Real Estate Networks

With the real estate market slowing, many potential homeowners and investors are worrying that they missed the boat. But it’s not too late.

According to David Bach, author of the best-selling “The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner: A Powerful Plan to Finish Rich in Real Estate,” buying a home is still a wise move.

“We’re seeing home ownership become accessible to more people,” says Bach.

But owning a home isn’t for everyone. Those that don’t want the expense of maintaining a home and the commitment it involves may consider continuing to rent. The renter is able to move quickly and has little responsibility in the long run. And they have less of a financial interest in the property.

If you are convinced that your area is still in a housing bubble that will start to go down soon, you might consider waiting to purchase until conditions are more favorable to you.

If you have doubts whether owning or renting is best for you, you should consider all of the costs, pros and cons and long term consequences.

One pro that is rarely brought up is the net worth of a homeowner. American homeowners have a median net worth of $184,400, while renters are worth $4,000, according to the National Association of Realtors.

“For most people, it truly is their best asset, their most valuable asset,” Bach says of homeownership.

“People work their whole lives and save, save, save, but buying a home and living in it will make them more money than anything else they do.”

Bach suggests to ask yourself some questions before making up your mind.

First, how much home can you afford? The basic rule from the FHA is that your total housing costs, including mortgage, insurance and taxes, should not exceed 29% of your gross income. Your total debt, including credit cards, alimony, child support, student loans and car loans, should not exceed 41%.

Then ask where you will find the money. Mortgages come at a cost.

“You have to find some money,” says Bach. “You can’t borrow everything. But you can go in with pretty little. With $2,000 to $5,000, in many communities you can afford to buy a house.”

Finally, look at ways to save money after buying. Look into the total cost of the mortgage. Bach recommends cutting that cost by paying your mortgage off early.

You can do this by paying biweekly, instead of monthly. Or simply add an extra payment to each year, for a total of 13 payments. This could cut your mortgage by years.

Bach says the average person can save between $50,000 and $100,000 on their mortgage by simply looking for ways to save.

“That’s a lot of money,” he says.

Martin Lukac( MartinLukac.com MartinLukac.com), represents RateEmpire.com RateEmpire.com and 1AmericanFinancial.com 1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

Online mortgage companies make refinancing convenient and competitive. By researching mortgage rates and lenders online, you can be assured that you have the best refinancing rates.

Before You Refinance

Before you refinance your current mortgage, do a little financial housekeeping. Check your credit report and make sure all your financial records are in order. This is also a good time to close a couple of unused credit card accounts.

Also, be sure that refinancing your mortgage will actually save you money. The rule of thumb is to make sure that the new refinanced mortgage will pay for itself within three years.

To figure the savings, take the amount you save in reduced payments over three years and subtract the cost of the new loan. This is just a rough estimate since the length of your loans will also make a difference.

Comparing Rates

Online mortgage companies allow you to quickly compare rates by asking you for some basic information. Based on the loan amount, your general credit ranking, and the estimated down payment, you will receive a generic quote. This will give you a rough idea of who is the most competitive lender.

Accurate Quotes

Accurate quotes will only come when you provide the mortgage lender with detailed information. Mortgage rates depend on such factors as your current employment history, home’s location, and your precise credit score.

You will also want to add in any points or fees that are part of the loan’s cost. At this point in your refinancing process, you should still be comparing financing packages from at least three different lenders.

Applying Online

The hardest part of refinancing a mortgage is finding the right mortgage lender. Once you have found the best rates and fees, you can complete the application process from the convenience of your home.

Online mortgage applications require you to fill out your typical personal and financial information. Once you submit your information, you will receive the final paperwork in the mail within a couple of weeks. You will need to review the terms, sign on the appropriate lines, and have it notarized. The paperwork is then sent back to the mortgage lending company for final approval. The whole process can take less than six weeks.

