Nashville, Tennessee Real Estate

Nashville Tennessee, The "Music City", home of Andrew Jackson, Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton, and Jimmy Dean. Ranked in the top 10 best places to live, picture perfect metros, and most generous metropolitan area. Oh and I almost forgot to mention, it has the greatest Music Scene in the world.

So, why would else would you like to live here? It's one of the only six states that have no person income tax. One of the lowest living rates in the United States. And it has one of the top forty hottest Real Estate markets. Nashville's high year round temperature is averaged at a room temperature 70 degrees. Has dozens of Hospitals, medical centers and specialty centers along with hundreds churches, synagogues, temples and other places of worship.

Nashville has a great entertainment life. Besides the music there is many Museums, theaters, art galleries, and various other attractions. World class restaurants can be found dotted around the city along with Nashville Convention Center which is one of the most predominant convention centers in the world. You can see the Tennessee Titans and the Nashville predators play.

Nashville has one of the lowest costs of living, lower than cities like Raleigh, Atlanta, San Diego, Cleveland, Charlotte and Denver. The average residential house costs $236,814, and the average rental price is only $687. Nashville has a state sales tax of 9.25 percent. The median house income is around $50,000. The education in Nashville is great. It is one too many colleges, universities and various other institutions. The population has been at a pretty steady rise over the past few years. There is a very low unemployment rate in Nashville, and it's getting lower.

Nashville has racked up a lot of national rankings such as, top 100 places to live, top 25 art destinations, sixth best airports, one of Americans most friendliest cities, 15th best places for businesses and careers, and top 25 places to go to school. Nashville is a great a place to live for all aspects of life. It's a great for musicians, families, college students, entrepreneurs, artists, and people just looking for a low-priced place to live.

For more information about Nashville Real Estate or about Nashville Condos visit http://www.nashvillerealestatehomesandcondos.com

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Boston Luxury Real Estate Market Booming

The Boston Luxury Real Estate market is booming, and there are no signs it will slow down anytime soon. It seems that everywhere you look in Downtown Boston, there are cranes & construction sites with new luxury condo developments underway. Despite the everyday news headlines of record foreclosures, and bubbles bursting -- sales of condos over $1,000,000 were up an astonishing 8% in 2007.

There are currently dozens of new construction projects underway in the city of Boston, including 45 Province, a 32-story 145 unit luxury high rise steps from the Boston Common; and 104-unit Battery Wharf on the North End Waterfront, with units starting at $1.15 million. Both of these buildings are expected to sell out quickly. There has been many changes in the Boston real estate market in the last few years.

The South End, for instance, was one of the least desirable neighborhoods to live in -- and now, it is one of the most sought after, and expensive. The South Boston Waterfront (aka The Seaport District), was mainly fish piers and abandoned warehouses --- and now has become one of the hottest neighborhoods to live in. The Leather District, which is the area around South Station, is experiencing a huge boom in luxury condo & luxury loft developments. The Back Bay is seeing a multitude of luxury developments being built, including 285 Columbus Lofts, The Clarendon, and the Mandarin Oriental Residences next to the Prudential Center. Right over the bridge in Cambridge, the 45-acre Northpoint project is underway, an is slated to be a "city within a city" with approximately 2,700 luxury condos, and over 2.2 million square feet of commercial space.

For more information on new luxury condo developments in Boston, photos, & virtual tours, visit http://www.bostoncityproperties.com. Boston City Properties is one of Boston's premier luxury real estate brokerages and allows access to search all Boston area condos for free.

For More information, visit: Boston Real Estate

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A Dallas Real Estate Agent is a Must!

You should always let a licensed Dallas real estate agent assist you in finding the very best deals on new homes in the Dallas, Texas Area. This will save you and your family a good bundle on cash.

Did you know that there are many new businesses relocating to the Dallas area? If you are one of those business owners that are moving relocating there then you should consider seeking the assistance of a licensed Dallas real estate agent who if able to help you in handling all the errands of your next purchase. Time is defiantly on your side when it comes to buying when you have a professional helping you.

If you don't happen to be a Dallas local and you don't live around the Dallas, Texas area, it just might be wiser to find a top producing Dallas real estate agent who knows their way around the city. Specifically, knows the better communities that would be of better fit for your lifestyle and family needs. Some of the other perks of having an agent representing you are having the inside scoop on upcoming listed properties that are on the brink of being listed. So many times before a property goes up for sale the real estate agent listing it will know about it. This might help you get a first pick on a great home before someone else has a chance to buy it.

With many folks, just like you, relocating to the Dallas area for work and other reasons, having the assistance of an insider can help you tremendously in obtaining the best deal possible on a house that otherwise you may not have even known about. You can get that edge over competing buyers and other agents only when you purchase your next home using the representation of a Dallas Real Estate Agent.

Did you know that real estate agents have more access to properties than anyone else? Many real estate agents who have the access to the MLS can find anything from a luxury modern home to a large ranch style home or even a little home at a really low price. For whatever you have in mind there is Dallas agent that is there to assist you.

Let's focus on a very important task that your agent can help you with. Your agent has access to mortgage brokers that are willing to finance your home and the best price and rate. A good Dallas real estate agent can also speed up the approval process by making the necessary calls and guide you through the essential steps of buying a home. They are usually able to write up any contracts related to the sale without the need of a real estate attorney. Bottom line, if you've never purchased a home you'll find that using a real estate agent can make the dull process of home buying seem more pleasant. Don't miss out on the next great deal and hire yourself some help.

Purchasing any real estate anywhere over leasing a condo may seem like a terrifying thing to do. But remember that in the long run you will be pleased with the decision of buying over renting. Don't hesitate; real estate is on your side.

This article is brought to you courtesy of Jordan Hashem who is a leading expert in the Dallas Real Estate.

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4 Ways to Use a Mortgage List

Several key pieces of information are contained within a good mortgage list. These would include the terms of mortgage of the loan, the purchase price of the property, as well as the relevant interest rates. Mortgage lists remain very much relevant in the modern context and are useful to people from various professions including those in the realty and financial service industry. As would-be home owners, they are useful to you too! We offer you 4 ways to use a mortgage list.

