Paying Tax On Your Turkish Rental Income

Recent press reports, including a column in the Turkish daily Hurriyet, have warned of a crackdown on tax dodging landlords. Although the practice is widespread in Turkey, there has been a particular outcry about foreign owners renting properties ?informally? from their home country, usually via word-or-mouth, websites or the classifieds, and not paying tax on the income. There have been increasing demands for action from hoteliers in the coastal resorts, who see villa rentals as a growing source of competition.

A recent declaration by the Turkish Ministry of Finance also suggests that the tax authorities will be clamping down and may be targeting foreign-owned properties in the future. ?Every property owner must be registered with the tax authorities, at which time they become a tax payer even if they are not residing in Turkey,? explains solicitor Ayse Ozcan of Acacia International. ?Income tax on the rental from their property is one of the taxes and should not be ignored.?

However according to Janet Crawley of online rental agency Villa Renters Turkey, Most owners simply aren't aware of the rules, otherwise they would do things legitimately. There are also practical problems, like finding an English-speaking solicitor.

Rental income must be declared annually, along with any other personal income earned in Turkey, with hefty fines, and interest liable on back taxes, for landlords caught not doing so. Income tax rates are currently 15-35%, but there is a personal allowance of 2,200 YTL and you can claim up to 25% of the gross rental income back in expenses for maintenance and repairs. A Turkish accountant can prepare your accounts for you, with payment due every year in March.

Dominic Whiting is a journalist and publisher of the Buying in Property Guides. For more information about buying property in Turkey, newsletters or to order the books visit: www.buyinginguides.info

Issues with Renting Buying and Selling Properties Overseas

People interested in renting, selling or buying various properties overseas are commonly faced with a wide range of difficulties such as language barrier impediments, limited market evaluation possibilities, as well as poor access to information regarding the advantages and disadvantages of closing a certain deal on foreign land. In order to get the best out of a given transaction, one generally needs to spend a lot of time and invest a lot of effort in doing the required price-service research, carefully analyzing the benefits and the minuses of choosing one offer over another. Whether you wish to sell, buy or rent apartments, villas, houses or land in remote locations, the recommended thing to do is request the services of a reliable third-party. With the help of a solid Real Estate company, you will be able to quickly find the best apartments and villas to rent or buy, and you will also receive proper assistance and counseling on selling such properties.

There are various Real Estate companies and agencies out there that provide customers with high-quality services that account for the subtleties of finding and closing the best Real Estate deal overseas. The trick is to find the company that best satisfies your needs and requirements, the company that can help you achieve your goals in exchange for affordable price packages. In order to obtain the best results, you should consider employing the services of a Real Estate company that sustains and promotes its activity via the Internet. This way you will be able to achieve a better exposure for the properties you wish to offer for sale or rental, and also keep track of other properties if you are interested in buying or renting. Efficient Real Estate companies offer clients the opportunity to browse through an extensive and well-structured database of classified ads and submit their own announcements online, free of charge or in exchange of previously established monthly or annual fees.

Classified ads are properly categorized into multiple sections, include descriptions of the properties available for sale or rental and are also accompanied by suggestive images, helping customers form an idea about each individual advertisement. If you are looking to buy or rent apartments, villas, houses, townhouses or land overseas, simply use the classified ads feature and find the announcements that best satisfy your needs. Once you have found the most appropriate house, apartment or villa to rent, all you need to do is contact the ads? submitter and negotiate the terms of the transaction. Similarly, if you are interested in selling such properties, write and submit your own ads and you will be contacted by potential clients.

Greatly simplifying the process of closing effective Real Estate transactions and helping customers overcome the difficulties of buying, selling or renting apartments, villas, houses and other properties overseas - reliable, competitive and cost-effective Property Management Services are an important feature you should look for before deciding to collaborate with a Real Estate company. Such services usually include: accommodation services, property services (client meeting, security, cleaning), property research services, legal services, translation services, chauffer services and many more.

Depending on factors such as the type of the transaction and the location of the property you are interested in buying or renting, you should request an appropriate package of services that can help you overcome the difficulties of the deal. For instance, a good lawyer can inform you about the hidden costs behind the transaction, such as local taxes. Another advantage of having a good lawyer is that it can accelerate the process of closing the deal by taking care of all the required documents. In addition to employing reliable legal services, you should also consider hiring efficient translation services when renting or buying properties overseas. Such services will take care of translating all the documents you require, thus overcoming the language barriers you may come across when renting and buying properties overseas.

Before closing a deal, it is also advised to employ the services of an experienced surveyor. Once hired, surveyors perform elaborate on-site investigations, verifying the condition of the property, establishing an estimate on the overall value of the property and providing clients with concrete information about the advantages and disadvantages of the transaction. Surveyors are vital for people interested in buying or renting apartments, villas, houses, townhouses or land overseas, as their report clearly reveals the worth of a certain deal.

A more consistent report generally includes the following: information on the location of the property, amenities (swimming pool, gardens, view, tennis court, etc), the materials used in building the property, the condition of the property (substantial or negligible faults, results of testing the interior structure for dampness, information regarding the existence and condition of the drainage system, insulation and damp-proofing), repair costs, the precise value of the property on both the local and open markets, recommendations for further specific inspections, etc. With the help of an extensive survey report, the client can easily prepare his next actions and decide whether to close the deal for the initially established price, renegotiate its terms and costs, or even cancel a problematic deal.

So if you want to find more useful information from EUDreams about an apartment to rent or even about a villa to rent, we recommend you clicking these links.

Help I Have to Evict My Nephew!

The eviction of a friend or relative is not easy to do. It has to be one of the most difficult lawsuits, if not the most emotionally draining, of all types of evictions. You may be one of the lucky ones who can rent to a friend or relative with no side effects. Still one day, there may come a time when you have to look your friend or family member in the eyes, and ask him or her to leave your apartment.

In the eviction of a relative stranger, even a long-term tenant, the process isn?t personal, just business. The tenant can?t pay the rent, so he has to leave. It?s the end of an association with more or less minimal emotional ties between the tenant and the landlord.

Evicting a friend or relative is one in which sides may be chosen, and lines drawn in the sand. Once the eviction notice has been delivered, do not expect many friends or allies to come to your aid. Depending upon the circumstances of the eviction, you can expect to have your life made miserable by anyone impacted by your decision.

This is because the expectations of a friend or relation are much higher than that of a stranger. If there is a tenancy problem, the expectation is that you will treat the tenant more as a friend or relative than as a financial investment problem. You will be asked to accept less than you normally would for rent arrears, to wait longer for your rent, and to accept behaviors that you would not normally tolerate.

For example, let?s say you need to raise the rent. A rent increase could be perceived as a betrayal of your friendship. Your aunt could think you are taking advantage of her. It doesn?t make sense, but when money is concerned, all bets are off. As far as a friend or relative is concerned, you are in his or her pocket. A belief that you are soaking your tenant for more money that you ?don?t really need? could cause your family member to not pay the increase.

Be clear and resolved about why the eviction must take place. Have all of your written documentation in place. Check all of your paperwork, rent cards, letters of warning etc. before you send your notice to quit. Make sure you have a leg to stand on before starting the eviction case. Conduct a due diligence of your property and the legal case.

Hard feelings will sometimes come with the rental and eviction territory. Do not expect to be able to discuss the case calmly with the offended tenant. Do not expect a cool head to prevail over your eviction action. If you evict your nephew, expect your sister or brother to be totally ticked off at you. Your friend may think you are a jerk for evicting her because she parties loudly every weekend, disturbing your other tenants. Your aunt may not come to your aid when your niece does not pay the rent.

When blood is evicting blood, much more blood could be shed before the battle is over. Few people want to be in the middle of a turf war. You may find yourself isolated and alone during the eviction process until the dust has settled. This is the reason why most landlords refuse to rent to a friend or family member. It is preferred to have only one relationship, than to confuse the personal relationship by adding a legal one.

How can you ease the pain of evicting a friend, relative, or even the relative of a friend? It could depend on how the person was moved in. Were you doing your friend ?a favor? by renting your apartment to him or her? Did your cousin have to complete a rental application like everyone else? Did you verify all references, employment information, credit check, former landlord information, etc.? Does the tenant have a lease?

Why is this important? Having everyone go through an application process regardless of their status with you establishes the ground rules from Day One. Without it, the tenant could feel that he or she was taken in as a friend, and then treated otherwise when things got tough. It helps to set up the lines of separation between the friendship and the tenancy.

So, what is the best way to evict a friend or relative? Here are some tips:

?First, do not take shortcuts during the legal process. In fact, do everything strictly by the book. A wounded friend or relative who knows your personal business becomes a worthy adversary in a legal case. He or she will use whatever information is available to fight you tooth and nail.

