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Freddie Mac: Freddie Mac Corporate Homepage Search [ En Español ] Doing Business With Freddie Mac Single-Family Multifamily Debt Securities Mortgage Securities Vendors and Suppliers About Freddie Mac About Us Public Policy News and Information Investor Relations Careers Buying and Owning a Home Preparing for Homeownership All About Mortgages Purchasing a Home Owning and Keeping a Home Calculators and Tools Properties for Sale 30 year 15 year Average Rate Fees / Points Next rate update: Current Weekly Survey Compilation of Weekly Surveys America Builds on the National Mall Special Relief Information and Resources Freddie Mac's mission is to provide liquidity, stability and affordability to the housing market. Learn how . Go to LoanProspector.com , our online suite of mortgage underwriting and processing tools. Freddie Mac Helps Revitalize Historical Neighborhood In Gainesville Senator Martinez and Representative Stearns applaud a new effort to rebuild a historical neighborhood near downtown Gainesville. Freddie Mac, the Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency, and mortgage lender Taylor, Bean & Whitaker plan to revive the neighborhood by building new homes; rehabilitating empty homes; offering low-down payment mortgages; homeownership workshops and counseling; and up to $7,000 in assistance to qualified, mainly first-time, low-to moderate-income homebuyers. Freddie Mac Report Looks at Asian Homebuyers in the U.S. Many Asians in the U.S. state that their lack of knowledge about the homebuying process could delay or prevent them from purchasing a home, and that they need to feel financially ready, stable and secure before they can consider buying a home, according to focus group participants. Freddie Mac compiled the focus group results into a new report, Homeward Bound: An In-depth Look at Asian Homebuyers in the United States. Dec 29 Weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey Released Dec 22 One-Stop Execution Offered for Multifamily High-Leverage Loans Dec 22 Freddie Mac's November 2005 Monthly Volume Summary Now Available Dec 20 Groups Work to Revitalize Neighborhood Near Downtown Gainesville View All News Releases © 2005 Freddie Mac Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Sitemap
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WorldProperties.com - where you find Distinctive International Real Estate Brought to you by REALTOR.COM® -- Over 3 million properties around the world WORLDPROPERTIES.com, the place to find International Properties. Member Login Username: Password: Forgot your password? New User? Click here. ICREA Countries Select a Country Argentina Australia Brazil Canada Czech Republic Denmark Finland France Greece India Ireland Italy Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Norway Poland Portugal Russia Spain Sweden United Kingdom United States Venezuela Resources International Properties -- Find a Professional Find a Transnational Referral Certified (TRC) Professional Events Calendar National Association Data ICREA Member Center Global News ICREA News International News Abstracts Asia/Pacific Rim North/South/Central America & Caribbean Europe Africa/Middle East About ICREA Who is ICREA? International Principles of Conduct Value to the Real Estate Practitioner Value to the Consumer Value to Real Estate Associations ICREA Structure Joining ICREA Search Distinctive Properties : View all Properties: REGION Select a Region Andean Balkan States British Isles Caribbean Central & Eastern Europe Central America Central Asia Mediterranean North America Northern Europe Oceania Patagonia Riviera Scandinavia South America South East Asia/pacific/pacific Rim Western Europe COUNTRY CITY Select a Country Argentina Australia Bahamas Belize Brazil Canada Costa Rica Czech Republic Denmark Dominican Republic Finland France Germany Greece Honduras India Ireland Italy Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Norway Panama Poland Portugal Russia Spain Sweden United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Venezuela CURRENCY PRICE MAX AUD - Australian Dollar VEB - Bolivar BRL - Brazilian Real CAD - Canadian Dollar CZK - Czech Koruna DKK - Danish Krone EUR - Euro HKD - Hong Kong Dollar INR - Indian Rupee MXN - Mexican Peso NZD - New Zealand Dollar NOK - Norwegian Krone GBP - Pound Sterling RUB - Russian Ruble SGD - Singapore Dollar SEK - Swedish Krona USD - US Dollar KRW - Won PLN - Zloty No maximum 100,000 300,000 500,000 700,000 1,000,000 3,000,000 5,000,000 7,000,000 10,000,000 15,000,000 20,000,000 50,000,000 More Search Options | Maps RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES Select a Country Argentina Australia Brazil Canada Czech Republic Denmark Finland France