If you are interested in buying a home, then you could make good use of a mortgage list. Mortgage lists contain various sales prices for different types of homes, the overall demand for loans, as well as the interest rate to be paid on these loans. Such information would be extremely helpful to you when you make your choice. Unsure of which home is suitable for you or the price to be paid? Confused on which bank loan to take or whether you would be able to cope with the monthly payments? You can now make these choices much more easily. The monetary savings and the hassle-free decision making process which you would enjoy will often more than compensate you for the cost of the mortgage list.

A mortgage list would allow those in the financial service industry to make adjustments to their services provided in order to meet the needs of borrowers. Most mailing lists contain information pertaining to the term of mortgage, demand for loans as well as the relevant interest rates. These would allow those in the financial business to better gauge the market's demand as well as the overall trend for loans. Subsequently, it would allow financial institutions to cater to the market's needs by creating new financial products. Alternatively, these companies might choose to lower the risk of their loans granted by listing down certain requirements before a person is able to get a loan. Such measures allow financial companies to increase their profitability while lowering their overall risk of operations.

The usefulness of a mortgage list can also be expanded to those in the construction business. With the various indicators in place, such as demand for homes and the types of homes currently popular with home buyers, contractors and developers would be able to make adjustments to their businesses to ensure that these needs are met. This often entails cutting back on building materials and labor when demand is low, while increasing the purchase of building materials and labor when demand for houses is high. Thus, a mortgage list would allow those in the construction business to cater effectively to the demands of the broad market as a whole.

Lastly, a mortgage list can prove useful in providing useful information for market research. Market research is often used by many companies in order to assess the direction in which the market is heading. However, collecting accurate information on sensitive issues such as the amount loaned, refinancing packages as well as type of house purchased can be in fact an extremely painstaking and costly affair. With a mortgage list, such information would be made readily available, allowing these companies to focus their attention on the other aspects of their business.

It is important to clarify that the uses of a mortgage list are not limited to those stated above. In any case, there are many other useful ways on how you would be able to make good use of a mortgage list to aid you in your business or personal decisions.

Chris Burns is an authority on mailing list services providing valuable advice on using Business Mailing Lists
Click Here to learn more about the services that he provides.

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Real Estate in Wylie Texas

If you are contemplating a move to the Wylie, Texas area then these are some things you'd want to know. Saying that a few things are happening in Wylie would be an understatement. Wylie is one of the fastest growing communities in Texas, and Wylie has a number of projects that are in the planning or construction stage. Some of those are street and road improvements along with new buildings and facilities, to park improvements, the City of Wylie is working to meet the needs of it's growing population.

It's a pretty much accepted fact that a Texas home is one of the best investments you can make; but like many things in life, timing is everything. Recent worrisome talk about subprime mortgages, falling property values, foreclosures and slow real estate markets are keeping more than a few homeowners up at night. The cure for those concerns is information.

Remember, the real estate game is best played over the long haul. So trust time to be on your side! Mortgage rates are at a two-year low. If you finance your home while rates are low, you can save hundreds of dollars a year (or more), according to Freddie Mac's January 10, 2008 Primary Mortgage Market Survey: The average principal and interest payment on a $250,000 loan has dropped by $131.83 per month since August 3, 2007.

The city of Wylie has more than sufficient Real Estate agents to assist you in making a choice. A number of those are national firms as well as builders. Some of those are Remax, Century 21, Coldwell Banker and others. Some of the builders are Choice Homes, Era Signature Homes, Country Ridge, Sage Creek Phase 8 and others.

The Real Estate market in Wylie is still strong and there is value from Wylie ISD to the convenience of outdoors activities. As a resident you'll have quick access to Lake Lavon, Lake Ray Hubbard as well as many other parks and recreation areas that are our little secrets.

From Seis Lagos to Birmingham Farms, there is a host of subdivisions that will meet every type of home buyer's tastes and price range. It is hard not to find exactly what you are looking for in a home in Wylie Texas - the variety of builders make Wylie a great place to call home!

Our tax rates are lower than other equitable communities and the Mayor has stated that he wants a decrease to be considered in the near future. The value of the school systems, convenience of bus service and quality of teachers all play a part in property values,and the ability to hold those to a high rate. Wylie ISD serves approximately 3,220 students in Pre-K through 12th grade on five campuses. WISD was ranked an "Exemplary" district for seven consecutive years from 1996-2003. The district continues to rate as one of the best School Districts in Texas by the Texas Education Agency. WISD has also been rated "Superior" by TEA's Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas. This is the highest rating awarded by the state.

Public Safety sets Wylie apart from other cities. Wylie's Crime Rate continues to be one of the lowest in North Texas and Wylie Fire Rescue maintains its ISO 1 rating. Community involvement through the Citizens Police Academy, Volunteers in Policing, CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) and SkyWarn weather spotting, strengthens the Emergency response and preparedness.

The City of Wylie projects an expected population growth of 39,000+ or - by the end of 2008. But, there is another side of the city's growth and that is the commercial and business development here in Wylie. With the growth, Wylie has now home to an expanding business climate with industrial and commercial development.

As Wylie continues to experience residential growth, more businesses are popping up on the Wylie landscape. According to the Texas Comptroller's Office, there were 843 active sales tax businesses located in Wylie, Texas as of January 1, 2007. In 2006, there were only 204 new sales tax permits issued for the 75098 zip code.

With increased commercial development, the City continues to experience substantial growth in sales tax revenue. For the 2006 fiscal year, the City received $4.39 million in sales tax revenue, which represented a 24% increase since the 2005 fiscal year.

There is more than one (1) million square feet of retail and commercial development approved in Wylie that is still to be built. The majority of this development is located along the FM 544 and Highway 78 thoroughfares. With proactive evaluation and planning for retail development, they anticipate increasing Wylie's retail base which will provide Wylie and surrounding small towns with additional shopping options having a considerable impact on the City's sales tax revenues.

Some of the things under consideration are:

1. A New Library (40,000+ sq ft), Recreation Center (40,000 + sq ft) and a New City Hall with final planning still in the works by the City Council.

