Real Estate Networks

What do Clint Eastwood and a homeowner in foreclosure have in common? A homeowner needs to have the same grit and tough determination as Mr. Eastwood to sort between the “good guys” and the “bad guys” even though their circumstances might indicate otherwise.

“Caveat Emptor” or “Let the Buyer Beware” has been a saying that’s especially good advice when a homeowner is experiencing foreclosure. It’s no surprise that many distressed homeowners undergoing foreclosure are often approached by less than ethical business people (lenders, financial advisors and/or realtors) that are more interested in their own financial gain than “helping” the homeowner to get out of foreclosure or exploring workable options.

There are plenty of horror stories in the media regarding such unethical and even criminal behavior. However, that does not mean that all real estate related business people are unscrupulous. There are responsible, business people and who want to keep it that way, who have legitimate solutions for the homeowner to pursue if he or she is willing. The catch is being able to sort between these parties.

For many homeowners, they are often confused and curious as to how their foreclosure status became publicly available in the first place. What they do not realize is that most real estate transactions are a matter of public record and attainable at the county courthouse. While obtaining this information used to be a matter of lengthy trips to the courthouse and handwritten notes, with the advent of computerized databases and the internet more of this data is readily available or accessible online.

The following is a short list of some of the people a homeowner might be contacted by and their reasons for doing so.

• Interested private parties looking to buy their own home at significantly discounted rates.

• Individual investors who wish to achieve the best buy at below market prices in order to increase their profits.

• Real estate agents interested in reaching the homeowner in order to be the first to list and sell a homeowner’s home.

• Consumer credit counseling agencies looking for new customers.

• Attorneys who assist the homeowner in making the best possible decisions both during and after the foreclosure process (i.e. foreclosure negotiation, filing bankruptcy and/or the protection of personal assets).

Depending on the homeowner’s individual financial situation (and the solution they have desired to pursue) a homeowner may choose to work with one or a few of the above if being able to stay in their home is not an option.

When a homeowner is able to understand by whom they are being approached and the reasons why they are being contacted, they will be able to sort in a much more effective manner between “the good, the bad and the ugly”.

Nef Cortez has been a licensed real estate broker and has held various positions in the real estate and mortgage industry for over 25 years. If you would like to read more of Nef’s pithy and timely advice (with the latest info on local foreclosures), visit his website at nefcortez.com Chino Hills, CA homes or read his blog at nefcortez.com/newhomes Southern California Real Estate Blog

Owners of villas in France, Spain and the Algarve use agents for two main reasons: firstly they don’t know how to market their house, and secondly, they worry about damage to their house. Agents can help with both of those things to some extent, but are they worth the commission? The answer is it depends.

Marketing is more than just advertising. The villa rental market in Europe is now very price sensitive, at all levels. Customers do their research and know precisely what a villa is worth. Set your pricing too high and your house will stand empty: set it too low and you will be full by March and wish you had asked more. A good agent can tell you what it is worth and has a lot of data on which to base that advice. But do your research and you will know what your villa is worth as well. If you are confident in your ability to do that then you can save yourself a commission.

You might need help describing your villa to the best effect. For example, your views might be stunning, but sadly that is not worth much in the market these days - to some customers ’stunning views’ sounds like something that people say when they can’t think of anything else to say. In an oversupplied marketplace you need to make a house stand out.

Choice of tenants is the area where agents can really add a lot. Letting your pride and joy to strangers can be scary to the uninitiated. Established agencies have long lists of happy customers who come back year after year, and whom they know often personally. If you are going to let strangers stay in your house then it is comforting to know that at least they are friends of friends.

The position of agents in the market used to be controlled by marketing media. Press advertising and publishing brochures is expensive, and in the pre-Internet world it was prohibitive for individual owners. The Internet has changed the villa rentals industry for good by making marketing accessible to non-tech-savvy owners: all you need to do is make a website (most children can do that bit) and open and Adwords account: bid 50p a click for a very specific keyword that the most qualified leads will be searching on, and you will probably do OK. But probably is not good enough for some people: if your holiday villa budgeting is dependent on holiday lettings (unwise but sometimes necessary) then you need to be sure that some professional person will take responsibility for it.

