Archive for December, 2008

Finance Tips – Investment Style

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
by Marcel Mahrer

Knowing what your risk tolerance and investment style are will help you choose investments more wisely. While there are many different types of investments that one can make, there are really only three specific investment styles – and those three styles tie in with your risk tolerance. The three investment styles are conservative, moderate, and aggressive.

Naturally, if you find that you have a low tolerance for risk, your investment style will most likely be conservative or moderate at best. If you have a high tolerance for risk, you will most likely be a moderate or aggressive investor. At the same time, your financial goals will also determine what style of investing you use.

If you are saving for retirement in your primeval twenties, you should use a conservative or moderate style of investing – but if you are trying to get together the funds to buy a home in the next year or two, you would want to use an aggressive style.

Conservative investors want to maintain their initial investment. In other words, if they invest $5000 they want to be sure that they will get their initial $5000 back. This type of investor usually invests in common stocks and bonds and short term money market accounts.

Many moderate investors invest 50% of their investment funds in safe or conservative investments, and invest the remainder in riskier investments. A moderate investor usually invests much like a conservative investor, but will use a portion of their investment funds for higher risk investments.

Aggressive investors often have all or most of their investment funds tied up in the stock market. An aggressive investor is willing to take risks that other investors won’t take. They invest higher amounts of money in riskier ventures in the hopes of achieving larger returns – either over time or in a short amount of time.

Again, determining what style of investing you will use will be determined by your financial goals and your risk tolerance. No matter what type of investing you do, however, you should carefully research that investment.

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Save Money By Renting Instead Of Buying A Home

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
by katie George

In the classic and ongoing argument of benefits for renting versus owning, advocates for home ownership always say that when you own a home, you’re paying yourself every month and building equity. What they neglect to take into consideration is that with the money you save by renting, you could be paying yourself a whole lot more.

Keep reading for a full breakdown of an example family and how, if they rented instead of owned, they could actually wind up significantly better off financially in just ten years.

Let’s Consider an Example

The Smith family buys a home for $200,000 in 1998, putting $20,000 down. Ten years later, thanks to a boom in the market, their home is now worth $350,000. That means their home appreciated at a fairly standard rate of about 5% per year.

While the Smiths got a few tax breaks thanks to their home ownership, they also had to pay about $2000 a year in property taxes, $2000 a year for insurance, and about $200 a month or $2400 a year in maintenance, repairs and house upkeep. In addition, their utility bills cost them roughly $100 a month or $1200 a year and, of course, interest on their mortgage.

With a 7%, 30-year mortgage, an assumed inflation rate of 3.5%, and their appreciation rate all taken into consideration, the Smiths paid approximately $107,000 to live in their home for 10 years.

Use of a Rental Calculator

Now, a basic rental calculator will tell you that had the Smiths rented a comparable home for $1200 a month, plus about $2000 a year for utilities and insurance, they would have paid approximately $157,000 to live in their home for 10 years.

What rental calculators don’t tell you is what would have happened had the Smiths invested their $20,000 down-payment in a modest mutual fund or GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate) and put their extra $800 to $1000 every month into other low-risk investments. Well, let’s find out.

Comparing Against Other Investments

Even if they had put their money in a modest high-interest savings account or GIC at just 4% and contributed just $800 a month, saving the rest for fun and entertainment, they would have a nest egg worth almost $157,000 after ten years.

Subtract that modest investment income from the Smith’s rental living costs for the last ten years ($157,000) and you’ll quickly see the Smiths actually broke even. Had they diversified their investment portfolio or made more aggressive investments, they could have even made money.

Remember, while buying a new home may be appealing. You have to do the math, especially if you’re considering purchasing in a market that’s depreciating or not appreciating at a healthy rate. Though homes historically appreciate at a fairly steady rate, this is not an inevitability. In a down housing market, homeowners and home investors can actually lose.

Certainly owning a home has many of its own great advantages, not the least of which include relative freedom to do what you want with it, investment potential if you’ve bought prudently, and greater control over the home’s longer-term costs. But if your primary concern is with the overall financial value, don’t discount renting a house as a viable option.