2. Woodbridge Crossing development anchored by Target. The center, scheduled to open Summer 2009, features 575,000 sq. ft. of retail space and a potential $202 million in retail sales.

3. More than 13 miles of new and reconstructed roadways, funded through the State, County and City bonds, to be completed in the next five years. Roads include Ballard Avenue, McCreary Road, Stone Road, FM 1378, Brown Street and McMillen Road.

The Mayor feels that the City, School District, Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Merchants Association, Economic Development Corporation, citizens and community organizations working together will provide the future success of the City of Wylie.

So there you have it Wylie, Texas a once sleepy little town, becoming the rose of Collin County and one of the fastest growing communities in the DFW Metroplex.

Jude Sutton is the Wylie Texas Community Partner at Cagora.com http://wylie.cagora.com/overview/intro and is also the admin for the WylieTx75098 Blog - http://www.wylie75098.com/

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Organize Your Real Estate Clientele

Do you know where your kids are right now? That is a phrase that used to play on a local news station asking parents if they knew what their children were doing at this very moment. Of course that was at a time in which crime was high in dealing with kidnapping and kids committing crimes because they are unsupervised. Luckily today, we as parents do not have deal with that anymore.

That is way beyond the truth.

Sometimes it would be easier for us if we could track where our children go and who they talk to. They do not need to be out away from home after 10pm. Depending on the age of the child, what could the possibly be doing after 10pm? The answer is getting into mischief. Sometimes we are right on point when it comes to how to deal with our children, but other times we might be so far off the point and our kids dislike us for it.

Just think how great it would be to sit down at a computer, and look at the progress of each of your children to see how they are doing in different areas of their lives. You can click on your oldest child and see that he now has a girlfriend and will be taking the ACT test soon. It also tells you the last time he did a chore or even told you that he loved you. It looks like you are overdo for a hug and kiss from your son.

In the real estate market, there are people who own multiple properties. There are also companies that have many different people to keep on the right track with their properties. Some of the best companies have a good real estate client management system. In real estate client management , you have to be on your game if you are the one sending in the plays. Be sure to understand that the way you take care of your clients could lead you to a multitude of more business in the future.

How do you get set up and maintain your real estate client management trade? First of all get organized. You will not be able to keep track of who you are dealing with, when if you are not organized. You will need a separate work place if you are working out of your home. If you have a space established outside your home, make it professional looking, clean, and inviting to potential clients. It would be a good idea in real estate client management if you had some type of program or software that could keep you updated and organized. Sometimes you might need reminders of meetings that you have set up with potential or current clients that you can not miss or you were supposed to send them a report on the progress of their property. Using some sort of email, calendar or a client tracking software could greatly improve your organization, which will greatly improve you business.

Dealing in real estate client management can be difficult if you are unaware on how to handle clients and their needs. You have to treat each client different because their needs and wants are different. You can set up client profiles and have a detailed understanding on what each client expects and wants to accomplish. From there, it is simply keeping them updated on what the market is doing and what is going on with their properties. The worst thing you could do is not be prepared, or able to take care of the client. In real estate client management , one or two bad referrals in this real estate market could hugely hinder your business.

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Austin, Texas Real Estate Remains Strong

Big things are happening in Austin Texas. Austin is an expanding city, fast becoming one of the most popular areas in the U.S. to live. CNN ranks Austin as the third fastest growing area in the United States. As a major market city with all the conveniences of a metropolitan center and excellent real estate values, Austin is proving to be a great environment for the investing sector.

In a real estate market that has shown signs of decline nationwide, the market in Austin has continued to see steady increases. This is a refreshing change compared to the climate seen in the over all real estate market recently and Austin homes are showing great value, appreciating at double the national rate. In the ongoing search for sustainable real estate markets, investors are finding that cities like Austin are remaining constant in property appreciation and market demand making Austin a great place to invest your real estate dollars.

The city of Austin is home to well over 700,000 residents, with almost 1.5 million people living in the greater Austin-Round Rock, five county metropolitan area. Boasting an energetic arts and entertainment scene, exceptional restaurants, and fantastic wilderness areas and Lake Travis in the nearby hill country for outdoor enthusiasts, Austin is a very attractive real estate option for the home buyer or investor.

Austin is also a very popular area for those looking to retire, especially the Texas Hill Country, where fertile open plains give way to rugged rolling limestone hills. With its many golf courses and proximity to Lake Travis, the area has the feel of a luxury resort, yet residents remain close to all that Austin has to offer.

One of the major factors in Austin's appeal is the variety of established, quaint and unique communities. Homes in Austin can vary as much as the people that live in them. Architectural home styles in Austin are just like any found in other areas of Texas or in any metropolitan city in the country, including a number of restored Victorian brick buildings.

Central Austin has a number of condos are under construction, as the demand increases for downtown living. Home builders on the other hand are concentrating on the more suburban areas where growth continues around new roadways that are cutting travel time almost in half. There are a number of large shopping mall complexes and high end stores being built in Austin and at this time, there is no indication of a slow down in the near future.

When it comes to the housing bubble that everyone in the country seems to be talking about these days, the Austin real estate market remains largely unaffected, unlike cities such as Phoenix, Arizona and a number of states on the east and west coasts where prices have continued to appreciate at large, unstable rates. Austin properties have seen a strong but moderate increase in value. New construction remains strong as well, with more jobs being created, and the available housing inventory continues to shrink at a comfortably slow pace. Best of all, Austin Texas real estate still remains affordable, and the Austin real estate market is extremely healthy.

Cherri Fox contributes to an Austin realtors directory where potential home buyers can find the best Austin Realtor from a list of pre-screened real estate agents.

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Austin Real Estate Market

Despite the crisis in the mortgage market and the tightening of credit standards for home loans, the Austin Real Estate Market remains steady and strong. It is true that home prices in the Austin area overall are down from 2007, but the following factors show a positive trend:

• The average sold price has rebounded by 7.9% to $252, 417 compared to January of 2006.
• New listings for January of this year are up 82% to 10,088 active listings compared to 7793 listings the same time last year.
• Neighborhoods such as Cedar Park and Round Rock have experienced strong positive trends in sale prices.
• Homes in Northwest and Southwest Austin are going to contract within days of being listed and many are receiving multiple offers.
• Austin's unemployment rate is currently 3.3 %, below the statewide rate of 3.9 % and the national rate of 4.4%. Statewide, Texas has a positive job growth rate of 2%. This factor is a great help to the housing market.
• According to USA Today, Austin's homes are about 5% undervalued, causing a large amount of investor interest.