If you do decide to use an agent, you can go one of two ways. Either you will make an exclusive deal with an agent who is prepared to commit to a certain number of weeks per year, or you will operate on an ad hoc basis, typically with more than one agent offering your house. Agents who are prepared to risk the former and few and far between, and the few that are around will typically offer much less than the house is worth, but it is also the worry-free option. Probably the best of both worlds is to use agents and offer yourself: that way you acquire the judgment you need and still have somebody to complain at when it all goes wrong.

villaowner.wordpress.com Owning a villa abroad explains the ins and outs of owning villas in France, Spain and Portugal.

The North Carolina coastal area is a wonderful place to vacation, retire or build a second home. It is packed with adventure, romance and fun. The North Carolina coast has long been a favorite vacation spot for families who like to return again and again.

Bluffs Cape Fear

Developers are now working on a project called The Bluffs on Cape Fear. This unique waterfront community is located on the Cape Fear River. It’s only 15 miles from downtown Wilmington, NC. This exclusive gated community will be a retreat for many vacationers and retirees. It consists of 600 to 700 acres of rolling tree covered land. There will approximately 700 lots and home sites.

This area offers a host of activities that will please everyone. Access to the Atlantic Ocean and the Intra Coastal waterway make this a paradise for water activities. Boating, fishing, jet skiing, and beaches are on-hand for your enjoyment. Brunswick County is rated one of the top 10 vacation spots because of its stunning beauty and attractions. Once you have visited, you will want to return again and again.

Buying Pre Construction Property

Whether you want to retire or vacation in North Carolina, there is a splendid opportunity at Bluffs Cape Fear. By buying NC Pre Construction, you can be in on the beginning of this outstanding project. As a result of buying this NC investment property, you’ll see your property values rise.

In these uncertain times, many people are putting their money into real estate investments. Bluffs Cape Fear gives you a chance to do this at pre construction prices. With a small amount of earnest money, you can reserve your lot at the rock bottom price. Then while you are preparing to build, you can watch your land value increase. Prices will never be this low again, and as development progresses, selling prices will escalate.

Besides being a great investment, The Bluffs Cape Fear gives you many desirable attributes. The amenities for this gated community include a beach house, a river clubhouse and a swim and tennis center. For nature lovers, there will be interior lakes, walking trails and conservation areas.

Bluffs - Wilmington NC

The Bluffs are close enough to Wilmington to enjoy the attractions there. You will find fine dining, golf courses, parks and museums. The history buff can tour Civil War battlefields, and the shopper can browse the boutiques and shops. Nearby beaches are readily accessible for days of sun and relaxation.

This is the best time to buy pre construction and be part of the growth and expansion of this locale. At this point, you can reserve your property and arrange financing with a small deposit. Whether you want property for your second home, retirement, or to resell, this opportunity would be hard to duplicate anywhere else.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular

There comes a time in many of our lives when we need to set goals, get good information and advice then just do it. The idea of just tightening your belt and paying off debt for 5 years or more is not always the solution. Solutions are not the same for all people.

Mortgage consultants can help with your financial planning. They can analyze your unique situation and give you guidance. This is a free service that is often overlooked when repairing credit.

You can find out how to leverage your home equity to get out of debt or to attain a goal.

Not a homeowner? Do not despair. There are solutions out there for you.

Here is an example of someone who followed good advice and whose future now looks very bright.
His name is Bill and this is his story and his plan of action.

Bill is self-employed.

Youth and inexperience with handling credit cards and auto loans had brought him to the state of being under a pile of bills. He ran up his credit cards to the point of being flagged by the banks as a credit risk.

It seemed that it would take years for him to pay down his debts and then even more years to get his life on track.

Well, to make a long story short, the plan for his problem took some creativity and some tightening of the proverbial belt.

First he corrected his FICO rating as much as possible.

Second move he bought a house out of his immediate area where the prices were lower.
That was accomplished with a bad credit purchase loan combined with a good loan to value on the property he was buying.

