Buildings don’t spring up overnight. Creating a building is a long process: going from sketch, to blueprint, to foundation to finished product takes hours of intellectual and physical energy. It’s a highly volatile and collaborative process, and finishing is truly an accomplishment. Which is why it’s so terrible when you’re done and everybody hates it. Luckily, this ignoble sequence can be neatly avoided by perusing architecture surveys.

For writers, a bad paragraph or page is but a delete key away from being whisked out out of existence. For painters, a shoddy canvas can be chucked into a dumpster or given to an elderly relative with flagging sight. Wallpaper can be stripped, furniture rearranged, end tables replaced with the newest models. (more…)

One of the questions many people have with respect to homes is whether to build or buy. The answer to that question really depends on your situation and your priorities. If you need a place to live fast, and you’re willing to compromise on some features, then buying is probably your best bet. If, however, you have a vision in mind and nothing else will do, then you may want to build your dream home. This is the only way to ensure you’ll get everything you want. Here are five steps to follow if building your dream house is a project you want to undertake:

#1: Design your home – You don’t have to be an architect to do this. If you’re artistic, you can prepare a sketch of what you want your house to look like. Or, you can simply write down on a piece of paper what features you want your house to have. Be as specific as possible – consider everything from the size of the closets to the layout of the kitchen. (more…)

Those crop circles that keep popping up in the news every so often are somewhat interesting, but hold little value to the home seller or buyer. However, this short article does have added value to the home buyer that really wants to sell their home.

Getting a home inspection before you buy a house is a small yet smart investment compared to the actual cost of your house. It could save you hundreds even thousands of dollars in repair bills if you set up a plan for a home inspector to evaluate your house from the roof to its basement and foundation. (more…)

When you check your newspaper’s classified section, you’ll find that there are many categories, with motivated sellers in each category and that you need to determine the strategy you should use to obtain properties. Keep in mind that when you understand the many ways for you to acquire properties, you can improve the way you find motivated sellers as well as successful deals.

As you look through the categories in the classifieds section, take a look at all the words and phrases being used by the sellers, such as:

* Relocation

* Divorce

* Needs TLC

* Needs repairs

* Elderly owner

* Drastically reduced

* Transger

* OWC or Owner will carry

* Lease option

* Any offer considered

* Owner or Seller Financing

* Call anytime

* No reasonable offer refused (more…)

When your home is on the market, it is not unusual to consider making some upgrades to snag a better price as well as sell your home faster. Contrary to popular opinion; however, not every home upgrade is worth making, at least in terms of recouping the money when your home actually sells. There is no doubt that some improvements can be a smart move, but it’s also important to make sure you don’t go too far because spending too much money on remodeling usually limits your opportunity to get that money back, particularly if you happen to be trying to sell in a buyer’s market.

Which upgrades are worth making and which ones should you steer clear of? When it comes to the upgrades that you will get the most out of terms of recouping your investment, the kitchen and the bathroom are your two best bets. There are a few upgrades that definitely are not worth your money or your time. (more…)

ATTENTION: Real Estate Brokers, Mortgage Brokers, Financial Planners, Insurance Brokers (and other small business operators)

Would you invest $15.28 to secure $10,000?

If you answered ‘Yes’ read on. If you said ‘no’ then read on to discover why you are washing tens of thousands down the toilet.

In real estate, mortgage lending, insurance underwriting and even financial planning, there is an extended period between when a sale begins and ends. During this period there is much tension and stress for most parties involved.

It has always been my view to ‘over communicate’ during this period to ensure a satisfactory outcome is achieved for all parties; mine in particular. (more…)

How to select an Agent

1. Like anything else, shop around.
2. Go to open homes, and watch the agent in action.
3. Interview at least 3 agents.
4. Select an agent who has good knowledge of your area.
5. Choose an agent who listens to your needs & one you can trust.
6. Search on the internet and look at the agent’s article and photos on their listings, as this is the person who is going to be representing your home. If their work is slap dash, then you can expect the same!
7. Look for an agent, who can negotiate, it’s their negotiating skills that will get you the best deal!
8. Understand the difference between a pushy agent and one who knows how to sell.

