Ahmedabad Real Estate Agent, Ahmedabad Real Estate Consultant, Real Estate Articles India

Buy properties in Ahmedabad to match up Real Estate Need!

2011-09-28T23:07:00.000-07:00

With so many places offering you different schemes of investment, buy property ahmedabad and you have a great option for you to gather some hottest deals for your self. With a lot of industrialization and urbanization on the hook, there has been a lot of development recently.

The property rates have increased tremendously in terms of profitable revenue generation. In such a case to buy Villas, Property Investment, Buy Properties Ahmedabad, Buy Properties Gujarat, Real Estate Investment and Residential property does make sense for a better investment. Most of the property buildings are now going commercial so they tend to promise a real good amount of profit to be earned. Investing into properties is that one “mantra” of investment that never fails!

SECURE YOUR FUTURE WITH RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY INVESTMENT

2011-09-24T03:28:00.000-07:00

The times have gone when the role of the youngsters was to only make money. Today, these youngsters are assuming higher roles. An example of the same is residential property investment. Due to various reasons, including better education that they are securing, these youngsters now tend to earn a handsome salary right at the outset. Therefore, they get to buy residential property and afford a palatial living for themselves. However, such buying of residential property is not only confined to personal gratification but also for the purpose of investment. These youngsters look for the best residential investment property and invest in them to secure a fixed future income. They even buy commercial property or make residential property investment to make sure that things are falling in place for them for their future.

When you look at the Real estate investment Ahmedabad scenario; you would realize that it is on a boom and giving many of its more glamorous counterparts a run for their money. Properties with amenities like swimming pools, golf villas, clubs, gyms and others are adding to the concept.

RELIVE LUXURY WITH THE ALL NEW GOLF VILLAS

2011-09-23T00:56:00.000-07:00

There could be various reasons for you to buy commercial property or buy residential property, for that matter. These reasons could include your future planning or the fact that you want to live a luxurious life. In both of these cases, whether you want to get into residential property investment or you want to live there yourself, one thing is common and that is the luxury that is associated with the property. There are various residential investment property schemes in the city of Ahmedabad today or all over the country, for that matter, which are providing rich luxurious amenities like golf villas. The reason for such luxuries is the boost to the property’s potential that they provide.

These golf villas can provide for beautiful living. It is because of these reasons that you will be interested in buying property. However, someone has to buy your property in the future too, in case it is being considered for investment by you. In that case you should take properties which suit the luxurious needs of the buyer. This has redefined the picture of real estate investment Ahmedabad.

PUMP UP YOUR STATUS WHEN YOU BUY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY

2011-09-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

While it is comparatively simpler to buy commercial property, it is not the same with a residential property. When you buy residential property , you should take care of various things. The first among them is the purpose of yours. In other words, you should know whether you are looking for residential investment property or the one where you can stay. That would make a lot of difference to your decision making. Therefore, Residential property investment should be done keeping in mind your proposed monetary gains. On the other hand, you should buy residential property for staying which suits your status. Hence, the residential property investment could be done in schemes which have a potential without looking at whether the amenities and its location suit your status. However, that is not the case with residential properties for staying.

The scenario of Real Estate Investment Ahmedabad has changed in the recent past, be it for pure investment or living purposes. People are looking for luxuries and the builders are obliging with options like golf villas, club houses and others.

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT – RETURNS WITH SECURITY

2011-09-07T23:42:00.000-07:00

When you make an investment, you are worried about two things. The first thing is the security of your investment. You do not want to invest at a place where you are not sure of your money. The second consideration is of the kind of returns that are on stake. Depending upon the expected returns, one decides the risk that one is ready to take. In terms of both these considerations, Real Estate Investment comes out as a clear winner when compared to some of the other investment avenues today. The first part about it is that such property investment has a track record of generating great returns to people. Talk to anyone around and you would realize that the richest and the wealthiest ones are those who have strategically invested in properties.

Moreover, with the escalating population of India; the demand for such property is only going to increase. Hence, if you Invest in property today you will reap the returns of the demand supply mismatch which will push the prices towards the sky. Investment Properties, therefore, is one of the most preferred investment choice for the twenty first century.

MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION - INVEST IN PROPERTY

2011-09-06T23:02:00.000-07:00

You might have been wondering all this while, stretching your analysis skill to find out that one investment opportunity which could be of real value to you. Given that you are investing your hard earned money, you want to invest in an avenue which reaps the best results for you. In case, you have been following what the news and the experts have to say in the recent times, your investment of fantasies is not far and wide. Property investment can provide you those options which many other investment avenues can’t in today’s era. When you invest in property, you are rest assured about the way that its value is going to go – UPWARDS. Therefore, forget everything else and gather your funds for real estate investment, an investment which is going to reap you great rewards all through your live. The more patience you reflect, the higher is going to be its returns.

Various avenues in the past year or so have reflected high volatility and hence higher risk. Therefore, investment properties has been the only one which has steadily grown.

BUY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY IN GUJARAT

2011-08-30T04:24:00.000-07:00

Even though our lifestyles and living standards have changed a lot with the passage of time, our basic requirements still remain the same. We still need homes for keeping ourselves and our family safe from the any natural or artificial harsh calamities. With the population boom, owning a house is becoming a challenging task as the land remaining is less and there are more buyers to be accommodated. To solve this problem up to some extent in an effective manner, Shantigram has come up with fantastic Residential Properties.

Buying any property in the form of land, either residential or commercial is considered as one of the best investment today. This is mainly due to the ever increasing number of occupants that have to be accommodated on our planet. However, Shantigram knows that you still prefer those calm and serene locales to live your life instead of high rise apartments surrounded by roads filled with vehicles. So, they provide you what you desire.

With Shantigram, you can get the best residential investment property Gujarat can serve out to you. Not only you get the living conditions of your choice, and sometimes more than you demanded, they ensure your future safety simultaneously. This is because investing in such residential properties can serve as the best investment which will definitely reap high future benefits. So, check out the residential Investment Property Gujarat has with Shantigram and you will surely want to own them and live a luxurious life in them.

PROPERTY INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

2011-08-29T05:21:00.000-07:00

Earlier humans used to have very less choices when they wanted to invest their hard earned money. They had to contain with only the few options available. However, as the world progressed, humans have found out new investment fields and opportunities. One great example will be property. People are investing in property like never before as they know that sooner or later, it will reap huge rewards and they can enjoy the fruits later on.

There are lots of Property Investment Gujarat has to offer. You can invest in commercial plots, residential apartments, and residential plots to quote a few. All these investments are highly promising are almost sure to earn you huge profits. To further help you with these opportunities, Shantigram has come up with state of the art property investment Gujarat can present before you. The residential properties and apartments built by them create a heaven on earth with much finesse.

They bring the nature to your doorsteps so that you do not need to worry about any harmful effects of modernization even though you are living in the 21^st century. Life finds its true meaning when it is surrounded by heavenly serenity and calmness of the nature. Simply add different birding chirping in their own tunes and beautiful flowers sending their aroma along with the cool breeze blowing, you get the most satisfying experience that you can imagine.

So, if you wish want property investment Gujarat offers, you ought to check out all that Shantigram has to offer. Every minute spent will be worth the effort put in.

BEST LOCATIONS TO BUY APARTMENT

2011-08-27T02:21:00.000-07:00

Life has become a race for survival. Whenever we get some time out of our busy lives to be lost in solitude, our mind wanders back to the past times when we used to enjoy open beautiful places and inhaled fresh air sprinkled with rain water and the aroma of fully bloomed flowers. While having such open spaces has become a tough task due the exponential growth in population and the limited amount of land available, there is still some hope!