To view our list of recommended sources for mortgage refinance loans
online, visit this page:

Perhaps nothing is more important than a solid NETWORK when it comes to business and especially for Real Estate Investors and Professionals. Do YOU have a network?

If you are active in this business, you more than likely do whether you realize it or not.

If you are new to the business of Real Estate Investing or Sales, then creating a network as fast as possible is one of the most important things you can do!

Trust me when I say this: “My network contacts have made me millions of dollars in this business”. That’s right, without the support of my network (and the contributions I make to it), I would not be anywhere close to the success I have achieved today. Guess what? I am still learning and expanding this network all the time.

To me, nothing in this business is more important than nurturing and expanding this network. It is the prime reason for the creation of the www.HomesToGo.Com Network system…to help manage and expand your own network.

You see, to my way of thinking, the network comes first and the deals (both purchases and sales) flow back and forth through this network.

To the new investor, this is often the most overlooked of all aspects of this business. It is also probably responsible for why so few people ever make it to the top of this game or even stay in it for that matter.

A while back, I speculated that if 100 people purchased a book, course, tape series, or attended a seminar, only a few of those would put the information to use and profit from it. I figured most of the people would open the course or review the seminar ideas. A smaller percentage would actually act on the ideas or strategies presented in it. Still fewer would actually ever use the techniques to purchase a property. And finally, a very small percentage would actively and continuously use the ideas to profit from. Overall, I speculated that 1-3 people would realize measurable profits with really only about one person becoming very successful with this knowledge.

So here, we have a bunch of people from around the world spending hundreds and perhaps thousands of dollars trying to make it using the information provided in these courses and books. Who is really getting wealthy here? I think you can figure it out.

So why the low odds of success and what can you do to beat them and become wealthy?

In talking with people after close to fifteen years of investing, I realized that people did not have a support system or network to continuously help them to achieve what was promised in the information they purchased.

It wasn’t that the ideas were bad or wrong, it’s just that to the new investor the obstacles appear to be larger than they really are and no one is there to share knowledge with to create the necessary synergy to overcome these perceived obstacles and succeed.

It is no coincidence that many gurus offer a year of follow up tutoring by telephone or email to help the new investor succeed. Unfortunately, the kind of support needed by the new investor is not what is provided. In many cases this is friendship and moral support!

That is why it is so important to build and maintain your own support network!

This goes for both new investors, experienced investors, and other real estate professionals. The most successful Realtors realize the importance of this and some are quite creative in the way they constantly keep their name in front of your face. Think about it. Every year I receive magnetic calendars, business cards, pens, pictures, calculators, letter openers, and a host of other things from successful realtor’s who know the importance of keeping their name in the minds of their network. Who are you going to call when you want to sell your home? Hey, just look on your refrigerator at home!

So, how do we go about building a network so we can be successful in this business?

The first element of your network should be what I call the “sounding board”. Ideally this is a person who will listen to your ideas and reciprocate with his or her own. You almost have to generate conversation and excitement to continue to propel yourself forward.

So who should this person be? Well, let me go out on a limb here and say it should probably NOT be your spouse. That person knows your strengths and weaknesses far too well and these will often interfere with the purposes of a good “sounding board”. That is not to say you should not discuss your ideas and inspirations with your spouse, family, and friends. In many cases, however, these are exactly the wrong people to talk to and can actually generate a sort of negative energy to dampen the investor’s excitement and spirit. Note that they don’t do this intentionally; some people feel they must ground you with their concept of reality. Remember, their reality is not yours! People make millions in this business regardless of what my wife, mother, sister, or brother think!

I suggest you find a new friend through your local real estate group or form a mutually beneficial relationship with someone interested in the same things you are from somewhere else. It could be work, school, sporting activities, or your church. Start up conversations and someone will rise up to fit this bill.

I maintain about three close “sounding boards” that I talk to (often daily) to keep me grounded in the reality of real estate investment and keep me excited about new ideas and challenges. You will find one too if you are passionate about investing.

Nurture the relationship with your “sounding board” and always be ready to give more than you receive.

The importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded, goal-oriented individuals cannot be overstated. This is the basic fuel for the fire that continuously propels you to greater and greater levels of success. If you are reading this, you are participating in a prime example of what I’m talking about.

Three years ago Mitch Stephen and I decided to build a website to help us leverage our time in the real estate business - a website for our personal use. We had both done very well in the real estate business but we wanted go beyond our current situations. Our respective businesses had “leveled out” and we were finding it all but impossible to break through to the next level of financial success while maintaining a reasonable level of freedom. We DID NOT want to work every hour of the day so we explored ways to put less hours in and get more done using the computer. The idea evolved and evolved and evolved and sometimes it was very frustrating and expensive… and yes I can say sometimes it literally hurt. For months we worked tirelessly. When I was about to give up, Mitch would take the ball. When he was worn to a nub my energy was back and then I’d take over again. We kept each other going until finally our website was producing results.

Today we have broken through those walls but we are amazed at what we thought was going to pull us through and what actually did put us over the top. Mitch and I talked every day for months on end… sometimes for minutes, sometimes for hours. We almost never left the conversation as the same person we were when we took the call. I have grown mentally, emotionally, technically, and that website has grown as well. Today it is www.Homes2Go.Com . It worked so well for us, personally, that we wanted the world to know there is a better way to manage your contacts. Stop waiting for business to come to you. Use the computer and legal email strategies to go get business –NOW!

Don’t be afraid of change. Changing your mind or modifying your direction to compensate for new found knowledge is the mark of a successful entrepreneur. The late Ken D’Angelo, Founder of HomeVestors, once told Mitch, “A true entrepreneur usually ends up with a completely different business than the one he started out to build in the beginning”.

Always prepare yourself for the next direction in your investment career. Keep your sounding boards close and give willingly to those around you. It will come back to you in wonderful ways you never imagined!

Joe Ponce is a master real estate investor and full-time Chief Information Officer in the U.S. Army. He has purchased or controlled over 500 properties and is largely considered to be one of the area’s foremost experts on manufactured home investing and internet marketing. His latest ventures, WealthAddress.com WealthAddress.com and Homes2Go.Com Homes2Go.Com educate new investors about the power of successful internet marketing.

If you are refinancing your mortgage there are a number of mistakes that will cause you to overpay for your new mortgage loan. Doing your homework and researching mortgage lenders will help you avoid making these mistakes. Here are three things to watch for when refinancing your home loan.

I. Watch Out for Balloon Payments

If you accept a mortgage with a balloon payment you will be required to pay the amount due on a date specified in your loan contract. If you are unable to make this payment you will have to refinance the loan or sell your property to avoid foreclosure. Mortgages with balloon payments are typically used by real estate investors as a source of short term financing; however, predatory mortgage lenders use them as part of a ploy to take your home. Unless you know exactly what you are getting yourself into avoid any home loan with a balloon payment.

II. Watch Out for Excessive Fees & Rates

If you are a homeowner with poor credit you can expect to pay more for your new mortgage. There are lenders that will take advantage of your credit and charge you excessive fees and rates. Some Predatory lenders try and sell bad credit loans to homeowners with good credit in order to charge higher rates. The only way to know what fair rates and fees are for a homeowner in your financial situation is comparison shop from a variety of mortgage lenders. When you comparison shop the right way it is easy to spot mortgage lenders that are trying to take advantage of you. You can learn more about comparison shopping for the best mortgage by registering for a free mortgage guidebook.

III. Be Careful With Adjustable Rate Mortgages

Adjustable rate mortgages have more risk than traditional fixed rate mortgages. Many homeowners are enticed by the introductory rates and low payment amounts; these homeowners often don’t realize their payments will go up significantly at the end of the introductory period. In addition to this payment increase, the mortgage lender will adjust your interest rate periodically and change your monthly payment depending on prevailing interest rates.

You can learn more about your home loan options by registering for a free mortgage guidebook.