?The jury is still out as to whether or not you should serve the initial notice of lease termination personally, or use a constable. The friend or your sister will feel the sting of you starting legal action just as shocking no matter how the news is given.

?Exercise the same professional manner in dealing with the loved one as you would with a stranger. Try to keep your emotions out of the situation. Avoid discussing the case at length with your now adversarial tenant. The less said, the less information that can be used against you in court.

?Put any rent arrears payment plans in writing. Continue the eviction case, and present the payment plan to the judge. Have the judge enter the payment plan in the court decision. Then, if the plan is broken, it is broken with the court, not you. Your friend or cousin will be less likely to violate a court agreement.

?Some landlords hire an attorney to process their eviction cases specifically against a friend or relative. When your best friend or nephew calls you about the eviction notice, refer all comments and questions to the attorney. Resist the temptation to explain why you started the action. With an attorney, you are taken out of the middle position. Let the lawyer earn the fee by listening to the anger, frustration and feelings of betrayal by the friend or relative.

?If you need to take legal action against a friend or relative who is your tenant, do it. Do not be intimidated by their personal association with you. Your real estate is a business investment. If you remember this during the process, you will be able to separate the two relationships, that of friend or family member who is also your tenant.

No one wants to be evicted, especially by a person who is considered a pal and confidant. The bitter taste of humiliation, feeling of betrayal, and anger will remain long after the actual legal action. Before renting your vacant apartment out again, remember the experience. Decide whether or not the rent is worth the possible loss of friendship or family discord.

Aftermath of Hurricanes in Miami Real Estate Market

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.

Direct Mail A Thing of the Past?

For many Realtors, direct mail is a staple of their to-do lists. Holiday cards, promotional giveaways, just sold cards, new listing brochures, farming neighborhoods, and many more things get mailed every day by Realtors expanding their businesses. However, the National Association of Realtors recently released a study showing that 77 percent of buyers begin their home search online. Most Realtors would take this to mean that their website is now their most important tool to generate leads. So, what place, if any, does direct mailing still have with today's Realtors?

Price is Certainly a Factor

Compared to website maintenance, web ads, and email, direct mailing can be very expensive. In order to keep your name at the top of buyers' and sellers' minds, you need to mail frequently, as many as two or three times a month. Postage prices continually rise, and even the price of a postcard stamp seems oppressive when compared to sending off a quick email.

The cost of producing quality direct mail is steep not only in terms of dollars, but also in terms of time. Think of the hours you spend proofreading, designing, ordering, stamping, and addressing. Is it worth it? There are so many Realtors fighting over the same turf that many Realtors are increasing their farm areas and adding new territory. That budget just keeps going up.

How Is Direct Mailing Working For You?

A simple analysis of your return on investment will show if your direct mailings are still working for you. Do many of your leads mention that they received your postcards? Do former clients remark on your holiday cards and continue to send you leads? Do you feel that you have ample time to explore all marketing opportunities available and that you're not bogged down with mailing activities?

If you answered yes to these questions, there's no sense in changing a plan that works. However, always remember to do your research. If 19 of your last 20 leads found you through your website, maybe direct mail can be phased out of your marketing plan.

Brett Miller is the founder of HoopJumper.com and has created the best lead generating real estate websites in the industry and helped hundreds of real estate professionals make the most of their Internet presence. Call 888-Hoop-Jumper for a complimentary web analysis today or visit http://www.HoopJumper.com to see how HoopJumper can help you grow your business.

How to Sell Your Home in 24 Hours

Has your home been on the market for a while? Are you not getting any showings? Maybe you are getting showings but no offers. I will show you how to sell your home and sell it quickly. These tips work if you are selling it yourself (FSBO) or if you are using a Realtor.

Obviously, if you are in a hot real estate market, you shouldn?t have any trouble selling your home. The tips here can help you sell it for more, but this article is primarily for those in a more competitive market who are having trouble selling their home. It?s for those in either a slow or medium market with plenty of homes for sale. Those are the ones who will benefit most from this article.

First, we need to determine how serious you are about selling your home. Are you a short term, medium term or a long term seller? A long term seller:

• Is in no rush to sell their home, or
• Doesn?t care if they sell it or not, or
• Wants the absolute top price for their home

Do you remember the movie ?Sixth Sense?? The kid in that movie could see dead people. Some of the dead people didn?t know they were dead. The thing about long term sellers is that some of them don?t know that they are a long term seller. They will tell you they want to sell their home, but they won?t do what it takes to sell their home. It?s a Realtor?s nightmare. If you are a long term seller, forget about selling your home quickly. It won?t happen. That?s why it?s called ?long term? seller.

It helps a home to sell if it has good street appeal, is clean and uncluttered, and in a good neighborhood. But what if there are 2 or 3 of those on the same street, or 500 of those in the same city? With all other things being equal, the reason one home sells and another does not, is price.

I have seen homes come onto the market and get accepted offers within just hours of being listed. And this was not in a particularly hot market. They weren't really outstanding homes either. But they had a great price and home buyers want a good deal.

The title of this article is ?How to Sell Your Home in 24 Hours?. Catchy title, huh? It got your attention didn?t? it? The reality is that there is a price at which your home will sell within 24 hours. You may not like that price, but it will sell. The point I am trying to make is if you really want to sell your home, you must take serious measures to make it more attractive than similar homes on the market. That may include lowering the price to a number that you don?t particularly like.

So how serious are you? How motivated are you? I?ve see some sellers switch Realtors like they were flipping pancakes. They kept hoping the next one would have that special touch to sell their home. They thought there was some magic formula that would get them the top-price offer they wanted. And, if your home is a FSBO, you have another hurdle to overcome. You are probably not getting the exposure needed to make you home competitive in the market. To be competitive, your home must have good exposure and be a better choice in some way than similar homes on the market.

The driving force of the housing market is supply and demand. In fact, it?s the driving force of any market. It doesn?t matter if it?s the housing market, the stock market, or the commodities market. Why are gas prices so high? What determines the price of a bag of sugar? Why is one stock price higher than another? Why does one 3 bedroom, 2 bath 2,000 square foot home in one neighborhood cost five times as much as one across town? Why does an electrician charge more for re-wiring your home today than he quoted a year ago (copper prices)? It?s about supply and demand.

If there are more homes on the market than there are buyers for them, it?s called a buyers market. They have more choices. The supply of homes is larger than the demand for them. But there are things you can do to make your home a more attractive choice for available buyers.

• Good street appeal. Keep your grass mowed. Do some landscaping. Plant bushes and flowers. Trim bushes and trees. Put on a fresh coat of paint outside if needed. Make it look appealing. Make people want to come into your home.
• Get rid of the clutter. Make it look spacious. Not just the rooms but the closets and kitchen cabinets as well. People like a home with a lot of storage space.
• Keep it clean. Mop. Dust. Straighten. Clean the carpets. Keep the cat litter box clean.
• Do any needed repairs.
• Paint inside if necessary
• Give it some decorating touches There are some inexpensive decorating techniques you can learn and apply. Browse some of the home magazines. Watch some of the TV shows about the home. Visit some open houses in your area and see what others have done.

But if you do all of this and your home still isn?t selling, it?s time to take a serious look at the price of your home. It may be overpriced. This is where a Realtor can really help you. Get the comps (comparable sales) of homes in your area. When appraisers and Realtors calculate the value of a home, they determine the price per square foot that similar homes sold for in your area. So obviously, you can?t just look at the total price of a home if it is a different size than yours. If a neighbor sells their home for $200,000 and it?s 2,000 square feet, that?s $100 per square foot. If other homes in your area are also selling for $100 per square foot, then you know what yours is worth. Just multiply the square foot of your home by $100. If your home is 2,200 square feet, and everything else is equal, your home is worth about $220,000. This is a simplistic explanation because there are some variations, but it is generally accurate. For a more accurate valuation, pay for a professional appraisal.

Your Realtor can give you a pretty good idea of the price range of homes in your area. For instance, they may find that homes in your area have sold in the $97 - $103 per square foot range, thus an average of $100. If homes have sold in the $97 - $103 range, they were probably listed (and are listed) in the $100 - $106 range. By using this price range, if you price your home at $106 per square foot (or higher), you probably won?t get much activity. If you price it at $100 per square foot you will probably get a fair amount of activity. But if you price it at $97 (or lower) per square foot, you will probably get a lot of activity. The advantage of aggressive pricing is that it may bring in multiple offers and you may actually get a higher than asking price for your home.

So, if you are serious about selling your home, use some of the tips mentioned here and pay particular attention to pricing. And if you really do want to sell your home in 24 hours, be very aggressive with your price.

