Property | Property Promotion

Understanding Short Sales

The recovery of today’s residential real estate market is expected to lag the overall recovery of the U.S. economy. As such, many industry experts are predicting that 2011 will see an increase in the number of homes undergoing short sales. Many real estate agents are preparing themselves to handle more short sales in the market as distressed homeowners look to avoid foreclosure and refrain from filing for bankruptcy. To better assist struggling families, many real estate professionals are seeking specialized training as Certified Distressed Property Experts. Certified Distressed Property Experts are agents and realtors who are certified in short sale training and foreclosure prevention. They work to assist individuals and families who are struggling to make large monthly mortgage payments by providing guidance throughout the entire short sale process and ensuing that clients know all of the options available to them.

A short sale involves the selling of a distressed property for a value that is less than the amount owed on the home’s mortgage. Because short sales can be used as alternatives to foreclosure and bankruptcy, many experienced agents and Certified Distressed Property Experts are advising clients to undertake the short sale process in order to alleviate financial burdens and get back on the path to financial security. As opposed to foreclosing on a home or filing for bankruptcy, a short sale can help protect an individual’s credit rating and financial stability for the future. Unlike foreclosure or bankruptcy, short sales have a smaller impact on a homeowner’s future loan eligibility, background checks and security clearance. Filing bankruptcy or undergoing foreclosure can affect many aspects of a homeowner’s life for years after a distressed property has been liquidated, mainly in the form of a lingering bad credit score.

The expected increase in short sale activity is an encouraging sign for homeowners nationwide as short sales help to protect home values throughout foreclosure-ridden communities. Short sales are also emerging as a better alternative for homeowners who are seeking an option to foreclosure.

Filed Under: General, Property Tagged With: Foreclosure, Real estate, Short Sale

Why Attend a First Time Home Buyer Seminar

For many first time home buyers, purchasing a home is one of the biggest financial commitments they will make. The process is highly complex, very much uncertain and often overwhelming. As such, many first time home buyers are seeking the help of an experienced real estate agent in order to realize their home-owning dreams. However many homebuyers are also relying on first time home buyer seminars in order to become better educated in the process and to avoid common costly mistakes.

A variety of local and regional real estate agencies across the United States have begun offering first time home buyer seminars to help educate buyers on the process. The unique seminars touch base on the opportunities that currently exist for first time home buyers in today’s unique market and challenging economic environment. Many of these seminars also introduce some of the creative financing techniques available to buyers. To provide a more thorough experience for first time buyers, some agencies have also begun offering unique tours of bank-owned or distressed properties to give buyers a better idea of the actual opportunities on the market.

First time homebuyer seminars are important learning tools as prospective home buyers learn about every aspect of the home buying process and gain valuable information to better navigate today’s real estate market. The seminars are designed to educate inexperienced buyers on the basics of the home buying process, introduce them to complex purchasing and financing techniques, and provide an understanding of what banks and sellers look for in an offer. Many potential homebuyers also learn how to choose the proper loan. Additional topics of interest may also include budgeting and credit, the complex housing search process, home inspections, how to obtain a mortgage, legal issues and the challenge of successful home ownership. Many first time home buyers also want to know how to purchase a home that will increase in value, a popular topic that is often addressed during first time home buyer seminars.

Filed Under: General, Property Tagged With: Buyer, Real estate, United States

Judging the Value of Your Home

When you’re looking for a home to buy (or you’re planning to sell your home), it’s important that you determine value. You can have your real estate professional give you an opinion, but you may also want a property appraiser to give you an opinion, since he or she is licensed to provide that kind of information. One of the most important things to remember is that your home value will partially be based on ‘comps,’ or comparable houses that have sold in your area recently. By seeing what they sold for, you can get a better idea of what your home will sell for. Of course, the comps won’t be identical to your house, so your value will be adjusted up or down accordingly.

If you have a pool in the back yard, you’ll probably find that it raises the value of your home. Of course, not everyone wants a pool. There will be some potential buyers who won’t want to look at your house because they don’t want a pool, but most people see it as an asset and will like it a like. The same is true with something like a cigar room or a game room with custom poker tables – it’s a real selling feature for most people. It could even raise your home’s value by thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars.

That doesn’t mean that you should put something like that into your house if you don’t already have it. If the market is tough you may not get back the money that you spent, which would be unfortunate. It could even put you in a serious financial crunch. You can avoid that by not putting any more money into your home unless it’s necessary for needed repairs and improvements. That’s the best way to get your home ready for sale.

Filed Under: General, Property Tagged With: Real estate, Real estate broker/agent, Square foot

Will LEED Training Help Me Get a Job?

When it comes to real estate, contractors and consumers are becoming more motivated to go green. Both builders and developers recognize the many advantages of going green and the many benefits of sustainable building practices, which include a reduction in building materials, lower operating costs and better energy efficiency. With an expected increase in green collar jobs, and a federal emphasis on environmental sustainability, investing in LEED training—or professional training in green building knowledge and sustainability—can give qualified job seekers a leg up in today’s new green economy.

