners who have gotten too far behind on their mortgage payments and offer to buy their real estate. This will allow them to avoid foreclosure and the damage to their credit. In addition they could potentially receive some money in exchange for losing their property, which they would not were the bank to foreclose on the property.

Other sources are foreclosure auctions. Thousands of properties get auctioned off every week across the country. Many of these properties are sold for ridiculously low prices. To locate these auctions, check online, in newspapers, or simply ask a bank when their next scheduled auction will take place. But be advised, there is usually more competition at foreclosure auctions than there is when buying pre-foreclosures.

An REO is real estate owned by the bank. An REO is different from a foreclosure property in that the bank has already tried to sell it at a foreclosure auction and has had no luck getting bids. Because the property was not bid on, the bank then became the owner of the property. Naturally, the bank does not want to keep the REO any longer than possible, and this makes it a great opportunity for an investor. In buying an REO, you have distinct advantages that you do not when buying a foreclosure property. You are able to buy on your own schedule; you can make an offer on the home any time, you don’t have to wait for bidding to begin; and you can inspect it before you buy.

However, just because the bank owns a property does not make it a good deal. In fact, when you see that a home or property is an REO you have to wonder exactly what is wrong with it. So invest with caution.

The http://www.gotexit.net foreclosure process for real estate investors must be done with caution. But, investing in foreclosure properties has interesting potential for being an appropriate strategy for growing your real estate portfolio, or for repositioning the equity from other properties.

Article Source: Rick Halperin
The Foreclosure Process for Real Estate Investors

Monday, August 3, 2009

Commercial Real Estate Appreciation - How You Can Increase the Value of Your Property in Any Market

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By Karen Hanover

Because commercial real estate (CRE) property value is based on net operating income (NOI), if you can increase the NOI, you can not only increase your cash flow, but you can also increase the property's value as well.

Let's take an example: a 100 unit apartment complex producing $100,000 of NOI in a 10 Cap market is valued at $1,000,000.

NOI/Cap Rate= Value

$100,000/.10=$1,000,000

By increasing that NOI to $190,000, in that same 10 Cap market (meaning the market pricing that investors will pay for that income (NOI) hasn't changed), POOF, the property is now valued at $1,900,000.

$190,000/.10=$1,900,000

So in addition to putting $90,000 per year more cash in your pocket you just increased your equity by $900,000. Sound good? Are you amazed by way I quickly manipulated those numbers to make the example fall into place? Are you saying to yourself, "Well Karen, that's all good on paper, but how could I just magically increase the NOI by $90,000?" Well, after all of the articles I've written as an authority on CRE, you should just trust me but since you're the skeptical type, I'll show you!

As stated previously, if you can increase NOI, you can increase the value of the property. There are 2 ways to increase NOI.
1. Take in more money
2. Spend less money to operate the property.

Notice I didn't say, reducing the debt service paid to the lender. Although this will ultimately increase your cash flow before taxes, it has absolutely no effect on the value of the property. The property is worth the same amount of money whether it has a mortgage or is owned free and clear. Make sense?

Let's just say that after you purchased this 100 unit apartment complex, as the leases expired and were either renewed or the units re-rented, you increased the rent by a mere $25 per month. That's a monthly increase of $2,500 and a yearly increase of $30,000.

$25 x 100 units = $2,500 per month $2,500 x 12 months = $30,000

So POOF, you just gave yourself a raise of $30,000 per year. Congratulations!

By the way, how much would you have gotten if you increased rents by $25 a single family house? That's right... $25! That is the beauty of commercial real estate!

Now, let's just say that to reduce operating expenses you make the capital investment into individually metering the units with their own utility meters so the tenants can pay for their own utilities instead of you, the landlord. If the savings to you is a mere $50 per month, that would equate to $60,000 increased NOI because of decreased expenses.

$50 x 100 units = $5,000 per month (decreased expenses) $5,000 x 12 months = $60,000

So POOF, you just saved yourself $60,000 per year in utility expenses thereby putting the extra $60,000 into your pocket each and every year you own the property. Remember you earn these cash flows year after year, not just once. Now let's look at the effect on value in the same 10 Cap market. $100,000 + $30,000 (increased rents) + $60,000 (decreased expenses) = $190,000.

