Archive for August, 2006
Monday, August 28th, 2006
MLS is the Multiple Listing Service.
The MLS is a database - an extremely convenient way to know what properties are for sale at any given moment. This makes it very useful to real estate agents and brokers.
Basically, the MLS is like a huge property warehouse. When a property is available for sale, it enters the warehouse. When it is sold, it leaves the warehouse.
The MLS only contains information since real estate cannot actually be stored in a warehouse. This information comes from the various brokers that exist in the scope of an MLS.
Why the MLS works for home buyers
First of all MLS is very convenient. Buyers can browse through the available properties listed on an MLS.
Using the MLS also does not cost anything. It is a free service that is sponsored by the Realtors advertising their available properties.
Options Galore
On the MLS, a buyer is not limited to choosing among a few available properties. Usually, the MLS makes available many available properties that are for sale.
In the olden days, when information was limited, a buyer would only be able to visit a few homes per day. He or she would also need to communicate with the agent for details and such.
With MLS, the buyer can start browsing from the comfort of his or her home. Details regarding the property are also listed there.
Aside from the written details, MLS usually provides pictures of the property. Other advanced MLS implementations even have other surveying tools that help buyers come to decisions regarding their desired property.
Fitting the Bill
MLS also helps the buyer by narrowing down choices to those that fit the buyer’s desires. The buyer supplies information on his or her desired property to the MLS site. This information includes desired area, size of property, age, location, and others. The buyer is then given a set of houses that fit that description.
Communication
MLS also makes it easier for the buyer to contact the realtor. Details the realtor are listed along with the property to allow straightforward communication between buyer and realtor.
Conclusion
It may be hard to believe but the real estate industry has benefited a lot from MLS. MLS is the next step in real estate evolution. It is relatively safe and is very convenient. As the MLS grows in popularity, more and more realtors avail of its listings. For the buyer, this can only mean good things more choices, better decisions.
Jay is the web owner of http://www.homes-in-california.comCalifornia Homes: Buying or Selling, a website that provides information on California real estate buying, negotiating, financing, and more. You can visit his website at: California Real Estate
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Sunday, August 27th, 2006
I had a hard time at first with real estate investment. One of the reasons was that I tended to be a “lone wolf,” trying to do too much myself. I’ve since learned that to really do well investing in real estate, you need to have a team of people you can trust and rely on. Here are some possible team members, and what they need to be on the team.
1. Real estate agent. A licensed agent with experience in the area you invest in and access to the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), can be a great help. If she is a seller’s agent, she can still ethically bring the best deals to you once she knows you’re a serious buyer.
2. Real estate attorney. This should be someone familiar with the laws and legal customs of your area, and have experience with the type of deals you intend to do (If you are buying rentals, she should be familiar with doing evictions, for example.)
3. Accountant or bookkeeper. Keeping proper books for real estate investments is getting more complicated with all the tax-law changes. Find someone that understands the law, and what you want.
4. Mortgage broker or banker. The first can offer many options, but the second can make the loan decision. Each has their advantages, and you could use both. In either case it’s important that they understand what you want (fast closings, lower interest, corporate loans?)
5. Appraiser. Not only can a good appraiser give you an accurate valuation of a property, but they should be able to suggest ways in which you can raise the value of a property. Use someone that will talk to you.
6. Inspector. In some areas it is easy to become an inspector with little experience. It’s best if you use one that is or used to be a contractor, so he can find the problems AND give you some idea of the cost of repairs.
7. Insurance agent. A good one will understand what you want, and find ways to save you money. Insure all your properties with one agent, and you’re likely to have discounts available, and better service.
8. Escrow officer. They will usually be with a closing company. Look for someone that’s efficient, and can explain things clearly to both sides. If he is confused by a slightly creative contract, he should educate easily or be replaced.
9. Cleaning person. Having a trusted person or crew ready means a fast turn around when you buy a rental or rehab project.
10. Property manager. Be sure that the company you hire has exerience, is responsive, and will have time when you call. A good property manager can tell you BEFORE you buy, what you should get for rent in a given area.
Real estate investment is less stressful and more profitable with a good team on your side.
Steve Gillman has invested real estate for years. To learn more, and to see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com
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Saturday, August 26th, 2006
Ask yourself these questions:
·Are you an experienced writer? ·Do you want to stay at home to write? ·Do you want to work for yourself? ·Do you learn new things quickly? ·Are you interested in a broad number of subjects? ·Do you feel like you’re being pigeonholed with your current writing and you want to branch out? ·Do you have a flair for marketing?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions - or even better - several, you may have found a new career!
It’s more important than ever for real estate professionals to market themselves legally considering the laws regarding email and telephone sales seem to change daily - depending on which court is hearing the case. Many experts speculate though that eventually some sort of anti-telemarketing law will be enforced and while it’s much more difficult to regulate email, it’s still being made more and more difficult to use this form of marketing and sales. So basically it comes down to the fact that real estate professionals need an effective way to market themselves without breaking the law.
If you’ve ever done business with a Realtor or Mortgage Broker they probably still send you newsletters, recipe cards, sport’s schedules, notepads, etc. If they don’t they aren’t marketing themselves very effectively and you may have found your first client!
The majority of a real estate professional’s business comes from word of mouth - whether it’s repeat business from people who are refinancing their mortgage, applying for a home equity loan, selling their house, renting their house, or from clients who recommend “their guy” to friends and relatives. Whatever it is, it’s in the professional’s best interest to keep their name on your mind.
