Real Estate In Different American States

Due to the upcoming expansion of the state of Oklahoma, neighborhoods around the city of Tulsa had forecast the rise of their homes’ value.

In Scranton, Pennsylvania, houses are expected to rise in value due to the efforts of the mayor to improve its neighborhoods and convert vacant homes into much more saleable empty lots.

The exterior of the house also affects its asking price. In Alabama, where people take pride in their southern heritage, lawns are kept well-manicured and the houses are well-maintained. Prices are expected to steadily grow.

In Texas, builders still show their confidence in the market through the steady inventory of new homes, especially in Edinburg where land is quite inexpensive. However, prices are expected to be more or less the same due to the prevalence of low-paying jobs in the area.

Real estate agents in Florida are expressing confidence over the strength of the local economy and are expecting market stability as result of low interest rates.

In Nevada, however, prices are expected to drop due to rising inventory, with exception of houses near amenities like golf and spa.

California real estate is expected to maintain its tight inventory as population continues to grow.

The recent slump in house prices, however, have affected several states in the country. Due to several layoffs especially in the manufacturing industry, houses in the Midwest area are lowered in value and homes with price tags of more than a million may be discounted just to get it off the market.

If you are looking for value in your real estate investment, it might pay to determine first which localities are considered most ideal. According to a survey done by CNN, the town of Fort Collins in Colorado is chosen as the best town to live in, followed by Naperville, Illinois and Sugar Land, Texas where diverse communities abound. http://www.States-RealEstate.com provides essential resources for buyers, sellers, home owners, real estate professionals, real estate investors, or any one seeking to connect with the world of real estate.

Melbourne Commercial Real Estate

The next piece lists some austere, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with Melbourne Commercial factual Estate.

For selling by concealed shrivel A chattels in Elizabeth-boulevard, very contiguous to Flinders-boulevard. This chattels is admirably able to newly indoors mercantile gentlemen, as a comfortable and elegant house, and large and well constructed supplies form the premises. Application to J. Purves Collins-boulevard

THIS tiny advertisement appeared in the docks Phillip Gazette of Wednesday 30 September 1840. It is classic of notices for chattels sellings in the Gazette, which I read in forced volumes. The page on which the advertisement appears faces the first page of the Gazette for the ...

We hope that the first part of this article as brought you a lot of much needed information on the subject at hand.

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The CEO of the factual Estate Institute of Victoria says larger regulation of the real estate activity may be required. Enzo Raimondo was responding to gossip that a house in East Melbourne, which was advertised for selling at "$4 million-good" was accepted in at mart last weekend for $A7.1m. Raimondo said the Institute would look into the lawsuit. The agent treatment the selling, Warwick Anderson of RT Edgar, said that the chattels had been sold to the mart's ultimate bidder, demonstrating that the recommend was not a "dummy bid"

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Alberta Canada Real Estate Market Scenario

Nature of the Canadian real estate market

The real estate market in Canada is a traditional and well established one. This is certainly not an emerging market. The return on investment here follows a cyclical pattern. This serves as an indication of the cyclical growth trends of the country’s underlying economy. However, this is considered as a profitable market for all seasons provided the investor makes a timely move and adopts a targeted investment plan.

The investors in the real estate market in Canada are lured to invest in the state because of the financial reliability and owing to the (growth in) popularity of Alberta or any other region. The investor in real estate in Canada can buy either the property having long term growth prospects or that providing scope for making short term gains or even that which has prospects of ensuring sustainable income. All this is dependent on the position of the real estate market cycle at the particular time and the area of the country concerned.

The property market is at present riding at record highs in the main Canadian cities. So, investors cannot expect to make short term profits in such a market having surplus supply and low demand. But then this is also the market in which there is a great demand for the buy to let opportunities which can be gainfully utilized by the investor.

Special advantages of investing in real estate in Canada

The Canadian real estate market provides two special advantages to the real estate investors which are indeed worthy of consideration by the investor-

A large number of expatriates who are wealthy are attracted to the country and are on the lookout for residence either for spending their retirement years or for joining the key jobs under the Canadian Immigration Department’s skilled worker programs. So, the seeking of property for rent or resale by such persons creates an investment focus in the cities and areas most popular with this group (like Alberta).

With holding emerging markets within its borders and having gained in economic strength Canada is being considered as a safe and neutral country. This has led to the growth of many business sectors and the physical expansion of many Canadian cities like those in Alberta thereby calling forth the development of residential and commercial real estate sectors in these. This is proving to be of immense gain for the investor either for resale or for buy to let purposes of the real estate. Besides, Canada’s tourist sector, though already well established, is expanding further- gradually creeping inward and moving further northwards. This is contributing to opening up opportunities for aiming at profitably investing in second home markets and tourist accommodation markets in many more towns of Canada than before.

REO’S in Santa Monica Market Real Estate Market

What is an REO?

With today’s changing Santa Monica real estate market, we are beginning to see not only foreclosures but numerous properties dubbed REO’s as well. Many times here at RealEstate-SantaMonica.com we are asked “What are they?” So we thought we’d give a helpful explanation.

The term REO first of all means “Real Estate Owned.” These homes are very similar to foreclosures…and technically the homes have already been foreclosed upon, but they didn’t sell at a foreclosure auction. Because the homes didn’t sell at auction, the lender (the bank) became the owner of the property.

As you can well imagine, most banks aren’t interested in hanging on to a large portfolio of these homes because they are not in the real estate business. Banks just want to make the loans and take their mortgage checks. That’s why REO’s are potentially good deals for home buyers.

Why buy an REO?

For home buyers thinking about purchasing either a foreclosure or an REO, it’s good to remember that these transactions are a little more complicated than your regular home purchase.

One advantage to buying an REO instead of a foreclosure is that the buyer doesn’t have the pressure of dealing with a home auction. These tend to be frenzied affairs and sometimes peoples’ emotions get the better of them, and before you know it, you’ve paid more for a home than you wanted. With an REO, you write an offer just as you would a regular home.

Another plus to buying an REO is that the buyer gets to do a physical inspection. This is key. Unless you are a real estate zen master, you do not want to be out there buying homes unless you inspect them. With an REO you know up front whether something is wrong with the property and you can make an informed purchasing decision.

What should I be wary of when buying an REO?

REO’s can be great deals for home buyers, but some deals really are too good to be true. So just be mindful of a few things when venturing into one of these purchases.

First make sure that the property is in acceptable shape. Get a physical inspection! We mentioned this above, but it bears mentioning again. You do not want to be getting a home that appears to be an amazing deal only to find out later that it needs $75,000 in foundation repairs.

Also be mindful of the title. Make sure the bank gives you a title report so that you know that the bank truly owns the home. You don’t want any gray area here.

Another heads up…make sure there are no liens on the property. The bank should be able to field title and lien questions, but it is your responsibility to ask.

Why are REO’s priced to low?

As crazy as it sounds, banks price REO’s to sell quickly because banks are not in the real estate business. It could be argued that banks at this point should have some brokers working for them full time, but that’s another discussion entirely.

Banks really want to cut their losses and get these homes off of their books as quickly as possible. The federal government usually penalizes financial institutions for every REO they acquire, so it behooves them to sell these homes fast. Now banks certainly won’t give the homes away but there are definitely some great deals to be had.

Should I buy an REO?

Yes and No. If you are the type of savvy buyer who does his/her homework, REO’s can be an amazing way to go if you want to save money. However, if you are the type of homeowner who just wants to buy a house as easily as possible, perhaps a more traditional home buying transaction is for you.