In simple terms, the outlook for the Austin Real Estate Market for 2008 is steady. This means there will not be large jumps in home appreciation, but at the same time, there will be steady positive price growth in popular neighborhoods-unlike many other large real estate markets nationwide. The growing amount of inventory will swing the market from seller's to buyer's favor in 2008, and there will be many excellent values to be had. During the house value boom, from 2002 to 2006, home values in Austin overall did not have the radical upward swings that markets in L.A. or Miami had. Because of this, there is not a corresponding huge downward swing in home value in the Austin Real Estate Market.

Austin Real Estate Lakeway

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Our Management Team

Our Team is always working for this real estate blog

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Investor relations

Alexandra Hockenhull is a specialist investor relations advisor to board directors.

There is a general acknowledgement today that investor relations is a core board responsibility.

Good investor relations is no longer optional. In competitive capital markets it is essential to get your message heard. It is also a factor of compliance with the regulatory and corporate governance requirements for publicly traded companies.

Alexandra Hockenhull also works with professional advisors and bodies, and with the Business School community.

Alexandra's background combines both fund management and in-house investor relations. She therefore offers unusual breadth as well as depth of relevant experience.

Her objective is to help board directors make the most of a company's listing, improve the management and impact of their investor relations, and find practical ways to comply with relevant market regulations and corporate governance requirements.

Alexandra also advises on corporate communications. Her investor relations advice is always placed in the context of this broader discipline.

Hockenhull Investor Relations offers a flexible and highly cost-effective way to bring senior in-house investor relations expertise onto the management team.

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Accessibility

Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product (e.g., device, service, environment) is accessible by as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" the functionality, and possible benefit, of some system or entity. Accessibility is often used to focus on people with disabilities and their right of access to entities, often through use of assistive technology. Several definitions of accessibility refer directly to access-based individual rights laws and regulations. Products or services designed to meet these regulations are often termed Easy Access or Accessible.^{[citation needed]}

Accessibility is not to be confused with usability which is used to describe the extent to which a product (e.g., device, service, environment) can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use.

Accessibility is strongly related to universal design when the approach involves "direct access." This is about making things accessible to all people (whether they have a disability or not). However, products marketed as having benefited from a Universal Design process are often actually the same devices customized specifically for use by people with disabilities.^{[citation needed]} An alternative is to provide "indirect access" by having the entity support the use of a person's assistive technology to achieve access (e.g., screen reader).

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Money laundering

The basic money laundering process has three steps:

1. Placement - At this stage, the launderer inserts the dirty money into a legitimate financial institution. This is often in the form of cash bank deposits. This is the riskiest stage of the laundering process because large amounts of cash are pretty conspicuous, and banks are required to report high-value transactions.
2. Layering - Layering involves sending the money through various financial transactions to change its form and make it difficult to follow. Layering may consist of several bank-to-bank transfers, wire transfers between different accounts in different names in different countries, making deposits and withdrawals to continually vary the amount of money in the accounts, changing the money's currency, and purchasing high-value items (boats, houses, cars, diamonds) to change the form of the money. This is the most complex step in any laundering scheme, and it's all about making the original dirty money as hard to trace as possible.
3. Integration - At the integration stage, the money re-enters the mainstream economy in legitimate-looking form -- it appears to come from an legal transaction. This may involve a final bank transfer into the account of a local business in which the launderer is "investing" in exchange for a cut of the profits, the sale of a yacht bought during the layering stage or the purchase of a $10 million screwdriver from a company owned by the launderer. At this point, the criminal can use the money without getting caught. It's very difficult to catch a launderer during the integration stage if there is no documentation during the previous stages.

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10. Email May Not Be Used to Provide Notice. Communications made through the blog's e-mail and messaging system shall in no way be deemed to constitute legal notice to Sheppard Mullin or any of its officers, employees, agents or representatives, such as where notice to Sheppard Mullin is required by contract, or any federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations.

11. Disclaimer; Limitation of Damages.
(a) Sheppard Mullin expressly disclaims all liability for any viruses or other contamination of your computer system or other device used to access this blog as a result of your use of this blog, and expressly disclaims all liability for actions taken or not taken based on any or all of the contents of this blog. THE BLOG IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, SECURITY, ACCURACY AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, SHEPPARD MULLIN MAKES NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, THAT ACCESS TO OR OPERATION OF THE BLOG WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE.

(b) USE OF THE BLOG IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND RISK OF LOSS RESULTING FROM YOUR DOWNLOADING AND/OR USE OF FILES, INFORMATION, OTHER COMMUNICATIONS, CONTENT OR OTHER MATERIAL (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, SOFTWARE) ACCESSED THROUGH OR OBTAINED BY MEANS OF THE BLOG.

12. Applicable Laws; Venue. Sheppard Mullin operates the blog from its offices in California and makes no representations that materials in the blog are appropriate or available for use in other locations. The display of the blog alone does not subject Sheppard Mullin to any specific jurisdiction. Access to the blog from any territory where the content is illegal is prohibited. If you choose to access the blog from other locations, you do so at your own risk and are solely responsible for compliance with any and all applicable laws, rules and regulations. You may not use or export any of the blog materials in violation of U.S. export laws and regulations. Any claim related to the use of the blog or to the blog materials shall be governed by, construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of California as applied to agreements made and to be performed entirely therein. Any action arising out of or related to the access, use, content, or existence of this blog shall be filed only in the appropriate state or federal court located within the State of California. The access, viewing or use of this blog constitutes the user's express permission and consent to the jurisdiction of the state and/or federal courts of the State of California for purposes of such actions.

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Testimonials

Customer Testimonials

Selling your house is about getting the job done, but knowing that we have helped to make it an enjoyable experience is an absolute thrill.