The house he bought was rented out with a positive cash flow.

He kept the house for a little over a year then sold at a profit.

With the profit from the sale he had accumulated enough money to have his debt paid out of escrow.

Great news was he also had enough money for a substantial down on a condo in town. Now he has a place where he could actually live instead of renting while renting out his own home. It is a home he can afford. The monthly payments are lower than the rent he was paying.

Now he knows how to use credit wisely.

He knows how to use homeowner tax advantages.

He is on his way to an extremely good financial position.

To say he is proud of his accomplishments is an understatement.

All of this took about 14 months. His life was becoming more livable even during this period of time.

What did it take to get him from being in debt to being the investor he is today?

* A good advisor
* A set goal
* Action
* Guidance

What is your course of action? When will you be out of debt?

Andrew Riordan is a seasoned professional financial mortgage consultant
His solutions can be found at :

theloangateway.com theloangateway.com

We believe that relationships and real results matter.
We are financing your future. Funding you dreams

There are many mistakes a person can make when deciding to sell a home. One of the most serious is listing your home with a REALTOR® just because that Realtor is your friend. Consider the following story that talks about this point.

A home owner listed his home with his best friend, that also had gotten his real estate license a few months ago. Because they were such good friends, the Realtor could not bring himself to discuss the condition of the property with the owner, especially how dirty it was and how it needed to be cleaned if it was ever going to sell. Considering that the owner had just completed finishing the basement into a gameroom and had invited the agent over to watch the Big Game, the agent couldn’t bring himself to to break the news to the owner that he had spent thousands of dollars on home improvements that did not increase the value of the owner’s home.

As a result, the Realtor took the listing for several thousand dollars above the market value and in showing condition that would not get rave reviews. Not surprisingly, the weeks passed with little activity and no contracts. The Owner’s friendship with the Realtor became more and more strained as each month passed without a contract. After several unsuccessful months, the owner dropped the price of his home to a price within market value, but by then it was too late. The few people who came to see the home had already purchased another house, and the most active buying season was over. The Owner decided to take his home off the market for a while.

Several months later, the owner contacted a well-known, local real estate team who met with him and told him the truth about his house. This Realtor shared with the owner the history of sales in the neighborhood, gave him a list of all the competition, shared an aggressive computerized marketing plan and suggested a fair marketing price based on the facts. Within weeks, the owner sold his house for more than he had it listed for with his friend.

The sad part of this listing is that the owner now resents his friend for not being honest with him up front and for not getting his home sold the first time around. Although the owner’s friend was a good professional, he simply couldn’t separate business from friendship and as a result he lost the friendship and the owners business. That is just one of the dangers of listing your home with a friend.

Lets face it. most people in any profession have a difficult time drawing a distinction between friendship and business, so if you truly value your friendship and you sincerely want to theearlofrealestate.net/selling.aspx sell your home in Northern Virginia, play it safe and list with someone who can be objective with you and who can sell your house quick. Selling a home is too complicated and too important to entrust to a part time professional, who by not knowing the pitfalls and complications of the business can end up costing you money

Lets separate the professional job of selling your home from your friends. Keep your friends and sell your home. This is a true win-win situation.

theearlofrealestate.net/ The Earl of Real Estate - Robert Earl in Northern Virginia is a Top Producing Real Estate Agent & Real Estate Coach. Robert has compiled a list of theearlofrealestate.net/sitemap.aspx Northern Virginia Real Estate Resources as a free service to Northern Virginia Real Estate Buyers & Seller.

Laws vary from state to state and it is up to you to find out more about them. But here are a few general guidelines and questions which may help you discover what your state dictates with regard to these issues. Find out simple things like a limit on the amount of rent increase you can ask for, any interest on the security deposit you need to pay, maximum period of retaining a security deposit after the tenant leaves, any fee you can charge in case of late payment and how long you have to wait before you can demand for that fee, etc.

