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    Reverse Mortgage

    The reverse mortgage turns the equity of the home into tax free cash. Reverse mortgage is more of a loan advance. While the borrower lives in the home, the borrower does not repay the loan.

    Any senior who is sixty two years or older is eligible for the reverse mortgage. The home must have some kind of equity. And, the home is the primary residence of the borrower. Depending on the mortgage lenders, the mortgage lenders may require single unit, condo, or townhouse.

    Reverse mortgage differs from home equity loan. The mortgage lenders pay the borrower the lump sum, regular periodic payment, line of credit, or combination. The line of credit allows the borrower to choose how and when to get payment. The repayment of loan only happens in reverse mortgage when borrower permanently moves, dies, or sells.

    Let us compare with traditional mortgage to better understand reverse mortgage. Any type of mortgage creates debt. A debt is the difference between amount own and amount owe. Traditionally, the home equity increases and debt decreases. In reverse mortgage, the home equity decreases and debt increases.

    At the time of repayment, the mortgage lenders use the home to repay the loan. The home pays off the principal, interest, and closing costs of reverse mortgage. Anything extra goes to the remaining relatives. In case of deficit, the mortgage lenders make up for the deficit.

    Since the borrower retains the title of home on reverse mortgage, the borrower remains the owner of the home. The borrower is responsible for the maintenance, property tax, insurance, and utilities.

    The mortgage interests in reverse mortgage are not mortgage interest tax deduction. However, the borrower can claim the mortgage interest on current first and second mortgage. Even though the borrower is still paying off the first and second mortgages, the mortgage lenders can allow the borrower to go on reverse mortgage.

    The borrower can owe only on how much is the home. The mortgage lenders can only go after the house to pay off the mortgage. The assets and estate of the borrower are safe from the mortgage lenders. This is more commonly known as non-recourse loan.

    Dennis Estrada is a webmaster of mortgagecalculatorme.com mortgage calculators, mortgagecalculatorme.com/blog/2006/07/home-equity-loan.html home equity loan, and mortgagecalculatorme.com/blog/2006/08/what-is-jumbo-mortgage-loan.html what is jumbo mortgage loan website.

    Residential Investors - Move Up to the Big Dollars

    1.Bigger Profits – bigger profits are in bigger deals. Working in the average price range and above in your area is a good place to start. Big-time investors say go where the money is at 2 to 3 times your average area sale price and higher. There are more handyman investors chasing the smaller deals and actually driving up the prices therefore making minimal profits.

    2.Locate the Property – These homes are available in almost every neighborhood. All over the country are foreclosure homes in every price range. There are million dollar foreclosures right here in Charlotte, NC. Work with a professional real estate agent be aggressive go after the bigger deals where there is less competition.

    3.Making Offers – the process is the same in no matter what the price range you work. Determine after repair value, subtract repairs, subtract carrying costs, subtract your overhead, and subtract your profit (minimum $25,000) equals maximum offer. Offer something way less than that and then negotiate to somewhere under your maximum offer amount.

    4.Financing –not very often are you going to get the same bank to finance a foreclosure deal. You can possibly get a bank to finance a construction loan if you can wade through all the paperwork, use your credit cards (old school) best are to keep on finding outside sources like hard money lenders, partners, private lenders, your self directed IRA, someone else’s self directed IRA or anyone of your contacts who wants to make 10% to 12% on a first mortgage secured by real estate.

    5.Repairs/Renovation – speed and quality are what you need and are expecting from you workers. Hire or have on your team a group of excellent and competent contractors and suppliers. They may cost more but your savings in the 2 to 3 or 4 months in extra carrying cost after shoddy workmanship will off set the additional expense. Time is money, in this case big money.

    6.Marketing/Selling – start selling before you close on the purchase. Advertise for sale by owner when the agreement for sale is signed by you and the seller. You may be able to turn over the property at a profit and let your buyer close with the seller without any expense on your part. What is the ROI of $10,000 with $0 investment? Begin your advertising as an “as is” price, increase your sale price as you have work scheduled and ordered. By waiting until the project is complete to start advertising will put you 3 to 4 months behind in the process.