What a person wants desperately today is an apartment of his own with such serene surroundings. Shantigram brings to you awesome apartment investment Ahmedabad can offer at its best. In today’s life, having one’s own apartment is one of the biggest achievements which bring a huge peace of mind. However, as the land rates are sky rocketing at a great speed, this is becoming difficult day by day. Shantigram brings the best locations and facilities you deserve which make your apartment investment Ahmedabad one of a kind. While the Water Lily provides you the luxury of living near nature and beautiful water bodies, the Meadows lets you re connect to the lush green fields and surroundings in which you once used to play in childhood.

With the Apartment Investment Ahmedabad brings to you, you can make sure that your children get the best surroundings and fresh air that they deserve for their proper up-bringing. Moreover, you also get the ambience of greenery surrounded by chirping birds with breeze carrying the aroma of delightful flowers which makes your family time the best days of your life. Come and buy the home of your dreams.

Experts ask real estate to realise social responsibility

2009-02-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

Ahmedabad In a brainstorming session on ‘Opportunities and Challenges in Finance and Banking for Real Estate Sector’ on Wednesday, banking experts told real estate developers to realise their social responsibility of providing affordable housing to the masses.

Held under the aegis of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and Gujarat Institute of Housing and Estate Developers (GIHED) at Hotel Grand Bhagwati, stress was also laid on providing cost-effective housing for the low income groups, as this had remained largely unexplored.

According to GIHED vice-president Suresh Patel, a developer, this was because in the boom period of the last four years, majority of big players had worked towards meeting the needs of only top 12 per cent of the market. He felt affordable housing at lowest rate was possible.

He wondered how ‘board room analysis’ by bankers born in the 1980s could decide the fate of a 50-year-old sector. The good repayment figures shown by these bankers to prove their banking prowess could not be taken at face value because of limited exposure, he said.

Vijay Shah, a prominent real estate developer, lamented that banks were reluctant in extending project loans to developers. He said developers also felt difficulty in sourcing down payment of loans lately. Shah pointed out that banks had reduced valuation of assets for credit from 80 per cent to 60 per cent.

S Srinivasan, chief executive officer of Kotak Real Estate Fund, was optimistic about the real estate scene of Ahmedabad. He said it was much better than other cities like Mumbai and Bangalore. He said nowhere else was any developer able to offer a price of Rs 1,500 per square feet, but in Ahmedabad. He said if a buyer called a price of Rs 2,000 as unaffordable, it was a matter of mindset.

According to him, developers had capital in the past and yet had the luxury of saying no to new investment in the last one year. That was time of excessive commitments and it would take time to correct that situation in the real estate sector. Srinivasan wondered over the abysmally small number of developers who could declare business size in excess of Rs 150 crore.

“Most developers have not built their balance sheets over the years, though they borrowed a huge amount of Rs 72,000 crore from banks… this calls for hard thinking. For, you have no choice but to prepare your balance sheet if you want to build your business in the long run and if you do not want to confine yourself to relationship banking,” he said.

Srinivasan said the Reserve Bank of India was often cursed for enforcing restrictions on banks’ lending parameters, but it should be remembered that this cautious approach was in the developers’ interest. He felt that banks must first be able to build confidence in the lending activity to build up stable banking operations.

He also advised developers to work closely with the planning authorities, especially when planning shopping complex after complex in a close range. “There is a disaster waiting to happen in terms of viability and lessons must be drawn from what happened in places like Gurgaon,” he said. HDFC general manager Irfan Kureishi also spoke on the occasion.

Source: expressindia.com

NRIs in wait-n-watch mode - Ahmedabad

2008-12-27T09:25:00.000-08:00

It's homecoming season for NRIs. But this time around, they are not dashing to their neigbourhood realtor to book a flashy second home or retirement villa. 'Caution' has become the catchword. Global real estate consultants and experts feel that the 'only real catalyst' that could pep up the NRI spirit during this lean period is a significant price cut, which is expected to happen in the next 3-4 months.

Only reduced property rates can prompt NRI participation in today's these market conditions, feels global real estate consultant Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj (JLLM). The Indian real estate market has sparked off a new wave of interest among NRI residential property buyers but they are awaiting a further fall in property rates. Once this happens in the next 3-4 months, we will see increased NRI participation in real terms," JLLM CEO (Business) Sanjay Dutt told ET.

"The promise of a correction in the key metros and tier-II cities has revived NRI interest in the residential market. We expect a number of scheduled transaction to happen by the end of the first quarter of 2009," Mr Dutt said while stating that NRIs will steer clear of investments in retail projects and other property segments in "unfamiliar and historically over-speculative tier-II and tier-III cities".

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

Ahmedabad: Construction in full swing at 'Sahara City Homes'

2008-09-06T22:41:00.000-07:00

The construction at ‘Sahara City Homes’ Ahmedabad, the flagship project of Sahara Prime City Limited, the real estate company of Sahara India Pariwar is in full swing. The township has obtained approvals from government authorities for construction of residential units. Development work is underway with the construction of Quality Control Lab, Main Gate, model house and sales office is complete and landscaping, laying of road is in progress. The construction of independent residential units have already commenced at the township. Sahara City Homes, Ahmedabad a 104.19 acres quality township is a part of Sahara City Homes, a chain of townships proposed to be developed in 217 cities across the country.

Sahara City Homes, Ahmedabad plans to house one to five bedrooms residential units in the category of high-rise and mid-rise apartments, independent row houses, penthouses and independent bungalows. The township aims to provide a good community living to the people of Ahmedabad by offering amenities such as club and community center, hospital, shopping mall and multiplex, school, hotel and club, uninterrupted power and water supply, multilevel security, retirement home, local transport and Central park. Playground equipped with floodlights will be the special feature of Sahara City Homes, Ahmedabad.

Every essential service like Convenience Stores, Banking and Postal services etc. will ensure convenience for the residents. A Service Center just a call away will take care of all Plumbing, Electrical Repair and Taxi requirements. A combination of AC and Non-AC buses would provide good commuting facilities.

Sushanto Roy, Head – Sahara Prime City Limited said, “Our mega project Sahara City Homes, Ahmedabad has been planned to provide good community living to its residents. The brand Sahara City Homes intends to provide quality lifestyle with its range of amenities and facilities.”

Sahara City Homes, Ahmedabad is located on Shella, Near Sardar Patel Ring Road, Bopal State High Way. This fully air-conditioned township is designed by the famous architect Hafeez Contractor. For the construction work of Independent houses Ramky Infrastructure Ltd. has been appointed. The total residential built-up area of the project will be 25.43 Lac sq.ft, while commercial built up area will be 3.57 Lac sq. ft. In Sahara City Homes, Ahmedabad 1827 residential units will be constructed.

Sahara City Homes Ahmedabad gets EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) clearance from MoEF (Ministry of Environment & Forest).

The Layout plan of residential building has been approved by Town planning department, Ahmedabad. As an extra safety measure for maximum protection of life and property from Earthquake, every construction will be designed at 1 level higher than the applicable seismic zone as per the specifications of Bureau of Indian Standards.

The townships have started taking shape with the development and construction in full swing in the cities of Lucknow (200 acres), Nagpur (106 acres), Indore (88 acres) and Gwalior (106 acres). Development work is under progress in the cities of Jaipur, Coimbatore, Aurangabad, Solapur and Jodhpur.

Source: Moneycontrol.com

Double Whammy for High-End Luxury Realty Market

2008-04-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

THE high-end luxury real estate market is facing a double whammy. The demand from domestic buyers has already dried down and now even non-resident Indians (NRIs), who constituted a significant market for luxury real estate developers, are developing cold feet. “With the US property market witnessing a correction due to subprime crisis, the NRIs are expecting the same to happen in India and are holding back on their purchases,” says Delhi based real estate firm Omaxe CMD Rohtas Goel, who recently launched a luxury project in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Three-four years ago, there were only a few big developers into the game of building luxury homes. But the higher margin in the business prompted many others to join.“The developers entered the luxury segment without a proper assessment of the market. Now they are faced with a major supply-demand mismatch. In Punjab, Delhi NCR and Mumbai suburbs, the supply far outstrips demand,” says real estate consultancy firm Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj India chairman Anuj Puri, adding that the exit of speculators and investors has impacted these markets, where the supply exceeds demand by 25-35%.