Tips in Getting the Perfect Home in Coral Springs

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
by katie George

Coral Springs is considered as a prime location for those people looking for a new home. It is the perfect place for anyone who wants to find a new place in the world — aesthetic living environment with a good economy to ensure your career and profit. But if you want to get the best home for you and your family, then here are some tips in getting the perfect home in the city.

1. Research

Blindly purchasing a home in Coral Springs real estate will not get you a quality residence that you will surely enjoy settling down in. You need to do a little research about the city itself if you want to be able to purchase a property that you can brag about.

First, you need to check real estate listings in Coral Springs on the types of residential properties being sold in the city. You might also want to look into the real estate market if the condition is fit for a home acquisition project.

2. Home Specification

You need to come up with specifications that you want your home to have. Ask the rest of the family on what they want in their new home. You might want to list down the number rooms you want, the size of the home, the floor area, and so on. This will help in narrowing down your search when you are looking for a property to buy in the city.

3. Consult A Realtor

If you have no idea where to start looking, then consulting a realtor should be your primary concern. Realtors, or real estate agents, are considered as experts in the real estate business. They have access to all the home listings in the city and can use their contacts with real estate firms and developers if they have one that will live up to your requirements.

You might want to give your realtor your home specifications and budget in advance before you ask them to search for a property. This will allow them to pick a residential unit that will fit your needs, as well as expediting the lookup process.

4. Funds

It is advisable that you avoid purchasing a new home using your own financial resources if you don’t want to go broke after the acquisition. A mortgage loan is a big help in funding your home purchase.

When looking for a mortgage loan in many of the financial lenders in the city, you need to consider your income carefully so that you can pay your debt on time. Inquire about the interest rates of different mortgage types, as well as the payment terms that will fit perfectly with your earnings.

Tips for Finding a Good Real Estate Agent

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
by katie George

Whether you are buying or selling a piece of property, commercial property, rental property, or your home, a good real estate professional will make your deal a success or failure. A good real estate agent, or property agent will make you money or make you poor. They are who advises you on any deal and just as they can bring you profit, they can just as easily cause you to lose a lot of money. That’s why these tips for finding a good real estate agent are worth considering.

Everyone would agree that the process of both buying and selling a property is extremely detail orientated, time consuming, and stressful. If your agent isn’t detail orientated it’s very easy for careless mistakes to occur throughout the process and with your money on the line it’s certainly the last thing you want to be worrying about. There’s no such thing as a little mistake when it comes to a property deal. That means you want an agent that pays attention to detail.

A real estate agent is the person that you hire so that you can avoid any loss of money or profit. There are two different agent types in the business. Real estate agents from the first category are extremely dedicated and are there every step of the way, just as they should be. The second type of realtor is the ones that pass their work and their clients to other brokers. That means you need to choose a real estate agent that is ready to earn that commission which tends to be a sizable amount of money.

When you are choosing a realtor consider what the most suited type of agent is for you. You need to think about the requirements that your real estate agent must meet with no exception.

The property agent you choose should be well educated and not just in real estate. They should have had another life prior to realty, which would make them a well-rounded individual, and provide you with the best quality services. Their knowledge about homes in the areas, property taxes, rules, and regulations for the area, interest rates, and anything else related to your property are signs of a good real estate agent. The agent should also have a great variety of homes for sale to offer his or her clients.

Look for an agent that has a high degree of experience to back their education. This type of agent has a great deal to offer and you should consider them a professional that will be a real asset to you in the process of either buying or selling.

Buying or selling property is nothing to take lightly and your agent should have the dedication to your listing that it deserves. You should not just see them at the time of the listing. They need to be willing to put the legwork in that’s required and then they will have earned that commission.

Great Ways To Improve The Value of Your Home

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
by katie George

There are many smaller and simpler ways to improve the visual impact of your home. And, if the time comes that you choose to sell the home, you will realize a greater profit if some of the following are observed.

1. Hardwood or Laminate Flooring

Both hardwood and laminate flooring is extremely popular right now and looks to be for quite some time. It is much easier to keep clean than carpet and adds thousands to the value of your home.

2. Tile Accents

Tiling in rooms like the bathroom and kitchen as opposed to linoleum is not only visually impressive, but easier to keep clean. Also tile accents around the fireplace and front door are a great touch. If you don’t have a fireplace add a small “firebox,” these are beautiful little all in one fireplaces that simply plug into the wall.

