Archive for July, 2008

Credit Crunch – Can I still get a loan?

Thursday, July 17th, 2008
by Russell Marsh

Although it’s important to research the loan market thoroughly make sure you don’t make multiple full scale applications at this time. Each loan you apply for will cause a record to be placed on your credit report and this can seem to a new lender that other lenders have been turning you down. This can very easily influence the decision of the prospective lender and you could find yourself turned down for no other reason than those multiple applications on your file.

Look for loan agreements in principle without consenting to a full credit search and then you can make the decision about which is the best loan for you and then make your proper application. If you are refused credit it’s always important to find out why. Go to Experian and find out what is on your report that caused this. Although not legally required to most lenders will tell you why you have been refused a loan so don’t hesitate to ask in this eventuality. Don’t apply for another loan until you know why you were refused.

What lenders look out for. Lenders need to know you can handle credit therefore if you have never borrowed money before you may not be offered the best rate. You may believe you are a worthy customer deserving of the best loan but you can’t seem to get it simply because you have no track record.

It’s a good idea to get a credit card and run it for a while responsibly for a while and also a mobile phone. Once you establish some track record the best rate loans may come within reach.

Make sure you are not overstretched. Lenders always look at your credit file to see how much you have outstanding on credit cards, mortgages and loans. They can easily see how you are handling payments. They will also look at your credit limits. Even if you are not currently borrowing on all your credit cards a lender could possibly get nervous about lending you more if he fears you might go on a spending spree. It’s probably better therefore to close credit card accounts that you don’t need.

It’s always best to try to explain why if you have any negative entries in your credit file. A good piece of advice if you are having some financial difficulties is to take advice from a financial adviser before just taking out more borrowing. IVAs, Court Judgements and bankruptcies will stay on your file for at least 6 years and even simple missed repayments will be there for 4 years or more.

If your problems were due to special circumstances then explain why – for example, if you suffered an illness that affected your income you can simply add a note to your credit report. Most Lenders may take this into account when considering you.

ALWAYS steer clear of any organisation that claims it will repair your credit record – this is simply NOT possible unless a serious mistake has been made, in which case you can easily fix it yourself. Certainly never pay any company for so called “credit repair”, any type of debt advice or rescheduling of debts.

There is usually a good reason for credit being refused to you. If you are having difficulties then the wisest step is first of all to review your spending. A good mover could be to consult with a debt councilling service.

Lenders use the electoral roll to check on applicants so if you’re not on the electoral role then do so at once. This give you more credibility with lenders and they have more faith in the fact that you are who you say you are. If you are not registered on the electoral roll or possibly registered as living elsewhere you will have extra questions to answer and could face the risk of being summarily refused the loan.

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Cyprus Rental Villas – A Guide To Your Safe Purchase

Thursday, July 17th, 2008
by Tim Martins

Anyone who has ever tried to set about looking into buying a Cyprus holiday villa whether it be as an investment or just owning your own holiday home, you will know that it is a bit of a daunting task. Many people tend to rush into things and just don’t take the necessary time to look into buying a holiday home in Cyprus properly.

Traditionally prospective buyers will view a whole bunch of properties through one or more property agents, although others do try and take an independent approach to the matter. The thing is it doesn’t really make any difference if you have not made the effort to get factual guidance to buying your property in Cyprus.

When you search out a Cyprus property developer, he will select for you an apartment or a Cyprus holiday beach villa that you can buy “off plan”. This means that they have gotten rid of a lot of properties already and have put the funds in their accounts before they even started building.

There has been a bit of a property boom recently in Cyprus and it looks like things are going to be done properly here. maybe it has something to do with the fact that their legal system is based on the British one. The good news is that when you sign for your property at completion it will already have increased in value, but the bad news is that if you don’t get that advice on property investments in Cyprus, it may not be the case.