IF: $100,000/.10 = $1,000,000 THEN $190,000/.10 = $1,900,000

So you can see that you can not only influence the amount of money you earn from cash flow, but you can also control the value of your investment regardless of market conditions.

In residential investing, there is only one strategy. Regardless of how you acquire the property (foreclosure, etc.), the goal is to buy low and wait for the market to go up so you can sell at a profit or refinance. In this market, residential investors may be waiting a long time... a very long time. Additionally, if they don't have positive cash flow in the interim, they will not see a return on that investment for years to come.

By investing in CRE, you earn a return on your investment from Day 1 because of the significant cash flows. Additionally, by improving the NOI through your own efforts, you can increase the value of your property regardless of market conditions. It is for these reasons that CRE is a much safer and more profitable investment than residential investing.

Take a FREE Online Course! http://www.cieinst.com

Karen Hanover is well known as a Certified Commercial Real Estate Advisor, President of the National Apartment Investors Association, Chairman of the National Commercial Real Estate Advisory Board and Senior Instructor for both the Self Storage Education Institute and the Apartments Education Institute.

As a CCIM Candidate, a highly prestigious designation, often called the "Ph.D. of commercial real estate" Karen works as a busy commercial real estate agent with Marcus & Millichap one of the nation's largest and most highly regarded commercial brokerage firms.

Sought by industry insiders for their toughest deals, Karen has helped thousands to create wealth in commercial real estate with less risk even in today's uncertain economy.

Karen founded the Commercial Investment Education Institute which provides educational instruction for investors on multiple subjects including apartments, self storage, office buildings, retail centers, mobile home parks and more. Her courses are taught in a friendly and easy to understand manner.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Hanover
http://EzineArticles.com/?Commercial-Real-Estate-Appreciation---How-You-Can-Increase-the-Value-of-Your-Property-in-Any-Market&id=1364445

Friday, July 31, 2009

Home Equity Loans, are they the solution or the problem

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Home Equity Loans

Home equity loans are loans that are made to people in need of finance. They are issued against the security of their homes. With this kind of loan, the home of a borrower is kept as collateral against the sum borrowed by them. This type of loan, equity home loans is sometimes used by individuals who are in desperate need of money. Other reasons a person might use a home equity loan is to gain working capital to invest in a business or a piece of investment real estate.

Home equity loans, in recent times especially have emerged as a main source of finance for people who are in desperate need of money. More & more people are increasingly resorting to home equity loans to fund immediate financial needs, the main reason being the collateral & security factor. Usually, to take up a loan of such huge amount, people have to sell off their assets & dispose of their belongings to raise the finance, for their needs. But, the six standing character of home equity loan is the fact that, the borrower needs not to submit extra collateral except the house against which we is getting the loan, like we needs to do for getting any other loan credited in his account. Also equity home loans are beneficial & affordable since the interest that accrues, actually accrues on the amount that the borrower has drawn till that time, or while repayment of the loan, the borrower needs to pay the interest only on the amount that is yet to be repaid. All these enticing factors are drawing more & more number of individuals, looking for a loan that involves easy repayment terms.

The best part of home equity loans is that of revolving credit, once the amount of loan that the lender will lend to the borrower has been fixed by the lender, calculating on the value of the home against which loan is sanctioned, the borrower needs not to borrow the entire amount simultaneously but can actually draw according to his needs, & pay the interest only on the amount that we has drawn till that time & not the entire amount of loan that has been sanctioned. The lenders to attract more & more borrowers also give the borrowers lots of schemes, which make the repayment of the loan all the more easy. The fact that borrower needs not give any other collateral, or pay any extra interest makes the entire thing even more easy for the borrower.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

3 Big Myths About Debt Relief Solutions

By Jason Rodriguez

We know the pressure can be overwhelming many times when you are facing an enormous debt load and don't know what to do about it. There are solutions that provide debt relief, but you have to evaluate options carefully because everyone's circumstances are different. It's important to avoid bad information, so here we present three common myths about debt relief solutions.

Myth number one: You absolutely must pay every penny of your debt: We're not advocating that you abandon your responsibility just because you don't feel like paying your credit card bills or other financial obligations. Likewise, you would never encourage people to enter into an agreement when you know you will never be able to pay off the debt. This is irresponsible and borders on fraud.