Questions you should ask the Agent:-

1) How many listings do you have?:-

If an agent has too many listing, you may find that they won’t be giving your property the attention it deserves.

2) Do you have any referral letters from past clients:-

It is always good to see the comments of past clients; remember the agent is a stranger that you will be giving your most expensive asset for sale. If you are able to get contact numbers to speak to past clients, this would be great.

3) What are your fees and commission structure?:-

It is always good to find this out, as some agents will negotiate their fees. Bear in mind that the cheapest agent may not be the best agent!

4) How are you going to sell my home?:-

All good agents should be able to provide you with a marketing plan of at least 4 weeks; this should also include a weekly report as to what events have taken place.

5) Who pays for advertising?:-

Remember this is your home… some agents may offer to pay. Consider before accepting, is it in your best interest! Once an agent pays, they now have an invested interest in your property. They do not need any incentives; they have the commission as one.

What kind of listing should I have?

1) Open Listing also known as Multi Listing:

Pros:

· More commission for the selling agent, which does not affect the vendor.

Cons:

· Security – If you are handing out keys to your property.

· Agents give less attention.

· Multiple signage – makes the vendor look desperate

· Top agents will not list

It’s a myth that the more agents you have the more buyers! All agents have the same buyers.

2) FSBO – For Sale by Owner

Pros:

· No agent commission fees

Cons:

· Likely to get less money…

· Less inspections

· Lack of negotiating skills

3) Exclusive Listing

Pros:

· Likely to get more for the sale

· Quicker sale

· Dealing with one agent rather than four

· More attention

If you opt for an exclusive listing, make sure that the agent is prepared to conjunct with other agencies. Any agent that is not prepared to conjunct with outside agencies is not working in your best interest

Cons:

· Locked into an agreement, with one agent who may not be working very well.

It is important for you to do your research when selecting an agent. If you are not happy with your agent and want to terminate your agreement, you should put your request in writing to the office principal. If an agent has not fulfilled their duties you have every right to terminate.

Anne Harris of Jamaica Property Finder, a former licenced Real Estate Agent in Qld, Australia. With extensive experience in several fields is an entrepreneur with a vision of revolutionising the Jamaican real estate market through the creation of an interactive platform for consolidating property listings in the country.

http://jamaicapropertyfinder.com

When you are facing molds problems in your house, this can definitely be very irritating. If you try to look at them, they seem to be very harmless! But if you take them for granted, they can proliferate and you will have difficulty in eliminating them. Thus, they can decrease the value of your house and destroy it eventually.

Aside from the damages they can do to your home, molds can also be unhealthy to the people living in the house. This is a fungus that can be hazardous to health. Majority of homeowners normally ignore their existence. They are not aware of the fact that this harmless-looking substance can actually endanger their body. Some of them can even cause coma to the person. In other instances, they can cause allergic reactions. (more…)

It is safe to say that buying your home is one of the most important and expensive decisions you will ever make. It is due to this fact that you should get as much help and advice as possible when doing so. By gaining the right help and advice it is important that you know your legal rights and understand the buying process. The best way of doing this is by hiring the help of a real estate agent who is experienced and trained in all aspects of the Michigan real estate market.

If you are hoping to invest in a property then there are a few things that should be kept in mind such as it is very important that you have a regular income in order for you to be able to afford your monthly repayments. It is also important that you look into every legal implication that could affect your purchase. Anything that you need to know and any doubts that you face when it comes to buying a property will be taken care of with the correct help from a real estate agent. Remember buying a property is something that most of us will only ever do once in our lives so you need to make sure that you do it right so hire the help of a real estate agent or buyers specialist. (more…)

The main function of a mortgage is to provide security to the lender. This is down to the large sum of money that is involved in the financing of a property. A mortgage lender will usually want security for the loan and the mortgage is generally the security.

In itself a mortgage isn’t classed as debt; it is a lenders security for a debt. It is classed as a transfer of an interest from the owner to the mortgage lender. This is done on the condition that the interest will be returned to the owner of the real estate when the terms of the mortgage have been satisfied or performed. To sum up, the mortgage is a security for the loan that the lender makes to the borrower. (more…)