Craig Jones has been a small business owner since 1991 and a Realtor since early 2005. Check out his newest web site called http://www.The-Best-Websites-Guide.com.

You will find there a collection of some of the most useful websites around. We list the top websites in over 15 categories that are jam packed with information that can save you time and money. We don't overwhelm you with too many choices in each category -- we only give you the cream of the crop.

Letter from a Property Investor

As I survey the property world scene, it seems that those areas with dynamic growth have equal potential risk attached to them. I?ve decided to avoid much of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet satellites. Bulgaria does not have such a good climate and there is only a limited number of resorts that have skiing to provide two seasons of tourism. Accessibility and infrastructure have a long way to go before they can support the tourist expansion that now seems inevitable with all the development going on. I have my doubts that renters and holiday-makers in sufficient numbers will be choosing Bulgaria to fill all the property construction currently underway.

Although there?s no denying the boom going on I prefer to avoid anywhere with even a hint of political risk. With current upheavals in the Middle East I?ve decided to avoid Dubai and the Emirates even though they?re remote from anything going on at the moment ? who knows what the future may hold.

Spain is overshadowed by the new land grab regulations. Only recently there were many more arrests of those involved in the planning scandals, the impact of which is still to be felt by many overseas property owners who have made Spain their home.

Having recently returned from Barbados and St. Lucia I must say I like this area of the world for my next investment. It?s both politically and economically stable and appeals to both the European and US markets. Properties are sold in US$ and Americans are increasingly making the Caribbean their destination of choice as it?s close to home and has a year round good climate. The recent appreciation of Sterling to the dollar is a nice bonus.

St. Lucia has been voted one of the world?s most beautiful islands by Conde Nast magazine. The description did not disappoint when I saw it for myself. With its vast rain-forest, white sandy beaches and the World Heritage Pitons, it justifies its description as one of the loveliest of the Caribbean islands. Property prices are well below neighbouring Barbados and there are several very interesting opportunities just launched and available off-plan. I chose a 2-bed apartment at The Landings in Rodney Bay. It?s a great new marina, which has just started construction. It?s similar in concept and has the same builder as Port St. Charles in Barbados, a sell-out 220 unit marina development but, The Landings is some 40% cheaper.

I?ve bought my apartment with the furniture package and it will be included in the rental pool. This guarantees me an income of a minimum of 6% p.a., for the first 2 years. Afterwards, my apartment participates in a pool of income generated by all the rental properties to ensure each owner a fair share. Owners can use their property for up to 12 weeks a year during which time they do not participate in the rental pool. This is a great way of owning a holiday property as it provides flexibility as to how often I use it, it generate a good income when I am not using it and I have none of the usual running costs to pay as, all of these are paid out of the rental pool. Added to that, its hassle-free as The Landings is run like a hotel with concierge and all the other 5* services one would expect. All of which is available to me when I am in residence.

The development team have a good deal of experience in both construction and resort management in St. Lucia. This may not boast some of the spectacular returns I?ve seen touted elsewhere but I feel I?m in safe hands and if the gains are more modest they look more secure. That will do me fine.

Look for future editions of my property investor newsletter, which I hope, will enable readers to benefit from my experience.

Julius Nehorai

International Web Realty

www.internationalwebrealty.com

Changes to the Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act 2000 (PAMD) Queensland Australia

Amendments to the PAMD Act 2000 are effective today (21st August 2006). Fair Trading Minister Margaret Keech claims that the amendments will make property buyers and sellers more confident of getting value for money and improved consumer protection.

We are not so sure these amendments will work in achieving those aims. The basic changes to the PAMD Act 2000 are effectively;

A) Bidders at Auctions will have to register prior to Auction, including providing suitable identification and receiving a marker to identify when they make a bid.

B) Any Market Opinions an agent provides to a property seller will need to be substantiated by a comparative market analysis (CMA).

Now call me a cynic about the behaviour of real estate agents, but these are really not going to achieve the goals of cleaning up the behaviour of dishonest real estate agents.

These legislated changes really only make the honest hard working agents, and yes they do exists, more honest. The dishonest agents will get around this in no time, whilst buyers and sellers believe the system will protect them.

Consider these approaches to both of the above changes.

A) The dishonest agent can still get a friend or an associate to register at an auction. That person can be informed of how high to bid ? so that they bid just below the reserve, to try and get the potential real buyer to increase their bids. Even if no-one bids after the friend or associate bids ? they are still below the reserve price, so it just looks to all and sundry like there were some serious buyers interested in that property. Additionally did you know that the Auctioneer can bid on behalf of the Vendor. This is called a vendor bid, and the way an auctioneer does those bids can still influence a potential buyer into believing they are bidding against a genuine bidder.

B) A market opinion is not a property valuation. It?s the opinion of the real estate agent on what the likely sale price of a property will be. They now must substantiate his opinion by comparing similar type properties that sold within 5km of the property in question. Now I reckon 5km covers quite a lot of ground, in-fact it could cover suburbs that have a significantly lower average price. Additionally what about the time frame ? is last 6 months a good indication. Last 12months. The market opinion is simply not a valuation done by a professional independent valuer. The agent has an agenda, they will substantiate to their hearts content and legitimately under the PAMD Act, to get the result they are after.

Sorry Mrs Keech we don?t believe either of these changes do anything to address the dishonest agents, and the process they employ.

If a property seller wants to feel truly comfortable they should seek an independent valuation. Then they can decide whether they need to use an agent or not.

As for auctions, considering current auction clearance rates in Queensland, forget the dummy bidder, you?d be a dummy seller.

Michael Eroz

Property Analyst

http://www.zeroagents.com.au

Iowa Mortgage What to Expect When Buying a Home in Iowa

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

The median home value in the state of Iowa is $82,500. Current interest rates in Iowa are above the national average, and job growth rates are below the national average.

In the state of Iowa, purchase transactions on sub-prime loans are subject to a $30,000 minimum. Additionally, if you live in Iowa and file bankruptcy, you do not necessarily have to forfeit your home. If you have been current on your payments and continue to be, state law does not require you to surrender your home.

If you?re buying a home in southern Iowa, you qualify for state FHA loans through the Southern Iowa Home Ownership Program. First-time home buyers qualify for loans with below-market interest rates and down payment assistance. Borrowers must meet certain income requirements and specific guidelines, and must purchase a home in a southern Iowa county: Appanoose, Davis, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lucas, Mahaska, Monroe, Van Buren Wapello, or Wayne.

These loans are revolving, so there are only a specific number that can be given out at any period of time. When a person with a FHA loan through this program sells their home or refinances it, then their loan is made available to another qualified applicant.

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

The Issue of Furniture and A Prospective Home

A home is not a stand alone object when it comes to living life. When considering making an offer on a home, the issue of how one?s furniture will look in the property comes up.

The Issue of Furniture and A Prospective Home

When selling a home, you can tell when a potential buyer is serious when they start doing a certain thing in your home. First, they start walking around with their hands forming a virtual frame like an artist. Alternatively, they may whip out a tape measure and actually start mentally marketing off rooms. This occurs because they are trying to project their furniture into the property.

When sizing up a potential home for purchase, buyers almost always start trying to envision how their furniture will fit into the property. If they cannot ?see the fit?, they may pass on the home. In general, this is a bad idea.

First and foremost, the furniture you have accumulated over the years is never, ever going to be a perfect fit in a new home. The only exception would be if you are buying the same exact floor plan, which will be an extremely rare event. Regardless, the furniture isn?t going to fit and you should not evaluate the merits on this basis.

Which is more difficult ? finding the perfect home or finding new furniture? Which is going to appreciate over the next few years? The answer to both questions is clearly the home. When house hunting, it is vitally important that you evaluate the home sans furniture considerations. You can always buy different furniture. Yes, you have probably put together a nice collection, but its value will never equate to a good property buy.

So, what happens if you have unique furniture that is either hard to find, a family heirloom or some other situation? As surprising as this may sound, you should still discount it when evaluating the merits of a particular property. You are buying the home for your personal comfort and investment, not for the concerns of the furniture. You can always store that unique furniture or give heirlooms to a family member.

There are many factors that go into the decision to purchase a property. Determining whether your furniture goes with the property or fits should not be one of them.

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

Renting A New Home Doing The Initial Walkthough

So your looking for a new place to live. Well, sometimes we get so wrapped up in ?finding the right home? that we don?t think about the small things. This article is designed to help you think about some of the questions to ask yourself as you do a walkthrough.

So let?s get started!

Rooms? How many?

You may require a room if you need an:

Office
Den
Stuido
Sewing Room
Recreation Room
Theater Room

- In your rooms, how much closet space does it have? Will you have room to fit all of your items?