However, many honest folks work hard to pay off their bills but end up taking on a little more than they can handle. In these situations, the consumer may simply not be able to meet his obligations fully. If credit card companies know your situation, they may arrange a settlement wherein you pay only a fraction of the original amount. This may not be good for your credit, but if your financial situation is bad enough your credit is not foremost on your mind.
Myth number two: If you damage your credit, you'll never be able to fix it: Bad credit does have some long-term ramifications, and you may have trouble qualifying for loans if you haven't been paying your bills. If you're looking for a car loan, mortgage, or any other kind of credit, you may be forced to pay higher interest rates or even be denied completely because of your poor credit history.

However, you can repair your credit over time, even though this requires some patience and discipline. If you have a poor credit score, this probably means that you have not been able to pay your bills because you are charging too much to begin with. Look at this as a learning experience and develop a better budget for the future.
Myth number three: Bankruptcy should only be the very last resort.: Bankruptcy should never be taken lightly, because it will affect your ability to get credit for some years to come. However, saying that bankruptcy should only be a last resort is not a good idea. What if you find yourself facing tens of thousands of dollars of credit card bills that you simply cannot pay? Should you use a home equity loan or withdraw your retirement funds to pay down this debt?

Absolutely not! These funds would be protected if you declared bankruptcy, while your credit card debt would be wiped out. Never put your most valuable possessions on the line to pay off unsecured debt.

Don't let the fear of your debt take over your life. To learn more about how to deal with debt and debt relief solutions, visit us at http://findingdebtsolutions.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Rodriguez
http://EzineArticles.com/?3-Big-Myths-About-Debt-Relief-Solutions&id=2594875

Monday, July 20, 2009

How to Avoid Bankruptcy and Get Out of Debt

By J. Star

Are you carrying over $10,000 in credit card, medical, student loan, business and/or other unsecured debt? Does it seem like bankruptcy is the only option? Many people do not realize the options they have to avoid bankruptcy. After researching all your options and consulting with your financial and legal advisors you may determine that bankruptcy is the best option for you. But it is important to research your alternatives first.

Here is a quick breakdown of what they are:

The Debt Snowball. This option is only available to those who still can afford to pay there current debt but want to get debt free faster. It is a simple account method where you stack your debts according to lowest to highest balance or highest to lowest interest rate. You then put all extra money above the minimum payments towards the debt at the top of the last. As you pay off debts you put the money that you were spending on the previous debt(s) toward the debt next in line. Using this method you will pay off your debts much faster and will save thousands in interest.
Debt Consolidation. In debt consolidation, you take out a larger loan to payoff a group of smaller loans. In order for this to be effective the loan used to payoff your other debt must have a lower interest rate than the average of all interest rates across your other debt. With a lower interest rate your payment will go down and thus giving you some financial breathing room.
Debt Management Plan. In a debt management plan you negotiate the terms of your existing debt in order to lower your interest rate and/or extend your payment period.
Debt Settlement. Settling your debt involves negotiating a flat payoff of your debt at an amount significantly less than your actual payoff. In order to be able to negotiate such a settlement you must be late on your payments to the creditor.

This is a brief overview of the options for avoiding bankruptcy. No two people are the same and no solution is right for everyone. Study the options, understand the pros and cons and then, together with your advisors, choose the path that is right for you.

Lime Financial's primary objective is to help lighten the weight of debt and credit disarray from the lives of our clients.. Learn more about our Debt Settlement Services.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J._Star

http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Avoid-Bankruptcy-and-Get-Out-of-Debt&id=2620257

You Can Beat Credit Card Debt by Erasing 50% of Your Debts!

By Scott Chaflin

Would you like to have the debt that you keep paying to credit card companies legally removed? A huge number of people in America are living with over $10,000 in past balances on their credit cards, and unfortunately, 95% of these people will be bankrupt in the next 2 to 3 years because the debt will keep piling up because of the interest.

It is no surprise that credit companies keep you in the dark when it comes to the options available to you to erase some of the money you owe them, but there are things you can do.

Fact: Credit cards are debt traps.
Fact: Many Americans have been kept in the dark about their options for erasing their debt.
Fact: 95% of all bankruptcies are caused by credit-card debt.

