Give me an independent home any day

by Dr. S. Banerji
I was less sure of my glib statement after dropping the couple back at their hotel. The woman had asked for my opinion about a condominium after I had showed her husband and her six signature homes in some of the most sought-after residential communities of Las Vegas and Henderson. I was pretty washed out and had to negotiate some dense traffic on the Strip as she shot the question at me, so you might forgive me for an answer without too much thought!
The cappuccino was hot and refreshing. It got my grey cells in to retro mode, and I began to reflect on the day's work. The man seemed pretty convinced, or exhausted by the choices I had thrown at him! At any rate, it looked as though I was well en route for a fat commission!
"Why the disquiet," I asked myself. The woman's question seemed to ring in my ears. Is there a case for a condominium for a residence in the greater Las Vegas valley? We make this big thing about scenery-what if we had an apartment with a generous balcony, or even better, a terrace? Is it not worthwhile to combine the state-of-the-art security of the modern electronic world, with the feeling of space that a well-designed condominium can provide?
It struck me that my clients were a double-income outfit. Would they not appreciate the convenience of common maintenance that a condominium provides? Perhaps there are some folks who want to be free to do things other than landscaping on their weekends! I recalled that the best apartment buildings of my Las Vegas realty beat offered large storage areas for customers to buy. An independent home is certainly not the only way to find place to stack all the odds and ends that we dare not throw away!
"The Metropolitan even has a wine cellar!" I told myself. The kitchens are big enough to cook for an event and the swimming pool and fitness center can beat anything amateurs can maintain any day! It was inevitable: I had to call, and for the first time in my professional life, I 'undid' a sale I probably had sewn up in the bag!
"Hi, I was wondering if I could show you The Metropolitan. It is one of the best apartment blocks in town, and I think that you should take a look".
Fortunately for me, it was the woman who took the call, and she was delighted at the prospect of browsing some more for her dream home! The man looked as grim during the drive from their hotel as I had expected, but I could discern the change in his attitude as we parked in the ample lot, entered through the comfortingly secure system for residents and then took in the fantastic floor plan of a typical apartment.
It turned out to be one of the best deals I have struck for a client, and I am a 'born-again' condo freak for ever more! Believe me; you cannot do better in the Las Vegas valley!

Pricing You Home to Sell

by Kevin Spacey
When it comes time to sell your home, settling on your list price is one of the most important decisions you will make. All sellers want to command the highest price possible, while all buyers, of course, want to buy a house for the lowest amount they can. Finding the price in between that is just right for your home, its assets, and its area, is a process that involves many factors.
The first factor in pricing your home is, naturally enough, your home itself. The desirability of the property will be the deciding factor in what price to set. It's an excellent idea to get a home inspector on the premises to check out all aspects of the house, including the roof, electrical systems, and plumbing. Get a clean bill of health for your house if possible, and seriously consider making any needed repairs. Buyers today want model-home houses.
In fact, many buyers will not move in to a property if there is even a small amount of work that needs to be done. In a seller's market, you may be able to get away with selling a house that needs small improvements, but it will lower your list price.
Call in local agents to help estimate the true market value of your home. It's best to get more than one opinion on this matter. Talk to appraisers and agents who work in your area and are familiar with the neighborhood, as they will be able to factor in the prices of surrounding properties, as well as the desirability of the area.
However, don't spend money on getting a formal market appraisal. Local real estate agents will have a better idea of the area and be able to price your house according to current market trends. Don't be afraid to point out certain features or traits of your home that may justify pricing it slightly higher. For example, if you have a bay window, or a carpeted basement that provides more potential living space, you have a slight edge over similar houses, and those factors should be taken into account.

Once you have settled on a fair price for your property, it's time to set your actual price tag. It's expected that most sellers will initially price their home at about 15 percent above its actual market value. The selling process will involve bargaining, and depending on the condition of the home, any possible repairs, and the amount of potential buyers, the amount it sells for will more than likely be less than the price for which you have it listed. So aim a little high and be prepared to receive various offers on your home based off your initial price. If you've done your appraising and calculated correctly, when the final paperwork is signed you should be receiving an amount very close to your home's actual worth.