Adding to this is the near absence of NRI buyers, who constitute around 20% of the luxury home buyers, according to property consultants estimates, “The price correction in the US has prompted NRIs to evaluate buying properties in their local market, where they can easily control and manage them, unlike in India, where managing property has been an issue with them,” says Cushman & Wakefield Director (residential) Aditi Vijayakar. She also points out that Indian developers carry a wrong notion that every NRI is a billionaire and can afford a Rs 2-3 crore property. Besides a demand problem, the competition among developers has intensified as they are wooing the same segment of NRIs. Says Ansal Properties and Infrastructure, president (marketing) Kunal Banerjee says, “The NRI market is a bit too crowded these days. Therefore, we are looking at attracting PIOs (person of Indian origin).”

PIOs are second or third generation people across the world, whose forefathers had migrated from India during British Raj and settled abroad. There is a good population of PIOs in Africa and Australia. The recent attempts by the Indian government to renew ties with PIOs by hosting Pravasi Bharatiya Divas may also have a positive push to the marketing efforts of developers such as Ansals.

Besides targeting a new segment, developers are also offering freebies to woo NRIs. “Firms are offering free tickets to potential NRI home buyers to visit India and take a look at their property. This is done in association with banks, which maintain a list of high net worth individuals,” says Knight Frank India chairman Pranay Vakil.

Souce: indianrealtynews.com

Serviced Apartments emerge as an alternative to hotels in Bangalore

2007-05-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

With the rise in Indian and international business traffic to Bangalore, the demand within the hospitality industry has skyrocketed. The new genre of serviced apartments has hence emerged as a cost effective alternative for business travellers and tourists. These serviced-apartments are largely operated by apartment owners or builders and usually offer entire apartments (1, 2 or 3 bedroom) or studio units or shared apartments.

According to real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield, Bangalore currently has approximately 15 professionally managed serviced apartments including Homestead, Chalet, Sterling Suits, Halcyon among others, which are spread across high interest residential areas like Lavelle Road, Langford Town, Brunton Road, Vittal Mallya Road, Airport road and Indiranagar.

Largely catering to corporates, business travellers, tourists, expatriates and families, the tariffs range between INR 1,500 per day for a 1-bedroom/ studio to INR 6,000 plus per day for a 3-bedroom apartment. These serviced apartments allow the flexibility associated with short-term accommodation avoiding longterm commitments.

Most professionally run centres are not class-comparables to 5-star hotels though some of them offer facilities like guest lounge, swimming pool, spa, restaurant, housekeeping, business centre and other clubhouse facilities. Occupancy levels in these are usually around 90%, indicating the tremendous latent demand in the market.

Apart from these, there is also a large unorganised market in the city, which is driven by mom and pop establishments. These however do not provide the facilities offered by the professionally run centres and their rates vary depending on the duration of stay, location, services provided, ambience etc.

Unlike Mumbai, prominent hospitality brands have not yet entered the serviced apartment sector in Bangalore. The advent of international brands like Oakwood and Ascott which have plans to launch shortly, would lead to an increase in healthy competition and thereby improved services and products.

Cushman & Wakefield expects several more centres to come up in peripheral areas such as Whitefield, Bellary Road and Hebbal.

Courtesy: INRnews

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to tag property tax with education cess

2007-04-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is to levy an education cess on the property tax resulting in an increase of 5%-15% on tax on residential properties and 10% to 30% on tax on commercial properties.

The cess will be applicable based on the amount of property tax paid. AMC will also send separate bills for education cess for the period 2001-02 to 2006-07.

Easing the Transition to Your New Home

2007-02-04T06:34:00.000-08:00

Use the right boxes, and pack them carefully

Professional moving companies use only sturdy, reinforced cartons. The boxes you can get at your neighborhood supermarket or liquor store might be free, but they are not nearly as strong or padded, and so can't shield your valuables as well from harm in transit.

Use sheets, blankets, pillows and towels to separate pictures and other fragile objects from each other and the sides of the carton. Pack plates and glass objects vertically, rather than flat and stacked.

Be sure to point out to your mover the boxes in which you've packed fragile items, especially if those items are exceptionally valuable. The mover will advise you whether those valuables need to be repacked in sturdier, more appropriate boxes.

The heavier the item, the smaller the box it should occupy. A good rule of thumb is if you can't lift the carton easily, it's too heavy. Label your boxes, especially the one containing sheets and towels, so you can find everything you need the first night in your new home.

For your family's safety and comfort

Teach your children your new address. Let them practice writing it on packed cartons. You can lighten your load and reduce any storage space you need to rent by hosting a garage or yard sale.

Fill two "OPEN ME FIRST" cartons containing snacks, instant coffee or tea bags, soap, toilet paper, toothpaste and brushes, medicine and toiletry items (make sure caps are tightly secured), flashlight, screwdriver, pliers, can opener, paper plates, cups and utensils, a pan or two, paper towels, and any other items your family can't do without. Ask your van foreman to load one of these boxes, so that it will be unloaded at your new home first. Why the second box? In case the movers are delayed getting to your house on the day of the move.

Keep your pets out of packing boxes and away from all the activity on moving day.

Let all your electrical gadgets return to room temperature before plugging them in.

Since you may need to call old neighbors or businesses from your new home, pack your phone book.

Work hand in hand with your mover

Give the mover's foreman your reach numbers and email addresses so you can stay in contact.

Read the inventory form carefully, and ask the mover to explain anything you don't understand. Make a note of your shipment's registration number, and keep your Bill of Lading handy.

If you're moving long distance, be aware that your property might share a truck with that of several other households. For this reason, your mover might have to warehouse your furniture and belongings for several days. Therefore, ask your mover whether your goods will remain on the truck until delivered. If they have to be stored, ask whether you can check the warehouse for security, organization and cleanliness.

Source: totalrealestatesolutions.com

What Real Estate Agents Really Sell

2006-11-23T04:55:00.000-08:00

For people looking to buy or sell homes, it can be difficult to ignore the prospect of hiring a real estate agent. That being said, what do real estate agents really sell?

What Real Estate Agents Really Sell

If you go to a doctor, you inherently rely on that person’s years and years of experience. You know they have spent a long time learning the intricacies of the body and you feel comfortable relying on their expertise. The same goes for practically any profession. In the case of real estate, most people assume that a real estate agent has also been trained over and over on the finer points of the real estate transaction. This is not particularly true.

If you ever have the time and money, I strongly suggest you become a real estate agent. It is an eye opening experience unlike any other. You will study a bit and then take your state test to get a license. The test is very, very simple and easy to pass. Your next step is to join up with an experienced realtor to learn under a steady hand. Once you do, you will be surprised by what they teach you.

Real estate is a fairly simple game. There just is not that much involved in buying or selling properties. Most real estate agents learn how to handle the nuts and bolts of the process over a few days of study or even by reading a few books. That doesn’t mean they don’t study and attend a lot of seminars, however. They certainly do, but the subject matter has little to do with the real estate process.

Real estate agents spend all their time and money learning how to sell. The product they focus on, however, is not property. It is you. There are endless seminars and meetings where the only thing addressed is how to get you, their client, to jump on a home or retain the real estate agent to sell yours. The goal of the agent is three fold – get you as a client, figure out how to manipulate you into taking action that will generate a commission and then deal with the property issue.

There are experienced real estate agents that are very good at helping their clients. Most, however, are primarily interested in just generating a commission. By going FSBO, you have the ability to avoid this process, save money and get on with the process of buying or selling your property.

What’s the Best Way to Find Deals?

