Selling Home

Real Estate Agents Boston Homes For Sale Selling Home The Home Selling Process There is more to selling a home than just picking a price and putting an ad in the paper. At Rooney Real Estate our brokers have been involved in well over a thousand sales transactions, and believe us when we say that each sale is different. Below, we've listed five steps that we will take for you when selling your home. If you have any questions or would like further information about our real estate services please do not hesitate to contact any one of our real estate agents at anytime. Step 1: Pricing Your Home When you decide to sell your home, a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) is necessary to identify an appropriate suggested asking price. This process entails a licensed broker from Rooney Real Estate visiting your home to tour your property, then comparing it to recent comparable sales and on-the-market properties in the area. We do extensive research to ensure that your home is correctly priced, to maximize the return on your investment in the shortest amount of time possible. Step 2: Listing Process When you feel you’ve reached a satisfactory asking price for your home based on a discussion of the information presented to you in the CMA, the next step involves signing a listing contract with Rooney Real Estate. The listing contract outlines all of the terms and conditions surrounding the listing of your home with Rooney, including the length of the listing period, the commission rate, the services to be provided by Rooney Real Estate, and a marketing strategy. When all of the terms and conditions are agreed upon by you and Rooney Real Estate, the listing contract is then signed by both parties and becomes a legally binding document until the date of expiration. Step 3: Marketing Process When you list your home with Rooney Real Estate we employ a number of different techniques to ensure that your home receives maximum exposure. Those techniques include: A customized web page on our new state-of-the-art web site Immediate listing on MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and LINK (Listing Information Network) A customized informational brochure for your property Alerts to more than 600 home seekers in our client database Weekly advertising in the Boston Globe, Boston Homes, Boston Herald, and SouthBostonOnline Television advertising (spring 2004) Private showings with clients and cooperating agents Weekly open houses Open houses for cooperating agents For Sale signage on your property Step 4: Sales Process • Offer to Purchase At Rooney, we require that all formal offers be done in writing accompanied by a $1,000 deposit check, which is placed in an interest bearing escrow account. The offer is considered "under agreement" when the buyer and seller reach an agreed upon sale price, and both parties have signed the offer to purchase. • Home Inspection and Smoke Inspection Most Offer-to-Purchase agreements are contingent upon the results of a home inspection, to be performed by a licensed Massachusetts residential home inspector. Under Massachusetts law, all properties must pass a smoke detector inspection test, to be performed by the Boston Fire Department prior to closing. • Buyer Financing and Bank Appraisal All prospective buyers must show written proof of "pre-approval" or "pre-qualification" from a certified home lending institution prior to arranging a home inspection. The allocation of funds must occur at least ten days prior to a closing date. All mortgage lenders and banks require that an appraisal of value be done on the subject property prior to the allocation of funds. • Purchase and Sale Agreement (P&S) The Purchase and Sale agreement is a binding legal document that spells out the exact conditions for the purchase and sale of a property. These conditions include a purchase price, a schedule of payments, the broker’s fee, exclusions, and a closing date, among other important details. Typically a 5% deposit towards the purchase price is also collected by Rooney Real Estate at this point and put into an interest bearing escrow account. Step 5: Closing • Transfer of Funds The lending institution is represented at closing by a conveyance attorney, whose job it is to confirm a clear title and to convey funds to those persons and/or creditors who are owed money. • Recording of Deed The property transfer is complete when the signed property deed is recorded at the Suffolk County Registry of Deeds. This usually occurs within 24 hours of the closing. Rooney Real Estate • South Boston 617-269-1000 • Dorchester 617-288-9700 Boston Homes | Boston Condos | Boston Real Estate Agents | Boston MLS Listings Contact Rooney Real Estate | Home Selling | Home Buying | Real Estate Services Land for Sale Boston | Commercial Real Estate Listings | Sitemap | Apartment Rentals Real Estate Resources | Real Estate News | Mortgages | Boston Real Estate Map