- What about bathrooms? Do you have a teenage son or daughter that needs his or her own space?

What Size?

What kind of square footage will you require? You can do some preliminary measurements form you comfort of your current home to get an idea what the sizes are. Bring a tape measure to your viewings and measure where your bed, couch and other items would go. Use your imagination!

How much counter space will you need? Do you have a coffee machine, toaster or bread maker? Will it fit in the cabnit or would you prefer to have it on the counter?

Amenities?

Amenities are more important then the actual unit to some people. Most people look for the following items:

Intercom System
Elevator
Parking Lot (underground)
Handicap parking and raps
Cable Included?
Gym / Pool included?
Clothes Washer/Dryer, Dishwasher, Range, Fridge
Air Conditioning
Balcony
Doorman or other security system/personnel

Do you need things a certain way?

Sometimes when searching for a home there is one key element that you require. For some it is having a Washer and Dryer for your clothes. Others enjoy having hardwood or laminate flooring.

Here is the most popular key features that we?ve found. (in no particular order)

Hardwood Flooring
A scenic view
High/vaulted ceilings
Close to shopping, recreation, schools or parks
Larger sized windows
Balcony
Newly Renovated
New Carpet
Security System
Games ? Party Room
Fireplace

We hope this article helps you with narrow down your search of a new rental unit!

Shane Toews is a Licenced Realtor who helps others to educate themselves on current real estate issues. He also provides assistance on how to locate quality homes, apartments or vacation rentals in Canada's Fraser Valley area. Visit his website RentFraserValley.com for more information on Canada's Fraser Valley Real Estate Market

Who Should Hire the Real Estate Appraiser and Why?

Everyone involved in the sale of real estate has a vested interest in the results of a real estate appraisal. The outcome affects the seller, the buyer, the lender, and even the realtor.

A too low valuation of the property by the appraiser could mean a seller must lower the asking price. For a lending officer, it could mean a lesser commission or none at all. A too high valuation means the buyer could be paying more than the property is worth. For the realtor, his/her commission could go higher or lower, which is based on the purchase/sell price of the real estate.

An appraiser, who should be licensed by the state, performs the real estate appraisal. It is best to hire someone local with years of full-time experience in order to get a more accurate appraisal. The appraiser and appraisal are governed by the minimum standards, published periodically in the Uniform Standard of Professional Appraisal Practice by the Appraisal Foundation. The Foundation is chartered by Congress.

The recent real estate bubble, unfortunately, brought problems for appraisers and many involved in real estate transactions. According to Realty Times in their April 2006 issue, appraisers have been routinely asked by lenders to inflate real estate values to keep up with the ever-rising real estate market. One real estate appraiser in San Diego quit and turned in his license to the state, after being fired three consecutive times for refusing to inflate his valuations. Now, real estate appraisers across the United States are under a microscope from federal financial regulators and Congress.

The real estate appraiser may be hired by the seller to determine an accurate selling price or by the buyer to ensure the accuracy of the purchase price and mortgage; but generally, the lender does the hiring or uses their own in-house appraiser. Though buyers may assume the lender has their best interest, mortgage lenders have their own best interest at the forefront, especially some not-so-scrupulous lending officers who may be targeting a higher commission.

If I were a seller, I would hire my own real estate appraiser to ensure I was getting the most for my property. As a buyer, I would put the money out upfront to hire an independent and objective appraiser with no connection to anyone within the real estate transaction. This ensures that I do not contract for a mortgage, based on an inflated appraisal valuation, that will give me a new home with a lower or negative equity. The lender still may require a different appraiser.

If five different real estate appraisers evaluated the same property within the same timeframe and under the same conditions, it could result in five different and varying real estate valuations. Why? There is no set checklist or established value for each property feature and amenity. Though appraisals are based on prescribed standards, it is a subjective process.

If there is more than one real estate appraisal and they disagree significantly, you have options. If the value is too low for the seller, renovations may raise the value ? or you can decline to sell. If the lender insists on its appraiser?s value, which disagrees with your real estate appraiser?s value, as the buyer you can look for financing elsewhere ? or decline to purchase the real estate. There also is the option to bring the appraisers together to come to a common agreement on the value.

Remember, the person looking out for your best interest is yourself. Ensure the appraiser in your real estate transaction is reputable, objective with no connections to anyone in the transaction, local and experienced.

John Harris is an expert researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations. For more on San Diego Homes for Sale visit http://www.twtrealestate.com

Benefits of Using a Los Angeles Real Estate Broker

Are you a Los Angeles resident who is interested in selling your home? If you are, have you made a decision as to how you want to sell your home? Homeowners who are interested in selling their homes have a number of different options. One of those options includes the use of a Los Angeles real estate broker.

Many homeowners wonder why they should use the services of a Los Angeles real estate broker. There are a number of benefits to using one. If you are about to sell your home, you should familiarize yourself with the benefits of using a Los Angeles real estate broker. Doing so will enable you to make an informed decision as to whether or not you want to sell your own home or seek assistance.

Perhaps, the most important benefit of using a Los Angeles real estate broker is the assistance that you will receive. Real estate brokers are often referred to as real estate agents. Each person, no matter which name they choose to go by, should be trained and experienced in customer service. This training will allow a real estate broker to offer you the utmost service, as well as potential buyers.

A knowledgeable and helpful real estate broker is important to the successful sale of a house. In addition to being trained in customer service, real estate brokers will assist you all the way through the selling of your home. This means that they will not only deal with potential buyers, but advertise the sale of your home, and work with lawyers or accountants. Basically, they will stay with you until the sale is officially completed. All of these features are beneficial to homeowners.

The proper advertising of your home is important because it enables potential buyers to visit your home or even know that it is for sale. Many homeowners are inexperienced when it comes to advertising and marketing. This is why many for sale by owner homes sell for less than they actually should. The knowledge and marketing experience that most real estate brokers receive will not only help your home sell, but it may also drive up the value.

If and when your home receives a buyer, that individual will likely escrow the money for the home. Arranging and managing an escrow payment is a difficult task. Many home buyers have accountants or lawyers on hand. Dealing with these professionals may be overwhelming. If you use the services of a Los Angeles real estate broker, you may not even have to have contact with these individuals. Many real estate brokers in the Los Angeles area will process and monitor all payment methods used by potential buyers.

As a homeowner, you have the final say in whether or not you want assistance with selling your home. If you offer your home as a for sale by owner home and the process is not going well, you can always seek assistance from a professional if you need it.

Brad Horn is a writer for 1 percent realtor where you can find a great resource for information regarding a Los Angeles Real Estate Broker

A Guide to Real Estate Investing: Know Your Strategy

Investing in real estate can be scary and challenging. There are all kinds of questions - How do you know if and when it is the right time to purchase? What should you purchase? How should you finance it? What type of investment is right for your overall goals and strategy? As a real estate investor in Atlanta, I have found that although there are a lot of questions, the answers are fairly easy when you use common sense, evaluate your strengths, and know what you want.

The first question you should ask yourself is ? why do you want to invest? For some it is to replace their income from a job. For others it is for retirement. Some just like to have a project and make a little money.

We have found that when helping other real estate investors, our first goal is to help them figure out the why and then help them determine the what. For example, if you need money today to replace the income you get from a job, then you need to produce income today through Quick Turning a property.

Quick Turning is purchasing a property at a depressed value, adding value to the property and then selling it at a profit. This is a great strategy and requires knowledge of the market to make sure that you are purchasing it correctly and then also some skill in determining how to maximize the return by strategically adding the value to your investment.

If having money for your future retirement is more what you are looking for ? a Buy & Hold strategy might work best for you. With this type of investment, you are looking for results in the future, so you want to find an investment that you can rent out for more than the mortgage payment so that you have some cash flow. Over time, you will pay down the mortgage and the cash flow will increase giving you greater income in the future.

Both strategies have merit and typically we recommend that every investor have some of both types to round out their real estate portfolio. Once you determine what type of investment you need, then evaluating a property against your overall strategy will help you determine which property is a good purchase for you.

Anne Lackey is a real estate investor in Atlanta and works with The REI Team at Solid Source Realty, Inc. http://www.theREIteam.com. She frequently helps other investors in their pursuit of financial freedom. In addition, she is the President of Solid Source Property Management, Inc. and helps investors manage their investments so that they can focus on acquiring wealth and not on the day to day management. She can be contacted at anne@solidsourcepm.com.

The Dangers Of Overvaluing Real Estate

We all have done it at one time or another.