So in closing, there are many REO’s out there. If you are interested, all of us at RealEstate-SantaMonica.com would be happy to help you out.

Property Market in Portugal

The Property Market

Why not choose to base yourself in an area with over 3000 hours of sunshine each year and give yourself the quality of life you deserve?

Portugal is an attractive location for house buyers, with the Algarve being the most popular area for British buyers, mainly due to the weather, golden beaches, and the abundance of golf courses. It is Portugal’s busiest, most developed region and it is reported that 90 percent of all property sales to foreign buyers are in the Algarve.

The age of Internet and ADSL means that mobility of labour is very much a reality and it is easily possible to maintain instant contact with colleagues anywhere in the world. Satellite TV means access to English language television and VOIP systems give you a U.K. telephone number and U.K. calls at low rates.

There are excellent air connections to anywhere in Europe and intercontinentally from Faro or Lisbon airports, making it perfectly possible to base yourself in Portugal and ‘commute’ back to the U.K. Many of the ‘budget’ airlines fly into Faro from Stanstead, Luton, Bristol, Gatwick, Heathrow, East Midlands, Dublin or Manchester and offer excellent value charter fares. Additional routes come on stream during the summer months.

Where to Buy

The Portuguese property market is showing consistent growth, strong rental demand, relative living costs and safe environment.

There is a wide choice of great properties in wonderful locations and often less expensive than the equivalent in France or Spain.

Remember that the summer months in the Algarve, especially August, are very busy in terms of traffic and there are visitors from the north of Portugal and from Spain as well as holidaymakers from all over Europe, all expecting good access to the beach. Unless you enjoy being part of the crowd you may appreciate being a little removed from the bustle. Being just a few kilometers inland can have considerable benefit.

Don’t forget to take into account your proposed usage of the property, if you are expecting to live in Portugal permanently then the factors that affect your decision on what to purchase will vary from those required if you are planning to rent the property out for part of the year.

Many properties inland or ‘up in the hills’ do not have mains water or drainage. Instead they rely on a system of cisternas (tanks) to collect rainwater and store water brought in by or pumped from a ‘furo’ (a bore-hole), whilst a ‘fossa’ or sceptic tank contains and treats sewage waste.

All of these facilities are reliable and capable of many years of unattended operation. Bear in mind if you plan to re-plant the garden, water can be at a premium in the summer months and a new garden may require a bore-hole to be drilled to obtain the necessary extra water needed for irrigation.

Drilling companies charge per metre for drilling and then the cost of the pump, control equipment and electrical installation must be added.

At Exclusive Algarve Villas, we try our hardest to give you the latest and most up to date information on the Portugal property market and costs.

Please feel free to question our consultants about anything to do with buying and investing in Portugal, in person, via email at info@eavillas.com or on the telephone (+351) 282 353 019

Portugal remains an exclusive location, with fewer of the ‘over development’ problems of some of its neighbours. The opportunity to buy quality property in a great location remains excellent but, like all good things in life, availability can’t last. Portugal is slowly but surely being ‘discovered’ and if you’re going to do it, now could be the perfect time to step in to this beautiful country!

Portugal is an utterly charming country and relatively speaking still overlooked by second-homebuyers.

Many areas have an exclusive feel and second-homebuyers and investors are waking up to the advantages of buying in a country which has not suffered the mass development of other parts of Europe, which is quick and easy to get to, and where the cost of living is still relatively cheap.

The Portuguese market is very active, with purchasers from across Europe. There are plenty of Dutch, French, Spanish and Scandinavians buying, as well as the British. This means that to buy your dream property, quick and decisive action is often required. New developments are selling particularly quickly at the moment and many properties are sold from plans.

Mortgage Payments Vs Rent Payments

There is an age-old debate on whether or not it makes more sense for people to rent or buy. Though it is hard to really understand why there is a debate at all. You will definitely hear arguments from both camps that appear logical but if you do a little digging you may find that some of the arguments are thin at best.

The simple fact of the matter is you are always better off making a mortgage payment over a rent payment if you can afford to do so. It is not uncommon for mortgage payments to actually be lower than many rent payments are. So the key is to understand an important, fundamental difference between making a rent payment and making a mortgage payment.

Rent payments are made on a monthly basis for the most part. That money gives you the right to live in the house or apartment for the specified period of time, typically one month. You receive no other tangible benefits from that rent payment. It does not improve your credit score, it does not produce equity, it simply gives you the ability to live in the residence.

A mortgage payment, first and foremost, also gives you the ability to remain in the residence, however, it does much more than just that. First, the mortgage payment helps you build equity in your home. Equity is the difference between what you owe on the property and what the property is worth. That equity can be used for many things including debt consolidation, home improvements, extra funds, etc. Equity becomes a powerful tool in your overall financial plan.

Mortgage payments also include interest payments which can be tax deductible, helping your overall bottom line at the end of the year. Rent is not tax deductible in most cases. Your mortgage payments will also help improve your credit score if you continue to make payments on time. Mortgage payments are tracked if your lender reports the loan, which most lenders typically do. Your overall financial outlook can improve dramatically with an increased credit score resulting from on-time mortgage payments.

Some will argue that you are tied down to a home if you buy it, while renting gives you more flexibility. Though it is important to remember that if you rent a residence you are typically obligated for a specific period of time, typically a year. If you own a home, however, you are able to sell and relocate any time you wish, or you can rent the residence and relocate any time you wish. This is an important and fundamental difference between the two. It is true, however, that how quickly you are able to sell your home will depend on the location, its value, its condition and the market at the time of the sale. You do have the flexibility, however, to sell anytime you find a willing and able buyer.

One time where renting may seem like a more logical choice than buying is if you are going to live in a particular area for only a short period of time. In order to determine if it makes sense to rent or buy in this type of situation you really need to analyze your overall financial plans. You need to get a full understanding of any and all costs associated with you buying the home, the likelihood you would be able to sell it or rent it when you were relocating from the area, etc. For some, even in a short term situation the better financial decision may be buying, especially if they are able to rent it and build equity on their tenant. This may, however, impede them buying a second home, though if they have adequate credit and income they may not have any problem buying the second residence as well.

It is difficult to come up with a scenario that makes renting the clear cut right decision. It seems in most situations buying, if an option for you is the better decision financially. Though consulting with a mortgage professional is the only real way to help determine these things as they can give you a clear understanding of what is and what is not possible for you. Your financial advisor can also assist you in making this decision.

Owning your own home has many non-financial benefits as well, however, only you can evaluate those. You know what is and what is not important for you. You know what obligations you are comfortable having and which you are not. The key is to evaluate your personal situation rather than listen to those who are convinced that one or the other is right for you.

Investing in Rental Properties

In some ways, rental properties are like reptiles. They don't need to be fed every day, but periodically, they do require a rather substantial meal.

For example, let's say that you have a pretty decent rental with about $200 per month in positive cash flow. Great! That's $2,400 extra dollars of income a year! But...not so fast. This extra money is critical to your success as an investor, but it should be looked at as part of the reserve you should keep on hand to feed your rental when it gets hungry.

So, let's say that in your pretty decent rental, you have a pretty decent tenant that pays their rent on time every month for two years. Great! That's $4,800 extra dollars in the bank. But, like I said before, not so fast. During these two years, you were only plagued periodically with small maintenance items. There was a little trouble with some ants which cost you $95 in pest control. Then the plumber had to pay a visit - that was $200. And, of course, the furnace needed to be serviced which ran you close to $300.

