Archive for November 23rd, 2009

Using the Internet for a Fast Home Sale

Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 PM

We all know that the real estate market has been struggling and unfortunately, many houses all over the country have sat empty for a year, or even longer. For the homeowner, this means paying out money but not getting anything back. The problem is that many real estate agents continue to tell sellers that they can get the property sold with no problem but in truth, they just want a commission, when and if the home sells.

Millions of people have been devastated and in addition to homes being foreclosed, those simply being sold are no longer worth the same amount of money just two years ago. While there are still a lot of buyers, they too face a challenge since banks, mortgage companies, and other lending institutions make it extremely difficult to quality for a loan so while they want to buy, the cannot get the loan needed.

With sellers being in this type of situation it makes them wonder if they will ever get the property sold. While working with a qualified real estate agent is one option, with the current situation, another way to sell is with a FSBO or For Sale by Owner. Homes on the market through realtors sit on average six to twelve months before finally being sold.

Obviously, for the motivated homeowner wanting to sell fast, this is disheartening. For homeowners that have inherited the home, being relocated for work, or gone through a divorce or death, paying two mortgages would be impossible so a fast sale is imperative. By eliminating the Realtor, the homeowner would save a tremendous amount of money by not having to pay the 6% commission.

A For Sale by Owner puts the homeowner in control and without feeling pressure of the Realtor, there is more flexibility for making decisions. In other words, the price could be set with more flexibility and the homeowner could accept or turn down offers. If you are currently trying to get your home sold, instead of worrying, you might consider letting the power of the internet do a lot of the work for you.

This would start by conducting a search on Yahoo.com, Google.com, or some other search engine where you will find thousands upon thousands of potential buyers. Keep in mind that most people found this way are investors, which can also purchase your home, which means finances are handled outside a bank, which saves time and effort. Investors use money from third-parties, which are also known as a private or hard money lender.

Good investors have no problem being approved for a loan in one to three days and typically, they have the money in as little as two weeks. If you are in a hurry to get your property sold, an investor might be the ideal solution since closing could occur in a month. Of course, for the home to be sold to an investor the title would need to be clear or judgments or liens and inspections complete.

Another benefit of using an investor is that if your home needs repair, even major repair, they would still buy. In fact, many investors specifically look for homes that need to be renovated so they can rehabilitate them and sell for a nice profit. Trying to sell your home in disrepair to a standard buyer would be difficult since most want a home in pristine condition whereas an investor usually does not care.

Today, as more and more homeowners discover the benefits that come from working with an investor, many are choosing this route instead of a Realtor. Of all tools available for the real estate market, the internet is by far the most important. In addition to finding investors, the internet can also be used for marketing and advertising real estate, finding inspectors and appraisals, and so on. Every person involved in the sale of your home could be found in one location – the internet.

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Oliver Wingrove is one of many real estate specialist homebuyers http://www.sellhousefast.co.uk/

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Owning Rental Property – Exciting and Rewarding

Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 6:43 PM

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If you need supplement income or a means of creating consistent income, or perhaps you want a way of building equity in a home while not paying rent, then getting involved in the rental property business is a great consideration. Today with so many homes on the market, it is truly a buyer’s market. This means finding and making money off rental property is very real. Keep in mind that you will not become wealthy overnight. However, rental property does provide an avenue of making money.

When the right rental property is purchased and managed correctly, you could make money. The key with rental property is to wise in choosing the home but also the location, which could provide a nice return on your investment. Being the owner of a rental home comes with many benefits in addition to steady income. For instance, you would qualify for tax breaks specific to upkeep, as well as problems with renters, and own a new piece of property.

By owning rental property, you get to decide how you want to home to work for you. As an example, some people will buy a rental home, get tenants in, and then the incoming rent would go to pay the mortgage loan. With this set up, equity building in the home is costing you nothing but giving you a long-term investment to enjoy in the future.

It is also important to know that owning rental property also comes with hard work. While good renters would take good care of the property, you will still be faced with repairs and updates. In addition, if you needed to go out of town for an extended amount of time, the renters would need someone to contact in case of emergency. Now, if you can handle home repairs then the cost of a professional would be eliminated but chances are you will face some type of repair that is beyond your ability.

Rental property also comes with unique demands that may end up being too much for you to handle. In this case, hiring a property management company would help but there is an expense involved. If you shop around, you could find a good company that fits within your budget, a company that would be on call 24 hours a day should the renter have a middle-of-the-night problem.

To be a property owner for renters, you should first consider the caliber of renters that you want occupying the property. The location is also a critical factor in that having rental property convenient for renters would increase occupancy rate. Property near a college or university, shopping, restaurants, entertainment, etc would likely be easier to rent out than one sitting in the suburbs.

Along with the positive amenities associated with location, you also need to consider negative ones. If the rental property were near an industrial site, railroad tracks, an airport, loading dock, and so on, then you would be faced with one of two problems. First, keeping the home occupied would be more difficult and second, the quality of renters would probably be less than you want.

Before signing on the dotted line, any rental property that you are interested in buying needs to be visited, not just in the morning, but also afternoon and night. This would give you true insight into the character of the location, showing you both good and bad qualities.

Owning rental property also comes with the need for a variety of professional services. During the buying phase, the home would need to be inspected and appraised and then after closing a renter’s contract would need to be created and executed, agreements/disclosures created, and so on. All of these are necessary if you want good renters and to reduce risk of lawsuit. Along with these requirements, you would also need to decide if you pets would be allowed and if so, how many and what type.

The most important aspect of owning rental property is the contract. Every detail of the agreement should be clearly outlined so there are no questions from either party. This would provide the renter with clear direction on what is and is not accepted when renting your home. Taking extra steps in finding quality renters is worth the time and effort.

Every person interested in renting your property should be required to complete a rental application and provide references, which need to be checked. You will have many people that tell you things and make promises but unless everything is in writing, their words mean nothing. Remember, even normal and nice people can be dishonest so you need to do certain things to protect you and your investment.

Although some people have no problem in renting to a family member or friend, you need to be very careful with this kind of arrangement. Even if you want to help someone you care about, this is a situation that could turn disastrous, especially if no rent is being charged. Sadly, many families have been damaged and friendships broken because of an agreement involving money that went bust.

Too often, even when rent is charged, family and friends take advantage of the situation so a late payment to them is nothing but to you, it is a financial strain and annoyance. If you purchased rental property for consistent income, it is imperative that your family members and friends be treated no differently than any other renter.

The bottom line is that being the owner of rental property is hard work but when done right, it can be a rewarding experience. The key to success is by taking your time, doing a lot of research, choosing the home carefully, and not rushing by taking the first renter that comes along. Just be realistic, knowing that you will have repairs, that renters will cause problems, and that unexpected things happen but on the other side, know you will be doing something fun, earning income, and building equity.

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Oliver Wingrove is a real estate specialist with one of the many house buying companies online. http://www.sellhousefast.co.uk/

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