2006-05-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

This one of those questions that must be answered by another question, to wit: what’s a good deal? And this is not a facetious question, because the answer depends on:

1) Your exit strategy.
2) Your financial resources.
3) Your skills.
4) Your goals.
5) The risk and hassle involved in a particular property.

So let’s say this: I’ll let you in on my favorite ways to find good deals—after I explain why they’re good deals to me.

First, let’s talk about exit strategy. If I put a property under contract, one of two things is going to happen to it. If it’s in very poor shape or out of my “farm”, I’ll wholesale it to another investor for a quick cash profit. If this is the case, a “good deal” is a 1-3 unit building that I can get under contract for about 60% of its “as is” value. The other thing I might do is to close it and lease/option it for a year or two. In this case, my “good deal” will be a one family that needs cosmetic work in a decent area that I can buy for 70% or less of the as-is value. In any case, my exit strategy determines what I think is a good deal. If I find a 40-unit apartment building that can be had for pennies on the dollar, I won’t necessarily consider it a good deal, since I have no desire to be a landlord, and know few wholesale buyers who want such things. Ditto a commercial property or a historic rehab.

Your financial resources, including the cash and credit you have available to you, also determine what a good deal is to you. Imagine you have no cash and poor credit, but find an owner who will finance with no money down If you pay 100% of the value of the property, but his terms are such that you can still rent it out for a $300/month positive cash flow. Is this a good deal for you, despite the fact that you have no equity? Could be. Is your time well spent looking for these types of deals? Yes, since they are what you can manage. Is mine? Probably not, since I can find lots of deals that cash flow AND have 30% equity the day I buy them. What’s the difference? I know how to offer owners cash. You can’t.

Your skills also matter. If you don’t understand repairs, looking for properties that need major mechanical work in order to rehab and resell it isn’t the best use of your time. And for heaven’s sake, don’t start looking for “good deals” in large multi-families until you’ve taken at least one landlording seminar! If a deal doesn’t meet your goals, it’s not a good deal no matter how cheap or how good the financing. If your goal is to hold properties long-term for the tax advantages and avoid major rehabs, no junker should ever turn your head. If you flip it, you’ve created a capital gain that you don’t want. If you rehab it, you haven’t met your own goal of avoiding rehabs.

Finally, the risk and hassle involved in a deal affects whether the price and terms are “good” or not. I’ve noticed that my wholesale buyers will pay 70% of the after repaired value of a junker property less the cost of repair—as long as the cost of repair doesn’t exceed about $15,000. More than that, and you’re talking really major rehab. Buyers of these types of properties typically want a higher overall profit. Similarly, people who buy rentals in warzones often look for yearly returns approaching 50% of the purchase price. Why? Management hassles, rent collection hassles, hassles with the city...you get the picture.

So, in light of what I consider a good deal (a 1-3 family property that I can get for 70% or less of the as-is value by offering cash) what are my favorite ways of finding good deals? In order of importance:

a) Direct mail.
b) My ad in the paper.
c) Referrals from other investors and wholesalers.
d) The MLS.
e) Door-to-door flyers.

There you have it!

Attention: For Sale By Owners!

2006-04-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

Why People Are Afraid To Buy From You!

Many homeowners believe that to maximize their profit on a home sale they should sell it themselves. At first glance, they feel selling a home is simple and why should they pay a broker fees for something they could do themselves? In fact, close to 25% of all the homes sold last year were sold for sale by owner. (FSBO)

However, close to half of the FSBO’s said that they would hire a professional next time they sold. Thirty percent said they were unhappy with the results they achieved by choosing FSBO. Why?

Many FSBO’s told us that the time, paperwork and everyday responsibilities involved were not worth the amount of money they saved in commissions. For others, the financial savings were even more disappointing. By the time they figured the amount of fees paid to outside consultants, inspectors, appraisers, title lawyers, escrow and loan officers, marketing, advertising... they would have been better off having paid the broker’s fee which would have included many of these charges up front.

Selling a home requires an intimate understanding of the real estate market. If the property is priced too high, it will sit and develop a reputation for being a problem property. If the property is priced too low, you will cost yourself serious money. Some FSBO’s discovered that the lost money as a result of poor decisions outweighed the commission.

Before you decide to sell FSBO, consider these questions and weigh the answers of assuming the responsibility versus employing a professional. A little time spent investigating up front will pay off tenfold in the end.

Questions To Consider:

Do I have the time, energy, know-how, and ability to devote a full forced effort to sell my home?

One of the keys to selling your home efficiently and profitably is complete accessibility. Many homes have sat on the market much longer than necessary because the owner was unwilling or unavailable to show the property. Realize that a certain amount of hours each day is necessary to sell your home.

Am I prepared to deal with an onslaught of buyers who perceive FSBO’s as targets for low balling?

One of the challenges of selling a home is screening unqualified prospects and dealing with lowballers. It often goes unnoticed... how much time, effort and expertise it requires to spot these people quickly. Settling for a lowball bid is usually worse than paying broker commissions.

Am I offering financing options to the buyer? Am I prepared to answer questions about financing?

One of the keys to selling, whether it’s a home, a car... anything, is to have all the necessary information the prospective buyer needs and to offer them options. Think about the last time you purchased something of value, did you make a decision before you had all your ducks in a row? By offering financing options you give the home buyer the ability to work on their terms and open up the possibilities of selling your home quickly and more profitably. A professional real estate agent will have a complete team, from lenders to title reps for you to utilize...they’ll be at your disposal.

Do I fully understand the legal ramifications and necessary steps required in selling a home?

Many home sales have been lost due to incomplete paperwork, lack of inspections or not meeting your states disclosure laws. Are you completely informed of all the steps necessary to sell real estate? If not, a professional would be a wise choice.

Do I have the capability of handling the legal contracts, agreements and any disputes with buyers before or after the offer is presented?

Ask yourself if you are well versed in legalese and if you are prepared to handle disputes with buyers. To avoid any disputes it is wise to put all negotiations and agreements in writing. Many home sales have been lost due to misinterpretation of what was negotiated.

Have I contacted the necessary professionals....title, inspector (home and pest), attorney, and escrow company?

Are you familiar with top inspectors and escrow companies? Don’t randomly select inspectors, attorneys, and title reps. Like any profession there are inadequate individuals who will slow, delay and possibly even cost you the transaction.

How to Buy Your First Home..the Easy Way!

2006-04-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

Avoid the 10 Most Common, Painful, Frustrating Mistakes First-Time Home Buyers Make.

Buying a residence can be a hair raising experience. You will experience a roller coaster of emotions while finding the right place, securing the loan and finally moving in. For most of us, the first time home purchase is the largest investment we’ve ever considered. The emotions of purchasing something so expensive and personal can often cloud our business judgment.

Most home purchasers do little or no research before they invest their nest egg. Doesn’t it make sense to become as completely informed as possible before you buy your first home? This special report is designed to help you avoid 10 common and crucial mistakes. The right real estate professional can help you make good sound business decisions based on your personal situation.

1. Inspect, Inspect and Inspect - Go over the inspection report with a fine tooth comb. Make sure the report was done by a professional organization. For condo purchases go over the CC&R’s, By-Laws, and Association Fees. Don’t take anything for granted... inspect everything!

2. Imagine the Property Vacant - Your furnishings and decorations will be the ones filling this new residence. Don’t be swayed by beautiful furniture; it leaves with the owner.

3. Income + Lifestyle = Mortgage Payment - Sit down with your professional real estate agent and honestly discuss your income level and living expenses. Take into account future considerations, children, add-ons, amenities, and fix-ups. Your dream home is certainly worth a sacrifice but don’t mortgage your entire future.

4. View Several Homes - See at least 7-10 properties. Don’t move too slow but don’t move on the first property you see. With your agent’s help you should be able to view enough properties to get a good overall perspective of the home market. When you find the right property all the leg work will be worth it.