Rental Property (Including Rental

Tax Topics - Topic 415 Renting Residential and Vacation Property (formerly Renting Vacation Property and Renting to Relatives) Home | Contact IRS | About IRS | Site Map | Español | Help Advanced Search Search Tips IRS Resources Compliance & Enforcement Contact My Local Office e-file Forms and Publications Frequently Asked Questions News Taxpayer Advocacy Where To File Topic 415 - Renting Residential and Vacation Property (formerly Renting Vacation Property and Renting to Relatives) If you receive rental income from renting to others a dwelling unit, such as a house or an apartment, you may deduct certain expenses. These expenses, which may include interest, taxes, casualty losses, maintenance, utilities, insurance, and depreciation, will reduce the amount of rental income that is taxed. You will generally report such income and expenses on Form 1040 (PDF) and Schedule E . If you are renting to make a profit and do not use the dwelling unit as a home, your deductible rental expenses can be more than your gross rental income, subject to certain limits. Your rental losses, however, may be limited by the "at-risk" rules and the passive activity loss rules. For information on these limits, refer to Publication 925 , Passive Activities and At-Risk Rules . However, if you rent a dwelling unit that you also use as a home, your deductible rental expenses will be limited. You are considered to use a dwelling unit as a home if you use it for personal purposes during the tax year for more than the greater of: 14 days or 10% of the total days it is rented to others at a fair rental price. It is possible that you will use more than one dwelling unit as a home during the year. For example, if you live in your main home for 11 months, your home is a dwelling unit used as a home. If you live in your vacation home for the other 30 days of the year, your vacation home is also a dwelling unit used as a home unless you rent your vacation home to others at a fair rental value for 300 or more days during the year. A day of personal use of a dwelling unit is any day that it is used by: You or any other person who has an interest in it, unless you rent your interest to another owner as his or her main home under a shared equity financing agreement; A member of your family or of a family of any other person who has an interest in it, unless the family member uses it as his or her main home and pays a fair rental price; Anyone under an agreement that lets you use some other dwelling unit; or Anyone at less than fair rental price. If you use the dwelling unit for both rental and personal purposes, you generally must divide your total expenses between the rental use and the personal use based on the number of days used for each purpose. However, you will not be able to deduct your rental expense in excess of your gross rental income. If you itemize your deductions on Form 1040, Schedule A (PDF), you may still be able to deduct mortgage interest, property taxes, and casualty losses on that schedule. There is a special rule if you use a dwelling as a home and rent it for fewer than 15 days. In this case, do not report any of the rental income and do not deduct any expenses as rental expenses. Another special rule applies if you rent part of your home to your employer and provide services for your employer in that rented space. In this case, report the rental income, but do not deduct any expenses as rental expenses. Refer to Publication 527 , Residential Rental Property (Including Rental of Vacation Homes). More Tax Topic Categories Accessibility | FirstGov.gov | Freedom of Information Act | Important Links | IRS Privacy Policy | U.S. Treasury