You will find below some of the great testimonials we have received from our happy customers.

"We would like to say that all staff were so professional, pleasant and a pleasure to deal with. We were so impressed with the way in which your office goes about their business. We had been through 15 months of hell with 4 other real estates, so it was so nice to be treated with respect and to have our home sold so quick. We were also impressed with the steady flow of interested buyers. Thankyou all so much.
Cheers,
"
Mr C & Mrs K Lee

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"If you are looking to take the stress out of selling or buying you can rely on Tim Bramall.
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Rob & Judy Eldridge

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"I found Tim to be helpful, thorough, and cheerful, throughout the sale of my unit.
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Carmel Moloney

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"Buying and selling can be very stressful except when you have an agent like Tim Bramall.
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Harry & Colleen

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"Our recent selling experience through Tweed Heads Real Estate was just so easy. They outlined a marketing programme which lead to a sale in only two weeks. Throughout this period of time we were well informed and we would have no hesitation in recommending Tweed Heads Real Estate's services to any of our friends.
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Demi & Mel Tsakmakis

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"“100% entirely happy with Tim’s work, went beyond the call of duty”
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Geoff & Mabel Jackson

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"“Tim didn't just sell me a house. He found me a home that suits my needs without wasting my time. Tim listens, acts and works with his clients as one team. Tim can be trusted.”
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Dave Gilbert

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"“Many thanks Tim for your dedicated assistance in finding our new home, you will be the person we send other buyers to see”
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Alan & Wendy Heming

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"Desma and I wish to thankyou for your courteous, and business approach in regards to the sale of our property at 30 Kintyre Crescent . The property market is a tough job, thanks for all your help over the past few months. Good luck to you for the future, and well done Tweed Heads Real Estate.
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Gary & Desma Truscott

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"When I decided to place my home on the market I was not sure which agent to list with. I don’t know why I chose Tweed Heads Real Estate but I am so glad I did as Tim and the rest of the crew have been very caring with phone calls informing me of the feed back after each inspection. Tweed Heads Real Estate have sold my home and it has been a pleasure dealing with them.
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Avis Oakes

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"We have no hesitation in recommending Tweed Heads Real Estate, especially Simon Beck to any prospective clients. We have found Simon to be very courteous and have always kept us well informed at all times. Nothing was too much trouble to him, and he left no stone unturned in selling our property.
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Joy & Graham Butler

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"Tim was always cheerful, friendly, and most importantly, professional with all dealings with us. He did not do only what was needed to sell the house, he went the extra mile with everything he did. We could not recommend Tim highly enough for the work he did in selling our property. Thank you Tim and best wishes for the future, we know you have a long and prosperous career ahead of you. Thank you to the staff at Tweed Heads Real Estate for all the behind the scenes work you have done.
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Robyn and Barbara Taylor & John Bowmer

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Become part of this list!

If you want to entrust someone to handle the buying or selling your property in the best possible manner , contact us today and you will soon be seeing your name with these satisfied clients.

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Your Design

This Blog is Designed by Soumitra Mondal

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Homes Abroad

Buying Holiday Homes Abroad

It’s that time of the year again - Christmas is over, New Year celebrations were a bit of a let down and it’s raining - so everyone’s thinking about the summer, about holidays in the sun and about buying a holiday home abroad.

Therefore once again it’s time to write about the realities of buying property abroad for anyone about to don their rose coloured glasses, because all too often people fall foul of the charms of a particular country and don’t think through their property buying decisions properly.

I’m not going to put a dampener on your decision to buy a holiday home abroad - honestly I’m not! But this article is essential reading for anyone who has never bought a home overseas before because ‘things’ seldom go as planned or progress in the same way as they do ‘back home’ and you need to be prepared otherwise you will suffer unnecessary stress. After all, owning a second home abroad for holiday or investment purposes is a dream, and you need to make sure that the dream comes to fruition rather than turning into a nightmare!

First things first if you have a particular country in mind - I’m sure you do - you need to do some location, location, location type research. Different areas of a country attract different types of buyer - the Costa del Sol attracts a different type of holiday home seeker than Northern Spain; South Cyprus attracts a different type of property buyer than Northern Cyprus.

You need to ensure you’re looking at the areas of a country that will meet your particular dreams and aspirations for your holiday home in the sun. Once you’ve done a certain amount of research on the internet and in the library there will be only one thing for it and that’s travelling to a particular area and spending time in it! It’s a great excuse for a holiday. You will be tempted to look at properties right away but if at all possible take some time familiarising yourself with your surroundings, meet locals and expatriates who live in a given neighbourhood and try and get a sense of whether these are the types of people you can get along with.

Once you have a location fairly well in mind you need to finalise your list of requirements that the holiday home should fulfil. How many bedrooms do you need, how much outside space would be optimum, do you want a pool, a villa, an apartment, sea views, mountain views, access to shared facilities or are you after an isolated property miles away from anyone. With the list drawn up and a location decided upon you can have a look and see what properties are available for your budget. You may be pleasantly surprised or you may have to tweak your ‘must have’ list a little so that you can afford to buy a holiday home in your preferred location.

It’s important to have a fair understanding of what you can buy for your money in a particular location before you begin speaking to estate agents because then you will know whether you’re being shown a bargain, a realistically priced property or whether someone is trying to rip you off.

It’s at this stage in your research that you can contact estate agents and set up appointments to view properties. Give the estate agent your preferred location, your ‘must have’ list and your budget and ask them not to deviate from your criteria - be aware that an agent makes more money the more expensive the property he sells and so he will always try to stretch your budget! Stick firmly to your budget as there are always extra expenses that you will have to incur when buying property abroad and you don’t want to suddenly run out of money.

On that point it’s important to mention the fact that you will need to budget taxes, fees and costs like lawyer and notary fees into your budget. Get a list from an estate agent of all the additional costs you will have to pay and at what stage during the buying process you will have to pay them.

If you need finance to buy your holiday home abroad you should have this agreed in principal before you seriously begin looking. Once you find a holiday home and make a successful offer on it you will only have so many days to get the money in place to sign the final contract. If you have a mortgage or loan agreed in principal you’ll have plenty of time and far less stress when it comes to getting the money into the right account at the right time.