5. Utilize Your Team - By aligning yourself with the right real estate professional you will have an entire team at your disposal. Utilize your lender, title rep and agent. Each of them should work hand in hand for your benefit. Explore all the options before you sign.

6. Be Columbo - Check out all costs and expenses before you sign. Utilities, taxes, insurance, maintenance and home owner dues if applicable. Make sure all utilities (gas, electricity, and water) are on during tyour walk-throughso you can inspect everything in working order. Ask lots of questions and be very detail conscious.

7. Do a Final Walk-Through - Visit the property after all furnishings have been moved out to be sure there are no surprises. Be absolutely positive the property was left exactly as you had agreed upon in the contract. Things that could have been spotted in a final walk-through are often unintentionally overlooked.

8. Plan For Flexibility - Closing dates are not written in stone. Allow for contingencies and have a back-up plan. If you or the sellers need a little more time to conclude the final arrangements, don’t let these delays upset or frustrate you. These types of circumstances are not uncommon in a real estate transaction.

9. If It’s Not In Writing, It Doesn’t Exist - All promises and discussions should be in writing. Don’t make any assumptions or believe any assurances. Even the best intentions can be misinterpreted. Have your professional keep an ongoing log in writing of all discussions and get the seller’s written approval on all agreements.

10. Loyalty Breeds Loyalty - Be open, honest and up front with your team. Hard feelings and disloyalty will cause head aches, delays or may even keep you from getting into the home you worked so hard to locate. Take the time to select the right team in the beginning and your first home purchase will be a pleasing and memorable experience.

Real Estate: Real Estate Ahmedabad, Real Estate Agent Ahmedabad, Real Estsate Consultant: Properties Available in Ahmedabad

2006-04-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

Real Estate: Real Estate Ahmedabad, Real Estate Agent Ahmedabad, Real Estsate Consultant: Properties Available in Ahmedabad

Are you "CLEAR" on What is a Good Deal?

2006-04-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

So often beginning investors focus on real estate investing techniques that they lose sight of the important issue - is this a good deal? Learning to recognize a good deal takes research, education and, above all, experience. Here's a good formula to determine whether a potential real estate purchase is a deal. It's a simple acronym called "C.L.E.A.R."

CASH FLOW

Ask yourself, will this property cash flow? Well, that depends on a lot of factors, such as the strength of the local rental market, the interest rate on the financing and how much of a down payment you make. Also, it depends on whether it is a single family or multi-family dwelling. All of these factors considered, ask yourself, "will this provide income for me?"

Also, ask the question, "how will this property cash flow compared to other potential properties?" For example, a $150,000 house that rents for $1,000/month has a better income potential than a $300,000 house that rents for $1,600/month. A four-unit building that costs $400,000 may bring in $3,000/month in the same neighborhood.

Now, of course, whether the property will provide income to you begs the question of whether income is important to you. Is it? Do you earn other income? Do you need more income now, or is future equity growth more important? There's no right answer to these questions, but are all factors to consider when looking at a potential.

LEVERAGE

Leverage is important in investing because the less cash you put down on each property, the more properties you can buy. If the properties go up in value, your rate of return goes up exponentially. However, if the properties go down in value and you have a lot of debt on the property, this can result in negative cash flow (see above). Since real estate is generally cyclical, negative cash flow is only a short term problem and can be handled if you have other income or a cash reserve to handle the negative. "Nothing down" investing is very attractive for the high-leverage investor, but should be approached with caution.

If you are a long-term player, leverage will generally work in your favor if the markets in which you invest appreciate in the long run and your income from the properties can pay for most of the monthly debt service.

EQUITY

Does the property you are purchasing have equity? Equity can take a number of forms, such as:

A discounted price
A potential fixer upper
A rezoning opportunity
A poorly managed property
A foreclosure

There are many ways to create equity, but buying INTO EQUITY is your best bet. Find a motivated seller that wants out of his property and is willing to give up his or equity for less than full value. Or, buy a property that needs work that can be done for 50 cents on the dollar or less. In other words, if the property needs $10,000 in work, make sure you get a $20,000 discount on the price or better.

APPRECIATION

Buying in the right neighborhoods and in the right stage of a real estate cycle will result in appreciation and profit. However, timing a real estate cycle is difficult and can be very speculative. If you buy properties without equity or cash flow solely for short-term appreciation, you are engaging in a very risky investment.

Buying for moderate long-term (10 to 20 years) appreciation is safer and easier. Look at long-term neighborhood and city-wide trends to pick areas that will hold their values and grow at an average 5 to 7% pace. Combine this tactic with reasonable cash flow and buying into equity and you will be a smart investor.

RISK

Risk is a consideration that too few investors consider. Ask yourself, "what if my assumptions are wrong?" In other words, do you have a "plan B"? If you bought for appreciation and the property did not appreciate in value, can you rent for positive cash flow? If you buy with an adjustable rate loan and the rates go up, will this put you out of business? If you have a few vacancies, can you handle the negative cash flow, or will it break the bank for you? Expect the best, but prepare for the worst.

Remember, whenever you look at a property to purchase, think "CLEAR".

Perfect Marketing Plan - The Thing That Makes Deals Happen!!

2006-04-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

You’re a Real Estate Entrepreneur or Investor, and you’re out there in the market place looking for deals. I have a question for you.

Are you doing a bit of advertising and just hoping that a deal will fall in your lap, or are you operating in a way that makes certain it will happen. If you don’t have a process for making sure deals happen, you don’t yet understand the importance of having a marketing plan.

The sad fact is that even after all their training, less than one percent of all real estate entrepreneurs and investors actually have a marketing plan. Even though it’s very simple, don’t underestimate its power.

The Most Important Thing About Marketing is to Have a Marketing Plan!

1) It’s a concrete result you put out for your mind to seize on and strive to achieve.

2) It allows you to clarify exactly what you want to achieve in the coming 30 days.

3) It allows you map out the activities needed to achieve that plan.

4) It allows you to plan in advance to delegate off the lower paying activities, so you don’t end up doing them.

5) It allows you set time deadlines, to hold others accountable so everything gets DONE!

6) It results in you being free to concentrate on your highest payoff activity: Making Offers on Great Deals!

7) You have a business that operates consciously, not by accident.

More people fail in real estate because they simply do not have a plan or goals. You should have a detailed marketing plan of what you want to accomplish and how you are going to accomplish it.

And, don’t be vague, either. Things like, I want to make more money than I can ever spend, and I want to be rich, and I want to make $10,000 a month, are not plans. They are too vague, and they won’t help you get there. Be as specific as you can possibly be.

In planning for monthly revenue, try to put your money goals in cash income, not gross revenue. I know gross revenue is what you’re used to thinking in, but cash is obviously more important. It’s what you take to the bank, and it’s what pays bills.

First, examine your current numbers. More than 80 percent of all real estate entrepreneurs know how many houses they are buying each month, but they don’t know where those houses came from and how many leads they had to process to develop them into the single deal. And, this is a deadly sin.

You Simply Must Know How You Are Currently Doing

You should know:

1) The total leads that call each month (each week is more manageable),

2) Where those leads come from,

3) How many “qualified” seller prospects (i.e. those that you are willing to invest follow-up in if they don’t sell now; they have motivation, you are interested in the house.) you get eachmonth,

4) The ratio of total to qualified,

5) The number of deals you close,

6) The ratio of closed deals to qualified leads – for each lead source

7) How much you make from each seller,

8) How much it cost you to acquire a new seller.

With this information you can look at your current resources, look ahead, and then plan out what you want to have happen. The number of deals you want to do, the amount of money you want to make.

For example, let’s say you are bringing in around $10,000 a month and your average deal gives you $5,000. Yes, I know that’s low, but for the sake of example. That’s two deals a month. These are cash proceeds and after expenses you net 50 percent of your gross or $5,000 a month. And let’s say that you want to double your net income next month.