real estate investing. (And,

MSN Money - Nothing quick about getting rich with real estate MSN Home Hotmail My MSN Sign In Money S earch MSN Money: Help Home News Banking Investing Planning Taxes My Money Portfolio Loans Insurance Investing Home Portfolio Markets Stocks Funds ETFs Commentary Brokers CNBC TV MSN Money Insight Jubak's Journal SuperModels Start Investing Strategy Lab Company Focus Mutual Funds Street Patrol Other Views Contrarian Chronicles TheStreet.com Resources Commentary Index Decision Centers Start Investing Mutual Funds Find Hot Stocks Simple Strategies Power Tools Investing For Income Real Estate Related Links Expert Picks Market Dispatches CNBC Stock Picks Message Boards Print-friendly version Send this to a friend Research any REIT Find top-performing mutual funds Sortable database of SEC filings Find stock winners with our screener Personal finance bookshelf Find It! Article Index Finance Q&A Tools Index Site Map Recent articles by MP Dunleavey: • How to invest when you've got just $500 , 1/15/2004 • Your 3 worst debt consolidation moves , 1/11/2004 • Feel guilty if youre not shopping? , 1/4/2004 More... Related Sites Robert Allen Institute Millionaire Hall of Fame National Association of Realtors John T. Reeds Web site John T. Reeds reviews of the real estate gurus Carleton Sheets Web site Joe Crumps Real Estate Moneymaker.com The Basics Nothing quick about getting rich with real estate advertisement A real estate seminar promoter promised to create 1,000 new millionaires, but so far none are in sight. See what happened to his believers. By MP Dunleavey Like a lot of people these days, Marjorie Stark wouldnt mind making a little extra cash -- or even a lot of it. So when she attended an information session for Robert Allens Creating Wealth Through Real Estate seminar in New York, she was more than willing to pay $2,495 for Allens intensive three-day course on real estate investment strategies. Concerned about not having enough to retire on and wanting to pass along some wealth to her kids some day, the 62-year-old New York City educator said to me then: I am convinced that real estate is the way to go. I was there that night, too, and I could scarcely resist the mouth-watering idea that those three days could make me rich. As the guy leading the session announced: We are on a mission to create 1,000 new millionaires in 12 months! A year later, Stark isnt any closer to being a millionaire. She hasnt bought any new property nor made any money on real estate -- except for the rental property she owned before and bought the hard way (with cash and bank loans). She even admitted that when she saw Robert Allens newest venture was in vitamin sales, I thought I was going to puke. I was very disillusioned. But Stark is undaunted and still believes there are fortunes to be made in real estate. She just enrolled in another seminar at a local college on how to buy distressed and foreclosed properties, she says. With a full-time job, Im not sure how I can do it, but, boy, am I itching to go! Start investing with $100. Explore our new ETF center. Theres something about real estate Stark is not alone. The National Association of Realtors doesnt track independent real estate investment seminars or how many people attend them, but their allure springs eternal like the get-rich hopes of those who sign up for these courses. The odds of winning are not high. Robert Allens 1,000 new millionaires never materialized in the last year, for example. Allen operates whats called The Enlightened Millionaire Institute. Its Millionaire Hall of Fame Web site lists only 50 millionaires (defined as having generated gains averaging $2.6 million). A spokesman admits not all of them exclusively used the Allen method of real estate investing. (And, in a disclaimer, the site notes, No information has been verified or authenticated. Results vary. All successes are subject to one's own knowledge and effort.) Despite all that, the Robert Allen Institute still conducts two or three seminars a week in different cities and says it reaches about 1,200 people each month. (Thats 1,200 x $2,495 = $2.99 million a month, in case you left your calculator home.) Allen is just one of dozens of artful salesmen who preach fancy financing, no money down, flipping properties quickly and numerous other strategies to get rich buying and selling real estate. And the question all this preaching raises is, do these investment techniques, systems and strategies really work? Can they actually make you rich? After all, would people keep trying it if it couldnt be done? Or are hundreds of thousands of people simply seduced by expert sales pitches and swindled out of hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars? Weighing the evidence Like so many things in life, it depends on whom you talk to. Or whose Web site you believe. John T. Reed is a real estate investment coach himself, based in Alamo, Calif. Hes also a self-appointed watchdog for this industry. He keeps the most exhaustive list I could find of dozens of so-called gurus, along with reviews of their techniques, books and other products. Although Reeds Web site , where you also can buy his various books for $29.95, reads a bit like he has a chip -- a very big chip -- on his shoulder, he was recommended by the National Association of Realtors as a serious investigator in the industry. Not that hes against real estate investment, or some of the reputable folks who teach their own hard-won wisdom. But those have been degraded by "the endless parade of B.S. artists coming into the real-estate-investment-advice field. It is an embarrassment to the good people in the business." And many people believe his grousing is justified. Norm Bour is the host of The Real Estate and Finance Hour on KLSX in Los Angeles, a top talk radio station. Hes worked in real estate as a mortgage lender and describes the proliferation of real estate seminars, workshops and scams as a major pet peeve. Case in point: foreclosures, he begins. Real estate in California has gone berserk in the last few years so people are looking for foreclosures to buy. The idea being you can buy a foreclosure more cheaply than other property and potentially gain a windfall when you sell it. But, as Bour notes, You can count on one hand how many actual foreclosure properties there are (for sale). Yet theres no lacking of people who are offering real estate foreclosure lists. One might pay $35 for a list, but it may be peppered