You may be pulled in by a single property developer with what seem to be a very generous offer, but make sure you don’t get sucked in. You really need to look at other areas that may be closer to the beach or higher up and maybe the properties will work out even cheaper. The bottom line is that it doesn’t do any harm to have a good look around.

Recent tourist influence has lead to many cheap flights going into Cyprus so why not take advantage and take a property viewing tour. This of course, once you have done the necessary research and if I could only recommend one, then it would be a very productive blog over at cyprusinformer.com. You will find a clear picture of what awaits you on your mission to purchase an investment property in Cyprus.

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Cool Housewarming Gifts

Thursday, July 17th, 2008
by Traditional Housewarming Gift Ideas

Your online floral shops can make dreams come true. When you buy a new home, friends and relatives can express their delight and best wishes with housewarming gifts from your favorite florists. Decorate the new home with freshly arranged, beautiful flowers.

It is always best to buy fresh flowers. Avoid lower cost flowers from grocery stores or gas stations. Flowers with dried leaves or wilted flowers are past their prime because they sit in refrigeration longer than recommended. Buy from a reputable flower shop and you will always make a wise purchase.

If you are a frequent buyer of flowers from your online flower shops, they should have a list of your flowers, their order and styles of arrangement. This will make favorite flower selection very easy. Choose your arrangements according to season and different events

Nowadays, are using national chains, 800 numbers and internet sites to provide nationwide service to customers. Floral arrangements can be ordered from virtually anywhere simply by contacting a national service. From there, the local shop is contacted, takes the order, makes the arrangement and delivers it to your home or office.

By giving new home owners an attractive flower arrangement, real estate agents offer their own contribution to the special moment of purchasing a home. The flowers might be presented in a dish, basket, or bowl. No matter how they are presented, this thoughtful gift serves not only to brighten the new home but also to symbolize the professional relationship between the home purchaser and the real estate agent.

For a new home, bouquets may be chosen to fit in with the decorating scheme. For example, a formal floral setting may go in the middle of the dining room table, while small arrangements may be positioned on window sills and side tables in various rooms.

Flower arrangements can reflect the seasons of the year with special colors, flowers, and related decorations. If it’s winter time a dish of forced bulbs is a sign of spring to come. Spring flowers are numerous and small decorations can include silk butterflies. Summer can feature long-stemmed flowers with bright colored blooms. Fall season often has rusty colors, bright orange colors, such as chrysanthemums, reflect fall colors of pumpkins and changing leaves.

Now you have the the information you need to buy an ideal . Check out some of the resources given for more ideas.

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Things you ought NOT to do if you want to stop foreclosure

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
by Kim and Charles Petty

Things you ought NOT to do if you want to stop foreclosure on your home

Life is full of uncertainties and any event such as job loss, divorce, relocation, prolonged sickness, etc. could adversely affect us. The financial repercussions of such unfortunate events may force you into a situation where you are unable to make your monthly homeloan repayments. If you are a victim of such unfortunate circumstances, and have already missed three or more months of homeloan repayment, you could be faced with a foreclosure on your home. Before things go this far, let’s take a look at a few precautions to help you prevent a foreclosure.

Don’t take a second mortgage or equity line of credit: If you have equity on your home you may qualify for a second mortgage or equity line of credit in order to consolidate bills. No doubt, this will momentarily improve your financial situation in an emergency, but don’t forget that you are foolishly incurring greater indebtedness. Never add to your existing debt unless you have an effective plan for meeting these new obligations during your depleted financial phase.

Don’t create a record of unexplained chronic late payments: Lenders foreclose only as a last resort to limiting further losses on a defaulted loan, as foreclosures cost them more than it can compensate. No wonder, when homeowners fall behind on payments, lenders take the initiative to work with them to bring the loan current. However, your lender’s willingness to help you out with your current problems will depend considerably on your past payment records. If you have been consistently making timely payments without any serious defaults your lender will be more than willing to cooperate and help your tide over your present crisis. Therefore, it is crucial that you don’t create a record of unexplained late payments. Always stay in communication with your lender about your financial situation.