You will have to get twice as many deals to double your business. Goal? Four deals a month, or one a week.

Let’s say you currently get one deal a month from a classified ad, and one deal a month for mailing expired listings. But, you get ten qualified calls a month from his classified ad and 10 qualified prospects calling a month as a result of mailing expired listings. So, you currently close ten percent of your prospects.

First, you can improve on this situation by improving that twenty percent closing ratio. By improving your closing ratio by things like more precise targeting, the present lead-flow would stay the same, you’ll get your same twenty real prospects and achieve your goal of doing four deals next month.

But assuming that’s not something you have control over right now, the other way to double your income in the next month is to double the number of qualified prospects you talk to and make offers to. So instead of getting 20 qualified leads to call, you would need 40.

Your plan to get forty qualified prospects would need 10 to come from expired listing mailings, 16 to come from flyers in target neighborhoods, 4 from business cards handed out everywhere, 6 to come from signs placed in the ground at high traffic count intersections, 10 to com from classified ads that drive people to the website. Total: 46 prospects. Cool! That’s six to spare.

With this number of leads coming in you have what is needed closed four deals and reach your goal of doubling your net income. Actually, it’s more than doubling because your fixed expenses don’t increase with the income.

You should have a monthly plan. Schedule thirty or forty minutes out of one day to make up your monthly plan and see how you did last month. Schedule this time and keep to it. Don’t do any work or take any calls during this time. Keep it strictly for planning. If you do this and you allow yourself to get into the whole spirit of planning, and making things happen on purpose, you will easily double your income in twelve months.

Your Monthly Plan Should Include The Following

1) A goal for total net income.

2) A goal for number of deals signed up

3) A goal for number of appointments made.

4) A goal for number of qualified, interested sellers.

5) A goal for total number of leads.

6) Average net income from each deal.

7) The number of prospects you have to generate to reach your goal.

A detailed plan to generate the number of prospects you need. Your plan doesn’t have to be typed out or put into a computer. It can be handwritten on paper. It doesn’t have to be pretty.

Scratch pad plans are good enough. The important part is that you do a plan every single week and keep on top of things.

This is a simple thing to do, but it is just as easy to not do. Blowing it off is the equivalent of you absolving yourself of responsibility for your business. On the other hand, taking the time to think through your goals each month, both for income, and marketing activity, then committing them to paper will make things start happening by plan and put you in control of your business.

By: Ben Innes-Ker
For More Information: http://www.reiclub.com

Real Estate Investing is Just Like Weight Loss...

2006-03-19T23:13:00.001-08:00

It takes a lot of effort on your part (but a guru or two can help)

It amazes me how many people get started in real estate investing, only to fail when the going gets tough. As soon as someone discovers they can't get rich in a week or two, they are on to the next “hidden guru” secret. It's the same as weight loss - everyone talks about it, many try it, but few succeed. There are thousands of “get rich quick” and “get slim quick” gimmicks. No wonder both the real estate investing information and weight loss products industries make BILLIONS!

Weight loss isn't easy… ask anyone who has tried it. However, the concept of weight loss is very basic - burn more calories than you ingest and your body will react accordingly. Unless you have a medical disorder, this formula works for just about anyone. Simple as it may be, the formula is HARD, meaning it takes a lot of DISCIPLINE AND HARD WORK. So, the weight loss industry has offered us thousands of ways to make it easier. Many of these solutions do work, but they only work if you put forth effort.

Now, let's start with the premise you don't need any of these “solutions” to make real estate OR weight loss work for you. You can eat less calories, go walking or jogging every day and you will lose weight. But, having knowledge of the caloric content of different foods is relevant. Also, for many people, knowing the carbohydrate content is relevant. Having the advice of a physician, dietician and personal trainer will help you prevent injuries and maximum your effort.

Same principle applies to real estate - you can go out and make hundreds of offers to motivated sellers and find a good deal. However, having information about how to solve the seller's needs and construct an offer will help. Having an attorney, real estate agent or “guru” to assist you with constructing the offer and the paperwork will make it easier. Having advice from other people who have already done hundreds of deals will also make it easier for you to learn from other people's success (and failures). However, whether it's weight loss or real estate, the bottom line is not just knowing, but DOING. You can't blame the diet if you don't stick to it. Many people have successfully lost weight using the ZONE, WEIGHT WATCHERS, ATKINS and other similar plans. Many people have succeeded with the famous “guru” plans, but many have failed, likely because they didn't give the required effort, NOT because the plan isn't effective.

By: William Bronchick, Esq.

For more information visit: www.legalwiz.com

Alarming rise in credit to real estate sector

2006-03-01T22:40:00.000-08:00

If the Economic Survey figures are anything to go by, lending to sensitive sectors—with high chances of boom going bust—is zooming. The high-risk real estate sector has witnessed the maximum rise in loan disbursals among all sectors of economy—at 90 per cent—from the Indian banks till October last year, the Survey has revealed.

In view of the very rapid growth of credit to the real estate sector, the RBI has already tightened the prudential norm by enhancing the risk weight on banks’ exposure to the real estate sector. As on October 2005, the banks lent Rs 20,148 crore to builders and private developers as compared to Rs 8,240 crore lent in the same period of fiscal 2004.

The banks gave another Rs 153,267 crore as home loans till October 2005. The RBI said as of March 2005, 62.9 per cent of SCBs lending to sensitive sectors consisted of real estate at Rs 24,691 crore. The private banks lent another 15,125 crore to the real estate sector.

Analysts say that real estate sector witnesses high volatility due to entry of speculators in the industry. As of now, real estate prices have shot up to unrealistic levels as many speculators have entered the market again. On the other hand, gross bank credit has showed a rise of 39.2 per cent from October 2004 till October 2005. Credit to agriculture showed a rise of 39.1 per cent and SSI 17.3 per cent.

PRESSURE ON RATES: The survey has cautioned about the upward pressure on interest rates. Though happy with the 17 per cent increase in credit offtake and the resultant economic boom, the Survey asked the government to maintain a check on interest rates, saying the high demand coupled with uncertain prospect of inflation and surging global oil prices could exert pressure on them.Banks have already started hiking interest rates on home loans. Many PSU banks are waiting for the Budget before taking a view on rate hike.

The document said uncertainty regarding inflation due to volatile global oil prices and continued firming up of global interest rates beyond a point, poses the risk of dampening the domestic investment boom. There may be a need for further capitalisation of banks and for developing strict management techniques and methods of prudent evaluation of investment proposals, the survey said.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/

REAL ESTATE HUMOR - The Lighter Side of real estate!

2006-02-13T22:21:00.000-08:00

The Frog Prince
(from Politically Correct Bedtime Stories)

Once there was a young princess who when she grew tired of beating her head against the male power structure at her castle, would relax by walking into the woods and sitting beside a small pond. There she would amuse herself by tossing her favorite golden ball up and down and pondering the role of the eco-feminist warrior in her era.

One day, while she was envisioning the utopia that her queendom could become if women were in the positions of power, she dropped the ball, which rolled into the pond. The pond was so deep and murky she couldn't see where it had gone. She didn't cry, of course, but she make a mental note to be more careful next time.

Suddenly she heard a voice say, "I can get your ball for you, princess."

She looked around, and saw the head of a frog popping above the surface of the pond. "No, no," she said, "I would never enslave a member of another species to work for my selfish desires."

The frog said, "Well, what if we make a deal on a contingency basis? I'll get your ball for you if you do me a favor in return."

The princess gladly agreed to this most equitable arrangement. The frog dived under the water and soon emerged with the golden ball in his mouth. He spit the ball on the shore and said, "Now that I've done you a favor, I'd like to explore your views on physical attraction between the species."

The princess couldn't imagine what the frog was talking about. The frog continued, "You see, I am not really a frog at all. I'm really a man, but an evil sorcerer has cast a spell on me. While my frog form is no better or worse -- only different -- than my human form, I would so much like to be among people again. And the only thing that can break this spell is a kiss from a princess."