When short of listings, the Realtor goes out and ?buys' one. The process of buying a listing is as old as Real Estate itself. The agent shows up at someone's doorsteps and inflates the value of the property by more than $30,000, $40,000 or even $50,000 over and above the actual market value. I know of agents who have actually listed properties for $200,000 more than what those properties were in fact worth. The owner happily signs the listing agreement with those dollar signs sparking right in the eyes, and the Realtor happily sticks up a sign right in the front lawn. Of course the house subsequently does not sell because it is overpriced, but it doesn't really matter.

Or does it?

All the way back in 1988, in a legal case entitled Basic Inc. v. Levinson, the United States Supreme Court endorsed a theory known as ?fraud on the market', which in turn relies on another theory known in Economics as the Efficient Market Hypothesis. The Efficient Market Hypothesis postulates that prices of traded assets like stocks, bonds, or real property, already reflect all known information and therefore are unbiased in the sense that they reflect the collective beliefs of all investors about the value of the underlying asset and enable investors, therefore, to assess future prospects.

In essence the Efficient Market Hypothesis, which was developed in the 1950's and 1960's, states that subject to certain conditions the market price of a traded asset fully and accurately reflects all the available information relevant to its value. Under this Hypothesis, in an efficient market the only reason as to why a price changes is that new information comes to light.

Because market prices reflect all available information about an asset, reasoned the Supreme Court, misleading statements as to the integrity of price will affect and negatively impact the decision-making process of investors, who rely on those statements as the primary guide to finalize a purchase. Which is tantamount to ?intentional deceit', more vulgarly known as ... fraud.

That ruling has proven a goldmine for American trial lawyers, who have won fortunes by suing firms for damages when new financial information, often in practice a restatement of their balance sheets, is followed by a sharp fall in stock prices of the same firms. The fall is treated as proof of overvaluation due to the initial, wrong statements.

This decision of America's highest Court has now crossed the border with Canada and has spilled into Real Estate. A case involving a Seller, a Buyer and a Real Estate Agent acting in a position of dual agency is now pending in front of the Supreme Court of Ontario. The Agent first grossly overvalued the subject property at the time he took the listing, then actually found a Purchaser ready, willing and able to buy at a price close the grossly inflated asking price. As the transaction was being financed through an institutional lender, the underlying case initially also involved an appraisal firm, which subsequently has settled out of Court with the disgruntled Purchaser.

The decision of the Supreme Court will have an enormous impact on how real estate is practiced in Ontario and possibly throughout the whole country, and it will be interesting to see what the outcome will be. The Buyer bases his case on the Efficient Market Hypothesis arguing that he reached the decision to purchase on the integrity of the asking price and claims, furthermore, that the dual Agent knew or should have know that the asking price was grossly over and above the market value of the subject property. The Buyer is claiming damages both as against the Agent and the Seller.

The line of defence is that the true meaningful value of an interest in land is given by its ?objective value', defined as the price that the property will fetch in an open and fair market, given sufficient time to find a Purchaser, the amount of advertising involved in the marketing of the property, the relationship between the parties and the terms of financing. The additional argument of the defence is that the truthfulness of the Efficient Market Hypothesis is actually being disputed by Economists even in its original field of application: the Stock Market. More specifically, the defence argues that even highly developed financial markets such as the New York Stock Exchange are not efficient enough to allow Courts to calculate the financial damages caused by fraud, and that estimates of damages based on the Hypothesis will be necessarily overstated.

The Realtor in particular contends, furthermore, that at no time the thought of earning a double commission ever crossed his innocent mind (he was walking the dog one day and ...).

All of which goes to prove once again the point I have been making for years - that is sellers, buyers, realtors, lawyers and judges invariably make an explosive mix.

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.

A Bad Real Estate Market Can Allow You to Quit the Rat Race in 1 Year!

JP Morgan, an original Robber Baron and one of the richest men of his time said it best. ?The time to buy is when there is blood running through the streets!? While the blood is not running through the streets yet, it is trickling!

• Housing appreciation is flat or even negative in some formerly hot areas
• Time on market, the amount of time it takes for a property to sell is increasing dramatically across the country.
• Inventories of unsold homes are up 30-50% nationally
• Developers and builders are offering deals unheard of 1 year ago

On the horizon is an avalanche of home mortgages about to ?reset? payment levels, up from ?teaser? rates of 1-3% to market rates of 6-7%. When you realize that the only way many of these people were able to buy their homes was because they could afford only the 1-3% payment rates, you can imagine what will happen when those loans reset.

Also, historically, more mortgages go into foreclosure at 3-5 years after origination than in any other period of their terms. More than ? of all mortgages in the US were taken out in the last 3-5 years. Another negative factor is that, according to one study, almost 50% of all homeowners have less than 25% equity in their homes.

This has come about because of the large numbers of home buyers that put zero down when they purchased and the fact that homeowners pulled out $333 Billion in cash with refinances in the last 3 years. If someone, particularly an investor, (nearly 25% of all purchases were investors over the last 3 years!) can no longer afford their mortgage payments and they have little or no equity, they will not have much incentive to try to hold on, meaning foreclosures will soon spike. Many, many people will be trapped in their homes by the foregoing circumstances. They will not be able to sell:

• Real estate agents will not list their properties if they have little or no equity as they see no means of collecting their fee
• They will not be able to reduce their selling prices without having to bring cash to the closing to pay closing costs, cash they probably don?t have.
• The market will be cluttered with similar properties for sale
• Investors will not be interested in their properties because there is no equity

People who have to sell their homes for financial, personal or emotional reasons will be especially hard pressed to find a solution. If these people are not able to afford their homes and are not able to sell them, they will face financially disastrous foreclosures or personal bankruptcies. You will be able to solve their problems and they will Give you their properties in return! In fact, some will even pay you to take their properties! Why on earth would you want properties with no equity in them? Because they can become Automatic Cash Machines, spewing cash into your bank account so you will not have to work anymore! Here is how:

First, you sell the property! You line up Motivated Buyers as your potential clients.

Then, you find a Motivated Seller and acquire his property Next, you put the Motivated Buyer into the property as the new owner with a private, seller financed mortgage.

Lastly, you collect Automatic Income for the next 5-10-20 years or more while your buyer handles all the maintenance and other duties any home owner is faced with OK, what is a Motivated Buyer and how do you find them? A Motivated Buyer is someone who can not or will not pass the bank?s scrutiny to qualify for a mortgage. These may be owners of small businesses, especially if they are cash based. They could be self employed professionals or even foreigners. They could also be people with really stinky credit! These people will jump at the chance to buy a property with private, non-bank financing and will pay you a premium for the opportunity. To find them, you simply run an ad highlighting private, seller financing. Something like:

Owe too Much to Sell Your Home?

Investor can help! XXX-XXXX

You won?t need money to acquire these homes in most cases! Have a lawyer or a person experienced with land trusts, set one up for you. This is the secret that makes this strategy work. The land trust will allow you to take over the property and sell it without paying off the seller?s mortgage!

You tack on a profit for yourself and this total becomes the Motivated Buyer?s new mortgage, less the 5-10% cash down payment you require upfront on the new purchase price. Your buyer moves in and makes payments to you until he pays your mortgage off. You take his payment and pay the seller?s original mortgage. You pocket the difference. Let?s look at the potential.

You pick up and sell 1 property per month after a 2 month learning curve. The properties average $250,000 each in market value.They produce $300 per month in positive cash flowYou receive $10,000 cash down payment from each one With 10 of these, you have:

An income of $3,000 per month, or $36,000 per year. You received $100,000 in cash down payments$2,500,000 in assets, with equity accruing monthly as the mortgages are paid off Could you Quit the Rat Race with $130,000 per year? No? Repeat the above!

Copyright 2006 Bill Young. Bill is an experienced real estate investor and personal financial consultant. He writes and lectures on advanced real estate concepts and is an expert on the formation and use of land trusts. He can be reached at 877-291-3542. His web site is http://MotivatedSellersOnline.com/SellforMore

Missouri Mortgage What to Expect When Buying a Home in Missouri

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

The price of homes in Missouri varies widely between zip codes. For example, in Saint Peters, Missouri, the median price of a home in the summer of 2005 was $168,000; however, the median price of a home in Chesterfield, Missouri, was $225,000, and in Parkville, Missouri, it was $300,000. Overall, the median price of a home in Missouri is $89,900. Job growth rates in Missouri are about half that of the national average, and average interest rates in Missouri are above the national average.

Missouri is a non-community property state. Additionally, it is one of only 14 states that uses a ?Deed of Trust? as a mortgage. This means that a trustee holds the title of a house for a lender rather than the mortgage company itself.

Missouri?s Housing Assistance Programs offer mortgages with below-market interest rates and down payment assistance to veterans, and people with very low incomes or disabilities.