Still, not so bad, $595 from your $4,800 leaves you up $4,205. But then your tenant moves out. The good news is that a portion of their security deposit covers the clean up as was mandated in the lease. The bad news is that you need to replace the carpet and that's going to cost you about $1,500. Between getting it fixed up and placing a qualified new tenant, your rental ends up sitting vacant for about a month, which means another $700 going out for your mortgage payment.

But still, you're at a healthy $2,005 profit for this property. Not too bad. But then, and here's the kicker, a nasty winter storm blows through and causes the roof to sprout a leak. The contractor comes out and tells you that your roof was already in poor condition, and it's time to put a whole new roof on.

The cost for this? $5,000. Ouch. No more profits left, you come out of pocket $2,995 because, after two years of sparse meals, your rental property is hungry.

What exactly am I trying to say here? Only this: investing in rental real estate is a long term commitment.

Should you acquire properties that cash flow? Absolutely! Should you expect this cash flow to supplement your income in the short term? Probably not, unless you either got an extraordinarily good deal (above and beyond what most investors get), or you put a significant amount of money down.

Investing in rental real estate has many benefits, but, in my opinion, short term income is usually not one of them.

Real Estate Investor Seminar

Have you noticed that many property investment courses have started offering a Free Real Estate Investor Seminar to try and get clients in the door? Over the past few years the financial education industry seems to have gotten a bad name. Unfortunately many investment seminars have been run by less than heroic people who have simply been looking to scam people for their money. This is very unfortunate because it alienates the general public from investing and more importantly from gaining a financial education. Nobody likes to be scammed, it makes you feel stupid and you resent the person or thing that did that to you. In order to stop this client backlash many real estate investor seminars are offering you a free ticket to see their event. Let's have a look at why they are doing this, if you should attend and if you do - which one should you attend?

By giving away free Real Estate Investor Seminars the investment companies are effectively getting rid of your risk. A common technique is to give you a free ticket to a 1,2,3 or 4 day property investment course and then offer you a package that will either continue your education or help you with the hands on task of buying an investment property. So what should we make of these Free Real Estate Investor Seminars? Should we steer clear of them or should we take advantage of the free information that is on offer?

First of all lets look at the most common question that I get asked about buying your first investment property. "Can you tell me how to become a real estate investor and teach me all the special tricks that I need to know"? If you look at this question it has basically answered my own question about whether or not we should attend these Free Investment seminars. People want to gain the right knowledge so that they can become successful real estate investors and the best and quickest way to do that is to learn form somebody who has already achieved the results that you are looking for. So Yes, I definitely think that everybody should take advantage of the great free real estate investing seminars that are out there at the moment. What better way to learn that to immerse yourself into a weekend of pure Real Estate. Now of course not all Real Estate Investor Seminars will be great but the best thing about them being free is that you can leave at any time and it won't have cost you a penny.

So Which Real Estate Investor Seminars should you attend? There are probably some of you out there that are saying "What free real estate investing seminars - I don't see any"? Well you simply aren't looking hard enough. There are plenty of websites that are dedicated solely to free investment resources. Now if you are lucky enough to find a few Real Estate Investor Seminars that are being run in your state then how do you choose which one to go to? My personal advice would be to go with your gut feeling, it's normally right. Most importantly just make sure you actually go! The worst thing that could happen is you waste a morning of your life - Whereas on the positive side you might learn that one bit of information that you needed to give you the confidence to become a successful real estate investor.

Benefits Of Buying An Orlando Condo

Have you heard of an Orlando condo before? While a large number of individuals associate Orlando condos with rentals, did you also know that you could buy your own Orlando condo? Although that sounds pretty nice, you may be wondering whether or not you really should by yourself a condo in Orlando. If that is the case, you may want to take the time to examine the benefits of doing so. Just a few of the many benefits to owning an Orlando condo are outlined below.

One of the greatest benefits to owning an Orlando condo is the multiple uses. For instance, a large number of Orlando condo owners choose to reside fulltime inside their condos, but other only use them when they regularly travel to the Orland area, whether that travel is for business or for pleasure. Should you choose to buy an Orlando condo, you can use it as however you see fit. Essentially, this means that whether you would like to live in your Orland condo year round or only on occasion, it is your right to do so.

Another one of the many benefits to owning an Orlando condo is the selection that you have to choose from. Orlando condos come in all different sizes, shapes, and styles. In fact, in the Orlando area, there are a large number of condo complexes, which each hold numerous condo units. Whether you are looking for a condo that has one bedroom or four of them, you should be able to find at least one condo in the Orlando area that can give you what you need.

In keeping with the above mentioned benefit of choice, you also have a choice when it comes to deciding where in Orlando you would like to buy a condo. As it was previously mentioned, condo complexes can be found all over the city of Orlando. If you are looking to live in Orlando fulltime, you may want to find an Orlando condo that is located close to your place of business. Should you only be interested in visiting Orlando while on a vacation or even if you are looking to retire in an Orlando condo, it may be a good idea to examine local activities or attractions that you would be interested in participating in or visiting. A conveniently located condo is one of the best ones to have.

Cost is another benefit to buying an Orlando condo. While many individuals consider the cost of condos, including Florida condos, to be quite high, it is important to remember what you are getting. It has been said that condos represent a combination of a house and an apartment. They have many of the rooms that a traditional home would have, but they are compact like many apartments are. For that reason, you will find that many Florida condo prices are consistent with the average selling prices of homes in the area. When compared to renting an Orlando apartment, you may very well find yourself saving money, overtime, with the purchase of an Orlando condo.

Isn't it amazing that there are so many benefits to buying an Orlando condo. What is even more amazing is that the above mentioned benefits are just a few of the many that exist. If you are interested in buying a Florida condo, particularly an Orlando condo, it is advised that you do a little bit of research to first get your search started. When doing so, you will want to examine Condodomain.com. Condodomain.com is your one stop resource for buying a Florida condo, including a condo in Orlando.

Real Estate Values after a Flood

For those currently in the midst of dealing with water damage, it might not seem like time to worry about real estate values but the fact is…the decisions you make now regarding water damage repair and restoration can dramatically impact your future. Learn how to preserve the value of your home during this critical time period with these important considerations:

1. Protect the value of your home! When faced with major water damage restoration it can be tempting to save money by doing some of the work yourself or trying to take a few short-cuts. It could be one of the most costly mistakes you ever make. Remember, the largest single investment most people make is in their home. Cutting corners might save a little money today but could hurt the resale values of your home for years to come.

2. Set the record straight. In the past, major work performed on a home was rarely reported but with modern technology, insurance companies, building departments and other agencies and institutions responsible for the safety and security of a home keep track of everything done to a home…or not done to a home. For example, the C.L.U.E Report stays with a house forever – so anyone selling a flood damaged home in the future will need to demonstrate that all work was performed to the highest standards. Working with a reputable water restoration company is also a good way to help keep insurance rates low after a major loss; insurance companies want to know the work was done right – without the risk of mold or mildew claims arising at a later date.

3. Remember the write-offs. This is one tax deduction that most people never want to qualify for but keep track of receipts and water damage repair documentation just the same. It might help with annual taxes as well as keeping track of the cost basis for the property when it comes time to calculate Capital Gains taxes on the sale of the home in the future.