$1000.00 will take over 20 years to pay off

Did you know a simple $1000.00 charge will take over 20 years to pay off if you only pay the minimum payment? Unfortunately, this is true and CC companies do not share these facts because they do not mind forcing you into bankruptcy and stealing everything Americans own through their interest fees.

We have seen 25 year olds over $25,000 in debt, and many of these people will have to file for bankruptcy in the next 2-5 years. There is no reason to stay in debt when you do not have too as many private companies are staring to release free information that can help any consumer erase half of their debt so they can take more guilt free vacations without having to worry about another phone call or letter from their creditor again.

Every American who has a past due balance should check for free to see if they can get their debt erased so you can move on with your life and forget about paying your CC company all of your earnings.

I have found this resource to help you reduce your debt by 50%. They are a reputable and safe company to work with.There is no charge for them to help you.

The have put information together that can give you little known tips to get out of debt and tactics to get your debt erased by 50%. There is no charge, all you have to do is enter your email address.

To read this information and find out how much money you get get erased, Click Here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Chaflin
http://EzineArticles.com/?Take-Advantage-of-the-Recession-and-Erase-50%-of-Your-Credit-Card-Debt&id=2624380

Never Pay it Back - Free Debt Relief Grant Money

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

By Sarah Beckham

Getting out of debt is a serious concern among American citizens today. Free government debt grants are the perfect solution to the current American financing problems, because they are not loans, nor are they a consolidation program. The purpose for government grant program availability is to get you out of debt, not deeper into it.

Personal debt relief grants are actually free government money that you will never have to pay back.

This is true. The government gives away over eighty seven billion dollars to qualified applicants who apply for personal debt relief grants each and every year. There is a great need for free grant money among the American population today, because nearly everyone has suffered some type of astronomical financial setbacks as of late. As a result, more and more American taxpayers are applying for, and receiving this generous financial assistance.

What can be accomplished by obtaining free debt relief grants from the United States government?

There is very little that you cannot do to repair your financial situation if you are found eligible to receive personal debt relief grant funding. Many American taxpaying citizens have recently found that by applying for this financial aid they were able to acquire enough free government money to completely turn their circumstances around in a very positive way. Many have...

Received personal debt grants to pay off past due utilities to avoid disconnections.

*Used free government money to pay past due automobile payments to escape vehicle repossession.

*Obtained thousands of dollars to pay back rent and have avoided eviction.

*Some have received tens of thousands to pay defaulted mortgages and back taxes and have saved their homes from foreclosure as a result.

*Personal debt relief grants can even be issued to pay off your past due credit card balances.

The top three best benefits of obtaining personal debt relief grants...

You can actually escape the dreaded last resort of bankruptcy.
Since you have used free government money to pay off all of your creditors, your credit rating will instantly improve...dramatically
Last but definitely not least...you will never have to pay this money back...ever.

Shouldn't you follow the links below to find out if you are on of the millions of Americans who can be approved for thousands of dollars in free government money by applying for personal debt relief grants?

Get Grants for Individuals and see how much money you qualify to receive today and never pay back.

->> Claim your Apply for Personal Grants...

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Beckham
http://EzineArticles.com/?Never-Pay-it-Back---Free-Debt-Relief-Grant-Money&id=2364575

Friday, July 17, 2009

Adjustable Home Loans Explained

By Corey T Bruhn

Adjustable home loans provided people with all credit grades the ability to buy homes or refinance their mortgages just a few short years ago. Adjustable home loans offered lower rates then a fixed rate loan and this helped people buy a little more house then they could afford with a fixed rate loan.

When The Adjustable Rate Mortgage Problems Started

When the real estate and credit markets started to slow and property values fall many people found themselves unable to refinance their ARM mortgage. This inability to refinance was the direct result of banks cutting loan programs for bad credit borrowers and property values falling.

Many borrowers were now facing ARM mortgages with rates and payments that were increasing to a point where they were not able to pay their payments. Foreclosures then started to happen at an alarming rate. If you are one of these borrowers the tips bellow can help you save your home.

What You Can Do If You Cannot Refinance Your ARM Mortgage

Today all the major lenders know that adjustable rate mortgages are the main reason people are losing their homes and the banks are losing money. To combat this many banks are now letting people modify their existing loan in order to make their mortgage more affordable and also more stable by making the ARM a fixed rate loan.