Don’t think of leaving your home: The prospect of foreclosure is such a trauma that many homeowners overreact by deciding to just pack up and leave. Vow and resolve to face up to this problem head on rather than thinking of running away. Such determination is crucial to stop mortgage foreclosure before it happens. You must realize that there exists several effective ways to stop mortgage foreclosure. Remember, once you fail to stop mortgage foreclosure, this will always be reflected in your credit record. On the other hand, if you succeed in stopping mortgage foreclosure, not only will you be able to keep your home but also have a positive credit rating for future.

Don’t hide your financial facts from your lender: If you find it difficult to make your regular mortgage payments, communicate this to your lender at the earliest. With their cooperation you may qualify for assistance. For instance, there may be another loan better suited to your needs. They may help you out with a special repayment plans, temporary suspension of mortgage payments, mortgage modification, etc. All this will depend upon how transparent you are with your lender about your financial status, which you can substantiate by furnishing complete proof of your income, expenses, and debt.

It is never too late to start taking precautions. Your home is precious to you, so don’t let any opportunity slip by to improve your finances, rather than face the ugly prospect of a foreclosure.

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How Does a Reverse Mortgage Work: Things You Want to Know

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
by Igor Buces

Because a seniors reverse home mortgage is dissimilar from a typical home mortgage, a lot of people ask themselves how does a reverse mortgage work. Because it’s a major economical decision, it’s a very good thought to understand as much as you can about how a reverse mortgage works.

Any time you obtain a reverse mortgage, you may select to receive the money in one of three ways: lump sum, line of credit or regular payments. Depending on your particular needs, you may select the most beneficial one for you.

In Addition, reverse mortgages are different because you rarely have to pay back any payments on the home mortgage for as long as you live in the house. Since the lender is the one offering you the money, the equity in your home decreases as you receive this money.

However, you can never have to pay the bank more than the home is valued at. At the time the payment is due (because you choose to sell the home or move somewhere else,) you can have very little equity in the house. Nonetheless, there is a clause that prevents you from owing more cash than the home is valued at.

Since you’ll never have to make any monthly payments, you don’t need any earnings or credit rating history to qualify. You just need to be over sixty-two years of age, and have equity in your house. Generally, it is one of the simplest home loans to qualify for.

Many senior citizens choose to apply for a reverse home mortgage because it permits them to have a type of extra income to compensate for the decrease of their typical income. Other times, they choose a reverse mortgage because it’s the simplest manner to stay in their own property without having to make any regular repayments.

The funds you can have depends on a 3 major things:

- Your age

- The actual economic interest rate

- Your house estimated value or the FHA’s home mortgage upper barrier for your state

In general, the older you are, the more valuable your property is and the lower the interest rates are, the more money you can receive from the bank.

You likewise need to keep in mind that because you retain proprietorship of the property, you are still responsible for the real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance costs. If you don’t pay these fees, you may be taken out of your home.

As told previously, getting a reverse mortgage is an important decision. That’s why it’s up to you to learn as much as you can about how does a reverse mortgage work.

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The New Mortgage Market, What To Expect

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
by Amy Bonis

The mortgage market has changed but for many, it has gotten better. Most folks don’t know this. Interest rates have come down. Tell your friends and neighbors and be happy. Now, for those of us currently without jobs, or those that have some credit issues and no money down, the approval requirements have become a bit stricter as they should. On the flip side, new first time buyer programs have evolved that are absolutely fantastic and even offer below market interest rates. Even with all these good things happening, we find that there are many folks out there right now paralyzed by the negativity of the press. We term this analysis paralysis! Folks want to buy or refinance a home, or investment property but are scared. They don’t realize how good we have it here, especially in the RTP area which is really a bright light in the USA right now. This is a great market here. People think “I am not sure I want to sell my home right now but I really do want to buy a new home..” They may not really realize they can buy that bigger home and get a really good deal on the next house and the mortgage right now. The home they are buying is more expensive than the home they live in currently, this can be a good leverage advantage. The other thing to consider here in the RTP area is consider keeping your home, renting it and buying another home. We do have a strong rental market here. Don’t be too fearful of making a move, if you wait until everyone else makes a move, then the laws of supply and demand kick in and prices go up as demand goes up.