Greece India Ireland Italy Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Poland Spain Sweden United Kingdom United States Venezuela COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES Select a Country Argentina Australia Brazil Canada Czech Republic Finland France India Ireland Italy Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Spain United Kingdom United States Venezuela WorldProperties.com is the official web site of the The International Consortium of Real Estate Associations (ICREA) , a Consortium of the world’s leading real estate associations committed to the right to own and transfer real property. ICREA sets standards for international real estate practice and facilitates worldwide real estate transactions through its website, WorldProperties.com. Contact ICREA at consortium@realtors.org . Learn More About ICREA Who is ICREA? International Principles of Conduct Value to the Consumer Value to the Real Estate Practitioner Value to Real Estate Associations Joining ICREA Site Map |-- Find a Home | Find a Professional | ICREA Member Center | Country Information Contact ICREA | Email Technical Questions | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy . © 2002-2005 International Consortium of Real Estate Associations All rights reserved. *
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Mortgage Web site design & Real Estate agent website design, hosting and marketing. Mortgage Originators Over 1 Million online apps generated Over 5,000 mortgage originators choose Myers Leading clients generate over 50% of their business online Real Estate Agents & Offices Customizable, easy to use web sites Award winning lead generation tools Showcase your listings Products: :: Mortgage Originators :: Real Estate Agents & Offices :: Company: :: About Us :: Contact Us :: Employment :: Partners :: Why Choose Myers? Myers Internet has been a leader in mortgage website design since 1995. Myers pioneered mortgage web site design and is known for its mortgage banker websites, mortgage broker web sites and mortgage loan officer websites. A mortgage banker, mortgage broker or mortgage loan officer can get a Myers mortgage web site "off the shelf" or a mortgage website made to order. Mortgage bankers, mortgage brokers and mortgage loan officers can make their own changes to a Myers mortgage website, or hire a mortgage website design specialist to give their mortgage website design a unique look. A mortgage banker, mortgage broker or mortgage loan officer can choose from many mortgage web site design styles and mortgage websites products. Whether you're a mortgage banker, mortgage broker or mortgage loan officer, there is a mortgage web site design to suit your budget. What are some of the benefits you can expect with a Myers mortgage website? What are some of the benefits you can expect with a Myers mortgage website? A Myers mortgage website can take online mortgage applications 24/7. A Myers mortgage web site has mortgage calculators which other mortgage websites don't. Consumers visit Myers mortgage web sites to learn about the loan process. Potential borrowers use the mortgage web site to notify a mortgage broker about their desired mortgage interest rate. People go to a Myers website to see if they could benefit with a refinance mortgage A Myers mortgage website can help sell the mortgage broker or loan officer A Myers mortgage web site has important loan program information. A Myers mortgage website can help a consumer determine the mortgage loan they can afford. A mortgage broker or loan officer can display their interest rates on their Myers mortgage web sites A consumer can get confidential mortgage loan details at a Myers mortgage website. Consumers can enter the mortgage payment sweepstakes at a Myers mortgage web site. A mortgage broker or loan officer can create referral business at their mortgage website. Borrowers can get answers to frequently asked questions at a Myers mortgage web site. Consumers can find out about a bi-weekly mortgage at a Myers mortgage website. Myers is also a leader in real estate website design. Myers offers real estate agent web sites, real estate broker websites, REALTOR® websites and real estate office web sites. Real estate agents, real estate brokers and REALTORS® understand the importance of a real estate website which includes cutting edge real estate web site design. A real estate web site is a real estate agent's online real estate office. The benefits of a Myers real estate web site are numerous: A Myers real estate agent website, real estate broker web site, REALTOR® website, or real estate office website can all be personalized to suit the needs of the client. Our real estate web sites can include customized content. Custom web site content