Industry experts are anticipating that the creation of green jobs will be vital to improving economic conditions across the globe. According to consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, green building is expected to support over 7.9 million jobs and generate over $554 billion in U.S. Gross Domestic Product through 2013. An additional benefit of these jobs is that they often cannot be outsourced. With such an immense economic impact expected, and a federal commitment to expanding green opportunities, professionals in a variety of industries are now pursuing LEED training in order to gain a competitive edge in today’s marketplace.

While LEED training and certification greatly impacts the construction and real estate industries, economists are also seeing the benefits of LEED training expanding into other areas of the economy such as IT, automotive, interior design and consulting. LEED also remains the standard for new and existing construction across the U.S., improving the likelihood that LEED accredited providers will attain highly coveted government and private contracts.

With the benefits of “going green” spilling into new industries each day, and many employers finding LEED training an impressive resume credential, investing in LEED training can better position oneself to compete within the ever-expanding green job market. Additionally, by pursuing formal training and better construction standards, and understanding the extensive benefits of going green and LEED certification, real estate professionals can offer better services to their clients in the present and in the future.

Filed Under: General, Property Tagged With: Green building, Real estate, Sustainability

Will BPI Training Help Me Get A Job?

With real estate transactions involving one of the most significant financial investments of a lifetime—and with the process often uncertain and overwhelming—educated buyers are seeking help from experienced real estate agents in order to maximize their real estate strategies. Many homebuyers are also relying on agent expertise when it comes to new home construction in order to avoid the costly mistakes that many unprotected homebuyers encounter.

Coming off thousands of jobs lost, and a significant slowdown in homebuilding and repairs, the construction industry is finally witnessing some good news: a recent uptick in new home building permits. The recent surge in permits is not the only good sign for the industry as developers are also seeing increased work in remodeling, energy-efficient updates, overall green building projects and new home construction. Many of these new homes are also being built within master-planned communities by some of the largest builders in the U.S. With the economy reemerging from recession and home values bottoming out, many builders are now seeking the best way to reenter the market.

The recent slowdown in construction prompted many homebuilders to question the value of BPI certification. As the leading developer and accreditor of sustainable residential construction practices, BPI, or the Building Performance Institute, focuses on equipping homebuilders with the skills necessary to improve the durability and energy efficiency of homes. BPI professionals pass rigorous written and field examinations in order to be certified in the most up-to-date technologies and best practices for green home construction. With BPI-certified professionals capable of reducing home utility costs by up to 20 percent—regardless of the age of a home—savvy homeowners are taking note.

Today, homeowners are showing a willingness to make improvements and investments upfront in order to save money over time. Recognizing the increasing demand for sustainable practices, many homebuilders are pursuing BPI certification in order to gain the confidence of clients and differentiate themselves from competitors. As jobs reemerge and builder confidence gains, BPI certification may provide the competitive edge necessary to capitalize on future building opportunities when the market returns.

Filed Under: General, Property Tagged With: British Phonographic Industry, Homebuilt aircraft, Real estate

Between Renting and Buying a House

It has been said times without number that one of the most important and basic necessities of every human being is adequate shelter with the other two being food and clothing. The importance of having proper shelter and accommodation can be seen in the widespread real estate industry which is responsible for creating millions of job opportunities and generating trillions of dollars which help in supporting economies around the world. Still on the importance of shelter, there are various options available to you. In case of a house, you can decide to buy a house that has been built and completed or you rent a house from a property owner. Although this sounds quite simplistic, for many people, to choose between renting and buying a house is not an easy decision to make.

However, the following sections will provide useful tips on what can be done in a case when one cannot be decisive –and it happens to us all the time. In deciding whether what you want to do is to rent or buy the house, the first thing thay you have to consider is your pocket. Your financial status will go a long way in helping you to make the right decision. Afterall, to buy a house is usually more expensive than renting one. Thus, for some people, the bank account makes the case very simple.

But, in another scenario, one may have the money to rent or buy the house and that is where confusion can set in although you really do not need to be anxious and confused. A very important question that you need to ask yourself is that what are the benefits that you stand to gain or the disadvantages that you will face if you buy or rent a house. You just try and make a list of the two and the picture becomes clearer.

Filed Under: Property Tagged With: Real estate

How to Promote a Property Sale in the Digital Age

Once you have decided to sell a property the first thing to do is to call a few close friends and family members and let them know that the property is on the market. Your friends and family will spread the word around, and might even give you some helpful suggestions on how to advertise your property.

The next step is to create an attractive sign that says “on sale” and has your cellular phone number and approximate listing price of your property in big, bold letters. The letters must be visible from at least one tenth of a mile away with the naked eye, and the ink should be fluorescent so it is prominently visible during the night.

