Buy House

Buy my house, please! - Sep. 11, 2003 CNN/Money Web Autos Real Estate Money's Best Home Markets & Stocks News Jobs & Economy World Biz Technology Commentary Personal Finance College Credit and Debt Insurance Interest Rates Retirement Tax Center Ask the Expert Five Tips The Good Life Millionaire in the Making Money 101 Moneyville Retirement Planner Savings Calculator Asset Allocator Mutual Funds Money Magazine Video CNN TV Fortune 500 Best Employers Money 101 Portfolio Calculators Real-time Quotes Last 5 Quotes SPONSORED BY include virtual="/fn_adspaces/markets-stocks/last_five_quotes/sponsor.88x31.ad" -- CNN/Money Email newsletters RSS Mobile news Money archives Buy story reprints Find a Mortgage SPECIAL OFFER Your Money Your Home Buy my house, please! As the market cools, it will take more work to get that 'For Sale' sign out of your front yard. September 11, 2003: 5:10 PM EDT By Sarah Max, CNN/Money Staff Writer BEND, Ore. (CNN/Money) To say that it's been a seller's housing market is the understatement of the year. Homeowners looking to sell in most parts of the country haven't had to wait around very long for a suitable offer, and those in the best markets have seen their homes swooped up in a matter of days, even hours. In early 2003, in fact, 21 percent of all houses went into contract less than one week after going on the market, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). On average, houses sold in just five weeks nearly half the time it took throughout the 1990s. "I believe this may be our best year ever," said David Hemenway, a realtor in Cottage Grove, Ore., who's been in the business since 1968. On the other side of the country in Sebring, Fla., realtor Chip Boring is enjoying a record year. Yet, both are aware that great times can't last forever. "Up until the last 2 1/2 years the average time on the market was anywhere from 180 days to 210 days," Boring said. And Hemenway recalls the early 1980s when his listings lingered on the market, sometimes for years. As interest rates creep up, buyers' budgets creep down and markets return to more normal levels, sellers will discover that it takes a little more work (and patience) to unload their homes. Many already have. While there is little you can do to change the laws of supply and demand, you have some control over whether your house sits or sells. Here are the most common reasons houses don't sell, in order of importance. The price is not right Even in the best of markets, setting your price too high is a mistake -- unless you really don't want to sell your house. "Starting too high is the worst thing you can do," said Hemenway. More on Your Home • Mortgage Application Center • Beating higher rates • Mortgage demand hits 14-month low • Choosing the best mortgage now Why? Because your greatest opportunity for selling your house is immediately after it goes on the market. That's when the majority of serious buyers will see the house. "Even if you lower the price to reflect the market, you'll have fewer people coming through than if you'd just priced it right to begin with," said Hemenway. In fact, it's not until after you bring the price down below the market something few sellers want to do that interest will pick up again. To make matters worse, say real estate agents, the longer a house sits the harder it is to sell. "Everyone thinks there must be something wrong with the house if it hasn't sold," said Boring, adding that for this reason he won't take on a listing if the seller insists on asking more than the house is worth. To drum up new interest among buyers, sellers sometimes pay for extra advertising or offer to, for example, pay for closing costs as a way to get buyers' attention. "In markets where people don't have a lot of cash, paying for closing costs or buying down interest rates with points up front can put you at a huge advantage," said Ron Phipps, a realtor in Warwick, R.I. The house is in the wrong place When markets are good, buyers are more willing to buy on the outskirts of an area or turn a blind eye to busy streets, bad views and other problems. But when markets cool down, it's these spots that suffer the most, said Hemenway. Short of moving the house, there is not much you can do if it is in the wrong location. But while in the house you can take care to make sure you don't over-improve your property relative to the ones around it. "If you have a $300,000 house in a neighborhood of $100,000, be prepared to lower the price or let it sit," said Boring. Buyers can't get past the front door Realtors say that getting buyers to take a look inside a house is the biggest challenge of selling a house. Once they've stepped through the door buyers are more likely to consider a place. "I recently sold a house that from the front was not very inspired," said Phipps. "The buyers came to the open house only because they needed to kill time, but once inside they were interested." For this reason, a little time and money spent on curb appeal will go a long way. Trimming the grass, washing