The rental agreement you draw up is usually taken care of by the attorney but it would not hurt to find out more about it. Find out about the various legal documents required in your state and how you can tailor these forms/ documents to suit your needs. In addition, learn more about where these documents get legally recorded – related fees, taxes etc. A good attorney can usually see you through all of this safely.

It is essential that you know about the housing acts in your state. Tenants are usually guaranteed with some basic rights such as a dwelling fit for human habitation, unlawful discrimination, power to hold the landlord liable in case of damages caused due to the landlord’s negligence and protection against being locked out without a legal notice. You need to make sure that you do not falter here and in case of disagreements with regard to the above, you carry out the procedures legally.

When it comes to disclosing facts about the rental you need to cover a range of issues. Some states may require specific checks to be conducted on the house and the results revealed to the tenants – like sexual predators in the neighborhood, presence of radon gas etc. There are both federal and state requirements regarding disclosure of certain facts to tenants and you must adhere to these.

Most of the above can be handled by yourself but when it comes to evictions, you need a good attorney and a thorough knowledge of the laws. If you at least have a basic idea then you may not do anything rash like shutting off the power supply because of a late payment. You need to find out the conditions on which an eviction is actually applicable. Additionally find out the exact procedure, the notice you will have to serve, the total cost etc. This will help you judge if you even want an eviction as opposed to a settlement out of court. If you do seriously consider eviction, hire yourself a decent attorney.

Knowing your laws is important as you want to stay well within the legal boundaries. It will make your life simpler and prevent you from making rash decisions that may cost you an arm and a leg.

Sadiya Anjum - ChoiceOfHomes.com - Find listings of choiceofhomes.com Homes for Rent online. Home owners / landlords may also choiceofhomes.com/homelisting1-rent.php advertise their home rental online.

Do you want to build wealth through real estate? You need expertise in two critical areas: specific investment strategies and sales and negotiation skills. But if knowing how to identify good deals is what’s really important about investing in real estate, why do investors need to worry about their sales and negotiation skills?

“Knowing how to identify good deals is certainly a critical part of real estate investing, but it’s not the only part,” says Russ Whitney, internationally recognized real estate expert and bestselling author of Millionaire Real Estate Mentor (Dearborn Trade Publishing). “Your investment may be an inanimate object, but in the process of making that investment, you have to deal with people. If you take a look at anyone who has made a lot of money—regardless of the circumstances or the vehicle they used—you’ll find they have at least one trait in common: They have top-notch selling skills.”

Peter Conti and David Finkel agree. In their book, Making Big Money Investing in Real Estate, they say, “The single most important skill you have as an investor is your ability to connect emotionally with people.” With an emotional connection, you can work through the mechanics of any deal.

The first step in developing strong sales and negotiation skills is to get rid of any preconceived notions you may have about what being a salesperson is all about, says Russ Whitney. “It’s not about making a slick, fast-talking presentation or tricking someone into buying something they don’t want, won’t use, and can’t afford,” he says. “Selling is about solving problems. It’s about creating win-win situations. It’s about honesty, integrity, knowledge, and building relationships that serve everyone.”

Second, Whitney says, understand that you can use sales skills in just about every aspect of your business and personal life. “Think about it: buying a house for no money down, getting a loan at a bank, convincing your spouse to support your dreams, even persuading your toddler to eat his vegetables–it’s all selling,” he says. “Once you realize this and work on developing your sales skills, you’ll find it much easier to reach your financial goals–and in fact, you’ll find just about everything in your life is easier.”

Third, commit yourself to win-win results. “Too many people think that in any negotiation, you must have a winner and a loser. That’s just not true,” says Whitney. “You want people to come away from a deal with you feeling good, and that’s why you work on reaching a win-win resolution. Communicate clearly enough and consider all your options so you can come up with a plan that benefits everyone involved. That’s successful selling.”

Fourth, learn the techniques. “The techniques of positive communications–which is what selling basically is–are techniques anyone can learn and develop,” says Whitney. “There is no such thing as a ‘born salesperson.’ Learning the techniques may be easier for some than others, but everyone can learn them.”