with properties in other states. Its not fraudulent, but its certainly deceptive. The shady gray area Well-known personalities like Robert Allen or Carleton Sheets , who have extensive marketing organizations, are a little different, Bour says. They offer some very solid basics, but the number of people who can do what they propose is very small -- because they make it sound so much easier than it is. Thats what Josh Kelinson, a freelance advertising consultant in New York, found when he and two friends tried to follow the Sheets method. The three pals pooled their resources to master what Sheets preached, which is similar to the Allen method: buying property with no money down (or some other creative financing method) and flipping later on for a profit. One of his pals took the seminar, another bought the 8-CD set, etc. Thus inspired and determined, they tried to buy a building suitable for five apartments in Massachusetts, not far from where theyd all grown up. Kelinson says the actual experience of trying to buy an income property proved eye-opening. We spent a ton -- and I mean a ton -- of time on it. There was the approval process, the paperwork, getting lawyers. It took two to three hours a day, not including weekend travel time and unexpected snafus. I found it impossible to do with a full-time job. Ultimately, the project bogged down because of a major zoning problem. The building was in an area zoned for three apartments, and the building had been illegally converted into five apartments. The zoning authorities refused to grant an exception to the rules. Then, the building owner refused to return their deposit. The three were out $35,000. Still, Kelinson doesnt feel misled or duped by the Sheets method, and he and his friends are sure they can make it work with their next deal. There are a lot of other things out there that are scams, but this definitely can be done, he says. But investing in real estate is not nearly as easy as it looks, he says. Make sure you have the time to do it, he advises wannabe investors. If you dont allocate the time, it probably wont work. We want the system to work so much And therein lies the fundamental appeal, and ultimate trouble, of get-rich-quick (GRQ) strategies. Its the jackpot mentality, says psychologist Patricia Farrell, author of How to Be Your Own Therapist . Just like the schmoe who buys a winning lottery ticket -- every once in a while, someone, somewhere really does use these edgy real estate investment techniques to make millions. Its not the principles that are flawed, says Bour. Its the simplicity and ease that are overstated. Most of these courses are so seductive, Farrell says, because they operate according to a tried-and-true principle of behavioral psychology called the variable ratio reinforcement schedule. Basically, people (and rats) will persist in doing something, even with little or no return, if they are given the tiniest bit of hope of a coming reward. So the fact that some people do succeed at no money down strategies acts like a financial aphrodisiac for all those watching, waiting, hoping. So could the Starks and Kelinsons of the world be next? Is it just a matter of reapplying the Robert Allen/Carleton Sheets techniques until they work? Mark Wilson, one of the millionaires created by the Robert Allen Institute, would say yes. The president of Southeastern Housing Partners in Hickory, N.C., Wilson started investing in real estate in the late 1980s. We were doing OK, but nothing to write home about. Then in 2002, after hearing Robert Allen speak, Wilson paid $5,000 to join a one-year intensive coaching course. It changed his life, his business and, above all, his cash flow, he says. Although hed read Allen's No Money Down in college, the seminar focused more on another Allen signature strategy: developing multiple streams of income (from rentals, rehabs, buying foreclosed properties, commercial properties, etc.). Now, Wilson says, hes about to close a deal that will put his net worth at $8.5 million. He believes anyone can make big bucks from real estate if he or she is willing to take action -- not just sit on the sofa listening to tapes. Before you sign up, count to a million Of course, Wilson admits that it was easier for him to take the Robert Allen techniques and run with them. He had a lot of experience in real estate already. Most people, Bour points out, dont have those skills. And few people have the time or the diligence to acquire them. (Some skill sets you need to have -- and the course cant teach it to you, agrees Kelinson.) Bob Underwood of Stafford, Va., is one person who can testify to the fact that investing in real estate is not for those steeped in fantasy. Underwood bought an e-book from yet another author and teacher by the name of Joe Crump . Crump, who hails from Indianapolis, teaches a no-money-down technique, but he told me that he does it legally and ethically. Underwood, 43, has a wife and family and a full-time job -- and no time to muck about in real estate with no return. He paid Crump about $500 for one-on-one coaching in 2002 and, after a rocky start, has managed to buy three properties in the last two years. Hes sold one of them, made about $10,000, after taxes, in the process and is hoping to rehab and sell another this year. One deal Underwood did alone, the next was with a partner. He says theres no cookie-cutter method that works. What works, he says, is getting out into the market, investing the time to learn about the business, not neglecting your wife and kids (or day job), learning from your mistakes, making friends and getting advice from others as you move forward. Slowly, steadily and not particularly wealthily. Remember, you have to pay capital gains (taxes) on the profits, he says, so its not a lot of money in the end. But that, of course, isnt what people want to hear. People are lead to believe that all you need is the right plan and youll make a million, that if you use this system youll be rewarded, says psychologist Farrell. They dont realize that the possibility of getting that big reward is so remote. 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 Sponsored Links Fund data provided by Morningstar, Inc. © 2005. All rights reserved. Quotes supplied by ComStock , an Interactive Data company. 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. An investor's best course of action must be based on individual circumstances. © 2005 Microsoft MSN Privacy Legal Advertise Feedback Help