the windows and planting a few flowers may be all it takes. In the case of houses whose best features are inside or out back, Phipps recommends taking good interior pictures and putting 360-degree tours online. Sellers sometimes get buyers to look past their homes' imperfections with creative extras. "I've seen sellers offer decorating allowances, and pay for cleaning service and landscaping," said Phipps. "Several years ago a seller in the bakery business offered to bring the buyer a different cake every month." Too much chintz and tchotchkes Less is more when it comes to attracting buyers. "Put all of those pictures of your family and other personal treasures away," said Sheryl Gregory, a broker in Wynthrop, Maine. "It distracts buyers and makes it harder for them to picture themselves in the house." She also recommends taking down distracting curtains and putting on a fresh coat of paint. "Buyers sometimes get scared if they wander through a house and think they're going to have to do a lot of painting," she added. --* Disclaimer Selling? Buying? Click to compare top local real estate agents More on YOUR HOME • Your Home: Bracing for higher rates • Refinancing demand lags again • A rose is (not) a rose 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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Texas Land Survey precisely

WhiteStar Texas Land Survey TEXAS LAND SURVEY WhiteStar's Texas Land Survey is a seamless, high-resolution database of county boundaries, blocks, surveys, abstracts, subdivisions, lots, and tracts that is ideal for base maps and plotting land ownership and leases. The Texas Land Survey precisely overlays USGS Digital Orthophotos and Digital Raster Graphs, making it useful for indexing and analysis. Data Source WhiteStar's Texas Land Survey is based on official, researchable state records from the Railroad Commission of Texas. The original General Land Office surveys for 254 Texas counties were drafted onto USGS 1:24,000 series maps by the Texas Railroad Commission. Enhancement Using ESRI GIS technology, WhiteStar has digitized the survey lines and created polygonal coverages with attributes and map-friendly annotation. The resulting data are seamless across state and county boundaries and have cleaner lines, layers, and annotation than the original Railroad Commission data. We offer two versions of the Texas Land Survey data: vector - clean lines with annotation optimized for display and polygonal - attributed polygons optimized for well spotting and GIS queries. Content Data layers include County Boundary, Block, Survey, Abstract, Subdivision, Lot, Tract, Overlap Block, Overlap Survey, Overlap Abstract, Overlap Subdivision, and Overlap Lot. Subdivisions, lots, and tracts are available in attributed polygonal format only from WhiteStar. Tabular attributes include block, survey, abstract, subdivision, lot, and tract name and number. Format The Texas Land Survey is currently available in the following formats: ArcGIS Shapefiles, E00 Download Samples AutoCAD DXF, DWG GeoGraphix CDF Kingdom DXF, ASCII Landmark ASCII MapInfo Tab files Petra DXF, CDF Surfer DXF Coverage Complete State of Texas coverage, available by county or state. Application Land mapping, oil and gas exploration, pipeline mapping, agriculture, forestry, parcel mapping. Example of Texas Land Grid combined with wells and culture.

Home equity for the

MSN Money - Home equity for the holidays MSN Home Hotmail My MSN Sign In Money S earch MSN Money: Help Home News Banking Investing Planning Taxes My Money Portfolio Loans Insurance Banking Home My Accounts Bill Pay Mortgages/Loans Services Credit Reports Financial Tools Track your bills Resources Decision Centers Home Buying Guide Home Financing Your Credit Rating Financial Privacy Better Banking Credit Card Smarts Bankruptcy Guide Commentary Index Related Links Manage Debt More on Budgeting Print-friendly version Send this to a friend See where rates stand Calculate your debt burden here Find a home-equity loan Find books on home buying Find It! Article Index Finance Q&A Tools Index Site Map Recent articles by Bankrate.com: • Mortgage rates hit 18-month high , 11/2/2005 • Best deal? Go to the source , 10/27/2005 • When it pays to stay single , 10/24/2005 More... The Basics Home equity for the holidays advertisement Borrowing from a home-equity loan for holiday spending is tempting because of the lower rates and tax-deductible payments. But theres a huge risk involved. By Bankrate.com This season, many consumers will charge against the home for the holidays. They will use home-equity debt to pay for gifts and travel. Some will do it directly, paying for presents and airline tickets with charge cards tied to home-equity lines of credit. More will do it indirectly, by using equity to pay off credit-card balances that end up as bloated as a turkey-sated family. Home-equity debt traditionally has been spent on investments that bring some kind of return -- renovating houses, paying for college, starting small businesses. More recently, as