Here is more good news; Mortgage rates really have come down quite a bit. Most folks are not aware of this at all. Mortgage rates are at 12 month lows. It is a GREAT time to refinance, look at mortgage options and get out of adjustable rate loans. Many families are considering equity repositioning and taking cash out of their homes to buy other properties and taking advantage of the real estate market. Many investors are sitting on the sidelines waiting to pounce on every good deal they can get their hands on. There have been some excellent new loan products that have come out in the market, particularly for first time home buyers to help them get into homes. Here are a few: down payment assistance programs, bond programs with below market interest rates, programs that are 100% financing with no mortgage insurance (even if you are not a first time home buyer)! Folks are just not aware of this good stuff because the media is showing more bad things than good things right now. This scares people. Have the courage to step outside of what the press is telling you and examine what our geographic market offers. It could be huge opportunity for you.

What has changed? You want to know the facts:

1. If you have credit issues, it will be more important now to get a formal preapproval with a lender that you meet with. Allow your mortgage planner to help you get a better deal/rate by helping give you tips to increase your credit scores. We do this at no cost for our clients. Look for our credit improvement workshops on line.

2. No doc loans- These are loans where no income or no assets are verified. These have become much tougher to do in the current mortgage market. If you need this type of product, talk to a certified mortgage planner in advance of purchasing.

3. When buying investment property, you need to put down approximately ten percent. There are no PMI options only with 10% down. This is a good thing and makes more of the payment tax deductible.

4. As with all things in our world, business cycles as does everything. This is normal and expected and necessary. We as lenders are not giving zero down loans to folks who do not have enough income or who do not have decent credit any more. It is my opinion that the mortgage market was in a way a microcosm of our economy. The market was/is looking ways to make money and just became too lenient w/ some practices. This is why the mortgage correction happened. This is a natural cycle and happens in every business. For the many of our customers there is a big opportunity to buy now. We are in a great market and many families are finding ways to take advantage of moving up, renting their existing homes and cashing in on these low rates. There is a lot of information on Real Estate Investing as a wealth building tool and you are welcome to check our website for upcoming workshops.

Talk to your real estate agent about your current situation they are great partners and can give you an accurate idea about both your current property situation and your new property scenario. They know the market better than anyone.

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Marketing Your Home with For Sale Signs

Monday, July 14th, 2008
by Hal James

The beginning of this decade saw a real estate market so hot that you barely had to mention you were thinking about selling your home to get offers rolling in. Well, those days are long gone. Now you need to focus on the details to get your home sold.

The first step to selling your home is to get it into the proper shape. There are plenty of guides and articles on how to do this, so I am going to skip it to focus on the next, vital step you need to take.

The internet has revolutionized the real estate industry. Buyers use it to find homes, so make sure to take pictures and list it online with sites. It will really help. That doesn’t mean, however, that you shouldn’t use basic marketing as well.

One of the simplest and oldest strategies for advertising a home is the real estate sign. You know, the “for sale by owner” red and white signs. The web is great, but these signs really work if you use them.

Why are home for sale signs important? Buyers shop by geographic areas. They look for “good” neighborhoods that have the aspects they are looking for. While they will look online and in the MLS for homes, they will do one other thing you can take advantage of.

So, why do these signs work? Well, you need to think how buyers shop. They look for areas they like and then they cruise around them. Guess what they do when they see a for sale sign? Yep, they check it out.

You can only provide limited information on your real estate sign. What would you want to see? How about contact info? Price? The number of bedrooms and baths? The size? List it all in readable writing.