4. Go with quality. Without a doubt, the most important decision you can make when it comes to Galveston water damage services is going with a company like Kiwi Services known for quality. Not only will it make submission (and payment) of insurance claims much easier but working with a vendor who is certified by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration is vital to protecting the value of your real estate in the future.

Real Estate Shutterbugs

The majority of today's home buyers are starting their search for real estate on the internet. They are able to look at the available inventory from the comfort of their home, 24 hours a day. And with so many properties on the market right now, buyers can be exceedingly selective with which properties they choose to view in person. They're able to save a great deal of time by shopping online for desirable houses rather than relying on their agents to find ones that may or may not be what they're looking for. With this is mind, it's imperative that you grab the attention of buyers, and make them interested enough in a property to make the trek to view the estate in person. To do this you not only need a well-written description of the property, but you also need quality listing photographs.

Photographs enable buyers to instantly decide whether a property is worth considering or not. Photographs reveal so much more about the character of a home than words can, and they provoke an immediate emotional response from viewers. People know right away whether a property is a hit or miss when they see a photograph.

While you can't influence everything, you can control your listing photographs, and what kind of first impression they make. Real estate agents have two choices: to take all photos themselves, or to hire a professional photographer. Certainly it costs more on the outset to hire someone, but in the end a photographer's skills can directly impact how quickly a property is sold, and for how much.

Studies have shown that well composed listing photographs can make potential buyers think that the property is worth more than if the photos are mediocre. In addition, if the photos are of poor quality, then no one will be interested in calling the agent and touring the home. If no one sees the property, no one will buy the property.

The importance of quality photos seems to be lost on some agents, as there is still a prevalence of poorly lit, out-of-focus shots displayed on the Multiple Listing Service. Here are a few things to keep in mind when taking your listing photos:

1.) Prepare the house before you start snapping pictures. Have the homeowners clean the house as thoroughly as possible, and remove personal items such as cereal boxes, shampoo bottles, and the like. Personal effects remind potential buyers that the house is currently being lived in by someone else, which can make it hard for them to visualize themselves in that space.

2.) Think about the picture before you take it. You want to be able to capture as many architectural features as possible, while keeping the photo well composed. Make sure that there is adequate lighting when taking inside shots. If there is too much light outside the windows, the room can appear dark, but if your shot is cluttered with house lamps, you may give the impression that the room doesn't get any natural light.

3.) Update your listing photos regularly to avoid suggesting that the property is difficult to sell. If your shots were taken in the winter and the property hasn't sold by July, it's time to update your listing to reflect the current season. In a similar vein, try to take your pictures on nice sunny days, as weather can have a huge effect on first impressions. If, for example, your shots are taken on a rainy day, the house will appear gloomy and uninviting.

4.) The debate about wide angle lenses. Wide angle lenses allow you to get much more inside a photo than a regular lens, which can make a place look more spacious than it actually is. This can lead to disappointment if the buyer visits the house in person and sees that the pictures were deceiving. You want your listing photographs to show the property in its best light, but also in an accurate light. Don't use too much Photoshop and other technologies to make the house seem like something that it's really not.

Be thoughtful and plan ahead when getting ready to take your photos, and if possible, hire a professional photographer so you can concentrate your efforts on other marketing strategies.

Best Real Estate Financing Tips

Whether you're seeking a home mortgage for the first time or you're a seasoned buyer, you want to save every penny you can. Often people don't realize they can save money on their real estate loans by doing some comparison shopping, which I'll get to further on in this article.

You want to keep in mind when financing any real estate that lenders will be able to tell you only what you MIGHT be able to afford based on your salary and level of debt including your credit card debt. And what seems like real estate financing mumbo-jumbo when you first start out will gradually make sense to you. Besides being the average person's biggest lifetime financial transaction, buying or selling a home is one of those areas where mistrust and misconceptions can easily be present.

An adjustable rate mortgage only sometimes may be a good choice because on the average, most people move or refinance within seven years. Now if you have a less-than-perfect or a 'bad credit' credit report, don't worry too much about it because with some lenders it isn't going to influence them. Finding the best loan program for you depends on a few things including: how long you think you'll stay in the home, how much money you plan to put down and how you plan to finance the closing costs.

Your income and your debts will typically play the biggest roles in determining the price range of the house you can get approved for. Now some of the advantages of adjustable rate mortgages include: lower costs - because they're usually priced lower than fixed-rate mortgages so you can increase your buying power and lower your initial monthly payments. If the interest rates go down, you'll have lower payments, but if the interest rates go up you could be headed for a problem if you're just getting by. You don't want to get in a foreclosure situation.

You might want to consider buying a house in a lower price range where you don't have to struggle whether or not you have an adjustable rate mortgage or a fixed rate mortgage. You may not want to take a step down to do this but you will be less stressed about making monthly payments and you'll be accruing appreciation on your property. Then after a couple of years or so you can re-evaluate and then step up to a higher priced property if you can do it. It also may give you some time to time to pay off some debts that have accumulated.

Now if you get turned down for any reason you can submit a mortgage application several times; it's not uncommon for this to happen either. There are many competing lenders now for your business and they will look for ways to get you the real estate financing you need many times.

If you're having a problem getting a home mortgage and the seller still owes money on the home you can check with your lender and see if you can get a wraparound mortgage; although it isn't legal in all states, it will allow you to pay the monthly payment on the existing mortgage and an additional payment to pay the difference; make sure that a wraparound mortgage will not trigger a due-on-sale clause and make sure you can afford to do it.

A FICO credit score, good or bad, is not a requirement for most conventional or government loans such as FHA loans or VA loans. And if you do borrow money for a down payment it must be disclosed to the lender or if any of your money for your down payment was a gift, you have to provide proof for it. Know that any money you receive from any lending institutions will show up on your credit report and your monthly payments will factor into your debt-to-income ratio

Most adjustable rate mortgage programs offer what is called "rate cap" protection, which limits the amount the rate can be increased, both each year and over the life of the loan, double check with your lender on this. All adjustable rate mortgages are amortized over a 30-year period.

Check with your CPA before you buy to make sure your property taxes are deductible. Also find out from your CPA or other financial advisor what other real estate financing expenses can be deducted when you file your income tax return in a few months. Knowing what deductions you can take may free up more for your income tax refund which you can apply to future loan payments or pay off debts.

Now if you get a 20-year fixed rate mortgage term it will mean higher payments, when compared to the more common 30-year fixed rate mortgage and you may not be able to swing it if this is your first home or job security isn't there. So don't get in over your head on this. Going the safer route is always the better way to go.

20-year fixed-rate mortgages allow you to make consistent higher monthly payments throughout all of the 20 years you have the mortgage; the shorter term means you pay the loan off quicker and therefore pay less interest and build equity faster than with a 30-year loan, BUT you need to know you have complete job security or a sure way to make the payments. It's better to be careful and opt for the 30-year loan even though you can save a lot of money with a 20-year loan.

A fixed-rate mortgage means the interest rate and principal payments remain the same for the life of the loan but the taxes will probably change. Your taxes may be written into the monthly payment or paid separately and sometimes you have no choice over this. The lending institution may be the final word on how the taxes are going to be paid. Home loan borrowers can submit information about income, assets and equity to determine how much a down payment should be, which is usually processed through an automated underwriting system.

One good way to save money on points, that is not commonly known, is that if you check around you can find real estate companies that have their own mortgage companies, sometimes in the same building. They often will shave off a point or more on your home loan if you buy from their real estate company and save you some money there.