    Working where the money is, is the same process as working on cheap houses just by adding more zeros to the end of the check. You work in better neighborhoods your appliances and fixtures won’t get ripped off every weekend. There are more opportunities to sell in a place where people really want to live.

    Bill Carey with over 30 years in real estate sales, investments, and home building offers a unique perspective to the buying and selling process of residential real estate for F*R*E*E consumer information and reports log on to CharlotteNCExecutiveHomes.com CharlotteNCExecutiveHomes.com and see
    “Insider Real Estate Secrets Revealed”
    …a must-read for Home-Owners and Renters!
    It’s a F*R*E*E 12-lesson e-course covering more than 20 topics exposing the realities behind buying and selling a home.
    It Could Make(or Save) You Thousands of Dollars

    See BillCareyRealtor.com BillCareyRealtor.com and sign up for our monthly e-newsletter with tips for buyers, sellers, home owners and soon to be home owners.

    (Your Comments are Welcome)

    Preparations Before Putting Up a “For Sale” Sign

    It is often said that the first impression is the last one and this certainly holds true while selling your home to the prospect buyers. Before selling your house you need to do necessary preparations to get the best returns from the sale.

    Make sure that the lawn is well maintained. Highlight the landscaping with potted flowers and plant more flowers to add color. The entrance of the house gives the initial impression of your house. So, ensure that your entrance is clean, painted and stain free. Take care of little things such as entrance lights in place, calling bell working, decoration of the entrance, house number, etc. These will determine the look of the house from outside.

    It doesn’t require a whole make-over top make your home look attractive, just a bit of touch ups can do wonders. If you plan to paint your interiors go for light colors such as white and off white and brighter lights to make your room look bigger. Repair leaking roofs and paint stains of water. Ensure to treat all the window pains too.

    Determine the Selling Price of your house by checking with similar houses in your neighborhood. This can be done with the help of Internet database services or you can hire ac real estate appraiser to put a value on your home based on certain calculations and past sales of similar homes. This appraisal is used to justify the price of your home to the buyers.

    In most cases home insurance attract buyers. A home warranty is a short term insurance to cover major appliances while the home is for sale.

    Opt for professional help of a Real Estate Agent. He/she is aware of the market trends and can provide you with the best deal and enlighten you on your rights and obligations you are entitled to. Your house is shown through the eyes of a professional. Being experts in the field they are able to present to the buyers the best features of the house.

    Show your home to the buyers by open house. Make brochures and forms easily available to the buyers. Answer all the questions honestly but never exaggerate. Ensure your house is clean, tidy and ventilated on the day of the meeting.

    The author Jenny Cooper is working with a company providing help to people who are looking for Selling their Home, for further help on Real Estate - Mortgagevisit proloanz.com proloanz.com

    How to Get Your Real Estate License

    Real estate business is presently a topmost business to make money. Several people want to make career in this business but a real estate license is the basic requirement to perform real estate business. Real estate license enables people to buy and sell any type of real estate. It is true that real estate license is essential to start real estate business but the main question is that ‘how to get it’.

    Real estate laws for each and every state are different but real estate license is required in every state. The person, who wants to get a real estate license, should be of 18 years. That person should be graduated high school and should pass a written licensing test. These tests or real estate courses are necessary because real estate laws are so complicated and hard to understand. A person can easily practice as real estate broker after having real estate license.

    Eligibility conditions, such as age, background and education, for the test are different from state to state. Person who wants to get a real estate license should move to local testing agency to determine the licensing procedure. Some state allows real estate license after completing college course while some need real estate courses.

    Real estate licensing test can in one part or in two parts. You should prepare for the licensing test in order to get real estate license. After acquiring real estate license you’re ready to make your bright future in real estate business.

    About author: Author owns a website on buyrealestatelicense.info/ Real Estate License. Website provides information about real estate license, some tips on how to get real estate license, real estate business, and info for real estate business. You can also visit his site for getrealestatelicensenow.com/ real estate business

    Term Extension On Home Loan Refinancing!

    This is due to the fact that those with bad credit usually can’t get a lower interest rate and that sometimes, market conditions push the mortgage loans’ interest rate up. However, you can still get lower installments by refinancing your loan with a longer repayment program.
    The term extension will get you lower monthly payments because the loan’s capital is spread over a higher number of installments. With this method, if you couldn’t afford your current mortgage loan’s monthly payments, you can obtain lower and affordable installments that you’ll be able to pay without having to make sacrifices.