In most cases the lender will evaluate your current income and other assets to determine your ability to make the new payment amount. Generally they will want to see your debt to income ratios are 40-45%. Any higher and they my not modify your loan due to risk factors.

How Can I Figure My Debt Ratio

Your debt to income ratio can be figured by taking you monthly bills like credit card payments,car payment mortgage payments and property tax payments and dividing it by your gross monthly income. So if you had $800 in payments every month and made $2000 your debt to income would be 40% or 800/2000=.4 or 40%. Bills not figured into the equation are utility payments,phone bills and other similar expenses. Getting a loan modification for adjustable rate mortgages is not as hard as people think but keep in mind your lender is only going to modify loans that will be paid back.

Adjustable Rate Mortgages can be feast or famine these days. Find out what an adjustable rate mortgage is and if this type of loan is right for you. Read our adjustable rate mortgage help information at http://www.adjustablemortgageinfo.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Corey_T_Bruhn
http://EzineArticles.com/?Adjustable-Home-Loans-Explained&id=2013318

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Thursday, July 16, 2009

Apartment Finance - How About Some Good News?

By Jeff Rauth

Apartment finance is weathering the current credit crisis nicely compared to other sectors of the commercial mortgage business. For example, owner occupied conventional mortgages are experiencing significant restrictions and loan requests above 60% loan to value, that do not fit the SBA guidelines have few, if any options.

In contrast, 80% financing on purchases and 75% loan to value on refinances, is still an option. Long term fixed rates, like five, ten year and even 30 year is available. Also, interest rates themselves are very low (2/10/09) as we are seeing low 6%'s and even high 5%'s for strong borrowers on these long term high rate. As a result many borrowers that went with floating conduit loans are now opting to refinance into long fixed rates due to concerns with where rates will go if inflation kicks in.

Apartment Finance

One of the main changes with multifamily finance is with underwriting going "global". Many veteran apartment owners will be unaccustomed to the additional scrutiny. Historically, most of the underwriting focused on the property itself, primarily in concern to the cash flow of the property. Better known as the debt coverage ratio, underwriting wanted to determine if the properties income could carry all of the associated expenses, and the proposed loan. That's essentially was the main focus.

Now however, underwriters also want to examine all of the borrower's income and expenses both personally and from other, none related businesses. What they are investigating is whether the borrower is above water on a cash flow basis, over the entire financial picture, including the subject property.

Most borrowers will put up with the additional "brain damage" as they really have no other choice with apartment finance. As the golden rule points out "he who has the gold, makes the rules". And besides just accepting it, the loan programs are still very attractive for the borrower.

Jeff Rauth is President of Commercial Finance Advisors, Inc out of Birmingham, Michigan a national commercial mortgage firm. Their focus is on commercial loans from $400,000 - $10,000,000. 248 885-8797. apartment loans or commercial bridge loans

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Rauth
http://EzineArticles.com/?Apartment-Finance---How-About-Some-Good-News?&id=1991024

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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Home Financing Tips For Buying a House

By R A Smith

If you are thinking about buying a home, one of the first things to do is find out what price range you can afford. Getting pre-approved for home financing can determine the maximum price and loan amount that you can get, based on your credit scores, income, and down payment. A mortgage pre-approval can save time and effort in your home search, and tells others that you are ready and able to buy a home.

Here's a Collection of Other Home Financing Tips:

Need flexibility on credit issues?

In addition to a low down payment, an FHA mortgage allows lower credit scores than conventional home financing. A bankruptcy only needs to be discharged for 2 years, and 3 years on a foreclosure.

Need payment choices for a tight budget?

Some lenders offers flexible mortgage terms with a 30 year fixed rate that gives you a payment choice each month for interest only or a fully amortized payment, which could help when money is tight.

Do you want an option for lower closing costs?

If you need to reduce your closing costs, you typically have the choice of decreasing the points by increasing the rate. Mortgage rates are priced to allow you to buy the interest rate up or down.

How long will you keep your mortgage?

If you plan to keep your mortgage for less than five years, you may be able to save money on your payments with a 5 year fixed rate plan. Also consider financing your home with zero points.

What debts are counted in your debt ratio?

Monthly debt payments are added to a mortgage to calculate a back-end debt ratio, including: credit card minimum payments, car loans, student loan, personal loan, alimony, child support, tax liens.