helps the real estate website be optimally indexed by search engines. A Myers real estate website can help convert visitors into prospects. The real estate agent website, real estate broker web site, REALTOR® website, and real estate office website all offer numerous lead-capturing tools. You can get a real estate agent website, real estate broker web site, REALTOR® website, or real estate office website which can display your and others' listings. You can get an advanced real estate website design which allows clients to save their property searches. A real estate agent website, real estate broker web site, REALTOR® website, or real estate office website can each have a Flash introduction. A good real estate web site design includes rich content. We have real estate website designs which come with over seventy-five pages of content featuring tips and information for home buyers and sellers. Myers real estate websites include practically everything a real estate agent or broker will ever need.
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Getting real about real estate investing - Nov. 17, 2004 Web CNN/Money Buying & Selling Investment Property Home Improvement Million $ Life Financing Best Places Getting real about real estate investing Being a landlord can be profitable -- or a big headache. Take some advice from these investors. November 17, 2004: 4:03 PM EST By Jon Birger , MONEY Magazine. Additional reporting by Joan Caplin and Amy Feldman. NEW YORK (MONEY Magazine) - Successful real estate investors sometimes make what they do sound almost too easy. "Rentals freed me from ever having to get a job again," says Orlando Rodriguez, a 38-year-old San Antonio landlord who makes about $100,000 a year off the 90 apartments he owns. "I'm a high school dropout -- seventh-grade dropout, actually -- so my story should tell people this isn't rocket science." Yes, landlording isn't science (which is not to say it isn't often a lot of hard work), but if you're willing to put in the time and effort, buying and operating rental properties can pay off big. Try this math on for size: You purchase a $100,000 condominium with $30,000 down and a $70,000 mortgage. If the condo rents for $1,200 a month, your net profits -- after costs such as mortgage, maintenance and property taxes -- should be in the $2,000-a-year range. Conservatively invested, that sum should earn enough to pay off the entire mortgage within 14 years. You'd have turned $30,000 in equity into $100,000, even if rents didn't go up and property values didn't appreciate. Factor in 4 percent annual rent increases and price appreciation, and the property's net value to the owner would be closer to $200,000. A stock fund would need to return 15 percent a year for 14 years to beat that performance -- and funds don't give you any of the tax breaks that can come with being a property owner. The key thing to remember, though, is that buying rental properties is not for point-and-click investors. Even landlords who hire out the plumbing, painting and rent collection to contractors and management companies typically make a big time commitment. Rick Lionhardt of Dallas, a 55-year-old retired telecom worker, owns 33 properties with wife Helen, 49, a secretary. Even when he was working full time, Lionhardt says, he spent 70 to 80 hours a week on real estate. "I'd make calls during lunch and drive around at night looking for more things to buy." For the first-time landlord, there is plenty to learn -- about taxes, financing, dealing with difficult tenants -- and usually there are many mistakes to be made. The payoff can be terrific though, even for investors who own just one or two properties. Doing it right will get you extra income now and a valuable addition to your retirement nest egg down the road. What does "doing it right" mean? Read on for some key tips and secrets -- as well as pitfalls to avoid -- from successful investors who had to learn the hard way. Know how to take your market's temperature. When considering a rental property, your top concern should be whether you can make money renting it out now, not how much its price might appreciate in the future (although that's important too). All you're doing is speculating on real estate prices if you're shelling out more than you're taking in -- and that can be dangerous, especially if you're doing it with borrowed money. "You never want to buy a property where every month you have to feed it," says Neil Binder, co-founder of New York City's Bellmarc Realty. So before you buy, add up your projected property taxes, mortgage payments and maintenance costs, and make sure the total is less than your expected rental income. Experienced real estate investors say they generally look to pay anywhere from 45 to 