The princess thought for a moment about whether sexual harassment could take place between species, but her heart went out to the frog for his predicament. She bent down and kissed the frog on the forehead. Instantly the frog grew and changed. And there, standing in the water where the frog had been, was a man in a golf shirt and loud plaid pants -- middle-aged, vertically challenged, and losing a little bit of hair on top.

The princess was taken aback. "I'm sorry if this sounds a little classist," she stammered, "but...what I mean to say is... don't sorcerers usually cast their spells on princes?"

"Ordinarily, yes," he said, "but this time the target was just an innocent businessman. You see, I'm a real estate developer, and the sorcerer thought I was cheating him in a property-line dispute. So he invited me out for a round of golf, and just as I was about to tee off, he transformed me. But my time as a frog wasn't wasted, you know. I've gotten to know every square inch of these woods, and I think it would be ideal for an office park/condo/resort complex. The location's great and the numbers crunch perfectly! The bank wouldn't lend any money to a frog, but now that I'm in human form again, they'll be eating out of my hand. Oh, will that be sweet! And let me tell you, this is going to be a big project! Just drain the pond, cut down about 80 percent of the trees, get easements for..."

The frog developer was cut short when the princess shoved her golden ball back into his mouth. She then pushed him back underwater and held him there until he stopped thrashing. As she walked back to the castle, she marveled at the number of good deeds that a person could do in just one morning. And while someone might have noticed that the frog was gone, no one ever missed the real estate developer

Courtesy: homebuying.about.com

What makes an agent truly valuable?

2006-02-12T22:42:00.000-08:00

Recently, an excited first-time homebuyer spent some time telling a real estate agent what she wanted in a home. They also discussed financing. Immediately afterwards, the agent took her new client out and showed her...

...two homes.

One was perfect.

Instead of making an offer right away, the buyer went home and called her friend. The friend had a real estate license. The buyer and her second agent presented an offer on the home, leaving the first agent totally in the dark.

After all, the first agent hadn't worked "too hard."

Which made me think about what really makes a real estate agent valuable, among other things.

Knowledge of inventory was near the top of the list.

It sounds boring and unexciting. Bookish, even.

You see, the reason the first agent knew which houses to show her potential client was because she had previewed those properties. That's one of those things agents do that you don't know about. They go out on their own, by themselves or with other agents, and look at property after property after property. They know what models are located where, how long they've been on the market, which ones have listing agents that are easy to work with, and more. They know all kinds of things that you don't know they know.

Not only that, the agent had been previewing properties for what "seems like forever" - so she immediately knew which houses to show the soon-to-be-excited buyer. She had been to those homes and/or model matches for those homes - for quite some time.

She knew her inventory.

The friend did not know the inventory. Otherwise, the buyer would have gone to her friend first, right?

It's like wandering around the aisles of a drug store not knowing which over-the-counter cough syrup is best for your particular ailment. Who would you rather ask? The clerk at the register or the pharmacist?

Either way, you're walking out of the store with a cardboard box filled with thick sloshy liquid.

So what you're really hiring in an agent is knowledge - and not just knowledge of inventory. Knowledge of lots of things that you don't even know you don't know. They make it seem easy, but that's because they want it to seem easy. If agents told you how hard it was, you would be even more nervous about shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars.

After all, it is only the most expensive purchase you've ever made in your life.

But it's only a house, right?

And everyone knows that a Schedule 1 item on a termite report must be repaired prior to closing, which Schedule II items do not. And all those other little details.

By the way, the first agent and the listing agent talked to one another because she expected to present an offer shortly. No details, of course - just the name of her client and to expect the offer.

The buyer did present an offer, but with the wrong agent. This took the listing agent by surprise. Like many industries, real estate agents have a code of ethics they are supposed to obey. At the same time, agents don't always know what their clients are up to. Anyway, imagine how negotiations went, if they went anywhere at all. Plus, there were other problems that will be saved for another article.

Which isn't really the point. The point was that you hire an agent because of training, knowledge, experience, problem-solving ability, connections, their ability to communicate...and lots of other neat stuff.

The moral I promised?

You don't know what you don't know.

Which is why you hire people that will cover the blanks you know about, as well as the ones you don't. That is where you find the true value of a real estate agent.

Courtesy: realestateabc.com

Finding the Best Real Estate Professional

2006-02-12T22:23:00.000-08:00

Finding the right real estate professional requires doing a little research and asking a few questions. You need to know everything about the selling process. What is the marketing strategy? What kind of advertising will be done? Is the Realtor capable and willing to communicate effectively? Can the Realtor effectively present and sell the less-noticeable assets of the property?

Real estate professionals also need to be knowledgeable about the community. They need to have a feel for the history of the area and the approximate price that people will be willing to pay. Also, real estate agents should know what the competition is and how much it will effect your sale.

NEVER choose a Realtor on price alone. Remember that a Realtor cannot magically raise the selling price of the house. Consider the buyer. The purchaser won't willingly pay too much; it's most likely that he or she will do research on the market and try to find the best product for the best price. The facts simply cannot be changed, no matter which Realtor you select. In spite of these unchangeable factors, the Realtor you select must still be diligent and knowledgable.

If your property does not elicit attention within several weeks, the cause can most likely be attributed to one of these three factors: location, condition, and price. The location obviously cannot be changed. You should consider examining the conditioning of your property and reevaluating the marketing strategy. Ask your Realtor to offer an explanation of the competition and your pricing strategy.

______________________________________________________

The original author is not known. It is not our intention to infringe upon copyrighted material. If you are the original author of any of these articles, please let us know so that we may provide appropriate credit.

Courtesy: totalrealestatesolutions.com

Know Your Real Estate Laws

2006-02-12T22:11:00.000-08:00

The real estate business is fraught with scams, fraud and unethical practices. As such, it is a highly-regulated business. As a real estate investor, you are treading on areas of law which you should be familiar.

A good real estate attorney will help you along the way, but you should stive to educate yourself as well. At a minimum, you should be aware of the following:

Landlord-Tenant Rules
What exactly does it take to evict someone? How much does it cost? How long does it take? Can I serve notices myself, or do I need a process server? Are there special housing rules that apply in my city? Is there a limit to the amount of rent increases I can ask for? Is there a limit to security deposits? Do I have to give interest on a security deposit to my tenant? How long can I hold a security deposit after the tenant leaves? Is there a minimum grace period before I can charge a late fee?

Cornell University Law School's website maintains a good list of state real property statutes. You can also find information on the Rental Housing Online site.

Legal Documents

What form of contract, deed, mortgage, note, lease, etc are commonly used in my area? Are there special forms required for licensed real estate agents? Am I required to use these forms if I am an agent acting as a principal? You should learn the local forms and how to custom-tailor them for your needs. A good attorney and my Nuts & Bolts of Creative Real Estate Transactions course will help.

Recording Rules

Where do legal documents get recorded? What are the filing fees? What format must the documents follow? Is there a transfer tax? Contact your local title company or the County recorder's office for information.

Disclosure Laws
What must be disclosed to a buyer or tenant about the property? Lead? Asbestos? Rapists in the neighborhood? You can usually find this information by contacting your local real estate investor's association.

Interest Rate Limits & Other Loan Regulations
What is the limit for charging interest until it becomes usury? In most states the limit is 21%; a few states have no limit. Once you loan money or sell houses on credit with owner financing, you may have to comply with Federal Regulation Z (Truth-in-Lending), the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (R.E.S.P.A.) and other state counterparts.

Fair Housing
Can I discriminate against certain groups when I rent my property? Obviously, you cannot discriminate against people based on race, religion, sex, age, etc. However, some state and cities have more peculiar restrictions, such New York City. where you can't discriminate against lawyers!