    Home Loan Repayment Programs

    The home loan repayment program or schedule is the duration in time of the home loan. It determines the number of installments you’ll need to pay throughout the whole life of the loan. Payments can be done one a monthly basis, on a weekly basis, or biweekly too. Depending on the way payments are done and on the duration of the loan, you’ll obtain the resulting number of monthly payments.

    For example: if a home loan has a 10 year repayment program, you’ll have 120 installments to repay the loan if payments are made monthly. But if payments are made biweekly, you’ll have 240 installments that will of course be of a lower amount than in the case of the loan payable on a monthly basis.

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    The 2nd Annual Second Mortgage Awards

    The 2nd Annual 2006 Second Mortgage Awards was held last night in America’s finest city, San Diego California. It was a great night for mortgage loan insiders to see how their second mortgage products were performing. Brendon Daly, a key note speaker for the evening said, “It’s a night when the second mortgage finally gets to stand at center stage, un-shadowed and clearly not worried about what the big brother first mortgage thinks.”

    The event’s announcer walked on to stage, and grabbed the microphone, like he was in the middle of a boxing arena at Cesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. “Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to the 2nd Annual Second Mortgage Awards.” He then shouted, “In this corner we have the “Variable Rate Home Equity Line of Credit” The announcer continued, “In this corner we have the Home Equity Loan with a Fixed Rate.” The crowd began to roar. Almost simultaneously, everyone rose and began applauding the loan stars.

    2006 Second Mortgage Award Results Below:

    1. Affordability Award- Winner: Home Equity Line of Credit

    Reason: Even if the rates are higher today, the Interest only feature keeps the payment low. Minimum payments allow one to preserve cash flow because the only thing due is the interest on the money you have accessed.

    2. Pragmatic Award- Winner: Home Equity Loan

    Reason: Each month you are making a dent in the principal. The fixed rate payments are great for budgeting and repayment of long term debt.

    3. Flexibility Award- Winner: Home Equity Line of Credit

    Reason: Money is awaiting for you with the line of credit, and you only pay interest on the money you access. Investors love home equity lines, because they finance opportunities when they arise.

    4. 2006 Best Loan Award- Winner: Home Equity Loan

    Reason: The conservative fixed rate second mortgage that people were turning away from the last few years, are back in style. Today the home equity loans can boast about rates that are over 1% lower than their cousin the equity line of credit. Unlike the line of credit, the home equity loans offer fixed rates, with fixed terms.

    Barry Donavan is an experienced writer who focuses on home finance and consumer credit. You can read more of his mortgage finance articles at bdnationwidemortgage.com BD Nationwide Mortgage and get more information about home equity loans and mortgage refinancing.

    For a complete look at 2nd mortgages please research bdnationwidemortgage.com/home_equity_loan_refinancing.html Home Equity Refinancing & bdnationwidemortgage.com/second_mortgage.html Second Mortgage Rates online.

    Copyright BD Nationwide Mortgage Company 2006 ©

    Underwriting and the World of Home Loans

    In the world of home loans, nothing is more dour sounding than underwriting. Cutting to the chase, this is where you get approved or denied for your borrowing request.

    Regardless of the type of home loan you need and apply for, the process works in a fairly uniform manner. First, you access your needs. Next, you apply for the loan. The loan is then submitted to underwriting. If you are approved, the loan is processed and off you go to closing for you new home. While this may all sound fairly straightforward, just what happens during the underwriting process? Here is the answer to the grand mystery.

    Underwriters are employees with a lender that are charged with making the big decision. In short, this is where the buck stops on approval and rejection of loan applications. They are typically stressed out, overworked individuals. They also tend to be very hit and miss when it comes to speaking with borrowers, to wit, they don’t call back all that often if you have leave a message with questions such as closing is in two days and I need an answer!

    In evaluating your loan application, underwriters look at a number of things. The first is collateral, to wit, is the home free and clear of liens and is it actually appraised at a number appropriate for the loan amount being requested. The second issue is whether you, the borrower, have the ability to pay back the loan on a monthly basis and over the term of the repayment period. The third issue is loosely known as your credit score and combines issues such as your FICO score, debt to income rations, patterns of repayments on other debts and so on. If you can meet the lender guidelines for these three areas, you are usually in fairly good shape when it comes to being approved. That being said, there are other areas that are also used in the evaluation that can sink you.