Get a lawyer - don’t get one the builder, vendor, developer or estate agent uses as you need an independent lawyer who will serve you and your best interests throughout the property buying process. Make sure the lawyer will run the title searches for you and make sure you talk to them about the decisions you’re about to make regarding the purchase of a given property before you make them! Local lawyers often know of any dodgy developers or contentious properties and can subtly warn you away from any unscrupulous persons if you just listen carefully to the advice they give!

Consider currency transfers - when buying holiday homes abroad it is estimated people can lose up to GBP 1,000 on a GBP 100,000 transaction if they don’t time their transfer correctly and end up losing out to fluctuating exchange rates. There are a number of well established foreign currency transfer companies now specialising in assisting people to make a transfer abroad for the specific purpose of a home purchase. Consider looking into their services and see how you can potentially save yourself money.

And finally, don’t enter into a decision overseas that you wouldn’t entertain back home, don’t believe everything you’re told by eager estate agents and property developers and don’t be tempted to buy the first thing you see without at least comparing it to other properties.

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Investment Properties

How to find good investment property

Know your time horizon

As with any other investment, you should have a good idea how long you plan to own a rental property before you buy it, says Robert Cain, publisher of the Rental Property Reporter newsletter.
The longer you plan to own the property, the more you'll probably need to invest in maintenance, repairs and improvements, Cain said.
"If you're keeping it for 20 years, at some point you're going to be putting a new roof on that property. You're going to be putting in new appliances and doing some major repairs," Cain said. If you're only planning to own a property for five years, by contrast, you'll probably want to avoid making any major improvements unless you're sure you can recoup the cost with a higher sale price.
You also may face more investment risk with a shorter time horizon. Although your rental will almost certainly appreciate over 20 years, it could easily lose value in the next five, particularly if you're buying in an overheated market. You'll need a bigger potential annual return to make up for that risk.
For many small investors, long-term ownership makes the most sense, said Pat Callahan, an attorney, landlord and founder of the American Association of Small Property Owners. You'll have plenty of time to ride out any swings in the market, and rental income can make a nice supplement to your day job. Find enough rental properties, and being a landlord may become your day job.

Develop a network

Experienced landlords find their properties in a variety of ways. Some hunt for foreclosures, making friends with city hall clerks or bank employees who know which properties are about to be sold. Some run ads in local newspapers. Others work with real estate agents who keep their eyes peeled for possible buys.
Several landlords recommended joining a local landlord or property owner's association to make contacts. Callahan's Web site offers links to local groups, as does the National Real Estate Investors Association.
"When you begin to own rentals, all the other investors start coming out of the woodwork," said Sean Hoppe, a landlord in Pottsville, Pa., who owns 11 properties. "Through investor meetings, networking, etc., I can find out what is for sale."
You also can try approaching landlords directly to see if they're willing to sell, by calling the numbers listed on rental ads in the classifieds, by cruising neighborhoods looking for "for rent" signs or by talking to any landlords you know personally.
That's how Bob, who asked that his last name not be used, bought his rental property near Albany, N.Y. The landlord of the three-unit building where Bob had rented for 15 years was tired of the hassles and ready to sell.
"We love (the area) and jumped at the chance to buy it," Bob said.
So far, Bob and his wife have been pleased with their purchase. They raised rents and required security deposits, which caused the property's less desirable tenants to leave. He also has a backup plan for the building in case he starts to feel like the prior owner.
"If being a landlord got to be too big a hassle," Bob said, "we would just get rid of the tenants and make it our own place."

Get your finances in shape

The better your credit, and the less credit card and other consumer debt you have, the better your prospects for getting a decent loan, Callahan said. Lenders usually require bigger down payments, higher interest rates and generally stronger finances when you're buying rental property. That's because they know people are more likely to default on investment property than they are on their own homes.
Landlords say it also pays to have a substantial cash reserve left over after buying a property.

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Buying a House

Home Buying Tips

Home seller credit could save real estate deal
No one likes to give money away, but a monetary credit from the seller to the buyer can solve a problem that might otherwise derail a home-sale transaction. Here's a typical scenario where a seller credit could save the deal.
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How to protect yourself in a real estate transaction
It's no wonder that buying or selling a home ranks high on the list of the most stress-provoking events one can experience, up there with the death of a loved one and divorce. There's a lot at stake financially when you buy or sell a home. A good or bad outcome can affect your net worth, as well as your sense well being.
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How would a truly flexible mortgage work?
Lat week I had little good to say about Fannie Mae's new Payment Power Program (PPP), which allows a borrower to skip up to two mortgage payments in any 12-month period, and up to 10 over the life of a loan. A skipped payment results in an additional loan, equal to the payment plus a healthy access fee, tacked on to the balance. As an emergency source of funds, it is much more costly than accessing a home-equity line of credit (HELOC).
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Mortgage disclosure amendments do more harm than good
"The grapevine says that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is seriously considering a proposal by the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) for amending mortgage disclosure requirements. Is their proposal good for borrowers?"
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Should I take my home off the market for the holidays?
As we head into the last month of the year, sellers usually wonder if they should take their home off the market for the holidays. While no one has a crystal ball, there are many good reasons to consider leaving your home on the market until it sells.
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Taking possession of home before closing gets risky
Rarely do you find a home to buy that's in exactly the condition you'd like it to be. Even if the home is new, relatively new or well-maintained, you may want to make changes to the decor so that it suits your style preferences and works with your possessions.
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Traps all home buyers should avoid
At the beginning of a new year, it's natural to make resolutions. For instance, you may have been putting off buying a home. Now you've resolved to buy before interest rates rise and you're priced out of the market. Before forging ahead, consider the following tips and traps.
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What are the benefits of piggyback financing?
When a buyer puts 10 percent or less cash down, most lenders require mortgage insurance, known as PMI, which is paid for by the buyer. The cost of PMI is about 1/2 percent of the loan amount annually. So, on a $250,000 mortgage, PMI will run about $1,250 per year.
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What to consider when reviewing a home purchase offer
A home purchase agreement is a complicated legal document. It will include all of the terms and conditions of the sale, most of which are negotiable. Some sellers focus on the price the buyer offers, minimizing the other terms and conditions. This approach can lead to trouble.
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10 Benefits Of Buying At The End Of The Year
In addition to low interest rates, there are other benefits to buying at the end of the year, including:
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Back out legally
When can I pull out of a purchase contract?
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Big Mistakes Every Homeowner Should Avoid
In 1996, Zarmina Azadozy purchased her property at a mortgage lender's foreclosure sale. But she failed to record her deed.
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Checklist for fall home projects
Well, you can't deny it any longer – fall is in the air.
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Common Myths About Working With Real Estate Agents
Get started by avoiding these common myths about real estate agents.
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Determining Your Offer Price
When you prepare an offer to purchase a home, you already know the seller’s asking price. But what price are you going to offer and how do you come up with that figure?
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Determining Your Offer Price
When you prepare an offer to purchase a home, you already know the seller’s asking price. But what price are you going to offer and how do you come up with that figure?
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Do You Know The Real Price Of Your ARM?
Adjustable-rate mortgages are complicated instruments. No one characteristic fully describes one.
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Does Bankrupcy Automatically Preclude Me From Getting a Mortgage?