85 times monthly rent for a property. That means annual rental revenue should be about 15 to 25 percent of the property's value. Finding places with those kinds of yields can be difficult. Take California, probably the most bubblicious market in the country. A condominium renting for $1,200 a month in Southern California sells for $350,000 today, according to veteran California real estate investor Bruce Norris. A $1,200-a-month condo in the Dallas/Fort Worth area can be had for $95,000. To a landlord, that's the difference between an annual return on investment of 4 percent vs. 15 percent. Mortgages and home equity loans Search for rates from hundreds of lenders. No points only Select Loan: Select a Mortgage 15 Yr Fixed Jumbo - $385K 15 Yr Fixed Conforming - $165K 30 Yr Fixed Conforming - $165K 30 Yr Fixed Jumbo - $385K 1 Yr ARM Conforming - $165K 1 Yr ARM Jumbo - $385K 3/1 Yr ARM Conforming - $165K 3/1 ARM Jumbo - $385K 5/1 Yr ARM Conforming - $165K 5/1 ARM Jumbo - $385K 7/1 Yr ARM Conforming - $165K ARM Jumbo - $385K State: Select State Alaska Alabama Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Washington DC Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Iowa Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Massachusetts Maryland Maine Michigan Minnesota Missouri Mississippi Montana North Carolina North Dakota Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico Nevada New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Vermont Washington Wisconsin West Virginia Wyoming "The only reason you'd be a California landlord at today's prices is because you're expecting price appreciation," says Norris, who thinks prices in the state are due for a fall. "Monthly cash flow would be almost impossible to achieve without an enormous down payment." Another tool experienced investors use to measure the profitability of a market is price-to-rent -- that is, the ratio of median home price to annual rent for three-bedroom homes. The bigger the number, the less likely you are to make money as a landlord. California has a price-to-rent ratio of 25 these days, the highest in the country. Hawaii (23) is second from the top, and Massachusetts (19) is third. Far more inviting to investors are states like Delaware, Missouri, Texas and Vermont, where the price-to-rent ratios are 11 or 12. For more information on median home prices and market rents in your area, visit realtor.org and huduser.org . Find smart ways to cut your financing costs. Borrowing to buy real estate as an investment is more expensive than borrowing to buy a home. Lenders generally think they are taking more of a risk on buildings that the owner doesn't live in. Consequently, the interest rates they charge tend to be 0.5 percentage points or more above those for traditional home mortgages. Not only that, but borrowers need excellent credit scores to qualify for the lowest rates. In addition, the minimum down payment is usually 20 or 25 percent, instead of the 10 percent for standard home mortgages. There are a couple of ways around the higher rates and steeper down payments. To qualify for a traditional mortgage, you are required by most lenders to live in the property for a minimum of one year. But there's nothing stopping you from buying a home or a condo with a traditional mortgage, living in it for a year and then renting it out afterward. YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Mortgages Personal Debt Real Estate Loan Markets or Create your own Manage alerts | What is this? If the down payment rather than the rate is the stumbling block, ask the seller whether he's willing to self-finance the mortgage. With owner financing, the buyer signs a promissory note in which he agrees to make his mortgage payments directly to the seller. In exchange for forgoing a down payment, the seller typically gets a premium rate -- 8 to 10 percent, perhaps. Why would a seller take the additional risk implicit in skipping the down payment? "It's a lot faster to sell a house owner-financed than conventionally," says San Antonio landlord Rodriguez. (There are also brokers who buy owner-financed notes from sellers who want their money up front.) Click here to learn about interest-only mortgages and some of their advantages. Learn to take advantage of the many tax breaks. For tax purposes, what you make in rent is generally taxable as regular income. Real estate taxes and mortgage interest on an investment property are fully tax deductible though. Operating expenses such as utilities, insurance, repairs and condominium common charges are also deductible. So are rental fees paid to brokers, although they must be spread out over the life of the lease. Even better, the federal tax code entitles rental-property owners to a depreciation deduction