To get your free mortgage guidebook visit RefiAdvisor.com using the link below.

Louie Latour specializes in showing homeowners how to avoid common mortgage mistakes and predatory lenders. For a free copy of “

Miami is considered the largest urbanized city in the state of Florida. With the metropolitan area surrounded by the Miami River, Biscayne Bay, the Everglades, and the Atlantic Ocean, Miami a great place for residential homes and recreation areas.

Types of Miami Real Estate

With the ever increasing demand for Miami real estate, properties both existing and new are readily available. You can choose from affordable homes to luxurious mansions, condos, lofts, apartment buildings and even pre-construction buildings. Whether it be for residence or commercial properties such as hotels, restaurants, offices or other income properties, you can find something that will suit your taste. Properties range from $650,000 to millions of dollars, and surely you can find something that will suit your budget. Properties are available in Miami Beach, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Brickell, Surfside, Bal Harbor, Key Biscayne, Aventura, Fisher Island, downtown Miami, Lincoln Road, and more.

Guidelines

Wherever you may want to find a property in Miami, you can find a realtor who can help you purchase that piece of Miami real estate that is right for you. He or she can present you with photographs, videos, or virtual tours of the properties available. Your realtor can find a property that will match your budget. He will also guide you through local taxes and mortgage rates. And be sure to seek the services of a member of the National Association of Realtors who will strictly uphold the Code of Ethics of the association.

Amenities

What contributes to the beauty of Miami real estate is the richness of the cultural diversity that exists in this city. Aside from the local Americans, the city hosts a rich population of Latin Americans and people that reside in the Caribbean. Miami also has a healthy number of tourists, not to mention many celebrities who call Miami their home. The city has at least two prestigious universities - University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University - and hosts athletic teams such as the Miami Dolphins, the Florida Marlins, and the Miami Heat.

e-MiamiRealEstate.com Miami Real Estate provides detailed information on Miami Real Estate, Miami Waterfront Real Estate, Miami Beach Real Estate, Miami Luxury Real Estate and more. Miami Real Estate is affiliated with i-SanDiegoRealEstate.com Downtown San Diego Real Estate.

I’ve often heard it said that “home is what you make of it.” I always believed that to be true until the first time home became a basement.

When it became apparent that my aging aunt could no longer care for herself, she offered to let us use her savings to turn her basement into an apartment. In this way, she could remain in her home, and in exchange for free rent, we could take care of her. Since she refused to leave during construction, we were forced to live in the basement with our 5 children while the renovations were taking place.

It’s important to understand at this point that her basement had been resident-free for several decades…human residents that is.

Well we got to work to try to make the place as homey as possible and I had almost convinced myself that artificial light was just as serviceable as natural light. Then one day our son came home from school and announced matter-of-factly, “Mom, we live underground…like worms.” Though I was forced to agree with his assessment, I still tried to convince myself that things could be worse…and then they became so.

You’ve got to know that since my sister fell down the basement stairs as a child, right into a nest of black widow spiders, I have been a textbook arachnophobiac. The first spider arrived on my pillow during the night. As my husband was trying to peel me off the ceiling he laughingly said “it’s just a little one!” I assured him that if it was large enough to identify as a spider, it was too big and ordered him to immediately call an exterminator. He declined on the grounds that calling an exterminator would be the equivalent to killing a fly with a ground-to-air-missile .

Though the spiders continued to reclaim their former territory, an exterminator was never called until the night we were sitting on the floor watching a movie and we suddenly got a glimpse of something as it ran under the couch. I asked my husband what that was, and he answered ashen-faced, “I don’t know, but it had to duck to get under the couch!”