Are you required to have an impound account?

An impound account is money collected with the monthly loan payment to be set aside in reserve to pay property taxes and insurance. It's usually required on mortgages with less than 20% down payment.

Buying a condo with an FHA mortgage?

A condominium project must be FHA approved in order to get an FHA loan. If the project is not approved, the FHA spot loan program is designed to provide financing for an individual unit.

What about opening new credit accounts?

Applying for a new credit card, or financing the purchase of anything, just before or during the mortgage process can drop your credit scores, and lower credit scores can cause a higher rate or worse.

Are you planning a job or career change?

If you plan to make a job change, especially if the change involves commission or a different line of work, wait until after your new mortgage has funded, to avoid creating a potential problem.

Article written by Rick Smith at http://www.crhome.com, additional loan information at http://www.ditech.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R_A_Smith
http://EzineArticles.com/?Home-Financing-Tips-For-Buying-a-House&id=1974969

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Debt Consolidation Home Owner Loan

Debt Consolidation Home Owner Loan
By James Eccles

A debt consolidation homeowner loan is a secured loan, finance or a sum of money (usually large) that can be possibly secured against your house or another asset, i.e car. Because it is a secured loan it is also easier to attain with higher sums of money available, at lower rates with a higher approval rate, because it is safer for the bank to lend you the money i.e. secured.

Secured homeowner loans are generally preferred by the people seeking finance, as opposed to an unsecured lend, due to lower interest rates, so they are a lower cost to the borrower.

Debt consolidation home owner loan- how to get one?

There are many ways of getting a home owner loan for means of debt consolidation.

There are government organisations that you can speak to in every country to help in all matters of finance, another thing worth trying is checking to see if you are absolutely 100% liable for the debt, as at times it is possible that it is not completely your responsibility to pay the money back.

One way is to just try Google, and look for the search terms "Debt consolidation" or secured finance etc or you could try some of the branded firms like firstplus, or direct line etc, other than that there will be ads in your local newspaper or yellow pages, even the national tabloids, and TV adverts.

If it was a large sum of money you want, then you could also look into remortgaging to release some capital from your existing assets, to improve credit scores, try taking out a small loan and paying it off promptly to enhance credit scores.

To apply for a homeowner (secured/same thing) loan apply here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Eccles
http://EzineArticles.com/?Debt-Consolidation-Home-Owner-Loan&id=1990901

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Home Loans - Possible Hurdles and Solutions

By Agni Putra

A Home Loan is a long-term legal contract between a customer (home loan seeker) and the bank. Hence it is very important for a home loan seeker to be fully aware of all the legal terms and conditions that involve in the processing of a home loan.

A home-loan seeker may face several difficulties including certain legal issues in the processing of a home loan. He/she has to be very careful and must have a good knowledge of all the legal aspects pertaining to home loan processing. The following tips will greatly help you to educate yourselves in this regard and obtain a hassle-free home loan.

1. Home loans process starts with documentation.
Documents pertaining to a property are of great value and play a key role in completing the process. So, a home loan seeker must be very careful when submitting the documents to the bank. Never submit any fake or unclear documents that may create confusion or misguide the banks; banks have every right to take legal action against those who misguide them.

2. The details that you furnish in the application form should not include any discrepancy.
Banks make a careful study into these details, and if they find discrepancy, your application is certain to be rejected without any prior notice.

3. Retain all your receipts of the amount paid towards the credit card bills as banks may ask for the receipts of the payments once the details are found in CIBIL.

4. A panel of advocates will scrutinise the documents submitted by the home loan seeker.
They will obtain the search reports from the concerned sub-registrar office to find out the details of deeds and the vendors pertaining to that specific property. If they find any discrepancy in the documents, banks will ask the customer or vendor for clarification or for other supporting documents.

5. Property that the home loan seeker intends to acquire will be evaluated by technical valuers
If any find any deviations in the property, customer has to submit additional documents to support the deviations.

6. Upon completion of the entire process, vendor has to verify all his original documents with the bank official before disbursement of the loan, and the customer has to submit latest Encumbrance Certificate (EC) recording all transactions of the property in original.