even though housing prices usually go up, not down, over time. (There are, however, numerous conditions and catches, which is why it is essential to consult a tax adviser before you invest a cent.) Anticipate problems (they will be numerous). Reliable, prompt-paying tenants do up and leave suddenly. Minor leaks have a way of becoming expensive repair jobs. That's why it's smart to line up inspectors and contractors before you buy. And why it's important to establish rainy-day funds. Two or three months' rent is usually -- but not always -- sufficient. Just ask Marla Renee, a 55-year-old semiretired hairdresser who owns six rental properties in the Detroit area. Five years ago Renee bought a run-down duplex for $28,000. She figured the house needed $10,000 worth of work, but three months later the tally was nearly three times that. "The last tenant had turned on the water on purpose and flooded the whole place," she says. "The floor, ceiling and walls were all messed up." Finally, don't skimp on fees should you decide to hire a management company to tend to your rental property. The typical fee is 5 to 10 percent of rental income. Experienced landlords say it's not worth it to be cheap: Property managers often work harder to fill vacancies and to maximize rent when they are better compensated. Put potential tenants under the microscope. Picking tenants may ultimately be the most important real estate decision you make. This is where listening to the voices of experience really pays off -- although you should be discreet about how you apply their lessons. Elderly people are better tenants than college kids, as everyone knows, but in many states, landlords acting on that type of common sense judgment would be running afoul of fair-housing laws. Michelle Bizik, 35, of Lake Ariel, Pa. owns two small apartment buildings with her husband Goran, 30. For the most part, they've had lots of success finding good tenants. They require potential renters to provide Social Security numbers, ostensibly for criminal and credit background checks (which are a good idea), but Bizik says it's more about renters proving to her that they have nothing to hide. She also checks references with employers and prior landlords. If prospects pass those tests, she and her husband always meet them in person. "I need to get a vibe off of them," she explains. These are all good ideas for screening tenants. Here are a couple more. When checking references, don't stop with the most recent landlord. Contact the second or third most recent as well. "The current landlord may just want him out of the property," says Ellis San Jose, a 39-year-old real estate investor from Los Angeles. Also, consider making an unannounced visit to the prospect's current residence. Marcia Glantz, a Coldwell Banker broker for 27 years in Yorktown, N.Y., says, "Explain that your house is important to you, and that you want to get a sense for how they live." Saying no can be tough when a vacancy is burning a hole in your wallet. Stay strong. The one time Michelle Bizik caved proved to be a big mistake. "We were both against him," she recalls, "but the apartment was empty and he was a friend of another tenant." Soon after the guy moved in, his pregnant girlfriend, five cats and two friends did too. And he was late with the rent. "All the tenants were complaining," Bizik says. "The hall smelled like cat urine. The music was so loud, tenants were calling me at 11 o'clock at night." The Biziks offered to pay him to leave. He declined, so they had to go through the aggravation and expense of having him evicted. Think about investing in REITs instead. If you want to buy into real estate but don't want to deal with all the headaches that can come with managing it, you may want to consider a real estate investment trust (REIT). These are publicly traded building-management companies that pass the bulk of their earnings on to shareholders in the form of hefty dividends. That makes them a great choice for retirees and other income-hungry investors. One catch is that REIT dividends are taxed at higher rates than regular corporate dividends. REITs offer several advantages over buying properties on your own. First, there are economies of scale: On a per-square-foot basis, REIT maintenance costs are much lower than those of most individual landlords. The management expenses of a typical REIT are only 0.5 percent of total assets under management, says Russell Platt, manager of the Dividend Capital Realty Income fund. Another plus is diversification, since REITs typically invest in many markets and sometimes different types of property -- residential, commercial and retail. And finally, there's liquidity: You can sell a REIT whenever you want, and your brokerage commission will