Since four of our children were sleeping on a mattress in the next room, it became critical that we find, and eliminate whatever creature it was. My husband handed me the broom and told me that when he lifted the couch, I was to beat it to death. Things didn’t exactly go as planned. When the couch was lifted we gazed upon what appeared to be a scorpion with a great bulb for a tail that had black and yellow stripes around it and I solemnly swear it was snarling at me. When I froze in terror, my husband was forced to flip the couch across the room, grab the broom from me and start attacking it without mercy. When he realized the broom was merely bouncing off the thing, my husband quickly scooped it up onto the broom, ran to the bathroom, and dumped it in the toilet. When, after several flushings, it was still doing the backstroke, my husband finally broke down and called the exterminator. It was quickly identified as a “sand puppy.” Why anyone would give such an adorable name to such a hideous creature is beyond me.

Yes, home is what you make of it, but just because you live underground, you don’t have to let large unfriendly insects make it theirs.

Cindy Jaynes is a freelance writer and grandmother of twelve. To learn more about Cindy and how she earns a fulltime living online, visit her website at easyks.com easyks.com

Below are ten categories of real estate, and different ways to invest in them. The best one for you is something only you can decide, according to your particular needs. To help you do that, I list a couple good points and bad points for each type.

1. Renting single family homes. Good points: An easier way to get started, and good long term return on investment. Bad points: Being a landlord isn’t much fun, and you typically wait a long time for the big pay-off. You also lose all your income when a house is vacant.

2. Fixer-uppers. Good points: Fast return on your investment, and it can be more creative work. Bad points: More risk (many unpredictables), and you get taxed heavily on the gain.

3. Low income housing. Good points: Similar to any other rentals, but with higher cash flow. Bad points: Similar to any other rentals, but with more repairs and tenant problems.

4. Selling rent-to-own houses. Good points: If you buy, then sell on a rent-to-own arrangement, you get higher rent, and the buyer is usually responsible for maintenance. Bad points: Bookkeeping can be tricky, and most tenants don’t complete the purchase (this can be an advantage too, but it does mean more work for you).

5. Commercial properties. Good points: Multi-year triple-net leases mean little management and high returns. Bad points: A tough market to break into, and you can lose income on vacant storefronts for a year at a time.

6. Land, split and resold. Good points: Simpler than some real estate investments, with the possibility of great profits. Bad points: It can be a slow process, and you have expenses, but no cash flow while you wait.

7. Boarding houses. Good points: You’ll generate more cash flow renting a house by the room, especially in a college town. Bad points: You’ll generate more headaches renting a house by the room, especially in a college town.

8. Invest cash, sell with terms. Good points: A high rate of return is possible by paying cash to get a good price, and selling on easy terms to get a high price AND high interest. Bad points: You need a lot of cash, and you tie up your capital for a long time.

9. Invest, live in it, sell it. Good points: The tax law lets you fix it up, and sell it for a big tax-free profit after two years (if you live in it), then start the process again. Bad points: You may become attached to your investment, and you’ll have to move a lot.

10. Pure speculation. Good points: You can make large profits buying in the path of growth and holding until values rise, and it is a low-management investment. Bad points: Growth in value isn’t always predictable, you have expenses with no income while you’re waiting, and transaction costs can eat much of the profits.

There are many ways to invest in real estate. These ten are just to get you thinking about what is possible, and what type of investing suits your personality. Once you figure that out, you may want to look into other categories of real estate investment.

Steve Gillman has invested in real estate for years. To learn more, get a free real estate investing course, and see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500, visit HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

Homebuyers and sellers should be aware about issues involving homeowners insurance and the C.L.U.E. database. C.L.U.E. stands for Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange and is a collection of homeowners insurance claim history enabling insurance companies to access five years worth of prior claim information to evaluate risks. The database is maintained by Choice Point Inc., a private Georgia firm, and contains over 40 million claims records on houses in all 50 states. Over 90 percent of insurers providing homeowners coverage provide data to the CLUE system.