Make sure you call around to several lenders or mortgage brokers before you apply for a home loan to get an idea what points and other fees they would be charging you. This can vary quite a bit. Some charge more points than others. Make sure you go with a quality lender however.

Work with your mortgage broker or lender to develop an individual loan or mortgage program based on your credit worthiness. And whatever you do don't get yourself into a situation where you can't make the mortgage payments; think far ahead. Thinking positive about your future and how it relates to your real estate financing is important but you must be realistic. Also don't be afraid to ask a few real estate agents if they know of any tips to save you money when you go for a home mortgage and what to avoid. Ask homeowners how they're doing, how they've saved money on their loans and what real estate and mortgage pitfalls to avoid too.

Property Investment Seminars

Property investment seminars are property developers and realestate agent’s brochures which is produced to discuss on property development or property market in order to get the investor to part on the property investment seminars which gives own housing projects. Property investment seminars provide property investment information on a wide variety of topics. UK property experts in the property marketplace, stands at the top to represent the best investment properties in UK.

In property investment seminars you can get valuable property investment information. To check about property Investment Seminars search online. You will get more details on how to attend, schedule or learn more about such property investment seminars and opportunities.

Property investment seminars are of one and a half hour presentation which aims to wealth building through real estate. Property investment seminars are usually conducted free of cost. Property investment seminar will provide an insight overview to investing in commercial and industrial properties. Property investment seminars will mainly focus on the valuation and pricing methods related to the field of investment Properties, with specific reference to UK. Property investment seminars features a number of renowned speakers, who will tackle major practical issues related to the realestate, industrial and commercial properties which are important area of capital growth. Additionally, property investment seminars will address the issue of how to evaluate Intellectual Property Rights by adopting international best practices. The property investment seminars many make discussions at length a range of topics relevant to properties in the UK and the importance of Intellectual Property Valuation in Intellectual Asset Management.

England is the home of large number of companies with intangible assets such as trademarks. 'Moreover, several indigenous companies in the UK are expanding their presence beyond their homeland and are going global, which accentuates the need to adopt international best practices in evaluating the companies' worth'. So, London is the best place to conduct such great property investment seminars in a big level.

From property investment seminars, property builders find a good way to get suitable investment properties. Property investment seminars are generally a great opportunity to purchase a investment property at below market prices. You just need to attend the property investment seminars to understand the property marketplace.

Property investment seminars gather both the newer property investor and the investor that feels like they require some help in these areas, and much more! Property investment seminars will act as a workshop to allow property builders time to get their questions answered in a group setting and also expand their connections in this field.

Property Management

The idea of property management (sometimes referred to as 3rd party management) has been around since the dawn of time. But, before property management was a job or career, a title or a company, property management has been an action that many people attended to around the land or buildings that they owned themselves or leased from someone else. Property management can mean different things to different people. For some, property management might mean keeping their own property safe, secure and pleasant to the eye. For others, property management could mean paying someone else to make sure your property is in tip top shape. Some types of properties that may need property management are; houses, condos, duplexes, town homes, apartments, shopping centers, malls, offices buildings, airports and public transportation buildings, hospitals and many more. Property management is very similar to the role of management in any business.

One important role that property management has is to act as the middle person between the tenant and the property management landlord. Property management should provide the property management landlord with a sense of security, knowing that everyday needs from the renter can be resolved without involving said property management landlord unnecessarily. Hand and hand with that security, the tenant can be assured that the property will be maintained to some set of standards which can be reviewed with the property management team before an agreement is reached. Property management is a delicate balance between pleasing the property management landlord and keeping the renter happy as well. The task of property management can prove to be harder than it sounds. Maintaining an open line of communication in property management and being able to address the needs of both property management parties will make a successful property management business. Other duties for property management but are not limited to; collecting rent, posting and showing vacancies, maintenance issues, evictions, failure to pay rent issues, harassment, and background checks on the application forms. It is very important that a profitable property management staff or team be knowledgeable in the current laws of the city, state and county concerning tenant rights vs. landlord rights. Be sure your property management team is up to date on current property management codes, and other items that will benefit your property management business. Getting caught up in property management legal matters is no way to run a property management business.

The following is the definition of property managers/property management as posted by Wikipedia on their website. Property management is a person or firm responsible for the operation of a real estate property for a fee, when the owner of the property cannot or is not interested in managing the property themselves. The property manager or the property management company has a primary responsibility to the landlord and a secondary responsibility to the tenant. Relationships the property manager or property management team have with the landlord and with the tenant are crucial in forming the expectations of both parties to the lease since both parties will seek and expect certain rights and benefits out of it. Owner's expectations from the property manager/ property management team are to carry out the owner's instructions, control costs and maximize revenue to maintain a stabilized cash flow as a return on capital invested, exercise control over the building to safeguard the capital invested, provide a duty of care through proper maintenance of the building, to be professional and well informed, enhance the value of the property by making improvements that will increase its market value, retain and enhance pride of ownership. The tenant's expectations from the property manager/ property management team are the "quiet enjoyment" 'assurance of the use and enjoyment of the premises for the intended purposes without interference from the landlord, comforta living environment properly heated, cooled and ventilated with as many amenities as possible compatible with the rental level, security and safetyto live or work in a building in which there are no inherent defects or conditions that might be hazardous to health or to property, statusaccommodation and facilities that meet social-economic and cultural standards for the tenant's and their guest.

Property management can be a very lucrative business when handled correctly. Property management takes an organized, well communicated, and dedicated individual or staff to be able to pull off a successful property management company. Typically property management companies will charge their landlords a percentage of the gross rent collected each month. This percentage for property management fees can range from 3 to 10% depending on the property management market. Sometimes a flat fee is more appropriate when the property is a condominium or a type of cooperative complex for property management. Some states might require that property managers have a property management license or a real estate license to be able to claim the title of property manager or property management business.

A cousin to property management is facility management. Facility management is like property management but the focus is the management of buildings and services. One definition from a large facility/property management association says, "A profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by integrating people, place, process and technology." Australians prefer the term: Commercial Services to property management, this term replaces facilities management in some organizations. Besides keeping the property up to date, commercial services can also include duties such as waste disposal, parking, security, landscaping and more.

A homeowner may provide his or her own property management, but property management is not limited to the duties of house cleaning, lawn care and landscaping, building maintenance, trash and waste disposal and interior upkeep. Property management can be all of these, and can be hired out to a professional that can provide better property management services than the homeowner can or would provide themselves. These property management services come with a price and if the homeowner is willing to pay for outside property management, the sky is the limit on what they can have managed. Some property management companies even manage home owners associations (HOAs). In this instance the property management company is the middle person between the homeowners and the land developer. Once the developer has completed his contracted tasks, the neighborhood is then turned over to the HOA. The property management company may stay on board for a fee to help the HOA. A landlord may also provide property management services himself or have it hired out to a property management company. A large company or corporation might have internal structures in place to provide property management on site or they may choose to hire an outside property management company to provide the property management services that they would need on a day to day basis. Both of these operations are a reasonable and effective way to tackle the issue of property management on a large scale.