No
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Does Home Remodeling Always Pay Off?
Perhaps you've heard stories about homeowners who've greatly improved their net worth by remodeling homes and selling them.
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Dream homes on eBay (Barbie not included)
Suzanne "Mercedes" Hayes sells a lot of stuff on eBay.
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Estimating How Much Home You Can Afford
It's the question you need to ask yourself before you even BEGIN your new home search. It's the most important factor in determining what kind of home you can secure, and where you can begin to look. It's a crucial consideration for first-timers and veteran home buyers alike.
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Finding a Good Home Inspector: What You Should Ask
You've found the house, your offer has been accepted, and funding is in place. But before you start packing, be sure you hire a professional home inspector to make sure your house doesn't have any major defects that could cost you down the road.
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For-sale-by-owner fallouts
Why most do-it-yourself sellers give up after 30 to 60 days.
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Home-based business brings recapture concerns
Working at home has become as common as playing at home. Some employers will tell you the two are synonymous while many spouses – especially seniors and aging Baby Boomers not used to having their partner in the home all day—wonder if home-based work really is a good idea.
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House design for a friendly family
What describes a great house? It looks good and makes you feel good when you're inside it. It is energy efficient and comfortable. And it facilitates frequent casual interactions among family members.
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House Inspectors: Choosing The Right One...
A qualified house inspector is the surest way to discover a house's not-so-obvious problems. Most professional inspectors are from some type of construction background, such as engineering, architecture or contracting. Their responsibility is to crawl beneath the floors, squeeze through the attic and generally comb the house's structure and mechanical systems for shortcomings. They give the buyer a complete report; with this, the buyer can decide whether or not the house is a good deal, or at least put together a "punch list" of items that must be fixed (it isn't unusual for this report to contain about 50 items). The fee for this service generally runs from about $300 to $500 and up.
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How can I improve my real estate purchase offer?
Few failed endeavors can match the frustration of losing out in a multiple-offer competition. But, almost as disappointing is making the only offer—and a strong one—and having the seller outright reject it. Here are a few tips on how to sweeten your offer without jeopardizing your financial security.
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How do I prepare to close my home purchase?
Finding a home to buy and negotiating the purchase contract are the toughest parts of the home buying process for most people. But, if you don't plan ahead, and carefully monitor your home purchases transaction, you could find trouble ahead.
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How much work should you do before selling?
Recently a couple that owned a home in Berkeley, Calif., decided to move to neighboring Piedmont. They started their search by visiting Sunday open houses. It was quite apparent to them which listings had been prepared for sale and which ones had not. They were invariably drawn to listings that were charming, clean, and uncluttered.
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How to avoid buying bad real estate
Ask any experienced residential real estate attorney about his or her most difficult case. The answer will probably involve a "bad house." While not exactly a legal term, a bad house is one where the buyer alleges the seller knew about a serious structural defect, but failed to disclose it to the buyer before purchase.
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How to buy profitable real estate
Are you the adventurous type of home buyer who wants to make a profitable purchase? Or are you looking for a near-perfect "model home" acquisition where all you have to do is turn the key in the front door and move in?
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How To Plan Custom Home and Cut The Cost
Last spring I participated in an "Ask the Experts" panel in Sarasota, Fla. Afterwards, a woman in the audience asked me to review her plans for a new beach house overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
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How To Save Money On Your New Home
Do you clip food coupons from your Sunday newspaper? Or do you take advantage of sales at your favorite department store? Then you will certainly appreciate BIG savings on the purchase of a new home!
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How To Save Money On Your New Home
Do you clip food coupons from your Sunday newspaper? Or do you take advantage of sales at your favorite department store? Then you will certainly appreciate BIG savings on the purchase of a new home!
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How to sell home without real estate agent
Have you noticed when you are on an airplane, the stranger sitting next to you will often reveal secrets he probably wouldn't tell his closest friends?
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If your suburb sprawls, your gut is more likely to sprawl, too
Car-loving suburbanites pack on about six more pounds than those who live in dense cities, where people tend to keep off weight by walking more.
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Is private mortgage insurance good or bad?
Unless you are involved with real estate you probably have never heard of PMI. No. It's not a serious disease. In fact, PMI can be extremely beneficial if you are a "cash challenged" home buyer without a sufficient down payment.
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Is Your Dream Custom Home Out of Reach? Not Today!
When the average American thinks about a custom home he thinks of finding a builder and perhaps an architect who take his dreams and convert them into the home of his dreams. Always the fly in the ointment is cost. Can the average American afford the luxury of a custom designed home?
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Low price not always best value
A home at a low price may be no bargain at all if the maintenance costs are prohibitive
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Manufactured Housing Sheds Stereotype
Forget the term "mobile home" - it's so 26 years ago.
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Most Common Mortgage Mistakes And How To Avoid Them
The Canadian Institute of Mortgage Brokers and Lenders conducted the annual survey with sponsorship from the federal government’s housing arm.
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Online Lending Makes Financing Your Dream Home Easy And Fast
Financing the construction of your dream home may seem like a complicated process compared to the standard home purchase or refinance of an existing home.
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Over Improving May Hurt Resale
Resale value is very important if you plan to refinance or sell soon. Many factors affect it, including economic and housing market conditions, quality of the house, and desirability of the neighborhood. One measure of a home's resale value is the length of time it spent on the market before you bought it. To improve resale value, consider improvements such as landscaping or an updated kitchen. But be careful not to over-improve for the neighborhood. You may scare off buyers and you aren't likely to recoup much of your improvement costs.