be a drop in the bucket compared with the 6 percent charged by most real estate brokers. A conservative REIT bet would be Equity Residential Properties ( Research ), run by Chicago mogul Sam Zell. Equity Residential is the nation's largest landlord, which makes it something like an index fund for apartment buildings. Earnings have taken a hit lately owing to, among other things, the Florida hurricanes. But occupancy rates have been ticking up, and Equity Residential still offers a juicy 5.1 percent dividend yield. A more aggressive play is Archstone-Smith Trust ( Research ), an apartment building owner with a big presence in suburban Washington, D.C. and other East Coast markets. Archstone-Smith also has a dividend yield of 5.1 percent. The company has profits from condo conversions, and high occupancy rates, which put it in a good position to raise rents. And that's a very nice position for any landlord to be in. --* Disclaimer Try an issue of MONEY magazine - FREE! More on REAL ESTATE How to buy and build on rural land Most overvalued housing markets When booms go bust... TODAY'S TOP STORIES Most overvalued housing markets Risks to the economy in 2006 Which was the worst ad of all in 2005? CNN Money contact us | subscribe to Money magazine advertising -- | site map | glossary | RSS | press room OTHER NEWS: CNN | SI | Fortune | Business 2.0 | Time © 2005 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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National REIA - About Us Member login Click Here Upcoming Events Annual Mid-year Conference Whether you're struggling to start a group, struggling to grow a group or just struggling against the inertia of an established group, you and your board can't afford to miss this great conference! Cruise National REIA produces extraordinary real estate investment seminars at sea, led by some of the world's most respected real estate speakers on board the most exciting cruise ships in the world! Mini Leadership Conference The Leadership Institute and Real Wealth Expo is where you'll experience even more to help you and your organization succeed. Come to our leadership events to explore trends, find new meaning in your current responsibilities, develop tactics to tackle your organization's challenges, and create new ways to think about the future! Click to here read more Menu Legislative Updates Members Start A Local Group Benefits Package Book a Speaker National Real Estate Investors Association's mission is to educate and support the leaders of real estate associations through training, networking, motivation, and provision of benefits to their associations. Quote of the Month: Life is the lively process of becoming. --General Douglas Mcarthur Get an Education on Your Vacation! The National Real Estate Investors Association invites you to Find out more about our annual cruise! We're Cruisin' Again! Want to know more... Have you heard all the talk around the country about our Real Estate cruise!!! Don't Miss Out! Spaces are limited! Click Here To Find Out More Click on the above link for more information about The REIA Toolbox. New!!! Online Training Click to register for our new online training. Training will be a multimedia experience with audio, video and printable materials available, featuring the best local and national speakers and trainers. Coming February 1st! Start A Local Group We'll show you how to start a new group and watch it grow with membership in the National REIA! Or expand membership of an existing group. You can offer exclusive benefits to your members through National REIA. Start A Group Today: Click Here! Discounted books on non-profits and association management. Referrals from those who call our 800# or visit our website. Listing on National website for those browsing via the Internet. Annual Education Conference and Cruise with revenue sharing. Annual Mid-year Leadership Conference to learn hints, tips, and shortcuts. learn more... Your Voice on Capitol Hill Click here to find more information on how NARHRI is protecting our industry on Capitol Hill. National REIA is pleased to announce our affiliation with the National Association of Responsible Home Rebuilders and Investors. Read our Letter of Support by clicking here. Leadership & Advanced Investor Conference October 4-8, 2006 EMI Resorts and REIA have partnered to create a very special offer to introduce the resort and this important conference to you and your family. Join us for five days of education and relaxation in the Dominican Republic! Click Here to see the 2005 Schedule Click Here to Register for 2006 Frequently Asked Questions about traveling to the Dominican Republic HOME :: ABOUT US :: GROUPS :: VENDORS :: CONTACT US National REIA .Com 2005 :: Website By SuccessTeam1