Investing in Real Estate

by Sergey Krongold
Investing in Real Estate.
Riches can be made in any kind of real estate market. A professional real estate investor makes money when prices are high and when prices are low.
No matter what is happening in the market they buy low and sell high. They never buy high and expect to make money waiting for prices to rise.
Newbies buy high expecting prices to rise, and when the prices drop they are left owing $175,000 on a house that is now worth $100,000. So as a real estate investor always buy low.
Everywhere there are properties selling for below market value. There are many homes in average neighborhoods that need a few thousand dollars worth of cosmetics.
For example, take a house selling for $100,000. Since you have done your homework you know it could easily sell for $145,000 or more if it looked better. Buy the house, spend $2,000-$7,000 fixing it up, and sell it for a sizable profit.
Never spend a pile of money to completely renovate a house. Just do cosmetic changes such as painting the inside and outside, putting in new carpet, fixing broken doors and repairing leaky faucets. Only do the basics to make the house presentable.
Real estate investors recommend you start out buying three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes. These are the most in demand and so are the easiest to re-sell.
Buy in neighborhoods that are nice. You do not want to buy in neighborhoods that are too nice or too rough. Focus on your average family-friendly neighborhood.
Also, buy homes that are listed at 60-75% or less of their value. Never buy a home that is listed at $100,000 with a value of $100,000. Buy the one listed at $75,000 that is valued at $100,000.
The easiest way to find these homes is to work with a real estate agent. Find one who will be glad to find you homes that meet your criteria.
Why work with a real estate agent? Agents have 85-90% of the properties for sale. They know the area. Tell them you are an investor right up front and what you are looking for. The great agents will be happy to send you all the homes you can handle, and you will be happy to pay them their commission.
Besides having a great agent you also need to have a niche market. Are you going to focus on foreclosures? Are you going to go after fixer-uppers? Are you going to buy and then quickly re-sell? Or are you going to buy and rent it out for a while?
If you are going to rent out your properties be sure you do the math. Will you be able to rent out the house for more than the monthly expenses? Be sure to include a property manager with those expenses. And remember that the house might sit vacant a month or two. Allow enough money to account for no income for part of the year.
So never buy a home that is going to cost you $1,000 a month in finance charges and other expenses if you can only rent it out for $800. That is a fast way to end bankrupt.
But before you do all this, before you get a real estate agent and go out making offers, there is one very important thing you must do first. You must write down your goals.
Is your goal to be worth $1 million within five years? That is very possible. But do not expect to reach 1/5 of that goal in the first year.
Start with a plan to make so many offers a week and stick with it, increasing it as you go. Since most beginners make one purchase for every 50 offers, have a plan to make one purchase a month. That would require you make 50 offers every month. Set the goal and little by little you will achieve it.
So you have your goals, you have a great real estate agent, you know your niche, and now it's time to make some offers. As stated, most beginners make one purchase with every 50 offers.
If you make $25,000 on that one purchase, then in effect you are making $500 each time you make an offer. So never think that you are wasting your time making those other 49 offers.
Just as important as having written goals, a great agent and a niche, you need to have the right frame of mind to deal with success. So many who want to invest in real estate actually cause themselves to fail. They self-sabotage their success.
Believe you can succeed. Learn how to handle money wisely. Educate yourself by reading and attending seminars. Surround yourself with people who have the same goals as you and who are achieving their goals.
There are many real estate experts out there, so find a good one, attend the seminars on learning how to think about money and be financially responsible, and begin your journey to buy and sell properties.