With the world of technology growing everyday, it makes perfect sense to have applicable property management software and property management computer systems that deal with property management in place to help with property management or facility management. You can have your home wired and programmed to turn the lights on and off when entering a room. Constant temperature and humidity levels can be monitored along with major appliance functions. Watering of lawns and security systems has become high tech and available to the everyday homeowner who wants property management. Some passenger vehicles now include a "remote" that when programmed can turn the lights on, turn the TV on your favorite station and more, all from the comforts of your car. Heaven forbid you will have to walk into your dark and quite home. Home builders, architects and engineers saw the potential for using large scale property management ideas in the home. Beyond the home, large commercial properties, computer aided facility management (CAFM) has been a natural progression of the marriage between technology and facility/ property management. In the late 1980's CAFM evolved to allow larger properties to manage their property management sites more efficiently. Most often, CAFM systems track and maintain; floor plans, LAN and telecom information, business continuity and safety information, workplace assets, employee and occupancy data, building and property information and space characteristics and usage. Being able to supervise the goings on of your with a property management company in an efficient and well structured way will help your property management bottom line.

If you need information about property management, the internet is a great place to start.

The Global Property Guide

The Global Property Guide today re-launched its web site to make its data more accessible. The home page has been simplified. Major categories have been spelled out. The new Home Page has been organized around an expanded menu, to help the reader navigate the site. Key data items are easier to find, more obvious.

The Global Property Guide
The Global Property Guide is the authoritative source of information on buying residential property. It covers every investible country in the world, from the perspective of income, tax, and capital gains. We provide research and information on 131 countries to residential property investors, with brief information on 85 countries.

Property, as an asset class, is highly susceptible to booms and busts. Across the Western world major countries have experienced a prolonged residential property boom.

Like stock prices (but with markedly different dynamics) residential property prices are now coming back down to earth. We help investors make sense of these swings by providing tools of analysis, and displaying data in a clear, comprehensive and accurate format.

Our fundamental residential property market data includes

• Price change 1 year
• Price change 5 year
• Price change 10 year
• Square metre price city centre
• Total round-trip transaction cost
• Gross yield
• Price to rent (P/R) ratio
• Price to Gross Domestic Product
• Change in interest rates
• Taxes on income (effective rates)
• Capital gains tax (effective)
• Inheritance taxes (effective)
• Buying process (graded by quality)
• Tenant legislation (graded as landlord-friendly)
• Residence (high tax / low tax)
• Economic growth
• Competitiveness
• GDP per capita
• Competitiveness rank, improvement over 5 years
• Stage of economic cycle

“Our aim is to be the Bloomberg of international residential property,” says publisher Matthew Montagu-Pollock, referring to the financial site on trading desks around the world (http://www.bloomberg.com/). “Bloomberg provides data - but also makes it easy to use.”

“It’s important for a residential investor be able to see what his likely return on investment will be. What his taxes will be. To be able quickly to check whether the laws are landlord-friendly. To survey the inheritance laws. All this is now available, for almost every country in the world, on our site, without any marketing material or any attempt to sell you anything – just the facts.”

Top 20 Real Estate Foreclosure Markets

Stockton, California reported the highest foreclosure rate among the nation's 100 largest metro areas from Jan to Jun 2007, according to RealtyTrac, an online marketplace for foreclosure sales. Detroit and Las Vegas documented the next highest foreclosure rates. RealtyTrac's 2007 Midyear Metropolitan Foreclosure Market Report showed the foreclosure activity in the top 100 metro areas for the first half of 2007. As foreclosure rates continue to rise, 82 out of 100 metro areas recorded year-over-year increases in foreclosures.

Stockton reported one foreclosure filing for every 27 households with a total of 8,169 foreclosure fillings on 4,239 properties. The rate of foreclosure has increased exponentially to three times more than the number reported last year, for the same period.

Detroit, with one in 29 households going for foreclosure, recorded the second highest foreclosure rate. A total of 28,705 foreclosure filings were made on 20,231 properties, which is almost double the number reported from Jan-June 2006.

Las Vegas documented one foreclosure filing for every 31 households, making it the third highest in foreclosure activity among the 100 metro areas. It reported 22,928 foreclosure filings on 13,028 properties, double the number reported during the first half of 2006.

Six of the top 20 metro areas with the highest foreclosure rates were in California and four in Ohio.

The following are the top 20 U.S. housing foreclosure markets from Jan to Jun 2007, the total number of foreclosure filings and households per foreclosure filing.

1. Stockton, California: 8,169 foreclosure filings; one foreclosure filing for every 27 households.
2. Detroit/Livonia/Dearborn, Michigan: 28,705 foreclosure filings; one filing per 29 households.
3. Las Vegas/Paradise, Nevada: 22,928 foreclosure filings; one filing per 31 households.
4. Riverside/San Bernardino, California: 41,351 foreclosure filings; one filing per 33 households.
5. Sacramento, California: 20,516 foreclosure filings; one filing per 36 households.
6. Denver/Aurora, Colorado: 23,842 foreclosure filings; one filing per 42 households.
7. Miami, Florida: 20,275 foreclosure filings; one filing per 46 households.
8. Bakersfield, California: 5,365 foreclosure filings; one filing per 47 households.
9. Memphis, Tennessee: 10,800 foreclosure filings; one filing per 49 households.
10. Cleveland/Lorain/Elyria/Mentor, Ohio: 8,844 foreclosure filings; one filing per 50 households.
11. Fort Lauderdale, Florida: 15,720 foreclosure filings; one filing per 50 households.
12. Atlanta/Sandy Springs/Marietta, Georgia: 36,502 foreclosure filings; one filing per 54 households.
13. Fort Worth/Arlington, Texas: 13,221 foreclosure filings; one filing per 57 households.
14. Fresno, California: 4,867 foreclosure filings; one filing per 60 households.
15. Indianapolis, Indiana: 11,677 foreclosure filings; one filing per 62 households.
16. Dayton, Ohio: 5,966 foreclosure filings; one filing per 63 households.
17. Dallas, Texas: 23,284 foreclosure filings; one filing per 65 households.
18. Akron, Ohio: 4,378 foreclosure filings; one filing per 70 households.
19. Oakland, California: 13,482 foreclosure filings; one filing per 70 households.
20. Columbus, Ohio: 10,706 foreclosure filings; one filing per 70 households.

Real Estate In A Slow Market

The real estate market tends to be cyclical with some periods favoring buyers and other periods favoring sellers. As with other free markets, the pricing and availability of real estate is directly related to the forces of supply and demand. While many real estate markets in the United States are experiencing a substantial slowdown, other markets remain robust, and some even continue to grow. What makes the situation even more complicated is that even within a particular city or county, there may be some areas that are hot and others that are cold.

In regions of the country in which the real estate market is slowing, there are some things homebuyers can do to increase their chance of getting the property that they want on terms that are favorable. Below are some strategies to consider:

1. Clarify What You Want. Be sure to understand what kind of property you want (e.g. bedrooms, bathrooms, size, yard, location, etc.). Identify items that you "must have" and items that you would be willing to forego if your other priorities were met.

2. Consult Experts. You've no doubt heard the saying that "all real estate is local," so arm yourself with the best information available. Consult a local real estate expert who can guide you about what communities are hot and which ones are not. Obviously, you are more likely to find deals in communities that have excess supply and limited demand than vice versa.

3. Understand Market Data. Obtaining and evaluating data can be one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. Identify communities that you find desirable and ask your real estate agent to provide you relevant sales statistics. For example, your agent can provide you:

a. A summary of how many properties are available in communities that you deem desirable.

b. How long properties are taking to sell this month, last month, last quarter, last year, etc.

c. How many properties have sold this month, last month, last quarter, last year, etc.

d. Changes in the median and average price of properties for a community this month, last month, last quarter, last year, etc.

e. Data on the sales price to list price ratio (SP: LP). This ratio provides information about how much, on average, sellers are reducing their price.

f. Detailed data on properties that are similar to the type of property you desire (often known as "comparables" or "comps").