    While the above three issues are dominant factors in the loan evaluation process, underwriters will look at other issues as well. Remember, the underwriter is evaluating how big of a risk you are given the fact a lot of money is being loaned. One thing an underwriter will always focus on is your front ratio. A front ratio is simply a calculation of your total monthly housing expenses divided by your gross income. Housing expenses include the mortgage payment, real estate taxes, insurance and so on. An underwriter is typically looking for a ration of thirty-three percent or less. If you are above this percentage, the underwriter will probably reject the loan application.

    At the end of the day, underwriting is the nitty gritty of any loan application. If you meet the criteria of the underwriter and lender, you are good as gold to get the loan. If you do not, it is time to look for a cheaper home and clean up your credit.

    Sergio Haros is with Great Western Mortgage -

    House Shopping - 7 Tips to Buying the Perfect House

    -Write down your list of wants.

    Before you start your house-hunting journey, sit down with your family and brainstorm. Think about what you’d like to have in your perfect house. You may not be able to have everything on your list. But if you know your ideal, you can better decide whether a house is right for you or not.

    -Get pre-approved.

    Getting a pre-approved mortgage is one of the most important steps in buying the perfect house. Until you know your loan amount, you’ll be house hunting in the dark. Finding out how much you can afford will narrow the real estate market for you. It’s no fun to fall in love with a house, and then find out it’s out of your price range. Or settle for a house when you can afford much more.

    -Look at the square footage price and not just the total.

    The real estate listing should have two different figures, the total sale price and the price per square foot. Many buyers only focus on the total. Sometimes you can find a great deal on square footage just by paying a little more in total sales price. If one house has 1700 square feet and costs $175,000, and the other has 2000 and costs $185,000, the second is the better buy even with the higher price tag. It allows you to get the most for your money.

    -Keep an open mind about As Is Homes.

    Ideally, you’d love to find a move in ready house. But that isn’t always the case depending on your price range or neighborhood. Just because a house has a little wear and tear doesn’t mean you should pass it by. Keep repairs in perspective. A broken tile here and a hideous wall color there is much easier to fix than a decaying roof or structural damage.

    -Look for neighborhoods on the rise.

    If your house budget is tight, consider moving into a “neighborhood on the rise.” Local residents and newcomers are renovating these neighborhoods, which are mostly in urban areas. The homes are older, and the neighborhoods have a lot of charm. Just because an area was considered “tough” a few decades ago doesn’t mean it’s still that way.

    -Drive by at different times of the day.

    If you’ve settled on a particular house, do some investigating before you make your offer. Driving by the home at different times during the day will give you an idea of what it’s like to live there. You can find out more about your potential neighbors and address any safety concerns.

    To Learn everything you need to know about getting a gethomemortgageloan.com/ Home Mortgage Loan, visit gethomemortgageloan.com/ gethomemortgageloan.com/ where you’ll find valuable information on how to get a gethomemortgageloan.com/home-mortgage-loan-quote.html Home Mortgage Loan Quote and much much more.

    In Defense of Exotic Loans

    The popularity of “exotic mortgages” has the media in a feeding frenzy that the lenders are creating the much bemoaned real estate bubble.

    If there is a bubble, it has less to do with financing than with stories of fast riches in hot real estate markets. Yes, the easy money loans have helped some borrowers buy beyond their means. And yes, the exotic loans can act as timebombs when rates spike higher. But the loans are no more the cause of a speculative real estate bubble than a better golf club helps Tiger break par. They are simply tools.

    I beleive the exotic loans are good tools for borrowers who know how to use them. Interest only payments allow a borrower to pay a smaller payment when cash flow is low, and pay down principal in better times. These loans actually reduce the risk of loan default, because default only happens when a borrower can’t make their monthly payment.

    Therefore any loan that allow this kind of payment flexibility should be seen as a positive for loan quality and stability, not riskier?