Real Estate Agent License

Real Estate License Preparation Tutoring Program Real Estate License Preparation Software for all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands with Legal Aspects & Office Practices Practice online at home, in the office or on the road Included FREE all: Study Guide For All Subjects, All Ages Agents: Workplace Assessment Questions Brokers: Income Property Evaluation Program Use this top-rated Real Estate license preparation software for: Acing Course Quizzes, Midterm Tests, and your Final Exam for Agent (Realtor) Broker Mortgage Broker or Loan Officer Buying and selling your own or a relative's home – FSBO (For Sale By Owner) Effective Training and Sales Team Evaluator for the Office Manager . To find out how you can secure your copy of this essential and valuable program explore our comprehensive Web site by first clicking here: Specific States: Alabama Arizona California Florida Georgia Illinois Louisiana Mississippi New York North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania Tennessee Texas Washington (State) All other states: (The user selects a state during registration) License Preparation for Real Estate Agent License Preparation for Real Estate Broker License Preparation for Realtor License Preparation for Mortgage Broker or Loan Officer License Training & Evaluation Tool for the Sales Team And don't forget to Experience our interactive live demonstration What you see is what you'll get For Your Privacy: We do not sell customer lists and we do not share customer e-mail addresses with outside companies. Amelox Incorporated P.O. Box 2573 Sunnyvale, CA 94087-0573, U.S.A. Comments? Questions? us. For Your License Exam Preparation the Amelox College Tutor delivers results site map about us FAQ writing jobs Best viewed with 800x600 pixels and higher resolutions.

Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

Chase.com Home Page ")} else if (document.all){document.write("")} else {document.write("")}//-- About Us Careers Contact Us Find Us Privacy & Security Site Map Search Individuals Small Business Advice & Planning Customer Center Company Sites Corporate & Institutional Private Banking Shareholders Career Seekers Press Community & Culture Individuals Customer Center Small Business > Products & Services · Online Services · Credit Cards · Checking · Home Equity · Savings · Mortgage · CDs · Auto Finance · Investments · Insurance · Education Lending · More > The Best Chase has to Offer Banking, investing and exclusive benefits for clients with higher balances. Online Services Bank, invest, pay your bills, and shop onlineall in one place. -- > Need Help? Locate a branch or ATM, contact us, download forms and get theanswers you need. Advice & Planning > Meet Your FinancialGoals Buying or renovating a home? Planningfor Retirement? Banking Hotline > U.S. Armed Forces Overseas Please contact us if you need assistance with your Chase or Bank One accounts. > Manage Your Business Financial solutions for companies & not-for-profits with annual revenues up to $10 million. Commercial Banking > Products and Services Financial services for organizations with annual revenues ranging from $10 million to $2 billion. Mortgage Lending > Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Chase's commitment to fair lending & outreach to its communities, and information about HMDA. Highlights@Chase -- Access My Accounts -- View accounts, pay bills and more with Chase Online SM . User ID: Password: > ID & Password Help -- -- > Other Online Services Home | JPMorgan | JPMorgan Chase Terms & Conditions © 2005 JPMorgan Chase & Co.