Facebook, Twitter, and Craigslist are the leading social and classified portals, and they can provide exposure to your property listing for free or a very nominal charge. Your advertisement should include at least four attractive pictures of your property to provide an accurate image in the prospective buyer’s mind. The pictures should be high resolution, professional quality and must highlight the most attractive selling points of your property. However, care should be taken not to take pictures from certain angles that might give a deceptive assessment of the dimensions or age of the property.

Search engines such as Google and Bing can also provide advertising for the property after you list it in their map section. Another great way to advertise is local online classifieds by city, state or regional portals.

You can also create business cards with your phone number and a brief description of your property, as well as flyers with three or four photos of your property, your phone number, and a brief description of the square footage, number of bedrooms, bathrooms and other amenities. These flyers and business cards can be posted on bulletin boards in coffee shops, Laundromats, libraries, and other places around town to effectively market your home.

Filed Under: Property Tagged With: Bing, Craigslist, Google, Seller Listing, Twitter

Tips on Knowing About Real Estate

Being an area reserved for specialists also referred to as the realtors or real estate agents, the real estate industry is one that is not too clear to some people, to quite a number, it is also a vague area, one that is not too lucid. However, you do not need to spend four years within the walls of a university before you know what real estate is all about. In the simplest of definitions, real estate can be described as an area of study that is concerned with the buying and selling of landed property whether it has been developed or not, in a case where it has been developed, then whatever development or constructions that have been made are also included.

On knowing about real estate, all you need is a sufficient degree of interest and curiosity. One of the easiest and direct ways of knowing about real estate is to meet someone that has the needed knowledge and necessary experience. In other words, you can approach a real estate agent that can help you with the needed information and all that is to be known about real estate.

Still on the tips that can help in enlightening one’s mind about real estate is to make use of books and materials that are devoted to real estate. To do this may mean that you have to pay a visit to a library in your locality. However, this is the age of science and technology and you may not need to pay a visit to the library, you can bring the library right there to your room. Without much ado, what is being referred to here is the Internet, when online, you can have access to vast resources on real estate, far more than you can ever utilize.

Filed Under: Property Tagged With: Business, Real estate

The Advantages of Renting Portland Apartments

When you were a child, did you ever play The Oregon Trail? Did you imagine yourself blazing a trail through the forest, plunging down rapids in your canoe, or hunting elk? Maybe those nostalgic memories are an underlying cause for folks moving to Portland. Or maybe the popularity is because of Portland’s image as the ‘new west’ with its outstanding reputation of great food, beer, and a thriving social culture.

There is a lot of helpful information available about purchasing a home in Portland. Real estate agents in Portland can help you successfully navigate the whirlpool of information from property values to variable interest rates. But before making the big commitment of purchasing a home, you might consider renting.

Renting Portland apartments gives you an opportunity to check out the schools that your children will be attending. If you have recently moved to Portland, it will take some time to become familiar with the schools and decide which would be best for your family.

Renting an apartment for a while gives you time to save money for your down payment when you buy a home. Renting also gives you extra time to defray the costs that you might have incurred while moving. If there is a chance that your job is temporary or that you might be relocated to another city, renting is a wiser option than buying. You won’t be burdened with selling a home when you have to move again.

Sometimes apartments have amenities that you can’t find in a home. Some apartments have swimming pools, clubhouses, weight rooms, and fitness centers. Homes with some of these amenities could be very expensive to purchase. When renting Portland apartments, you don’t have to worry about upkeep, repairs, lawn care, or yard work. This is advantageous if you have an especially demanding job.

Before you commit to buying a house, consider the advantages of renting an apartment when you move to Portland, Oregon.

Filed Under: Property Tagged With: Apartment, Oregon, Portland Oregon, Renting

Real Estate Through the Ages

The real estate industry is one of the most important in the globe today. Real estate is an industry that provides employment for millions of people in different nations. This is in addition to the fact that the industry is one generates a tremendous amount of financial resources, and this runs into trillions of dollars every single year. However, even though the real estate of today is one that is very impressive and bustling, it is important to know that the industry was not always like that. In the actual sense of it, the real estate industry had undergone a kind of evolution through the ages to become the behemoth that it is today.

The earliest forms of modern real estate industry as we know it today can be traced back to the Medieval period of England when the island was ruled by absolute monarchs. Then, the kingdom was based on a feudalistic form of system in which some rich members of the aristocracy had the ownership of vast tracts of land all over the island and this even increased their power, influence and affluence. These aristocrats were also referred to as the landowners and had the poor artisans and farmers work under them as tillers of the land. Atimes, some of these artisans and servants are given freedom in exchange for a piece of land after serving for years.

A similar feudalistic system was also operated in the empire of Japan. This was to continue until the modern times. In the 21st century, real estate industry is one that has transformed into a huge industry. As a matter of fact, to prove that this industry is very important, real estate management is now taught as a course in various universities. But, it is also interesting to know that there are some places on the planet that have been renowned for their real estate industry and Dubai is the first example that comes to mind.