The Missouri Association of Community Action, Inc., offers a program to Missouri residents called the Missouri Building Assets Project (MBA). Participants in this program are given a savings account and attend money budgeting classes. They put money into a savings account every month with a savings goal in mind. Once they?ve reached their goal and attended a significant amount of budgeting classes, the MBA program leaders match their saved amount for use as a down payment on a home.

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

Building Real Estate New Home Construction Tips

Your next few months constructing your new home could prove to be a time consuming and daunting task. You must recognize that it is difficult, if not impossible to have everything go smoothly. When buying a home while it is under construction you must have some key notes available. First, the contract of purchase and sale must be clear and very detailed to outline your expectations. It must describe the specifics including the details of the labor and materials used to satisfy your buying agreement. These stand from of construction contracts are available and these forms of agreement are designed to provide an enforceable agreement between the seller (builder) and the buyer.

If your developer asks for a deposit (which he will) make sure that it will be deposited into a trust account. If the agreement should default, the deposit should always be returned back to yourself. If the developer wishes to hold your deposit as a stake holder, the return of your deposit may be more difficult. In addition to the standard contract of purchase and sale, you should include a specifications sheet and the plans for the house. Building contracts are long, complex documents. Both parties (builder/seller and buyer) should obtain legal advice prior to entering into a building contract.

Do the walk though! Insist that prior to possession date, both parties conduct a walk-through of the property prior to possession date. Make sure that all the work is completed and agreed upon. At this time, both the seller and the buyer should sign and date the list. Copies should be given to both parties, realtor?s and lawyers involved. The crown has developed a program in 1998 called the Home Owners Protection Office. Essentially it is designed to protect the quality of construction in a new home development. This office licenses residential builders and building envelope renovators, monitor?s the provisions of mandatory third-party home warranty insurance and researches/educates the residential construction industry and consumers.

If you are the owner of a leaky home, the HPO will administer no-interest repair loan programs and PST relief grants for owners. They?re set up to ensure that no one has to lose their home due to the cost of repairing a leaky home. The reconstruction loan program provides no interest loans to homeowners and housing co-op?s who are unable to pay for the cost of repairs.

Your warranty includes a minimum of two years on labor and materials. Five years on the building envelope which includes water penetration. And ten years on the structure. In order to minimize confusion about warranties, the HPO created this 2, 5, 10 year home warranty insurance logo. It?s now used in the marketing campaigns of your local realtors and builders in the Residential real estate market of British Columbia homes. This should take place when you first occupy the home. You could always find more information on this topic by visiting www.hop.bc.ca

Finally make sure that your realtor inserts a clause clearly stating that the occupancy certificate must be obtained on or before completion date. However, landscaping and other outside work can still be in the process of completion. Your occupancy permit merely allows you to move into your new home! We hope this article helped you think of some things that you might not normally know. Please do not rely on this article as a guide or legal advice as you should always consult your lawyer or local realtor for advice, they are the expert.

Shane Toews is a Licenced Realtor who helps others to educate themselves on current real estate issues. He also provides assistance on how to locate quality homes, apartments or vacation rentals in Canada's Fraser Valley area. Visit his website RentFraserValley.com for more information on Canada's Fraser Valley Real Estate Market

How to Sell Your House

If you have a house and need to sell it for some reason, it requires some thinking and planning effort. The most important task is to correctly value your house. This can be done with the help of an agent or evaluator. There are also some online facilities available for establishing the value of a property. You must take into consideration the mortgage payoff, taxes, and real estate agents? commissions before finalizing the worth of your house. Ensure again that it is neither under- nor overpriced.

The next task is to present your house to prospective buyers in a respectable condition. For this you could get the help of a professional home inspector, who could recommend what improvements are needed before you put the house up for sale. The exteriors of the house should be attractive and well-maintained. The outside areas should be neat and clean. It is a good idea to touch up the interiors wherever they are damaged. It will be helpful to replace any bathroom and kitchen fittings if they are worn out or leaking.

At this point, you are ready to put out advertisements and flyers or even contact agents to sell the house. You should allow the prospective buyers to come and see the house at their convenience. If you can be available to show the house, chances are it would sell faster. Before buyers come to visit, ensure that there are no bad smells in your house, there is proper lighting at all places, all pets are under control and the house has a neat and tidy look.

Once there is a buyer who agrees to purchase your house, you need to bring your attorney forward to handle legalities and paperwork. They can handle the title search and paperwork for a small fee. And then you must prepare to vacate your house as per the agreement. More often than not, it is an emotional moment, and one should be mentally prepared for this eventual separation.

Selling a house is a crucial task. Sometimes, owners do not like to involve agents, but prefer to sell the house themselves. For this you must have information on all aspects of selling and agreements between buyers and sellers. This way you could save a few thousand dollars in commission. On the other hand, if you are not very conversant with negotiation, you may strike a low paying deal. And even the paperwork and legal formalities become your responsibility. So if you feel you are not up to it, it is better to hire a reputable real estate agent to do the job for you.

Sell House provides detailed information on Sell House, Sell Your House Fast, Sell House By Owner, Sell Your House Online and more. Sell House is affiliated with Real Estate Note Brokers.

Identifying Predatory Lenders

Predatory lending consists of abusive practices by lenders within the mortgage industry. These types of lenders strip borrowers of the equity in their home and put them in danger of foreclosing on their home. But one does not have to fall victim to predatory lenders. There are tell-tale signs that everyone should be aware of to help them avoid falling prey. They are listed below:

1. Be wary of and avoid any lender who encourages you to lie on your loan application.

2. Be sure that you are given all disclosures. Check your loan papers and be sure that the Good Faith Estimate, Special Info Booklet, Truth in Lending and HUD-1 Settlement statements are all included.

3. A red flag should be raised if any lender asks you to leave signatures or other line-items blank. Also re-check your documents to make sure that nothing has been altered or changed without your knowledge and/or approval.

4. If a lender asks you to repeatedly refinance and after each instance your monthly payments and total loan amounts increase, you may be dealing with a predatory lender. Shop around and get a new lender as soon as possible.

5. Check the fine print. If you are required to pay daily interest whenever your payments are late, you may be dealing with a predatory lender.

6. If your loan amount is higher than the value of your home, this is reason to give pause and to be alarmed.

7. Be wary of unexpected settlement costs that you were not given prior notice to or explanation for.

8. If your monthly payments or loan is higher than you anticipated based on the disclosures, you might be dealing with an unscrupulous lender.

9. If your mortgage loan requires a balloon payment that requires that the final lump sum be financed with that lender, you may be dealing with a predatory lender.

10. You are not required to buy credit insurance or insurance that will pay off the loan if you die or are disabled. If you are heavily pressured to do so, beware.

Buying a home may be your most expensive and prized possession. There is a lot riding on choosing the right lender. Your credit score, your hard earned cash, and your ability to borrow money in the future are all at stake. This is why it is very important to screen and get rid of lenders who are looking to dupe you out of your money and your home.

For more information on getting better Mortgage Rates as well as great money-saving Mortgage Calculator tips, techniques, resources, and other money-saving info visit www.lenoxnationalmortgage.com

Sell Your House Online

Selling your house online is a novel way of handling this important task. The online sale of a house involves listing and advertising your property on the Internet. This provides more visibility and can save you the real estate agent's commission, if you make a deal online. Also, it is more convenient and quick to list your house online.

First, you need to evaluate your house and decide its value. You can get free help the Internet. Or you can get the house evaluated by a real estate agent. Then, shortlist the sites where you want to put your house for sale. Check the listing packages each one offers. Select a site that can list your photographs and allows the property to be listed for a long duration. Some sites even offer special deals and discounts from time to time. You would be required to fill an online form, providing information such as the price, description and contact address and phone numbers. Submit good-quality photos of your house, since they will be the first impression for prospective buyers. Lastly, you must pay for the package online and wait for queries to flow in.

Although professional property listing sites will provide better exposure and advertising for your house, there are some sites that let you build your own website. So if you want to save online fees as well, you could try this option first and see if you get the required response.

Listing your house online lets the whole world know that you are looking for a buyer. And the prospective enquirers could be from far and wide. It can be quite difficult to check if they are genuine or not. If a real estate agent is bringing you a buyer, you can have his details verified through him. But online selling definitely serves in enhancing the visibility and exposure of your property. Who knows, someone from the other side of the world might be willing to pay a better price for your house!

Sell House provides detailed information on Sell House, Sell Your House Fast, Sell House By Owner, Sell Your House Online and more. Sell House is affiliated with Real Estate Note Brokers.

Interest Rates Are Rising What Can You Do?

The recent tension in the middle east and the sharp rise in fuel prices have already caused a stir in the Reserve Bank in Australia. Today they increased interest rates for the second time this year. People were on the news saying they were already cash strapped and had been watching their spending. They are going to feel the pinch over the next few months. As real estate property investors, what should we do then? Here?s is a list of priorities that need to be addressed:

First priority.