4. High Inventory Communities. Identify, or ask your agent to identify, communities that appear to be particularly slow, and that have an unusually large inventory of homes. You will have a broader variety of options in these communities, and you may increase the likelihood of finding a better deal.

5. Loan Pre-Approval. Be sure to consult with your bank or mortgage broker and obtain a loan pre-approval document. This not only let's you know how much you can afford, but it also demonstrates to sellers that you are a serious buyer and that your offer is worthy of serious consideration.

6. Seller's Motivation. While information about why a seller is selling is usually confidential, there are situations in which the seller will allow their agent to disclose important factors regarding their personal situation. Be sure to ask your agent to inquire about any information that the seller has disclosed to his/her agent that can be conveyed to your agent. This information may help you decide on making an offer on a property and the price you wish to offer.

7. Home Inspection. A home inspection conducted by a qualified inspector can provide you valuable information about the condition of a property. Moreover, if there are items that need repair or replacement, you can use this information to modify your offer price or terms.

8. Expand Search Scope. As mentioned above, even within a particular city or county, there may be some areas that are hot and others that are not. Be sure to provided detailed information about what you want to your agent, so that he/she can provide you a variety of community options.

9. Be Patient. Time is on your side when there is excess supply and insufficient demand. Try not to "fall in love" with a house so much that you cannot be objective. It may be that multiple offers and counter-offers occur before you either get the property you want or decide to walk way from a deal. You may also want to look at more properties than you normally would, so that you are exposed to a variety of options.

While the above is not an exhaustive list of strategies, it is a good starting point of issues to consider when buying real estate, particularly in a market that favors buyers. Obtain the services of a knowledgeable Real Estate agent who can provide you with additional strategies to help you reach your real estate objectives.

U.S. Real Estate Forecast

On any given day, people can easily find articles and news stories describing an impending bust of the so-called real estate bubble. Despite this gloomy prediction, many experts believe that the recent slowdown in housing will be a gradual and modest readjustment rather than sharp bust or decline. These experts believe that factors that lead to a sharp decline in the real estate market are just not present in the current economic outlook. In fact, a recent study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University noted that "despite the current cool-down, the long-term outlook for housing is bright."

The rise and fall of the real estate market is subject to the forces of supply and demand, and these factors point to stable and positive growth in the real estate segment.

SUPPLY FACTORS

Limited supply of real estate makes it scarce and usually pushes home prices up. In contrast, an oversupply of real estate tends to put downward pressure on home prices. Despite the current slow down in the real estate market, factors that impact limited supply favor continued growth in the real estate market. Some of these factors include:

1. Builders have readjusted growth plans in regions that have an oversupply of new housing. Over time, any excess inventory is likely to be depleted and equilibrium achieved between supply and demand.

2. The availability of land in certain regions, as well land use regulations and associated compliance costs will continue to restrict the supply of new homes.

DEMAND FACTORS:

Housing located in regions with high demand tend to be more expensive than homes in regions with low demand. Factors that impact the demand for housing suggests a favorable long-term housing outlook. Some of these factors include:

1. No current evidence of significant and across-the-board job losses; forecasts of relatively low unemployment rates.

2. Long-term increased demand for second homes, vacation homes and senior housing by baby boomers.

3. Long-term increased demand for entry-level homes by the children of baby boomers.

4. Long-term increased demand for entry-level homes by immigrants.

5. Long-term increased demand for entry-level homes by second-generation Americans.

6. Forecasts that the outflows and inflows of the U.S. population in and out different regions will not significantly impact the overall U.S. real estate housing market.

7. Relative stability in interest rates.

8. Continued stability in long-term home appreciation rates.

9. Overall, rising rate of wealth across all age groups.

SUMMARY

In summary, strong household growth, overall rising incomes and wealth, and a stable economy all bode well for continued long-term growth in the real estate market. While the overall housing outlook is favorable, affordability will continue to be a challenge, as wages, especially in the lower income levels, have not kept up with housing costs.

Real Estate Investing

“How to get rich”: there are few more written upon topics in the history of history than how to get rich. Is Real Estate Investing the Number One Way to leverage yourself and build wealth easily? If you’re an entrepreneur who is constantly striving to get to that next level in your life, your business, and your finances, you’ll likely agree with me when I say that we entrepreneurial personality types have an insatiable appetite for consuming material on how to get rich, and how to leverage yourself to build wealth easily. As a real estate entrepreneur who writes often on investing, I’m not going to focus on how to get rich in real estate investing with this article. In fact, I’m exploring if there could be something even better for building wealth easily. An even more powerful way to leverage yourself!? Let’s see!

Build Wealth Easily?

But despite our best efforts and intentions and goals, that doesn’t mean each of us is able to figure out the why, where, who, when, and most frequently the what of how to get rich. Not all of us can drive every vehicle capable of shuttling them to success equally or as quickly as they might another vehicle. That’s why I wrote this article. Real estate investing is my passion. Real estate investing can build and keep wealth like nothing else. But I won’t claim it’s the best vehicle to build wealth easily. In fact, I’m not sure it is!

This article will help some of you see the types of actions and scenarios likely to take someone reading about how to get rich and propel them into a future full of success and sharing with others how to get rich— just by taking each of these vehicles for a mental test drive.

I believe one of the fundamentals of how to get rich is becoming a master of leverage, learning to leverage yourself by learning and applying systems of duplication and delegation and automation. By using creativity and the creation of value to multiply your results with the systems, efforts and resources of other people and organizations, you can be sure that every minute and every dollar you spend in pursuit of your goals learning how to get rich will come back at you in droves.

In real estate investing, I’m familiar with a lot of these methods to leverage yourself, as you can see from visiting the website -- but what about these other plans for how to get rich?

That brings me to the top 13 ways in my opinion to get rich in today’s world— without having to be someone special, have special knowledge or look like a million bucks— as I see them, with an emphasis on how much LEVERAGE you have.

How to Get Rich Top 13 Answers

13. Steal the money

Whatever your religious beliefs, or whether you are consciously aware that there is a God or not, stealing money from others is not a great strategy on how to get rich. Humans are hard-wired with a conscience that in most cases knows right from wrong. Few people can live a full and happy life knowing that their fortune was built on robbery, theft, deception, trickery, or lying. It may appear the “easy route” but in the end karma always wins.

12. Winning the lottery

We do not value that which we did not work to earn. Sure it’s nice to fantasize about what we would do with a hundred million dollars, or fifty, or twenty, or ten. Some people say they play the lottery as an “investment vehicle”. The only more ridiculous statistics than the odds stacked against you winning are the statistics of what happens in the financial futures of the average lottery winner: 4 in 5 are BROKE or in debt within 10 years. How? When you have a paycheck to paycheck mentality (as much of the world does) lottery winnings are just a much bigger paycheck. For most people, as one’s income increases so too do the expenses—but faster. Lottery winners who did not have some financial success already are doomed to lose it all.