Home Buying 101: Pre-Qualification vs. Pre-Approval

by Brandon Cornett
Getting pre-approved for a mortgage loan can make the entire home buying process go smoother. But don't confuse pre-approval with pre-qualification, as many home buyers do.
What is Pre-Qualification? Pre-qualification is an informal look at your income vs. debt to see how much of a mortgage loan you might qualify for. Pre-qualification does not take your credit into account, so it does not guarantee loan approval. It's just a quick review of your income and your debt -- the two factors that make up your debt-to-income ratio.
What is Pre-Approval?Pre-approval means a mortgage lender has examined your credit and income much more thoroughly. When you get pre-approved, the lender will look at your finances as if they were approving you for an actual loan -- in other words, in great detail. This review will give you a good idea how much of a mortgage loan you can afford.
Here's a more formal definition of pre-approval: The process of applying for a loan and obtaining approval for a maximum loan amount before having a purchase agreement.
Benefits of Pre-ApprovalWith a pre-approval letter in hand, you can be more confident that the lender will approve your actual loan (after you make an offer on a home). Being pre-approved also shows sellers you're serious about, and capable of, buying their house. This can be a factor in hot markets where the sellers receive multiple offers.
For example, if you bid on a home along with three other prospective buyers, but you're the only one who has been pre-approved by a lender, then you stand the greatest chance of having your offer accepted.
The sellers will be more comfortable with you since a lender has said, in essence, "Yes, this person is worthy of a home loan." The buyers without pre-approval, on the other hand, would be "unknown quantities" to the seller.
Keep in mind, however, that while a pre-approval is stronger than a pre-qualification, it's still not a guaranteed loan. After you make an offer on a home, the mortgage lender will once again review your finances and credit. They'll also have the house appraised. Only when they've approved of both you and the house will they make an actual loan commitment.
ConclusionPre-qualification and pre-approval are two different things. Think of pre-qualification as a quick review from the lender, and pre-approval as a longer and more detailed evaluation. Pre-approval will help you identify credit problems early on. Pre-approval also shows buyers you're serious about buying.
Therefore, it's a good idea to get pre-approved before you start the house-hunting process.

Should you rent or buy?

by Martin Lukac
Today's real estate market has had a new buyer in the last few years - the young, single professional. Male or female, it seems as if those who used to live a somewhat transient, short-term renters' lifestyle until marriage, are now no longer waiting. With more people delaying marriage until their careers take off, single professionals are now changing from renters to buyers.
But many renters prefer to remain renters. Although buyers (and agents) will talk your ears off about the advantages of home ownership, renters enjoy the freedom their lifestyles provide. From limited maintenance to the record number of amenities present in new properties, many renters would rather not buy.
The majority of people, whether single or married, will at some point ask themselves, "Am I ready to buy?" Buying a home is a manor step for anyone. Can there be a perfect time in one's life to buy a home? Which is better: renting or buying? Each one has its pros and cons.
Renters
-Don't gain any equity, but they also don't lose it. It doesn't matter if renters make improvements to their homes or if property values are appreciating, renters don't gain any equity.
-Don't have to put as much money up front. They usually only have to come up with first and last month's rent and security deposit.
-There are no tax advantages - they are enjoyed by the landlords.
-Have the assurance of fixed costs. The terms won't fluctuate during the duration of the lease. The monthly costs remain the same.
-Cannot personalize their homes. This includes painting walls or hanging certain fixtures or décor.
-Are able to simply leave for another place upon expiration of their leases. They don't face the hassle of trying to sale the home.
-Have much less invested in the maintenance of their homes, inside and out. In many properties, the renters enjoy the convenience of a full-time maintenance staff to handle appliance and other minor repairs.
Buyers
-Often gain equity. However, they can also lose it. The market could remain steady or decline.
-Must sell their homes before they can go to another property.
-Must put down a larger amount of money than a renter. The down payment and closing costs can be substantial.
-Are subject to variable costs in many circumstances. Mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance premiums can fluxuate.
-Have maintenance and repair costs to be fully responsible for. The one exception is planned or gate communities and condominium facilities, were outside costs are shared.
-Are free to redecorate, remodel and paint their homes as they wish.
-Qualify for tax breaks and other tax advantages associate with home ownership.
-Eventually own their own homes. There will come a time when they will be free and clear of monthly payments.
As you can see, there are advantages and disadvantages to both buying and renting. Factors such as the stability of your career, how often you travel for business and whether not you plan to reside in your current hometown for a long period of time can affect your decision.