Exercise extreme caution and prudent due diligence on potential deals

Look at ways to reduce debt, particularly in the following situations:

* Personal debt (credit cards, personal loans)

* Home equity funded personal debt (equity loans used for lifestyle)

* Investment debt against non-income (i.e. growth) bearing property

Review your property portfolio

* Have strategies for protecting interest rate sensitive property

* Consider cutting the asking price for your real estate investment property that has been on the market

for some time

* Re visit your calculations on your present deals based on interest rates being .75% higher. Act to protect your self and provide a buffer

Now would be an appropriate time to see your financial adviser and review your investments assets

Second Priority

Build cash reserves. Cash is king, money talks B/S walks.

Increase your financial literacy. Anyone can make money in a boom, but it is much harder in uncertain times. Get your self more education and a mentor, attend more seminars.

Renegotiate and lock in employment contracts, particularly subcontractors

Defer non-essential lifestyle expenditure

Third Priority

If you are looking to borrow money for a real estate investment property, start working on a business plan

Keep networking with people, you may not need them now, but you may need them in the future, proximity is power! A good peer group of people will propel your wealth creation.

Avoid

Risky deals that require hard cash

Using your home equity to fund non-deductible lifestyle debt (jet ski?s, holidays, motor bikes and cars etc)

Don?t quit your job to become a full time investor

The financial excess that was in the boom times will quickly disappear when higher interest rates arrive. Times have changed and will change further. It?s is critical that you always educate your self to the changing trends in real estate investing. If you need help then seek it out immediately, money and time spent to do this will pay huge dividends in the long run.

To your investing success.

Leo Love

www.therealestateinvester.com

PS If any of your family or friends is 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.

Las Vegas Home Builders

Signature Custom Homes is a full-service design/build company that concentrates on one-of-a-kind homes with greater design and craftsmanship. They are renowned for delivering a home on budget and on time. The team of professionals deployed by Signature Custom Homes will work together with the owner in designing a custom home that meets the exclusive needs of the owner's distinctive lifestyle. Prices start from $800,000

Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE:TOL) is the country's leading builder of luxury homes. In 38 years, Toll Brothers has constructed over 47,000 luxury homes offering wealthy single-family homes and elegant town and carriage homes. Building on its well-established brand, Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE:TOL) is coming up with urban mid- rise and high-rise condominium product and suburban offerings. Prices start from $350,000.

Las Vegas is one of the rapidly growing cities in the nation, and it is not difficult to see why. Beautiful year round climate and proper access to entertainment mark this area as very desirable. Engle Homes designs and produces communities and homes that keep pace with the requirements of families and individuals in this lively environment. Prices start from $220,000.

American West believes in the importance of family. They see the new home as a reflection of the family's personality and values. From groundbreaking design and superior construction, to homeowner approval, American West's homes offer outstanding quality and bargain prices per square foot of any homebuilder in La Vegas. Prices start from $325,000.

Richmond American Homes, for over three decades, has been constructing and financing the best homes in the city of Las Vegas. With a reputation for excellent craftsmanship, it is no revelation that Richmond American is one of the country's top homebuilders. Prices start from $200,000.

Las Vegas Homes provides detailed information on Las Vegas Homes, Las Vegas Home Sales, Las Vegas New Homes, Las Vegas Home Builders and more. Las Vegas Homes is affiliated with Las Vegas Travel Deals.

Licensed Real Estate Agents

Better government policies, increased salaries, and easily available mortgages have improved consumer purchase capacities despite inflation. People would rather pay for their own property rather than opt for rental properties. Many people have also been purchasing property as an investment. Such a situation has proved to be good for the real estate business. Clients could avail of services of licensed real estate agents when contemplating acquisition, sale, rentals or lease of property.

Licensed real estate agents are certified professionals who are experienced in real estate trading. Licensed mediators possess comprehensive knowledge about property they deal in and are well versed with the legalities of real estate deals. Licensed agents are qualified to answer queries associated with property overheads, assessments, and intention of trade. They are conversant about property sizes, repair costs, legal restrictions, and reconstruction of property, if any is necessary.

It is advisable to verify credibility, success rate, and charges of an agent when considering a particular licensed real estate agent. Comparisons between listed professionals help locate agents who are affordable and suit individual needs. Licensed real estate agent listings can be found in the yellow pages, at local estate firms, and online. Clients may also choose to hire professionals that have worked with family members, friends, or acquaintances. Licensed agents may work as salaried employees at real estate firms or may be self-employed as private brokers. Agents working within a larger organization may be salaried employees but are liable to receive additional commissions based upon the volume of business they bring in.

Potential clients may choose to communicate with licensed real estate agents prior to hiring them. It is advisable to clarify details regarding service charges, expenses, and time required for a deal in advance. Licensed real estate agents can provide valuable information regarding mortgage types to potential clients who may be in favor of outright purchases. In addition, they may suggest names of banks and financial institutions that could provide funds upon presentation of testimonials. Apart from operating as mediators between clients, they may also be empowered to negotiate on their behalf if one party is not present at the time of closing a deal.

Real Estate Agents provides detailed information on Real Estate Agents, Find A Real Estate Agent, Las Vegas Real Estate Agents, Commercial Real Estate Agents and more. Real Estate Agents is affiliated with How To Get A Real Estate License.

Real Estate Economics at a Glance

Real estate business is like a whole different world in itself where different forces collect and affect one another and thus functions that world. Acknowledging the real estate market laws is rather essential because it is a proper, separate subject that needs to be given its due importance. It needs to be studied like any other subject that is studied in economics. Real estate economics should be studied because it provides information about how the economic laws, rules and techniques are used in connection with the real estate market. The aim of these markets is exactly the same as those of the other markets. To earn maximum profit at minimized cost. Exactly the way other forces of demand and supply are determinants of commodity market pricing and equilibrium, real estate market studies too hold equal importance.

Real estate has become the vital part of the economics. It holds within itself a revenue source for the governments. There are employment opportunities that are filled because of it. The circular flow of national income of a state gets a very big contribution from the real estate market and keeps it flowing steadily. When so much is depended upon it then it should definitely get a place amongst the much pondered upon issues.

Any market; whether it is a commodity market or some other markets there will always be certain forces working together to make it run. A brief overview of the running forces of this market can facilitate even an ordinary man in dealing with real estate matters. The real estate market is huge with two basic forces running it that is demand and supply of real estate. There are owners and tenants and their money capital that they are willing to invest in the properties. These are the two very main characters that play the entire role. Because they are the ones who have money they can invest. The others come second on this list. There are others who rent or lease out their property instead of consuming it themselves. The demand side depends on the population requirement while the supply side depends on all those inputs that help in building the stock of real estate.

The equilibrium formed thus by the forces of demand and supply depicts the mechanism of this market. The study of real estate thus provides tips for a better economic and social development of the societies of the World.

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

Currency Exchange How This Affects Your Spanish Property Purchase

Currency market update 28th April 2006

US dollar continues fall, Sterling gains some ground on Euro

Sterling hit a new 7-month high against the dollar and rose to the day's highs against the euro on Friday after the release of a strong UK consumer confidence survey.

The Gfk consumer confidence index gave a reading of -4 in April, up from -7 in March, and above the forecast -6.

Earlier on Friday, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research revised up its growth forecast for 2006 to 2.5 percent from 2.3 percent predicted in January.

It has come in a bit stronger than expected, so it's been a reasonably bullish environment for sterling, but personally I am a bit more cautious than that, we are still in the rate cut camp, said James Knightley, economist at ING.

Sterling rose as far as $1.8079 by 0942 GMT, up a third of the percent on the day.

It also gained slightly to 1.4390.

In New York the dollar slipped on Friday, extending losses against a basket of major currencies into a sixth session after a report showing robust U.S. economic growth did little to overturn the market's view that interest rates are close to a peak.

The dollar edged lower after data showed the U.S. economy grew at a steady clip of 4.8 percent in the first quarter -- the fastest pace in two and a half years and broadly in line with expectations -- but inflationary pressures in the data were softer than expected. The euro rose to $1.2578, up from $1.2565 where it was before the data.

Interbank rates

GBP/EURO ? 1.4380

EUR/GBP ? 1.4430

EUR/USD - 1.2544

GBP/USD ? 1.8081

USD/GBP - 1.8153

GBP/AUD - 2.3870

GBP/NZD - 2.8533

GBP/CAD - 2.0246

GBP/CYP - 0.825

GBP/AED ? 6.6340

GBP/ZAR ? 10.9300

GBP/CHF ? 2.2530

GBP/PLN ? 5.545

GBP/CZK ? 40.30

GBP/THB ? 67.45

Toby is a senior FX manager who writes daily articles concerning the Euro Pound currency exchange markets and how this affects the Spanish property market.