Fifth, get rid of your self-imposed limits and believe you can negotiate profitable deals. In his book Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, T. Harv Eker writes, “One of the principles we teach in our programs is ‘If you shoot for the stars, you’ll at least hit the moon.’ Poor people don’t even shoot for the ceiling in their house, and then they wonder why they’re not successful. Well, they just found out. You get what you truly intend to get.”

Whitney suggests taking courses, reading books, and studying successful people to learn effective sales and negotiation techniques. But, he says, the most important thing for someone to know about developing selling skills is this: “Always operate with truth, honesty, and integrity. Your reputation is the most valuable asset you’ll ever have; guard it well.”

Jordan Taylor is the editor of Millionaire Mentor™ Newsletter, which is published by Whitney Education Group, Inc.™ To sign up for a free subscription, visit russwhitney.com russwhitney.com

MONEY MATTERS

Are you planning on buying or selling a home? Maybe refinancing? Perhaps you’d just like to pick up a few tips on home buying, selling and mortgage borrowing-if so you may want keep track of Money Matters in the months ahead as I will be giving out all kinds of tips and insights as we approach the home buying-selling season. I will be discussing a wide variety of real estate and mortgage financing issues you should know (Things real estate agents don’t want you to know). Well, good agents won’t have a problem with you knowing this information but the part-timers and less ethical operators would certainly prefer you not know what I am going to share with you!

You see, buying or selling a home is the largest investment of a lifetime for most people and it is a BIG business deal…a transaction composed people, emotions, contracts and cash…all the ingredients for legal and financial pain if you don’t know what you are doing. Real estate agents earn a commission when a home is sold whether they are the listing agent, the selling agent or both. Real estate agents typically (and legally) represent sellers in a real estate transaction and not buyers. Yet, every day, homebuyers refer to the real estate agent as “my real estate agent”…they are not your real estate agent…they are the home seller’s agent and agents have a legal duty to get the best selling price for the seller. Further, anything you tell them can and probably will be used against you to extract a higher selling price out of the deal. Sellers on the other hand are often manipulated into signing long term listing contracts for up to a year by an agent who will simply throw the listing into the multiple listing service (MLS) and hope another agent sells the property for them.

For agents, the name of the game is to get listing contracts…a common slogan amongst real estate agents is: “if you don’t list, you don’t last”. Once an agent gets a listing contract from a home seller, they will get the bulk of the commission when the house is sold whether they sell it or another agent sells the home. Not many sellers know this fact and many are swooned into long term listing agreements with hopeful promise of selling their homes at the highest possible price only to find out they don’t. Agents will say and do most anything to get a listing contract shy of breaking the law. And the big question for home sellers is are you working with a part time or full time agent? What is their background in marketing and sales? Do you really want to sign a long term listing agreement with a part timer that has one toe in the tub and no business background? Were talking about a business deal right?

Whether you are buying a home or selling a home you should be clearly aware that you will enter into legally binding contracts and relying on mortgage lenders to provide financing for the project. The question then becomes; how much do you know about contract law and mortgage financing? What are the most important elements of a contract and how does that impact you as a buyer or seller? This series of articles is generally drawn from my E-Report (101 Real Estate Tips for homebuyers, sellers and money borrowers). The report is designed as a crash course to provide you the information you need to know to protect your legal and financial interests whether you are a homebuyer or seller. This series of articles will touch upon the information you should know to keep from making blatantly stupid mistakes that could hurt you legally and financially and we’ll try to have some fun in the process…

Which reminds me! If you would like to receive a FREE copy of my E-Report: 101 Tips For Homebuyers, Sellers And Money Borrowers, go to smart Books website, send us an email and requesting a copy and we’ll send it to your email address within 24 hours-absolutely free-Another Ezine Articles Exclusive! Don’t forget to say you saw it at Ezine! Stay tuned!

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A home mortgage is a long-term loan, usually taken for a house or a property, for a large amount. The interest rate and the borrower’s financial capability are the two major factors that should be considered before choosing home mortgages. California home mortgage lenders provide several loan schemes and options. Most of these feature different estimates and interest rates.