consumers have become more clever about using debt, equity loans are seen as a cheaper, smarter way to consolidate debt and pay for such items as cars and furniture. But gifts and airline tickets to visit family? Believe it or not, bankers and consumer advocates agree that there are times when it's appropriate to pay for something so fleeting by charging it against the roof over your head. It's not exactly wise to go into debt to pay for presents, but if you're going to do it, you might as well do so as inexpensively as possible. Find a loan that's right for you at the Loan Center Debt for gifts "Don't let these things be excuses to be in debt. That's the issue," says Anthony Hsieh, president of Home Loan Center, an online lender based in Orange County, Calif. If you listen long enough to AM radio, you are likely to hear a holiday-themed sales pitch for these loans, which allow you to borrow money and use the accumulated equity in your home as collateral. Generally, it takes two to four weeks to get access to the money after you apply. Home-equity loans, also known as second mortgages, come in a lump sum. You repay them with equal monthly payments at a fixed rate for a specified period. Related news and commentary on MSN Money • Gift cards are not gifts • 15 worst holiday gift ideas • The fine art of holiday tipping: why, who and how much • The 13 worst holiday spending blunders • 12 rules for regifting without fear • 10 low-cost gifts from the heart Home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs, on the other hand, work like credit cards. Instead of getting a lump sum, you start out with a credit line and can draw up to the credit line's limit. During the first years of the account, the minimum monthly payment covers only the interest on the balance. The rate is variable and usually is tied to the prime rate. The tax deduction On both kinds of equity debt, the interest you pay is deductible from your federal income taxes in most cases. That's the key, Hsieh says. If you decide to take some time to pay off your holiday debt, why not do it with tax-deductible interest? "Is it irresponsible to dig into equity (to pay for gifts?)" Hsieh asks. "Yes. But if you're going to get into debt and you're disciplined enough to pay it off in a predetermined time, there is an advantage to using a HELOC because the interest is deductible." Rudy Cavazos of Money Management International , a national, nonprofit credit-counseling agency based in Houston, agrees that buying things with low-rate home equity debt "beats using that credit card" with higher rates and no tax-deduction. But he's not sure every consumer understands all the differences between regular credit cards and cards tied to HELOCs, including the biggie: "You're placing your home on the line as security, as collateral, for these funds." No walking away from equity debt Sure, the HELOC has a lower rate and the interest is tax-deductible. But the regular credit card is unsecured, meaning that the balance is not backed by collateral -- so the debt can be wiped clean in some bankruptcies. Not so with a card tied to a HELOC. If you buy your godson a Christmas gift with your HELOC, you are pledging your house as collateral. You can't walk away from the debt, even in bankruptcy. This important point might not be stressed at the time of the loan application. That's why Cavazos recommends that consumers get some kind of loan counseling before they take out home-equity loans or get HELOCs. Consumer credit counseling agencies, such as MMI, often hold workshops or do one-on-one education for people who get home loans of all kinds. Cavazos hears radio advertisements all the time that urge listeners to use home equity as a way to consolidate debt "or improve their lifestyle in some way. That's all good, but you have to remember to educate yourself before you enter into these types of financial tools." When it comes to gifts and holiday travel, the best financial tool is to stay away from debt in the first place. Instead, use the financial tool that can't be beat: a savings account. Editors' choice Don't get scammed by your mover Safeguard your Social Security number 5 ways to tap into the onshore drilling boom Your checkbook just became obsolete Turn $1 a day into $67,815 Readers' choice Ratings Top 5 Articles 9.30 Zombie debt collectors dig up your old mistakes 9.24 Keep thieves out of your bank account 9.22 Credit reports now free for entire U.S. 9.19 10 ways to avoid outrageous hospital overcharges 9.17 Tax breaks for Katrina victims -- and all of us View all top rated articles More Resources · E-mail us your comments on this article · Post on the Your Money message board · Get a daily dose of market news S earch MSN Money tips advertisement MSN Money's editorial goal is to provide a forum for personal finance and investment ideas. Our articles, columns, message board posts and other features should not be construed as investment advice, nor does their appearance imply an endorsement by Microsoft of any specific security or trading strategy. 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Real estate loan software