In the same way that having a bad credit record affects your ability to finance a home, negative information in the CLUE database can affect whether a purchaser can get a homeowners insurance policy and at what cost. Many homebuyers are facing the grim reality of the decreasing availability and affordability of homeowners insurance. When a homeowner applies for insurance on a property, the insurance company will usually check the CLUE database to see what claims or reports of damage are on file about the property, and may charge higher premiums or possibly decline to offer insurance coverage. Without homeowners insurance it is nearly impossible to obtain a mortgage loan and in most instances a sale will fall through. Sellers of properties who never made an insurance claim but only lived in the house for a short period of time may be unaware of potential problems because of claims made by the prior owner. Another problem arises with “zero-dollar” claims which refers to things that did not result in a loss for the insurer being listed as a claim in the CLUE database, such as a homeowner calling the insurance company about possibly filing a claim, even if the claim is never filed.

The National Association of Realtors® believes that home sellers, buyers, and Realtors® need more education about CLUE. Homeowners and sellers may obtain the CLUE report on their property from www.choicetrust.com for $12.95. It is important that sellers review this report carefully to correct any inaccuracies which may inhibit a new owner from obtaining homeowners coverage. For buyers, it is critical to find out the claims history of a property before purchase by requesting a copy of the CLUE report from the seller in a contingency clause in the contract. Getting a C.L.U.E. report as soon as possible during a real estate transaction will help ensure that buyers and sellers do not receive unpleasant surprises at the last moment causing unneeded stress and delays and possibly causing a sale to collapse.

Brian Block is a Realtor with Re/Max Allegiance in Alexandria, Virginia. He is also a real estate attorney. He can be contacted at 703-626-0715. If you or anyone you know has real estate questions or is looking to buy or sell real estate in the Northern Virginia and Metropolitan D.C. area, contact Brian Block. For more information and to start your home search, visit his website at brianblock.com brianblock.com

More sunshine, high temperatures, warmer seas, smaller towns, affordable prices and individual beaches are making the southern Black Sea coast more and more attractive to property buyers and investors.

Tourism
With more than 700,000 foreign tourists expected for this summer in the area of Nessebur alone, it is this kind of development in tourism which will lead to better services and infrastructure for the southern Black Sea coast, increasing its popularity with purchasers.

Thomas Cook, Thompson and First Choirce all say that according to their bookings there will be more English tourists than ever on the Black Sea this year. The first tourists have already arrived here - quite early, on the 4th April. The main tourism companies expect an increase in tourists of around 11% compared to last year.

Bourgas Airport
Kalin Barzov who is the Executive Director of the airport presented the project for the much needed new Bourgas airport terminal on March 30th this year. Once finished the airport capacity will enable one million passengers to pass through each season. He said that the entrance to the new terminal will be constructed in the Museum of Aviation and the baggage hall extended to some 1,000 sq.m. The project also includes 30 additional bus spaces in the parking lot and 80 additional car parking spaces.

Characteristics
The main characteristics of this area are small towns and the beaches. There are numerous individual small beaches separated by rocky peninsulas justting into the sea. This creates deep bays with really clear water also protecting the beaches from cold winds during the winter, making this area more suitable for all year tourism.

Towns in this southern region of the coast tend to be smaller and quieter, often offering more affordable property. However, as this area rapidly develops, prices are rising fast in line with the trend of most of the market but are still usually lower than around the Varna area. Apart from the prices, the sea here is generally 1 to 3 degrees warmer than in the northern part of the coast and the region also offers a longer period during the year of temperatures over 20 degrees C.

Although building is going on apace and infrastructure improving all the time, most of the local authorities in this region are very anxious to avoid over-building and over-crowding of the area - in their own words “We don’t want another Benidorm!”.

There is a wide choice of property available, from off plan right on the coast, through land plots with great views to build your own dream house, to run-down rural houses for renovation away from the coastline. As ever, those properties just that bit inland are significantly cheaper than front line seaside ones.

Where to buy
Asking the agents who specialise in this area where are the property hotspots and the answer always seems to come back the same - “the whole of it!”