Investigate Surrounding Vacant Land Before Buying

Homebuyers are always looking for an ideal situation with low prices. If you are looking in an area with open land around it, you absolutely must investigate the plans for the area.

You have been out shopping for a home for months and have not found that perfect specimen. One day you come upon a home that meets your needs and fits your price. The home is on a little dead-end street. You are happy with this aspect because you have kids and view the lack of traffic as a positive. You also happen to note there is a big, open field behind the house, but think little of it. Simply put, you are playing with fire.

Assume you go ahead and purchase the home. You move in, get the kids enrolled in school and basically get comfortable in your new home. After a month or so, you are laying in bed at six in the morning when there is suddenly an ungodly racket. You stagger out of bed and notice it coming from the backyard. Walking outside, you are met with an image of bulldozers grading the peaceful field behind you. Congratulations! You have just become a neighbor of a strip mall, Wal-Marts or some other monstrosity.

You may think this never happens, but the exact opposite occurs every day. If there are vacant lots of land around a property you are considering buying, you must investigate them. Are they zoned only for residential use or is commercial zoning available?

If they are approved for commercial use, you need to give some serious thought to whether the property is for you. How will you feel about living next to a business area? How much traffic will it add to your neighborhood? How much noise pollution will there be? What will the commercial development do to the value of the home? These are all questions you must consider and answer.

Finding a property in an area with plenty of open space sounds wonderful. If you investigate the area, you can avoid the situation turning into a nightmare.

Raynor James is with the site - FSBOAmerica.org - home buying information.

Options In Dealing With Offer On Your Home

You have gone through all the prudent steps necessary to sell your home. Once you get an offer, what are your options in dealing with it and the potential buyer?

Options In Dealing With Offer On Your Home

People selling their property will often become experts in the selling process. They learn how to position their home in the market, make repairs to clean it up, analyze the market of comparable homes in the neighborhood and so on. One of the odd anomalies of the process, however, is most sellers are not entirely sure of what to do once they actually receive an offer. Here are the basic options available to you.

When you receive an offer on the property you are selling, the first thing you can do is the most obvious. You can accept the offer! The offer should come to you in writing. You simple sign the provided acceptance line on the offer sheet and then follow the procedure outlined in the document to notify the buyer of your decision. You should keep in mind there is usually a time limit on the offer, so make sure to accept in time.

Your second option is to outright reject the offer of the buyer. To reject the offer, you typically are not required to do anything. The offer should contain language making it valid for a number of hours. You simple let the time period expire and the offer is rejected. If you get an offer on your property, however, outright rejection is rarely a good move. Instead, you probably want to try the third option available to you.

Your third option when dealing with an offer from a potential buyer is to make a counteroffer. The first offer from a potential buyer is rarely worth accepting because the buyer is trying to figure out how low you will go when accepting a bid. This means the price offered is going to be much lower than your asking price and is also going to be much lower than the buyer is probably willing to pay. Unless the buyer has offered to pay the listed price, you should probably try a counteroffer.

A counteroffer must be in writing. In making it, you must layout all of the terms that you want to see the buyer meet. In short, the burden is switched to you to nail down the specific terms such as earnest money deposit and so on. Frankly, you should already have this information in mind. It is not uncommon for multiple counteroffers to be exchanged until a price is agreed upon by the seller and buyer, so do not be put off by the process.

If you are selling your home, getting an offer is a great moment. Of course, you will need to know what to do with it, but now you do.

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

The Basics of Selling Your Home

Last week, I described the necessary steps that one should take when buying a home. Now, I will do the same for those who wish to sell their homes. First, you should make sure that you work with a real estate professional that will guide you through the process of selling your home. In conjunction with your agent, you should determine the asking price by reviewing comparative market analysis. This shows how much homes similar to yours in the same area have sold or are selling for. Another item to keep in mind when deciding upon your price is the amount of time you are willing to wait for a buyer to make an offer. The process of working with an agent will include signing a listing agreement, which is an agreement between you, the seller, and your real estate agent. It enables your real estate agent to represent you as your exclusive Seller?s Agent. The contract usually includes such items as the length of the listing period, desired sale price, and the amount of commission for the broker. An important factor in determining the right agent is to you know the marketing plan before obligating yourself to a contract. The obvious goal is to sell your home for the highest possible price in the shortest amount of time.

When you prepare your home for the sale, you want to make sure that it has good ?curbside? appeal, because buyers often look closely at the outside appearance before they even consider the inside. Make the outward appearance of your home as inviting as possible, but also ensure that the inside shows as being in good condition. Interested buyers for your home will present offers to your agent, who will then present these to you. A seller can accept, reject, or counter-offer . Once you accept one of these offers, a formal contract of sale will be negotiated and signed. Part of the contract usually allots the buyer a certain amount of time to have the home inspected by a Property Inspector. After this inspection is complete, the Buyer?s Agent will tell you that your home is in a secure contract, and the selling process will continue. The contract of sale says that the sale is subject to a clean and marketable title, which is the seller?s responsibility. Other ?must dos? that need to be taken care of before the closing are the appraisal, survey of the property, and final loan approval. After all of the above steps have taken place, there will be a final walk through of the home to make sure everything is in order. And, finally, the closing will take place.

For even more information of selling your home, and for FREE forclosure lists visit Walnut California Real Estate

Home Staging Can Help You Sell Your House Quickly

Real estate prices have hit record levels in the United States during the last five years. In some parts of the country, prices have tripled. For those selling houses in the first half of the decade, business was very good, indeed. Rising interest rates and sticker shock have slowed the market down, however. In some parts of the country that used to be hot, sales have slowed to a crawl. In those markets, people who want to sell houses are now waiting months when homes used to sell in days or weeks. What can a homeowner who wishes to sell as quickly as possible do to accelerate the process?

A relatively new service called home staging may be the answer. Staging a home essentially means setting it up so that it makes its best possible presentation to the market. Professional home stagers will, for a fee, come to your house, examine your property, and make recommendations as to what you might do in order to make the house as sale-friendly as possible. In some cases, they will simply recommend a coat of paint, a bit of landscaping, or some new drapes. In other cases, more dramatic help may be needed.

It is often difficult to sell a home that has been vacant for a while. Buyers have a hard time imagining what their belongings might look like in an empty house. A good staging company will have in their inventory a selection of different types of furniture, lamps, decorative accessories and more so that a vacant home can look like a showcase. A fully and tastefully decorated home is much easier to sell than a vacant one.

The service isn?t necessarily inexpensive. Homeowners might expect to pay several hundred dollars for an initial consultation as well as a fee of several times that amount for the first month of a fully furnished, professionally decorated home. Rates for subsequent months tend to be lower than for the initial month, but many homes that have been professionally staged aren?t on the market much longer than a month. In fact, studies have shown that staged homes often sell in half of the time of other comparable properties.

Having your home professionally decorated in order to sell it isn?t something that everyone needs to do. But in markets with slowing real estate sales, staging a home may be the difference between selling the house this week and selling it three months from now. For many sellers, the investment is more than worthwhile.

?Copyright 2006 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including http://www.HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to information regarding home equity loans, mortgages and lines of credit.

Mortgage Applications Down

Mortgage applications fell for the first time in four weeks as demand hit the lowest level in almost three years.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association weekly report, the seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity for the week ended August 25 decreased 0.9%, landing nearly 23% below last year's level for the same week.

The decline remained consistent with the slowdown being seen in the housing market.

We're still in the soft landing camp for the housing market, explained John Shin, senior economist for Lehman Brothers. We do see a sizable impact on the economy and expect that the slowing housing market is going to trim roughly one percentage point off of growth over the rest of this year and the next year as well.

For the sixth straight week, home refinancing demand increased as a result of decreasing mortgage rates.

Last week, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate averaged 6.39%, well below June's four-year high of 6.86%. However, they were well above last year's level of 5.73%.

Seasonally adjusted index of refinancing applications increased slightly for the week, up to 1,609.2 from 1,608.5.

The refinancing share of total applications increased to 41.5%, up from 40.6% the week prior. This marks the highest level since February.

Fifteen-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged a rate of 6.06%, up from 6.04% the week prior. The one-year adjustable-rate mortgage also saw an increase, up to 5.97% from 5.91%.

ARMs made up 26.8% of total loan applications, an increase from 26.4% the week prior.

The MBA's survey covers 50% of all US retail residential mortgage loans. Respondents include mortgage bankers, commercial banks and thrifts.

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!