Inman Real Estate News - Real estate loan software born from great pain Real estate innovator: DocuTech CEO got sick of tedious process Real+estate+loan+software+born+from+great+pain Real+estate+innovator%3a+DocuTech+CEO+got+sick+of+tedious+process %3ca+href%3d'http%3a%2f%2fwww.inman.com'+target%3d'_blank'%3eInman+News%3c%2fa%3e Janis+Mara 2005-04-07T00%3a00%3a00.0000000-07%3a00 45628 HOME | NEWS | JOIN | PRODUCTS | CONFERENCES | ADVERTISE | ADVICE | ABOUT US | CONTACT US | SUBMIT A TIP Member Resources Members Home Search Inman News Content Warehouse Cartoon Database Weekly Newsletter Special Reports Audio Files Inman Blog Feedback Connect Registration Audio Conference LETTERS TO THE EDITOR There's no denying real estate bubble Re: ' Worst-case scenario for housing next year ' (Dec. 28) Dear Editor: I have been a real estate investor since I was 19. I am now 54. To deny a real estate bubble is to ignore the obvious market fundamentals. Obviously, there are different factors in different markets, but as a longtime investor/Realtor/broker there is no logical argument against real estate prices declining 10 percent to 30 percent in the "hot markets." The South Florida condo market will be a blood bath. The median income cannot buy the median house in most markets; interest rates will continue creeping up; speculators have driven prices to insane levels and when the going gets rough they will walk from a lot of residential properties. Most "hot" areas are becoming alarmingly overbuilt with residential inventories rising; lenders have ticking time bombs in their ARMs, negative equity and interest-only mortgages. Do your homework. Be wary of those whose opinions are tainted by the fact that they or their company have a stake in this insane market continuing. Michael H. Mosieur Mosieur Business Brokers Re: ' America closes doors to architectural expression ' (Dec. 26) Dear Editor: This is one of the most insightful articles I've read in a long time. We might add, "And what are we doing to our children as we worship at the altar of the mundane?" Years ago I read that about 1,000 children were tested for creativity just prior to entering kindergarten. Eighty-five percent of the children tested "creative." Twelve years later the same group was tested, and only 35 percent of the students tested "creative." What happened to the children along the scholastic way, and does the country even care? Where's the outcry? Isn't the creativity of our generations one of our most precious resources? It's been said that we're only one generation away from losing our freedom. Could it be that with escalating offshore competition in view, and stultifying U.S. scholastic models utilized, that the above advisory could also apply to our economic freedom? A. Bruce Belfield III Associate real estate broker Hurricane, W.V. FREE website content! Make Inman.com your homepage Get the Inman News Toolbar Link to Inman News Consumer News Commercial News Real Estate Articles from Inman News Already a Member? Log in below to view full story: User ID: Password: Lost Password? Real estate loan software born from great pain Real estate innovator: DocuTech CEO got sick of tedious process Thursday, April 07, 2005 By Janis Mara Inman News To read this article, become a Member of Inman News now! JOIN NOW TO BECOME AN INMAN MEMBER 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed Group discounts available First Name: Last Name: E-mail: User Name: Call 1.800.775.4662 x128 8am - 5pm Pacific Time to order by phone or to get a discount group membership for your company or colleagues. View News Article Sample Hear Sample View Newsletter Sample Connect Info View Audio Conference Schedule Back Top © 2005 Inman News Home | Privacy | Editorial | Legal | Site Map

Colorado Real Estate :

Colorado Springs Real Estate agriculture antiques & collectibles art automotive beauty and fashion business to business computer & internet construction dining education employment entertainment featured sites film & video gifts government graphic arts greeting cards health & fitness home improvement hotels insurance jewelry kid stuff legal services money music new sites non-profit pets products real estate religion relocation senior citizens services shopping sports & recreation teen sites travel & tourism weddings & events Colorado Springs Real Estate Colorado Springs Mortgage Services Sub-categories in Real Estate : Agents and Agencies | Apartments and Townhomes | Appraisal and Inspections | Development | Home Warranty | Listings | Mortgage | Office Space | Planned Communities | Property Management | Relocation Services | Timeshares | Title Insurance More Colorado Real Estate : Aurora | Boulder | Canon City | Castle Rock | Denver | Englewood | Fort Collins | Grand Junction | Highlands Ranch | Lakewood | Littleton | Longmont | Manitou Springs | Monument | Parker | Pueblo | Thornton | Westminster | Wheat Ridge | Woodland Park real_estate page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 Found in Real Estate: Mortgage in Colorado Springs CO Colorado Springs Mortgage Services Featured link! Colorado Springs Mortgage Services has the experience to handle your mortgage needs. CSMS provides state-of-the-art processing services, the most complete range of competitive programs and hassle-free funding. By assisting you in prequalifying, CSMS can help you determine the right price home and make you a cash buyer. CSMS provides financing options for all credit grades serving our customers, REALTORS® and homebuilders. 