3. Decks & Porches

Is the old deck a little run down? If so maybe its time for a resurfacing and a coat of paint. Decks and porches are a huge selling feature so they should be in tip top shape. If the deck is wood, a good power washing will do wonders for its appearance, after that, re-varnish and seal it to protect the wood.

4. Paint

This can apply to both the interior and exterior. If any of the rooms in your home a feeling a little drab, why not spice them up with some new paint. Its a good idea to not be too adventurous with the colors if you are planning to sell the home, in this case neutral colors are best. On the exterior, new paint can make a world of difference. The right paint job can take years off the appearance of a home.

5. Landscaping

Landscaping it vital to the appearance of your home. If there age bushes and trees in front of your home, are they hiding it too much? Could the gardens use a little TLC? There are few things that can make a home more inviting than a well manicured yard.

6. General Cleanliness

This is one of the most important factors in the curb appeal of your home. A cluttered and untidy yard can cause potential buyers to move right past your home if the curb appeal is not up to par. You want people to be drawn into your home, to take notice and want to see more.

These things should be of great help in increasing your homes value, for sale or just for your own pleasure. Don’t forget that doing these things to your home will only improve the value of your investment in the long run.

Tips To Be A Successful Landlord

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
by katie George

There are some landlords that prefer the hands on approach who manage all the different aspects of their rental property from the process of renting, to rent collection and maintenance.

Do you fall into this category? To find out you should ask yourself a couple questions such as do you like to do things around the house? It usually helps if you do because this approach to being a landlord means you take a role in fixing some of the smaller issues which need repair in a rental home.

Part of what determines just how much work you will need to contribute is the type of property you purchase. Remember the things you are good at when deciding on a purchase. If you’re afraid of heights you may want to stick with ranch style homes because there may be a time when you need to go up on the roof for repairs.

Another question you should ask is just how good are you at keeping up on maintenance? If a problem comes up can you respond quickly to address it? Landlords who respond quickly are more apt to keep a good relationship with their tenants. If you’re slow to respond to tenants needs you may develop more of a bitter relationship with them. Once this perception is in place it is very difficult to dispel. If you have good social skills and address issues in a quickly the relationship with your tenants can be more positive.

A few of the advantages for this kind of landlord include not being dependent upon others for rental or maintenance issues. When something pops up you can generally address it in the time it takes others to arrange for others to do the job. You can swing by on the way home and take care of the issue rather than working around someone else’s schedule. Not to mention the cost savings.

You can also find it is easier to monitor your investment property. It will give you opportunities to watch for maintenance issues closer and keep track of how the tenants are taking care of your investment.

Being around more also helps you to develop a closer relationship with the tenant and make them more inclined to take better care with your home. The closer relationship also will create better feelings all around and lead to a better environment for all.

Some of the negatives of this type of landlord relationship include the time requirement on your part. If time is something you are in short supply of you may want to minimize the impact by purchasing an investment property that is not too far from your current home. Then there is the time that will be required for maintenance and repair in addition to the management issues.

Occasionally good and friendly relationships with others (including tenants) can lead people to take advantage of your good will. Take care of how situations progress and if you feel your being taken advantage of the solution would be to take a step back and treat the situation with a more business like demeanor.

The Best Housing Economy in History…for Tax Lien Investors!

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
by Amber Pierson

In our entire history there has never been a better time for tax lien investing, ask anybody that’s doing it!

This economy has made getting a from a house from your Tax lien investment much easier, folks just aren’t paying their taxes and the banks are SO heavy in foreclosure inventory that it financially behooves them to write off the note and let the property go!

This economy has made getting a from a house from your Tax lien investment much easier, folks simply aren’t paying their taxes and the banks are SO heavy in foreclosure inventory that it financially is in their best interest for them to write off the note and let the property go!

Now fast forward to RIGHT NOW! The housing crunch has dropped the redemption rate in several markets to as low as 50%.

This is any amazing opportunity for Tax Lien investors, we now have a VERY good chance of getting half of the houses we get Tax Liens for.

This is any amazing moneymaker for Tax Lien investors, we now have a VERY good chance of getting half of the houses we get Tax Liens for.