Keep in mind that your general for sale sign is not used to generate sales. Instead, the only purpose of the sign is to get the potential buyer to drive by the property. When they do, you’ll have another type of sign to snag them.

Every home for sale should have a post sign in the front yard. It should have a box on it containing brochures for the home. The brochure should be a full profile packed with information. This is the hook to get them to come see the home.

Take a second and think about what those old real estate signs have done. A person who had no clue your home was for sale now has a brochure in their hand. What did it cost you? A couple bucks for signs and some time. That’s it.

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As with other kinds of mortgages, there’re a few disadvantages of a reverse mortgage that you need to be conscious of. Several of these pitfalls have to do with the particular reverse mortgage you may be applying for. However, it’s a good idea to become familiar with a few of the disadvantages of a reverse mortgage.

Monday, July 14th, 2008
by Igor Buces

There’s a handful of facts to grasp regarding reverse mortgages before choosing to apply for one. In this article, we’ll discuss the principal disadvantages of a reverse mortgage so that you are better prepared when applying for one.

For example, the majority of reverse mortgages have flexible interest rates. The interest rates will vary as the macro economic conditions change. This may be a danger because of the uncertainty that goes with changing rates. Nonetheless, it can also work as an benefit if the interest rates decline once you obtain your reverse mortgage. If this is the case, you’ll get larger payments and/or keep more of the equity in the house.

Furthermore, rates going down are not as important as with a traditional mortgage because you’re not making recurring payments. Interest rates going up just mean that you may not be able to receive as much of a monthly payment or that the remainding value in the house may go down faster than you thought.

Since reverse mortgages function by reducing the equity in a house, you can use up most of the equity, leaving little money left for you and your heirs. Nonetheless, you need to keep in mind that a “non-recourse” condition found in most reverse mortgages prevents either your heirs or yourself from owing more cash than your property is sold for.

Moreover, beacuse you’re keeping ownership of your house, you’re accountable for the major expenses related with keeping a house: real estate taxes, insurance, utilities and maintenance.

One of the main disadvantages of a reverse mortgage is that most lenders charge inception fees and other closing costs for a reverse mortgage. Banks may also charge servicing fees during the duration of the reverse mortgage. In addition, the fees charged may vary greatly depending on the lender you choose. However, these costs are previously included in the mortgage and don’t mean an out-of-pocket cost to you.

In addition, the interest rate on a reverse home mortgage is not deductible in your income tax return until the mortgage is paid off (in part or whole.) Still, if you don’t need that money right now, it can be a large amount of cash available to you at the time when you sell your house.

Lastly, there is generally a more inexpensive solution to your financial concerns (credit line, refinancing, etc.) than getting a reverse mortgage. Of course, for many homeowners, the advantages clearly excel the disadvantages of a reverse mortgage.

Several of the benefits are the possibility of staying in your own home for as long as you decide, maintaining proprietorship of the house and not needing to make any monthly mortgage payments while you live in it.

To make sure you get the best available deal, apply for a reverse mortgage employing a licensed FHA reverse mortgage broker. A professional reverse mortgage broker will advise you while saving you thousands of dollars at the same time and minimizing the disadvantages of a reverse mortgage.

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Surviving In A Slow Real Estate Market

Monday, July 14th, 2008
by Kim and Charles Petty

The real estate market is a challenge to survive and the survivors only reap profits! The jungle of buyers or sellers has just one motto – survival of the fittest. There is no room for succumbing to a slow market, or for that matter, opting out, after raking in the profits. The market lures new players regularly, while the old ones just won’t retire. Surviving a slow real estate market involves the adopting of time-tried and tested strategies. The real estate market allows agents and independent buyers and sellers to enjoy percent prices and growth that cushion any blow, armed with the right moves.