24/7 online loan approval! Now serving 48 states, not just Colorado Springs real estate. Colorado Springs Mortgage Services PAGE STATUS: 9.13 FIRST LISTED: 10/21/2003 TOP Found in Real Estate: Agents and Agencies in Colorado Springs CO Choice REALTORS® Featured link! Find the home you want! Rely on a proven REALTOR® who is qualified to guide you in buying or selling your next home. Use our experience in finance, contracts, negotiating, and marketing to your best Colorado Springs real estate advantage. Choice REALTORS® PAGE STATUS: 9.12 FIRST LISTED: 9/1/2002 TOP Found in Real Estate: Property Management in Colorado Springs CO Sunflower Management Featured link! Property management is all we do, from resident screening to move out cleaning. Sunflower Management dedicates itself to providing the highest quality services to all our clients. We provide full property management services, including comprehensive resident screening and leasing, advertising, property evaluation, lease enforcement, investment analysis, and capital project planning. Let us prepare a review and comparison of our Colorado Springs real estate management services for your property. We will show you how we can put your investment to work for you. PAGE STATUS: 9.01 FIRST LISTED: 9/7/2005 TOP Found in Real Estate: Relocation Services in Colorado Springs CO Colorado Springs Real Estate Featured link! Use this site to explore El Paso County communities and find the neighborhood that fits your likes and priorities. This site has extensive community information, consumer links, school information, free reports , real estate answers, Colorado Springs info and more. Colorado Springs Real Estate PAGE STATUS: 9.00 FIRST LISTED: 9/1/2001 TOP Found in Real Estate: Agents and Agencies in Canon City CO Homes of Southern Colorado Featured link! For BUYERS and SELLERS in Canon City, Florence, Penrose, and Mountain Areas. Complete set of online search tools and calculators. KEYWORDS: Canon City Real Estate, Florence Real Estate, Penrose Real Estate, Fremont County, El Paso County, Royal Gorge Country. Homes of Southern Colorado PAGE STATUS: 8.00 FIRST LISTED: 5/15/2005 TOP Found in Real Estate in Woodland Park CO Woodland Park, Colorado Springs Realtor Featured link! The most comprehensive web site available for real estate in the Woodland Park, Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak Colorado area. If you are looking to buy or sell a home, you have come to the right place. Homes For Sale, Real Estate, Realtor, Agent, Real Estate Agent, Brian Lloyd, Real Estate Broker, Relocation. KEYWORDS: WOODLAND PARK COLORADO WOODLAND PARK Homes Real Estate For Sale Woodland Park Colorado Springs Colorado Realtor Teller County Divide Pikes Peak Colorado Springs Real Estate Woodland Park, Colorado Springs Realtor PAGE STATUS: 8.00 FIRST LISTED: 1/20/2005 TOP Found in Real Estate: Timeshares in Hampton NH Timeshares Sell rent or buy timeshares on the timeshare resale market at prices far below vacation resort prices! Click for timeshare news . KEYWORDS: timeshares - timeshare - time share - time shares - timeshare resales - timeshare resale - sell timeshare - buy timeshare - vacation - resorts - rentals Timeshares PAGE STATUS: 7.10 FIRST LISTED: 10/11/2005 TOP Found in Real Estate: Listings in Colorado Springs CO Colorado Springs Townhomes Choice REALTORS® provides listings including all of the available town homes in Colorado Springs. Sherry Romero CRS, GRI Colorado Springs Townhomes PAGE STATUS: 7.01 FIRST LISTED: 1/18/2004 TOP Found in Real Estate in Colorado Springs CO Top Producer Amy Secundy Can Help Dedicated to assisting you with one of the most important steps in your life! Call today - 719-238-2255 Top Producer Amy Secundy Can Help PAGE STATUS: 7.01 FIRST LISTED: 2/3/2005 TOP Found in Real Estate: Listings in Colorado Springs CO 35 Ravenglass Way This property is set against the magnificent beauty of Cheyenne Mountain and surrounded by both natural and manicured landscaping. This Acuff & Rhodes Columbine model boasts 5355 sq. ft., 5 bedrooms, three bathrooms & a 3-car garage. 35 Ravenglass Way PAGE STATUS: 7.00 FIRST LISTED: 1/8/2003 TOP Found in Real Estate: Development in Colorado Springs CO Acuff Homes High quality - well designed homes. KEYWORDS: home builders - construction - new homes Acuff Homes PAGE STATUS: 7.00 FIRST LISTED: 3/2/1999 TOP Please_send_comments_&_suggestions_to: citystar_support search | site_map | add_your_site | about_us