7. Customer (home loan seeker) has to sign all the legal documents and the Home Loan Agreements in regard to the disbursement of the loan, and the property will be hypothecated to the bank till he/she repays the entire loan amount subsequent to the registration of the property. Customers are advised to carefully read the agreement copy before signing it.

8. If the customer fails to repay the loan, banks may appoint agents to collect the easy monthly instalments (EMIs) from the customer, and he/she has to co-operate with them.

9. If the customer gets defaulted, bank can seize the property to recover the loan amount; and once this happens he/she will be added into the defaulters list of the CIBIL (Credit Information Bureau of India Ltd).

Finally, it is advisable to take as less loan amount as possible so as to save the interest paid on the loan. Also, be punctual in repaying the loans to maintain a good credit history.

Agni Purta is assistant manager of the http://www.myloandetails.com The site provides services to the people who intend to go for a home loan.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Agni_Putra
http://EzineArticles.com/?Home-Loans---Possible-Hurdles-and-Solutions&id=1854622

See Our Disclaimer Here.

Home Financing Tips For Buying a House

By R A Smith

Here's a Collection of Other Home Financing Tips:

Need flexibility on credit issues?

In addition to a low down payment, an FHA mortgage allows lower credit scores than conventional home financing. A bankruptcy only needs to be discharged for 2 years, and 3 years on a foreclosure.

Need payment choices for a tight budget?

Some lenders offers flexible mortgage terms with a 30 year fixed rate that gives you a payment choice each month for interest only or a fully amortized payment, which could help when money is tight.

Do you want an option for lower closing costs?

If you need to reduce your closing costs, you typically have the choice of decreasing the points by increasing the rate. Mortgage rates are priced to allow you to buy the interest rate up or down.

How long will you keep your mortgage?

If you plan to keep your mortgage for less than five years, you may be able to save money on your payments with a 5 year fixed rate plan. Also consider financing your home with zero points.

What debts are counted in your debt ratio?

Monthly debt payments are added to a mortgage to calculate a back-end debt ratio, including: credit card minimum payments, car loans, student loan, personal loan, alimony, child support, tax liens.

Are you required to have an impound account?

An impound account is money collected with the monthly loan payment to be set aside in reserve to pay property taxes and insurance. It's usually required on mortgages with less than 20% down payment.

Buying a condo with an FHA mortgage?

A condominium project must be FHA approved in order to get an FHA loan. If the project is not approved, the FHA spot loan program is designed to provide financing for an individual unit.

What about opening new credit accounts?

Are you planning a job or career change?

If you plan to make a job change, especially if the change involves commission or a different line of work, wait until after your new mortgage has funded, to avoid creating a potential problem.

Article written by Rick Smith at http://www.crhome.com, additional loan information at http://www.ditech.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R_A_Smith
http://EzineArticles.com/?Home-Financing-Tips-For-Buying-a-House&id=1974969

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Make Money with Real Estate Starting from Where You Are

7 tips to make lots of money with real estate

Start From Where You Are

What To Do First - Start Saving

What To Do Next

Don't Ever Sell

Pyramiding Your Investment

The Power Of Compounding And Pyramiding

What you do the next year is buy another property.

Living Off Your Empire

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Friday, August 7, 2009

Accelerated Wealth Through Forex Trading

No "Down" or "Bear" Market in Forex

100% Liquid Market

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How to Learn More about the Forex Trading Business

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Monday, August 3, 2009

Friday, July 31, 2009

Home Equity Loans

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Monday, July 20, 2009

$1000.00 will take over 20 years to pay off

Friday, July 17, 2009

When The Adjustable Rate Mortgage Problems Started

What You Can Do If You Cannot Refinance Your ARM Mortgage

How Can I Figure My Debt Ratio

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Here's a Collection of Other Home Financing Tips:

Need payment choices for a tight budget?

Do you want an option for lower closing costs?

How long will you keep your mortgage?

What debts are counted in your debt ratio?

Are you required to have an impound account?

Buying a condo with an FHA mortgage?

What about opening new credit accounts?

Are you planning a job or career change?

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Here's a Collection of Other Home Financing Tips:

Need payment choices for a tight budget?

Do you want an option for lower closing costs?

How long will you keep your mortgage?

What debts are counted in your debt ratio?

Are you required to have an impound account?

Buying a condo with an FHA mortgage?

What about opening new credit accounts?

Are you planning a job or career change?