11. Being born rich

Napoleon Hill once said, in paraphrase, “there is nothing more dangerous than unearned riches”. What did he mean by that? It’s a simple factor of human nature that the more we are given the less we appreciate. Or know the value of. Or how to get it on our own. There’s a reason predators bring meat to their young early on but later set them loose to learn how to feed themselves. The worst possible position to be in, should you lose all your wealth, is that of never having had to learn how to get rich in the first place. The only reason this is better than winning the lottery is because if you are determined to make it happen, you’ve already been exposed to wealth— so you’re not mentally limited as to how much you think you can earn. That’s a huge limitation for many people looking to build wealth easily, not having “seen” wealth.

10. The professional/corporate grind

Being a regular 9 to 5 employee with a guaranteed salary, benefits, 401k and stock options, and job security is not a negative— unless you want more than trading your time for dollars, that is! Admittedly, for some people, there’s something to be said for the safety of a secure, well-paying job that makes us feel normal. You can get rich just by living below your means and investing the difference— even teachers who made no more than $30,000 a year have died leaving multi-million dollar estates. This is great if you are patient, disciplined and can wait 30 years— but it’s not MY idea of how to get rich. Nor is ANY job or career exactly so “safe” anymore in today’s world of downsizing, layoffs, outsourcing, off-shoring, corporate mismanagement, and eroding benefits. Worse, you’re not using leverage here— no matter how hard you work, you can leverage yourself to a great degree as an employee! You’re a cog in someone else’s machine as an employee.

9. Unlimited income direct sales

Sales is one of the highest-paying professions in the world. It can also be the lowest-paying profession in the world. Being a commissioned salesperson with no earnings cap on commissions can bring in a lot of money if you’re good. IF you’re good and you bust your hump. And if your product is solid. And if the economy is strong. And if your company stays in business. And on and on. Too much is not in your hands! The main issue though is that the skills that will avail you of a successful career in professional sales can be used much more efficiently when you leverage yourself by using other vehicles to channel your talents.

8. Franchise Owner

2 + 2 = 4 no matter whether you can do math or not. Franchises are set up to be businesses run based on a system already proven profitable. Whether they are as “turnkey” as their promoters claim is debatable, but there is certainly money in the franchise game to be made. It’s no wonder economists have labeled the franchise boom of the 20th century as the McDonaldization of business when the average McDonald’s restaurant franchise grosses $1.9 Million per year for its franchisee owner. Still, the financial barrier to entry can be as high as a normal business and in many cases even higher.

Leverage Yourself

7. Network Marketing

This one could closer to the top of the list if the opportunities available were worthy to be at the top—most aren’t. If you find the right opportunity, however, and work it with a vengeance on a consistent basis you can gain leverage yourself substantially by using other people’s time. Unfortunately, most people never find the right company at the right time and make the right choice to take action. Then, when they fail, as 9 in 10 do within a year, they give up never having gotten past the dream of buying into someone’s plan to teach them how to get rich—and into the reality. However, for the person in sales who can sell and recruit, network marketing is a better answer in many cases than just conventional selling— for the simple fact that you’re building your own business and residual income streams that will continue whether you continue to work or not.

6. Information Product Sales

Internet marketers of today are capitalizing in ever-increasing numbers on human nature tendencies direct marketers have known for many, many long years. There are some “problems” we have as people that there is NO LIMIT to the amount of money we will throw at the problem trying to find the perfect “solution”. The best markets to sell information products to are: (1) Business Owners Seeking Solutions (2) Better Appearance Seekers (3) Business Opportunity Seekers (3) Diet & Fitness Seekers (4) Dating Advice Seekers and 5) Avid Leisure Hobbyists. The best part about information product sales is the low overhead cost to produce the products you deliver, and the high profit margins you can earn.

5. Business Owner

Business ownership has many more benefits than can be touched on in a short paragraph but suffice it to say that if you’re not in business for yourself you should be. There is little more fulfilling than being your own boss, and working to build something that might outlast you. The cash flow, the tax benefits, the respect in the community, the outlet for creativity— all of these things make owning a small business (or growing a large one) a large part of the average human dream. As a business owner, you can incorporate many of these other vehicles in your plan for building wealth easily.

4. Celebrity

Clearly, celebrity sells. There are many mega-millionaires on this planet with no other talent than somehow managing to capture the interest of an audience worldwide (or even regionally) longer than their allotted “15 minutes of fame”. Publicity equals better than advertising and advertising done skillfully equals revenue. Celebrities are money machines who can make money in most of the rest of these categories but there are three reasons this is not nearer the top of the list. Despite the number of “what did they do’s?” out there , there are many more celebrities who are famous for a reason— they worked very hard to become the best (or best promoted) at what they do— be it sports, entertainment, speaking, etc. Secondly, there is a very high barrier to entry to this kind of life, one most people just do not have the look, skills, contacts, nerve, or charisma to break into. Lastly, there’s a huge cost to celebrity that would take it out of the top choices of a “best ways on how to get rich” list: your privacy is nonexistent in today’s world of celebrity.

3. Intellectual Property

With income streams from licensing to franchising to royalties to patents, copyrights, and trademarks— creating intellectual property is a serious method of building wealth easily. Musicians, authors, inventors, creative artists, franchisors, entrepreneurs, and high-level marketers are all making tons of money, residually, for many years from work they completed just once. This is a very high leverage activity! Books, music, ebooks, graphic and multimedia designs, software, copywriting, inventions, franchisable sales systems, the list goes on and on. Is this a vehicle you can put into action tomorrow? Not usually! But as you make your way in the world of wealth do not forget to use intellectual property to leverage yourself!

How to Get Rich: Real Estate Investing the Best?

2. The Real Estate Business

It’s widely accepted that 90% of all the world’s millionaires either made or keep their wealth in real estate. Water is wet. The sky is blue. Over time, real estate goes up. These are simple facts. Contrary to the “get rich quick” infomercials you’ve seen, though, figuring out how to get rich in real estate investing isn’t easy. But it is simple, once you understand the processes involved and actively and consistently pursue the business. Real estate investing is one of the highest forms of leverage we have as entrepreneurs, with savvy investors utilizing not only other people’s money, but also other people’s time and even other people’s credit. The real estate business is full of wealth-building opportunities: foreclosures, rentals, lease options, commercial properties, short sales, tax liens, being an agent or loan officer, investing in notes and mortgages…the list goes on and on! Of these, investing in notes and mortgages is pretty high on the easy scale, getting the benefits of real estate without some of the management headaches.

I obviously believe in real estate investing, but I’m not so sure there isn’t an even better, easier, higher leverage vehicle out there for creative entrepreneurs like you and me!

1. Joint Ventures (A.K.A. Strategic Alliances)

Joint Ventures is the best way to build wealth easily. Scratching your head? Well, soon you’ll see that doing successful joint ventures to make massive cash with minimum efforts and minimum risk is just common sense. Too bad common sense ain’t common! If you can master putting together joint ventures, you can be assured that if you build wealth and lose it all— you can quickly earn it back. When you master joint ventures, everything you need to get started again building wealth easily is now in your thought processes. It’s become as simple as common sense. This is because with successful joint ventures you don’t need products or services or invesntory. You don’t need an office, factory, employees, customers, or anything else traditional businesses need. You just need ideas. Of course, if you have any of these things, it only makes it easier because you bring something even more to the table than your brilliant ideas. The basic formula of how to get rich with joint ventures is answering these questions: “Who do I know?”, “What do they have?”, and “What do they need?” Then you play deal maker. That’s it! Zero risk, high profit potential. The ultimate in way to leverage yourself to build wealth easily.