Preparing Your Home to Sell: To Fix or Not to Fix

by JK Clevenstine
Once you've made the decision to sell your home, there are a ton of other decisions that immediately follow: Should we use a Realtor®? If so, who? What should be our asking price? Should we have an open house?
But probably one of the most unpleasant decisions is, what do I have to do to get this place ready to sell? Why unpleasant? Because it involves TIME and MONEY - two things home sellers have little of.
There are three schools of thought on this topic. One is to do nothing, cross your fingers, and see what you get. In areas where the real estate market is hot, many home sellers opt for this solution, because they think buyers are so desperate that they'll make an offer anyway. And while you may get an offer, you'll definitely leave a lot of money on the table in the process.
The second school is to recognize that some items need to be replaced or repaired, and offer buyers a credit for those items as part of the deal. You've saved yourself the work, but not the money. This option can actually be worse than the first one, because you don't know how much you would have gotten without offering the credit. Again, you'll eventually get an offer, but you're missing out on getting the best price for your house.
If getting the best price for your house is important to you, the only option is to take care of repairs and do the work to make your house shine (or have it done for you). Here's why: When you sell your home with obvious repairs left undone or a credit as part of the offer, you're sending a message to buyers that your home has not been well maintained. Now this may or may not be true, but that's the message that's sent. And that will drag down the value of your home to those making an offer.
If you go to the effort to make the fixes yourself, you send the message that your home is well maintained. And (this is big) you also upgrade the value of those items you just replaced because they're new...New carpet, New roof, New hot water heater... "New" has a value to buyers--that's why new homes cost more than resale.
Putting your own sweat equity into repairs, taking advantage of zero percent financing at the big box home improvement stores, and utilizing a handyman for certain repairs will help keep your costs in check. Be smart about how you make repairs, and be careful not to over-improve. Your efforts could result in getting thousands more for your home. Compare your time against the reward and you'll see it's time well spent.

Selling Your Home: Making an Impact Online

by JK Clevenstine
The Internet has transformed how we do many things, like getting our news, sending greetings to others, even looking for a mate. And buying and selling real estate is no exception. Online listings are now the number one place buyers start when searching for a new home.
According to the National Association of Realtors, over 70 percent of buyers use the Internet to shop for a home. That's a huge number. What that means is the photograph included with your home's online listing is vitally important. Now buyers don't even have to drive by your home before they dismiss it.
Including a sub-par photo of your home online is marketing suicide. For home buyers, looks do matter; and smart sellers will make the best presentation possible to online shoppers.
A quick visit to any online home listing website shows that many people just don't get it. Sellers either don't understand how important it is that you take the best photo possible, or they delegate the task to a real estate professional who may not have the time or inclination to set up a good shot.
Simple things like waiting for a sunny day, removing cars and bikes from the driveway and opening all of the window treatments can dramatically improve the exterior shot included with your listing. Taking several photos and working with simple picture editing software to crop off unsightly overhead wires or neighboring homes is well worth the extra effort.
The real key however, is not to stop with the exterior photo. Most online listing services allow multiple pictures of a home at a nominal cost. Staging a few rooms inside your home and adding photos of those rooms to your online listing will help lift response even more.
If you're working with a real estate agent, it's vitally important that they make your online listing a marketing priority. If they're not, you need to be proactive in getting them to provide this service to you. All it takes is a digital camera, a computer, and a little effort to give your home a marketing edge online.