WOW!!!

Enormous governmentally secured interest rates and a few house seemed like the smartest thing I could do with my money…it grew fast!

But now…oh my gosh…houses are coming to me left and right!

Not only am I still getting my huge interest rates, but now a ton of my liens are “magically” becoming houses.

Just one quick example, I bought 6 Tax Liens in the last auction in Indiana (I love Indiana because they have a 4 month…YES 4 MONTH redemption period)it’s looking good for me to get at least half of them.

That means 50% of my Tax Liens will become houses that I own free and clear for less than $2000 each.

Best of all, if my buyer gives me a $2000 down payment on a house that I bought for $2000, I’m in a 100% profit situation!!!

Best of all, if my buyer gives me a $2000 down payment on a house that I bought for $2000, I’m in a pure profit situation!!!

Creative financing is never more welcome than at a time when the banks aren’t loaning money – tons & tons of folks are looking for money right now.

I know there are millions of people in America right now that would kill to rent to own a house with me holding the note. No bank involvement!

This scenario is one of the great reasons for tax lien investing, rent to own your way to early retirement! If the Tenant pays off the note, good for them, they get a house for a fantastic deal.

If they don’t pay their note down month in and month out, you convict them and get your house right back on the market. Again, as long as you got enough down payment from the tenant to cover your investment in the house-you are in a pure profit situation.

This is the secret to making big money from the homes your get from your tax lien investments, especially in a “down” economy. There are times in economic history when loans are much harder to get than other times; smarts investor take advantage of these times and can help people out of their troubles as a moral benefit.

So there you go…a very long winded way of saying your crazy not to get http://tax-lien-investing.eoltt.com and get to work investing today! There is a mountain of cash waiting for you!

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Plan Property Investment Professionally

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
by katie George

Your personal financial matters are very sensitive issues. It just means that you need to hire a counselor that you have a high level of trust in them. They must be reliable since they are the ones in charge in helping you with planning. The high net worth people usually builds a team approach that is composed of their financial advisor, their accountant and an estate planning attorney. Every professionals in the team are usually capable and educated and have handled a number of clients that trusts them and through reputation. It is important nowadays that a team has divisions so they can accomplish their jobs well.

So what then is estate planning? It is the process of managing how to transfer effectively your assets, during your lifetime and at the time of death. Without a well-organized estate planning, you can very well lose huge loads of portion of your estate to deductions caused by taxes. More importantly, the primary reason might be in the ability to permit you to direct relocation of your assets after dying. Your will be managed and be updated often especially when there’s a birth, marriage or divorce in the family; also, if there are tax law changes and a change in the dependent children status. It also gets updated due to impending retirement or a change in personal necessities.

If you’ve already decided on important details like your beneficiaries, it is about time that you hire a professional estate planner. You have to decide if you want to get a traditional estate planner, who specializes on the complicated numbers and physical assets or would you rather hire a holistic counselor who also incorporates legacy planning and development into the works. Individuals who are rather conscious would rather invest with the best, bank with the best and group with the best team. Take note that you have to consider a lot of factors before you hire an estate planner.

It is important that you go through legacy and estate planning. It gives the clients the privilege to tell their finances, legacy and values plan progress. The significance of correct estate planning is not really that important for majority of the entrepreneurs and professionals. The term “estate” usually points out that you’ve worked hard to collect. It includes your real estate, home, stocks, bank accounts, mutual funds, cars, bonds, life insurance, jewelry, artworks and business interests. If you have a concrete plan, there is tendency that you will have to pay a high tax bill. It can be as high as 50-55%. Not only that, there is a tendency that your beloved beneficiaries will suffer from the inconvenience with all of the requirements they have to work on.

An outdated will can cause a lot of hang-ups, even more tragic than having no will at all. Given the situation that includes a man which managed to have a will secured on 2001, giving an amount to a certain person he names as a friend. After a year, they got married but the man passed away in 2004. Unluckily, the man did not update his will. The woman asks for her elective share as a wife rather than obeying the conditions of the will after his husband’s death; but his first marriage children object. It is up to the court to determine if the surviving wife is limed to the amount from the estate.