Licensing Laws
Learn Real Estate Agent Licensing Laws. In some cases, your practices as an investor may be treading close that of an agent. Check with your state licensing agency for more information. If you are rehabbing homes, you may need to comply with building regulations and be licensed as a homebuilder or developer. Also, be aware of Consumer Protection laws that regulate high-pressure sales, foreclosure purchases, sale-leasebacks and other distress real estate transactions.

By: William Bronchick, Esq.

Courtesy: legalwiz.com

Seven Ways to Flip a Property

2006-02-12T22:03:00.000-08:00

"Flipping" is the buzzword of the year in real estate - flipping books, flipping articles in the newspaper, and even flipping shows on TV! What is flipping, how does it work and how you can profit?

Flipping simply means buying a property and reselling it quickly, as opposed to holding on to a property long term as a rental. Flipping comes in several varieties, most of which are legal and profitable, some of which are not.

Flip Strategy #1: Buy, Fix and Flip

Let's start with the most common form - the good, old "fix 'n flip". This process involves buying a property that needs work, fixing it up, then selling on the "retail" market, that is, to a person who will live in the property. This method is tried and true, and works very well. You can easily make $15 - $50k on one deal, depending on your market and how good you are at finding bargains.

The danger in fix and flips is either paying too much or underestimating repairs. Be very conservative in your fix-up costs and length of time it may take to resell. Also, make sure you include in your analysis the cost of paying a real estate agent to sell the property.

Flip Strategy #2: Buy, Refi & Lease/Option

Rather than sell the fixed up property for all cash, sell for terms. Once you have completed the rehab, refinance the property at its new appraised value. If you did the math correctly, you should have little or no money in the deal. Sell the property on a lease with option to buy. The rent payment from your tenant/buyer should cover your mortgage payment (if not, consider an interest-only or adjustable rate loan that is fixed for 3 years). When your tenant exercises his option to purchase, you reap a larger profit, since you don't have to pay a broker's fee. If the tenant exercises his option after 12 months, you benefit from a lower capital gains tax rate.

Flip Strategy #3: Buy & Flip "As Is"

Don't like to do fix-up work? Consider selling the property "as is" as a light fixer upper. If the local real estate market is hot, you should be able to sell the property in poor condition just a little below market. This is especially the case with houses in "transitioning" neighborhoods. Make sure, of course, that you acquire the property sufficiently cheap enough that you can sell it below market quickly and still profit.

Flip Strategy #4: Wholesale
Strategy #1, the fix and flip, is very popular, which means there are a lot of investors looking for rehabs. You can buy the property cheap and sell it for just a few thousand dollars more to another investor without doing any work. You won't make nearly as much as the rehabber, but you will realize your profit quickly.

Flip Strategy #5: Pre-Construction
In very hot real estate markets, prices are appreciating as much as 2% per month. If you time things right, you can put a contract on a pre-construction house or condominium, then flip it to someone else when the development is complete. If it takes 12 months for the development to be complete, and the condo price is $500,000, you could make $100,000 or more in one year! Of course, the opposite is also true - you could end up losing money if the local economy tanks and you end up with a worthless condo that you can't sell for more than you paid. Use this approach very carefully...

Flip Strategy #6: Scouting
The Scout is an information gatherer, so not technically a property flipper. He is the "bird dog" who finds potential deals and sells the information to other investors. Many people get started as a Scout for other investors because it does not take any cash or prior knowledge to look for distressed properties. The Scout finds a property for sale, gathers the necessary information, and then provides this information to investors for a fee. The fee will vary depending on the price of the property and the profit potential. The Scout can expect to make five hundred to one thousand dollars each time he provides information that leads to a purchase by another investor.

Flip Strategy #7: Illegal Flipping
OK, I am not advocating this approach, because it is illegal. Illegal property-flipping schemes work as follows: unscrupulous investors buy cheap, run-down properties in mostly low-income neighborhoods. They do shoddy renovations to the properties and sell them to unsophisticated buyers at inflated prices. In most cases, the investor, appraiser and mortgage broker conspire by submitting fraudulent loan documents and a bogus appraisal. The end result is a buyer that paid too much for a house and cannot afford the loan. Since many of these loans are federally insured, the government authorities have investigated this practice and arrested many of the parties involved. As a result, the public perceives is flipping to be illegal.

The fact is, "flipping" - as I described in the beginning of this article - is NOT illegal. Loan fraud in the process of flipping is what is illegal, so don't confuse the two. The other six ways to flip are very legal, very ethical and very profitable!

By: Attorney William Bronchick

Courtesy: legalwiz.com

Real Estate Consultant - Ahmedabad, Gujarat

2006-02-12T02:32:00.000-08:00

Introduction:

Gujarat, one of the most industrially developed states of India, has to its credit many achievements in the fields of trade, industry, education, etc. Due to its overall development, building and construction industry has been making rapid strides. To prove the point it would be sufficient to say that "Gujarat can boast of maximum number of cement manufacturing units."

Ahmedabad, the "Industrial Capital" of Gujarat, has seen unbelievable progress. Particularly in the fields of building and construction, it has given world-renowned architect like Dr. Balkrishna Doshi who is contemporary of the famous Architect La Courbusier and many many more. The eastern part of Ahmedabad has seen mushrooming of industrial estates on a very large scale, while other parts have proved its importance as residential areas, particularly in the western part of the city.

GujaratEstate.com, the website of RUSHABH ESTATE MANAGEMENT, since its inception in 1990, has been in the forefront in the field of Real Estate business in Ahmedabad, though the field of its business is spread over throughout Gujarat. A team of dedicated professionals provides their expertise in acquiring right kind of property for the right kind of person at proper place. GujaratEstate.com has been instrumental in successfully fulfilling the Real Estate requirements of its clientele throughout the world to their utmost satisfaction.

About GujaratEstate & Rushabh Estate Management:

Rushabh Estate Management, established in 1990, has carried out large numbers of assignment of its clientele to their utmost satisfaction. Its website Gujaratestate.com has been playing a very crucial role in providing basic information on different categories of properties available for selling/rent. On the other hand, it has been proving most valuable for those who are desirous of either disposing off their properties or ready to give it on rent/lease.

Rushabh Estate Management's offices are situated in the posh business area of C.G.Road in Ahmedabad at a prime location.

The company is managed by two young and enthusiastic brothers, Yogesh Shah (Commerce Graduate) and Kalpesh Shah (Master in Commerce), under the guidance and supervision of their father Arvindbhai Shah (Commerce Graduate).

The experience, expertise, devotion and dedication of all the three Chief Executives of Rushabh Estate Management has helped in carving a niche in the field of real estate. The secret of their success lies in the fact that they give the requirement of the client supreme importance and leave no stone unturned to provide best of the service with the help if its manpower, expertise and resources at their disposal.

Some of our valued clients can be named as C.M.S. Computers, Redington India, Torrent Laboratories, Cadila laboratories, etc.

Our Mission:

Our mission is to maintain our reputation as one of the best professionally managed real estate agency providing service to individuals and corporates to access of provide space for residential or commercial use on lease or sale/ purchase by optimizing use of technology, experience and expertise to utmost satisfaction.

Our Services:

Buying, selling/rent, lease real estate premises in Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, Rajkot and other cities of Gujarat and India. We deal in Land, Factory, Plot, Bungalow, Flats, Commercial Projects, Commercial Offices.

Rushabh Estate Management operates in posh localities of Ahmedabad, namely Ashram Road, SG Highway, Navrangpura, Mithakhali, Ellisbridge, Ambavadi, Drive-In Road, Satellite, Vastrapur, Naranpura, etc. Rushabh Estate Management is proud to serve over 700 customers including Multinationals, Large Indian corporates, Banks, Builders, Architects, Advocates, etc. We win because of our reputed customers who recommend our name among their circle.

For more information about Real Estate in Ahmedabad or Gujarat please feel free to contact us any time.

Link: http://www.gujaratestate.com