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Over-Improving May Hurt Resale
Resale value is very important if you plan to refinance or sell soon. Many factors affect it, including economic and housing market conditions, quality of the house, and desirability of the neighborhood. One measure of a home's resale value is the length of time it spent on the market before you bought it. To improve resale value, consider improvements such as landscaping or an updated kitchen. But be careful not to over-improve for the neighborhood. You may scare off buyers and you aren't likely to recoup much of your improvement costs.
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Plan Ahead for Real Estate Market Shifts
If an economic disaster turns your local housing market into mush, will you be poised to capitalize on the new opportunities?
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Property Lines Not Always As They Appear
Fences do not always follow the boundaries of the property. This will only be the case if the seller had the property surveyed and had the fences built on the property line. Often, sellers do not go to the expense of having surveys performed when they put in fences. The fences end up where the owners think the property lines end. Sellers may replace old fences that were built by previous owners who may not have known the location of property lines.
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Pros and cons of old and new homes
When deciding between an old or new home, the list of pros and cons is lengthy.
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Real estate not always secured with highest bid
Most sellers would be delighted to receive multiple offers. However, figuring out which offer to accept is not always as simple as you might think.
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Realtor VS. "For Sale By Owner"
"Why do we need a real estate agent? After all, an agent will charge thousands of dollars to sell even an average home, and that commission comes right off the top! Heck, with the Internet and all, we can do practically everything that an agent would do, so why should we pay out all that money?"
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Realtor VS. "For Sale By Owner"
"Why do we need a real estate agent? After all, an agent will charge thousands of dollars to sell even an average home, and that commission comes right off the top! Heck, with the Internet and all, we can do practically everything that an agent would do, so why should we pay out all that money?"
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Shopping For a Good Home Deal
Everyone wants a good deal. But, good deals are few and far between in the many low-inventory markets around the country.
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Should I Buy Real Estate at the Top of the Market?
Buying a first home is a scary experience. It's easy to imagine the worst. How will I know a good house when I see it? What if I buy a house I can't sell? How can I make sure I'm making a good investment? What if I pay too much and home prices drop?
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Should You Buy A Home Through A Real Estate Agent?
One of the first things many people do when beginning their search for a new home is enlist the help of a real estate agent. It is the realtor's job, after all, to help you find the home that is perfect for you.
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The Biggest Home Defect To Watch For
Water damage is the biggest defect to watch for.
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The Perfect Escrow - Does it Exist?
Very simply defined, an escrow is a deposit of funds, a deed or other instrument by one party for the delivery to another party upon completion of a particular condition or event. The California Escrow Law – Section 17003 of the Financial Code – provides the legal definition.
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Thorough inspection gives agent 'rude awakening'
Quality work protects agents from liability, buyers from 'terminal problems'
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Tips and tricks for refinancing your home mortgage
Thanks to today's ultra-low interest rates, the home mortgage business is booming at a record pace.
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Too many houses, but only one fits
Finding a home to buy is rarely easy. Some buyers look for months, even years, before finding the right house. When you do find the right house, a mixed bag of emotions can cloud your good judgment. You'll probably wonder if you're making the right decision.
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Try selling home without agent
About 85 percent of home sellers use real estate agents to list and sell their houses.
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Unhappy customers can do more than write to HUD
The great majority of loans today are serviced by firms that don't own them. The servicer is paid by, and is beholden to the owner of the mortgage. Borrowers have no say in who services their loan, and if they get poor service, about all they can do is write a letter of complaint to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Therefore, it is hardly surprising that servicing does not generally meet the needs of borrowers.
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What is the Alternative to a Lock-In?
The alternative to locking in an interest rate is to let it float.
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What is the disadvantage of an older home?
Maintenance will be higher on an older house if major components such as the plumbing, heating and electrical systems, roof, major appliances or drainage system need repair or replacement. Before you purchase the home, find out the age of the major systems. Have they been updated or are they original? Ask the sellers to provide a list of repairs and modifications they have made to these systems, including the date the repairs were made. Also, find out how much it costs to heat the house and if it is insulated. Another consideration is that most older homes often do not meet modern building code requirements. Older houses can be updated or retrofitted to conform to current code—but the price can be steep. Also, older houses may contain materials that are hazardous, such as asbestos or lead.
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What Is Title Insurance? Why Do You Need It?
You're having breakfast. There's a knock on the door. A former owner's brother introduces himself. He was out of the country when his sibling passed away and didn't sign-off his interests as an heir to the estate. Could this be a problem?
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What Type of Real Estate Makes the Best Investment?
During the economic downturn of the early 1990s, a home in the Crocker Highlands area of Oakland, Calif., sold twice in two years. The house did not change substantially during this time, nor did its price. But, average prices in the neighborhood dropped about 15 percent during the same time.
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When is the best time to sell?
Many people think that spring is the best time to sell a home.
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Why Buy a New Home? (Or, Why NOT Buy a Re-sale Home?)
There are many factors one must consider when deciding between the purchase of a new or re-sale home.
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Win a $10,000 Bond While Shopping For A Home
When was the last time you won a sweepstakes? Like most of us, you probably have never won a decent prize. The reason is simple…the odds of winning most large lotteries or sweepstakes are often slimmer than a million to one.
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"First-Hand Advice" Builders Offer Five Tips For Buyers
When it comes to home sales and construction, it is certainly the builder's responsibility to make sure the process goes smoothly.
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