The frequency with which real estate professionals send out these marketing materials varies. My own Realtor usually sends me a quarterly newsletter along with goodies like flower seeds and notepads throughout the year. Some of the more industrious professionals actually send out newsletters on a weekly basis!
The key is for the professional to get his/her name and phone number in front of as many sets of eyes as possible. When the professional sends you a newsletter, that includes several interesting articles, such as how to increase the value of your home or budget decorating tips or how to clean up your credit before you apply for a mortgage, etc. you find these articles so fascinating you hang on to the newsletter. Or you know that your next-door neighbor is particularly interested in decorating on a budget so you pass it along to her and so on. Next thing you know, many set of eyes have seen the real estate professional’s name and they decide to call him/her when they need the services of a real estate professional.
When your cousin Vinney calls you up out of the blue to tell you he’s moving to Arlington and “do you have a Realtor you can recommend” you do of course because the sport’s schedule/newsletter/recipe card your Realtor recently sent you is hanging on your refrigerator.
So what does all of this mean for you the freelance writer? It means more assignments and more money! After all, the real estate professional is either too busy or simply doesn’t have the desire or skills to write their own newsletters and other materials. What they need is a freelance writer to handle this crucial aspect of their business.
To be certain, like any business you’ll need to get out there and hustle and market yourself before you can expect to market for your clients. You’ll need to prepare professional looking samples to start out with and hawk these to as many real estate professionals as you can think of. You can find these professionals by looking in the phone book for addresses, pulling fliers from yard signs and introducing yourself to Realtors conducting open houses to begin with.
Writing for real estate professionals can be a fun, lucrative and interesting business. Now get out there and get to work!
Isabel Fena is the author of the e-book “The Untapped Market: How to Make Money Writing for Real Estate Professionals.” You can get a free sample chapter of her e-book at her website www.isabelfena.com or you can buy the whole e-book for only $11.95 at www.booklocker.com/books/1339.html.
Isabel Fena is the author of the e-book “The Untapped Market: How to Make Money Writing for Real Estate Professionals.” You can get a free sample chapter of her e-book at her website www.isabelfena.com or you can buy the whole e-book for only $11.95 at www.booklocker.com/books/1339.html.
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Friday, August 11th, 2006
Home improvement involves changing the way your house looks. It can be anything, from painting walls to getting new bathroom fixtures. You may redesign your kitchen so that it looks better. You may change the way your garden looks or convert your backyard into a basketball court. When your children grow up, they require separate rooms. For this, you may need to build a new room. House repairing also comes under home improvement. You need to repair the air conditioning or heating systems if they break down. Every now and then, you need to carry out electrical repair work.
Home improvement does not come cheap. You have to spend money to carry out home improvement. You can spend money from your pocket or take out a Home Improvement Loan. There are several lenders who offer Home Improvement Loans. When you take out a home improvement loan, you do not need to pay a lump sum amount to home improvement loans. The lender pays money to home improvement professionals on your behalf, which you can pay him back over a period of time.
Home improvement loans are of two types - secured and unsecured. Secured loans are given against the security of a property. The rate of interest on such loans is lower than the rate on Unsecured Loans. There are some other advantages of secured loans as well. Lenders offer flexible repayment terms on such loans. Moreover, such loans are easily available since they reduce the risk for lenders.
Unsecured home improvement loans carry higher rates of interest than secured loans. Since such loans are repaid within a short period of time, borrowers have to pay big monthly installments. Another disadvantage of an unsecured loan is that they are not easily available. Lenders prefer secured loans to unsecured loans.
You can take out a home improvement loan even if you have a bad credit history. It is not impossible to obtain a bad credit loan. You will have to search for a lender who can offer you such a loan. Lenders usually charge a higher rate of interest on a bad credit loan.
For more information please visit:http://www.cheap-home-improvement-loan.co.uk
About The Author: The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in Business Administration and is currently assisting cheap-home-improvement-loan as a finance specialist.
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Wednesday, August 9th, 2006
Too many debts? Having trouble paying your bills? Are you worried about losing your home or your car?
You’re not alone. Many people face a financial crisis some time in their lives. Your financial situation doesn’t have to go from bad to worse. If you are a homeowner why not look to release the equity tied up in your home, Why not consider a Debt Consolidation Loan to consolidate all your debts into one monthly repayment?
If your objective is to reduce interest rates and lower your monthly payments, avoid bankruptcy, consolidate your bills and have one monthly payment, or simply get out of debt the fastest way possible, then a debt consolidation loan could provide the answer.
Are you paying out too much every month for your credit cards, store cards and loans? Then why not replace them all with one, lower, convenient repayment through a consolidation loan?
Consolidation loans can give you a fresh start, allowing you to consolidate all of your loans into one - giving you one easy to manage payment, and in most cases, at a lower rate of interest.
Secured on your UK home, low cost, low rate, cheap, low interest debt consolidation loans can sweep away the pile of repayments to your credit and store cards, HP, loans and replace them with one, low cost, monthly payment - one calculated to be well within your means.
With a Debt Consolidation Loan you can borrow from £5,000 to £75,000 and up to 125%25 of your property value in some cases.
A UK Debt Consolidation Loan is a low cost loan secured on your UK home. It frees up the spare capital (or equity) in your home to repay your store card and other debts.
It can reduce BOTH your interest costs AND your monthly repayments, putting you back in control of your life.
Debt Consolidation Loan rates are variable, depending on status
Monthly repayments will depend on the amount borrowed and term.
You may freely reprint this article provided the author’s biography remains intact:
John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available online loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.
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