California home mortgages are similar to mortgages anywhere else in the country. Depending on the real estate market value, home mortgage rates vary frequently in California. When a scheme offers very low interest rate, then it would be a great benefit to the customers, as the repayment option would be quite feasible. California home mortgage lenders usually offer two types of home mortgage interest rates, namely, fixed rate mortgage and adjustable rate mortgage.

Eligibility for applying for California loans varies from lender to lender. The only mandatory criterion is that the applicant must be a permanent resident of the state. One can use the service of licensed mortgage brokers to get the applications from loan mortgage companies. Applications are also available online.

A California home mortgage loan agreement contains certain terms and conditions which rule the loan during its tenure. Mortgage lenders give loans for a definite period during which the mortgagee is expected to repay the amount. If the mortgagee fails, the lender can begin legal actions to regain the money. California laws also allow the lender to auction the property to recover the residual debt.

Acquiring a home mortgage loan in California is a simple and easy process. You just need to take into account your economic situation and what you can afford before signing the contract. Online mortgage calculators make these processes simple. Many banks, private lenders, and property sellers offer mortgages on homes. To select a good home mortgage option in California, discuss with a broker and collect a list of current mortgage interest rates. Moreover, check whether the rates already quoted are the lowest for that day or week.

e-CaliforniaMortgageLoans.com California Mortgage Loans provides detailed information on California Mortgage Loans, California Home Mortgage Loans, California Jumbo Mortgage Loans, California Mortgage Refinance Loans and more. California Mortgage Loans is affiliated with e-CaliforniaLoans.com California Home Equity Loans.

One of the greatest needs for a loan is for purchase of home. This is therefore an area where many lenders are competing to offer the best deals to the customer. It is also an area where careful planning is required before choosing an option. It is advisable to seek loans from relatives and only take out a mortgage when no other option is available. This is because a mortgage is a long-term commitment to pay a certain amount of money, and one may or may not be able to do so.

Most home loans are standardized to comply with rules established by the Federal National Mortgage Association, which helps to compare the existing rates in the market. Since competition is high, lenders often offer perks, including low interest rates on the loan. There is also the option of government subsidized mortgages, which have very low or no down payment options.

Most loans are divided into four basic parts. The first part is the repayment of money that one has actually borrowed. Interest forms the second part of the loan, which is added to the principal sum for borrowing. The third part is meant to cover the property from natural disasters and other hazards. The final part is the taxes to be paid to the authorities.

One can also get information from newspapers and websites on the current rates. If you are still not able to decide, it is better to consult a mortgage broker who can advise you on all the options and help you choose the best. To begin with, one can calculate if one is eligible for a mortgage. In case the amount that one can afford is much less than the cost of that home you want, then you may have to wait.

If one has a questionable credit background one may be subjected to a higher down payment, or your request may even be denied. But one should not give up the search for a mortgage as many lenders offer attractive options for people with bad credit.

If one does not want to pay high initial payments, one can find mortgages which charge anywhere between 5 to 15 per cent. However, one will be paying more in the long-run with interest rates and loan fees than someone who has paid more initially.

Finally there is detail regarding closing costs. These costs include various fees and processing charges applied by the lender. You must be able to keep aside money to pay for these costs. Typically, this rate may be in the region of around three to four per cent of the cost of your home.

For acquiring homes, the government may also give loans. These are available for former military personnel and for citizens. These require very little or no down payment. In the long-run, fixed interest rates are better when compared to floating ones. This is only true if one gets into a mortgage agreement when the rates are low and one needs a long period of time to repay the mortgage. This allows one to take full advantage of the low entry rates and one need not worry about rates going up somewhere in the future.

There are several options for a first residential loan, including family and commercial and government subsidized mortgages; brokers are often useful to advise one on getting a first mortgage.

e-FirstMortgage.com First Mortgage provides detailed information about first mortgage, first mortgage loans, first mortgage options, first mortgage rates and more. First Mortgage is the sister site of e-HomeOwnersInsurance.com Home Owners Insurance Policies.