How to present your home for sale to potential purchasers

by Allison Thompson
You have decided to sell your home and you want to make sure that your house is what every potential purchaser who walks through the door wants. There are a number of ways in which you can help with making sure that your house is the right one for the potential buyer who comes to view and below are a number of items that should be considered to help you with getting that all important sale. The points shown below should help you in obtaining that all important sale and without too much effort or cost to yourself.
Firstly, I would look at decluttering your home as much as possible. This may seem a waste of time as you are still living in the property, but if you are able to depersonalize the property of you it will provide the potential buyer with an opportunity to see the property with their belongings in it. Also by only have a select number of items on view you are also giving the property a sense of space, into which the potential buyer can see their furniture and belongings being put into.
Next if possible make sure that you property smells nice, a tip I have often been told of when you have potential buyers viewing your property is to have the smell of either freshly baked bread or coffee that has just been made in the house. This gives the potential buyer that this a homely and well loved for house. However, if you don't have time to do this then just ensure that you make the rooms smell as nice as possible, there are number of good quality plug in air fresheners on the market that will provide a pleasant smell to the potential purchaser when entering your home.
The next thing to consider when selling your home is do you have pets (dogs, cats etc.,). If so then it may be an idea to remove them from the house whilst potential buyers are viewing the property, not all people like animals. Also ensure that you have removed the smell of your pets as much as possible, it may mean that you have to have the carpets cleaned prior to any viewings, but the smell of dog or cat odour can be quite off putting to some potential buyers, as they will see it as a cost they will have to incur for cleaning the carpets prior to taking possession of the property. Also remove any bedding that is used by your pets whilst viewings are taking place. As mentioned previously there are plenty of good quality air fresheners on the market that will help in eliminating such odours.
As mentioned above it may be an idea to arrange to have the carpets in the house cleaned, either professionally or you can hire a carpet cleaner yourself (these can be rented from most supermarkets and dry cleaners now days at a very reasonable cost).

We now need to look at the decoration of your property one of the first things potential buyers will be thinking about when purchasing a home is how much they may have to spend on the property getting it to a standard that they would be happy to live with.

Preferably where possible keep the colours of walls and all internal features as neutral as possible. By keeping the colours of the house as neutral as possible, it will help in making the rooms look both larger and brighter. Unfortunately bright colours and dark colours although may be too your taste may not be the preferred option of your potential buyer. By having a neutral colour scheme throughout your house you are able to give the potential buyer a blank canvas onto which they can stamp their own preferred styles.

When you have potential buyers coming to view your property always ensure that your house is as clean as possible. Some people when viewing a property have a habit of sometimes looking everywhere in the property (this includes cupboards, drawers, toilets and baths). Ensure that you toilet is clean and that if possible a toilet block has been placed in it, which will help in making sure that the toilet stays clean and the room smells fresh. If you find you have limescale around the taps, the bath and the toilet, make sure that this has been removed (there are a large number of products on the market which would be able to assist you with this matter). It also helps the potential buyer to see that you have maintained the property well.

Wherever possible ensure that any wood surfaces have either been wiped down with a damp cloth or polished to remove any dust from the surface. The same should also be done for any items such as TV's and Entertainment centers including the stands that they are sat on.

Windows should be cleaned and a good method for getting your windows clean if you can not find a window cleaner or do not want to pay for one is to fill a bucket with warm water and vinegar. Use a cloth to wash the windows in the water and vinegar and then use newspaper to wipe the water off. You will find that this leaves your windows streak free.

It should be remembered that first impressions are always the most important, therefore do not forget about the enterance to your home as one of the first things that a potential buyer will see is the approach to your property. Therefore ensure that you keep the front of the property clean and well maintained. The more kerb appeal your property has the more likely a potential buyer will be keen to enter the property to view it.

Here are a numer of points to consider:-

1. If you have any plants at the front, ensure that any dead ones have been removed, the lawn is kept neat and tidy and if you should have a driveway make sure it is in good repair, potential buyers will not be interested in a more if they have to consider further expense. This is also gives the potential buyer a chance of lowering the price they offer to you for your home.

2. You should also look at the garden at the rear of your property, make sure that the lawn is neat and well kept, and if you have a patio area keep it clean and tidy. Make sure that any pots that are broken have been removed and the same should be done with any dead plants. Also make sure that any fencing around your property is well maintained and if it is broken then replace it, a few pounds spent on keeping this in order could mean that extra money on the sale of the property.
I hope that you find the above to be of use to you when deciding to sell your property. For further information go to Inland Property Services.