Apart from the obvious spot of Golden Sands, Sunny Beach and leaving aside the towns of Bourgas and Nessebur, here’s a brief run-down of the key property buying areas, starting at Sozopol and going south :

Sozopol with its old town and ambience is fast becoming a main target for property purchases. Prices lower than Varna. Still possible to find affordable prices. Off plan developments here tend to be smaller. Some lovely developments on the cliffs with stunning views reminiscent of Italy.

Duni holiday village is a recent resort complex, set along a beautiful beach of some 4.5 kms. The resort consists of three originally designed main zones, forming separate architectural ensembles with their own characteristic style and atmosphere:

Heading south from here the coastline becomes even more beautiful. The forests of the Strandzha mountain are close to the sea here and provides an extraordinary area of forest and sea for investment.

South of this is Stomoplo. This coastline is better known as the northern beach of Primorsko resort. Here is a 2,300m long beach, nice and wide with sand dunes. Primorsko and Kiten (a little gem) have become well known beach resorts and are popular with property buyers.

South of the small peninsula where is Kiten, can be seen the magnificent Atliman Bay. From this point, again heading south, there are beautiful untouched small beaches : Karaagach, Lozen, Gochov Ergek, Popadiiski, Tzarevo, Varvaski and Ahtopol. These are being discovered more and more with purchasers, prices are very favourable and affordable.

Right at the southern end now, you’ll find the villages of Sinemorets and Rezovo (right on the border with Turkey). Sinemorets village was part of the restricted border area when Bulgaria was under communist rule. No access was allowed to outsiders but this rule has now been abolished and it has become very attractive to wealthy Bulgarians who have both bought land and built large villas here.

Prices in the area range from a lovely traditional house just inland at 13,000 euros, to apartments in Pomorie starting at 74,000 euros and, under construction, apartments in Varvara starting at 43,965 euros - right through to a luxury newly built villa with air conditioning, swimming pool, stunning bay views, 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms at 240,000 euros.

If you want to know more about investing in Bulgaria - Quest Bulgaria is the specialist English language magazine about Bulgaria and Bulgarian property. A monthly guide for those searching for property in Bulgaria whether as a holiday home or as an investment. It is the leading point of reference for those seeking comprehensive, impartial and independent advice on Bulgaria.

Monthly Printed Magazine - Subscribers Discount Scheme - Ask the Expert online Advice Board - Property Quest BG property portal

Jain Goodall
Quest Bulgaria Magazine

questbg.com questbg.com
email : info@questbg.com

If you decide to go FSBO, you are going to have to show your home at some point. When doing it, there are some guidelines you should follow.

Just to be clear, a FSBO seller is a person selling their home without the help of a real estate agent. The reason to list a home for sale by owner has everything to do with saving money on real estate agent commissions. The typical commission charged by an agent is six percent. On the sale of a $400,000 home, that equates to a commission of $24,000. Many people prefer to avoid paying so much for realtor services.

Assuming you have made the decision to sell FSBO, you are going to have potential buyers contact you about seeing the home. This is obviously good news since showing your home is usually the step necessary before getting an offer. Regardless, there are some things you should do and should not do when showing the property.

When the prospective buyer arrives at your home, they should be invited in. At that point, you should ask them whether they would like a tour or would prefer to walk around the home on their own. Buyers often feel differently about this, so don’t assume you know the answer. Find out what they like and respect their privacy if they wish to look at the home on their own.

Many buyers will ask for a tour of the home. When giving your tour, be friendly and honest. Importantly, do not criticize your own home! Many sellers will make disparaging remarks to buyers about various aspects of the home. This is crazy! You are trying to sell your property. If you don’t like it, why should the buyer possible be expected to make an offer? Avoid negative comments. Stick to the positives!

When showing your home, you will find that most buyers prefer to snoop around on their own. Some, however, will want a guided tour. When giving it, make sure you stick with honest, positive comments.

Raynor James is with FSBOAmerica.org - get a free one month fsboamerica.org FSBO listing.