Regular forecasts and inflation affect the true value of real estate assets constantly. However, in a slow market, one where selling is more difficult than buying, you can survive the phase by focusing on the dos and don’ts identified and recommended by the experts. The strategies enable any agent or individual buyer or seller to deal with the meandering market trends. A slow market is volatile; prices sink one moment and rise the next.

Surviving in a slow market is all about keeping the right perspective. If you are a seller in a slow market, once you realize that the value of your property has depreciated, you need to network and plan. As a seller in a slow market, you should take the opportunity to upgrade the property. You could consider renovations and restructuring. A simple coat of paint makes all the difference to the exteriors or the home. The slow market phase can be capitalized on by enhancing the value of the property. As a seller, it is best to use this time to upgrade, rather than rush into a sale.

The phase could also be used to network extensively. This is a time where decisions need to be made with a long-term perspective. You need to increase the physical appeal of your home. Today, buyers look for stained carpets and chipped walls, and nothing skips their attention. Every buyer welcomes cosmetic makeovers. New carpets and replaced sinks and retiled bathrooms close deals.

In the case of buyers, a slow market works. With depreciated rates, the slow market is a buyer’s market. With a little care before shoveling the deal, you can save a lot of extra money and sue it in styling the home. The home improvement steps taken by a seller is a good investment for both, the buyer and the seller. However, while one has to wait a while, the other needs to close a quick deal. The agents on the other hand benefit during a slow market if they represent the buyer, but only after the market trend shifts if he or she represents the seller.

Surviving in a slow market calls for using the phase to your benefit. It hardly matters which side of the ship you are on. Port and starboard, both call for strategy and planning. One way or the other, deals do come through, slow market or not. The real estate market is very unpredictable and volatile. Investments need to be made wisely. You can survive any market trend by paying heed to the abundance of advice available online and offline, 24×7.

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Learning The Simple Skill Of Real Estate Investing Analysis

Monday, July 14th, 2008
by Kim and Charles Petty

Once you set foot in the real estate market and enter into various deals, it is important to keep track of how much money you make out of those deals. Although, there might be certain factors that are clear and easy to calculate, there are also some hidden factors that need to be borne in mind in order to extract the maximum profit margins. Here are some points that make learning the skill of real estate investing analysis really simple.

During any single real estate deal, you may need to calculate the market value of the property according to your presumption. When you plan to purchase a property then it is essential that you calculate all the fixed costs that are involved in such property deals. These include the various taxes applicable on the purchase and sale of the property, your broker’s fees, if any, your attorney’s legal fees, etc. Before making an offer to the seller, you should also check the current rates of the neighboring properties. You will obviously need to factor your profit margin into the offer that you propose to put across to the seller. All these pointers will provide you with an indication as to how much you could quote to the seller.

If the property is in need of repairs then you first need to get an accurate estimate on the cost of repairs to it. Once you have the estimate, you need to subtract the cost of repairs from your proposed offer before you present it to the seller. Once you have procured the property then you ought to have a contingency plan handy, just in case you are unable to sell that property at your rate. You can either sell it after canceling your profit margin thereby selling at your cost value, or you could again decide to rent it out if you feel that it could generate a positive cash flow. All the above calculations are based on a single deal, but if you are executing multiple real estate deals, then your strategy may need to change.

In case you are in the market for long-term benefits, then you will need to calculate the average profit you have earned in all your deals instead of merely concentrating on your profits or losses from individual deals. This is where terms such as ‘Gross Operating Income’, ‘Net Operating Income’, ‘Capitalization Rate’, ‘Break Even Ratio’ and many other terms come into focus. You need not be alarmed by these terms since a little experience in the real estate market will enable you to not only understand, but also successfully calculate the answers, by using the various formulas that define these terms. You may also find ready-made programs online, to help with your real estate analysis. Be sure that your real estate broker and tax consultant are there to help you with any analysis. Once you get used to making an analysis to accurately price properties and factor in the related expenses, you could find yourself turning pro sooner than expected. What’s more, closing in on near perfect deals will become a habit.

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