    Along this same line of reason, an Option ARM - or the extra hybrid, negative amortizing, low payment loan is even more secure. Option ARMs allow a borrower to pay even less than the interest accrual on the loan, with the difference being added to the princiapl. Paying these uber-low rates is even easier on the borrowers monthly cash flow, so the default risk is further reduced. If interest rates spike, the payment does not change, a minimum payment is locked in for several years.

    The experts and the media are having a field day with these loans, and few industry insiders have been defending the popularity of the products.

    The consumer clearly understands the value to interest only and exotic payment mortgages, this is why they have become the most popular loan options. But few consumers are being interviewed to defend why they choose these loans. Why the media witch hunt?

    Simple, the headlines of a real estate bubble is much more exciting than writing about how new innovations in lending are helping Americans afford the Dream better.

    Bob Waun , Founder & CEO

    mailto:bwaun@vacation-finance.com bwaun@vacation-finance.com

    As a VP at Paramount Bank, and while at Wells Fargo, Bob innovated lending for Condo Hotel projects. He holds a Master’s degree in finance/economics and BBA in finance from Walsh College and a MI Real Estate Broker’s License. He has personally lent over $750 million in residential loans, and over seen operations lending $1 billion. He has been a professional guest speaker and taught numerous courses/seminars on real estate finance.

    He managed controlled business relationships for a national real estate brokerage in MI and OH, held top sales honors for Wells Fargo in 7 states. Bob has a 17 year track record of cutting-edge innovation in the mortgage finance.

    Overseas Investment Property - Why Costa Rica Continues to Attract Investors

    Costa Rica continues to be popular with overseas property investors due to 4 specific reasons that give it a huge edge over its rivals, for investment property or second homes.

    Let’s look at these reasons in more detail.

    1. Capital growth potential

    It’s an established market yet ever increasing numbers of buyers mean that it still produces great gains with low risk.

    Let’s look at an example.

    A property bought near the popular resort of Jaco just 15 years ago for $30,000, is worth almost $800,000 today and savvy investors are still making 30 – 100% capital gains per annum.

    This stunning growth is still available because, popular resorts and infrastructure are expanding.

    By buying near these new developments you can take advantage of price increases as the developments are completed.

    Keep in mind, that beach front property is still available at up to 70% less than in the USA and Costa Rica is just a few hours by direct flight from the southern USA.

    So its literally like moves states in terms of distance.

    As with any overseas property investment location is the key and looking out for future property hot spots can yield big gains with low downside risk.

    2. Affordable Living

    You can live far cheaper in Costa Rica than in the USA and this is attracting an increasing number of “baby boomers” who want to make their retirement funds go further.

    You can live comfortably on around $2,500 a month and this is highly attractive for people retiring on limited funds.

    3. Lifestyle

    Of course, affordable living is great, but you still want all the comforts you are used to and Costa Rica offers a lifestyle that is hard to beat at any price.

    You get a great infrastructure, all the entertainment you could want as well as beautiful surroundings.

    Costa Rica offers pristine beaches, crystal blue sea, stunning rain forest, volcanoes, mountains waterfalls and an abundance of wild life – making this a truly affordable slice of paradise.

    Over 100,000 foreign investors have already come to Costa Rica and many more are coming.

    This means that foreigners feel comfortable – they have all the comforts of home, a large community they are familiar with and finally, it all costs a lot less for a comfortable lifestyle.

    4. Security and ease of purchase

    Costa Rica property investment remains low risk as the country is:

    Safe, serious crime is rare and the government encourages foreign investment which makes the buying process simple. For example, you get the same rights as residents and a property investment is very tax efficient.

    There are a wide variety of specialist Realtors who will help you buy the Costa Rica property of your dreams.

    Add it all up

    Overseas property investment in Costa Rica Offers you not only a luxury lifestyle it also gives it to you at a cost you can afford.

    It also gives you the potential to make big capital gains, which is an appealing combination for many people.

    Costa Rica remains the number one destination for Americans and other foreign nationals due to the unique combination of benefits above and will continue to attract more and more investors.

    Consider the benefits of overseas property investment in Costa Rica and you may be glad you did.

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    For more info on all aspects of net-planet.org/costarica.php Costa Rica real estate visit our website for a huge resource of articles, features and downloads and at net-planet.org/index.html net-planet.org/index.html