Money Rules for Real Estate Investors

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
by katie George

If you’re going to invest as an investor, you need to play with investor money rules. It’s the same in any kind of sport. You need to know the game you’re playing to know what rules to follow.

If you’re going to play hockey, you need to play by hockey’s rules. If you’re going to play tennis, you need to play by tennis’ rules. If you’re trying to play hockey with tennis rules, you’re not going to have a very successful hockey game. That’s what often happens when people start to invest in real estate. They try to play this game called real estate investing with consumer rules. They mix apples and oranges, and end up with lemons.

What are consumer money rules? First of all, when you buy real estate as a consumer, it’s all about you and your money. In order to buy a property using consumer rules, you need to have excellent credit. You need to have enough money to make a down payment.

When you want to become a real estate investor, you will find that those consumer money rules often get in the way. They hinder you from making money in real estate. One of the primary reasons people are unsuccessful when they attempt to invest in real estate is that they think they have to invest in real estate the same way they invest in their own personal property.

In an expensive market, many people can’t even get into the game to buy their own homes. And in a very expensive market, it is almost impossible to charge enough rent to pay the mortgage. The result is that when people try to buy investment property using consumer money rules, most people cannot even get started. They can’t pay the down payment or they don’t have enough credit.

It is possible for people to build real estate portfolios following consumer rules. The problem is that buying real estate this way ties up your money and depends on your own credit. As a means to create financial independence, this is a long and laborious way to build wealth.

Investors live in a world that is different than the world of consumers. Even though we’re all living here on the same planet together, investors think differently. They know that there are different rules of money.

The first rule of successful real estate investing is to invest with investor rules rather than consumer rules. As a consumer, it’s all about you. As an investor, it’s about the property and the deal. The focus is taken away from you, your money, and your credit and directed to whether or not the deal makes sense. This is very good news for people who want to invest in real estate. You don’t have to have a lot of money or excellent credit to invest. You do need to know the investor money rules.

Practicality In Real Estate Planning

Monday, December 29th, 2008
by katie George

One of the biggest mistakes a seller can make is putting the wrong price tag on his or her home. Sellers tend to put a very high value on their property out of fear of losing profit, but buyers won’t even look at homes that are priced too high. There’s no fixed formula to pricing a home. Usually the market value of a house is based on comparable sales, but there are other factors that should be considered like location, market movement, demand, and the house’s condition. Don’t listen to your agent when he or she overstates your house’s value and makes you sign an overpriced listing. As a seller you will lose your competitive edge if you change your mind and reduce the price later on.

Ever seller wants to make sure that his or her home gets top dollar. Careful planning and making your home presentable is the key to make buyers rush to your front porch with their checkbooks at hand. To prepare your home for the big sale, remove all personal belongings like photographs and heirlooms – you want your buyer to imagine THEIR stuff on your walls. De-clutter and throw out any junk you won’t need; this will make moving out easier too. Make minor repairs on things like leaky faucets, doors that don’t close properly, and holes in the wall. Finally, make your house sparkle by cleaning off cobwebs, vacuuming daily, and waxing the floors.

When there’s a slow down in the market and a decline in home sales, anxious property sellers slash their prices just to make a sale. You probably don’t want to sell your property at a lower value, but if yo keep your price high your property won’t budge. Offering incentives is something that you can do to stay ahead of the competition and get the asking price you want.

Some incentives you can include are high-end appliances, free security systems, granite kitchen counters, an in-ground swimming pool and free pool maintenance, or a prepaid loan on a vehicle. If you don’t want to do this, you can also give financing incentives by buying down the interest rate for the potential buyer or offering your own financing program, which will give a lot of benefits to both you and your potential buyer.

To make sure you get the maximum value out of your house before you sell it, you need to treat your home as if it were any other consumer product. Here are some things you can do to put yourself in control of the selling process.

Walk through your home, look at it objectively, and see what needs improvement. Look for defects buyers might not like, such as stains, peeling paint, or cracks on the wall.

Fix any cracks in your tiles or walls and put on a new coat of paint – you’ll be amazed at what a dramatic change new paint can do. Pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms as buyers are very particular about them.

Depersonalize your home. Removing all personal effects will make it easier for buyers to imagine themselves living in your home.