Real Estate Investing

Bob Bruss Real Estate Center An Audio Message from Bob Bruss Subscribe to Bob's Weekly e-mail update and get this Free Report: 2005 Realty Tax Tips: 8 Chapters of Tax Savings for Homeowners and Investors First Name: Primary E-mail Address: >> Order Bob’s Special Real Estate Reports only $4.95 each! >> Ask Bob a Real Estate Question >> Subscribe to Bob’s Newsletters NEW REPORT! “Foreclosure and Distress Property Profit Secrets” >> Order Why pay upwards of $300 per hour for real estate legal, tax or investment advice? Bob Bruss, America’s most trusted real estate expert, offers Special Reports on a wide range of real estate topics for less than $5.00 each! Bob’s columns appear in over 150 newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle. Bob draws on more than 25 years of real estate writing, teaching and investing to bring you unbiased information that will help you make smart real estate decisions. Click above & get a free 6-month newsletter subscription! Bob's Notebook SIX KEY REAL ESTATE NEGOTIATION TIPS FOR BUYERS, SELLERS Determining other party's motivation paramount to success The year 2005 has been very good for most property owners and realty sales agents. Home sales prices appreciated handsomely in most communities and the sales volume of new and resale homes were near-record. But 2006 promises to be more "normal" as mortgage interest rates slowly rise, resulting in a modest new home construction volume decline with a corresponding residence market value appreciation and sales volume slowing. Having been through many real estate market ups and downs over almost four decades, both as an investor, sales broker, and realty writer, I've learned that success in a slowing real estate market requires paying greater attention to negotiation skills. NEGOTIATE WITH PEOPLE WHO WANT TO NEGOTIATE . As a lifelong student of real estate negotiation techniques, because there is always more to learn, I've discovered it usually is a waste of time to attempt to negotiate with people who are not highly motivated to make a change. Most experienced real estate agents hate the situation when a home seller lists their desirable property for sale with a top price but they really don't have a good motivation for selling. These sellers often have the attitude "If we can get our price, we'll sell. Otherwise, we won't sell." Their homes often take "forever" to sell. But in 2005, many homes sold for above their asking prices because buyers wanted to purchase more than sellers wanted to sell. A strong motivation for many buyers was to beat the long-predicted rise in home mortgage interest rates. The result was a "seller's market" in many communities with more qualified buyers than motivated sellers. However, as the number of residence listings for sale has risen recently and is expected to continue rising in early 2006, especially after the customary holiday 2005 year-end lull in home sales, many real estate economists are predicting a more normal balance of motivated sellers and buyers. The result should put a premium on negotiation skills for home buyers and sellers, as well as their realty agents, to conclude successful sales. HOW TO ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATION . Whatever your role in a home sale, as buyer, seller or realty agent, you can't ask too many questions. Of course, the best negotiators inquire in a friendly manner interjected with compliments. Here are the six key questions to get answered for a successful home sale negotiation: 1. WHY IS THE SELLER SELLING THIS LOVELY HOME? One way or another, successful home buyers and their realty agents need the answer to this key question so the buyer can make a purchase offer which meets the seller's needs (of course, buyers should leave out the word "lovely" if the place is a dump!). As a long-time investor in rental houses, and my personal residences, I always try to tailor my purchase offers to meet the seller's needs (and mine too). For example, several years ago I bought a house from an elderly lady who was retiring. So I offered her 10 percent cash down payment and a 90 percent seller carryback mortgage to provide for her retirement income. When she saw my offer and how much she would receive from my payment each month, she accepted (although the listing agent previously told me she wouldn't carry back any mortgage financing). Another time a listing agent told me the retired sellers of an "el dumpo" house were living in a boarding house and needed cash. As a result, I figured they wanted an all-cash sale so I arranged 100 percent financing at a community bank. The sellers immediately accepted my low purchase price offer for cash. 2. WHAT WAS THE HOME SELLER'S PURCHASE PRICE? Buyers who don't find out the answer to this key question, either from the listing agent or their buyer's agent, are at a severe negotiation disadvantage. Here's why: If the seller purchased the home many years ago for a low purchase price compared to today's market value, that seller has lots of negotiation room. However, if the home seller bought within the last few years for a price not far from today's market value, there isn't much negotiation flexibility. Of course, if the seller has a high-motivation reason for selling, as disclosed by the answer to the first question, even a recent home buyer is often willing to sell in a quick sale for close to the seller's purchase price. Such a situation is an ideal candidate for the buyer to take over payments on the current mortgage with the lender's permission. 3. DOES THE OTHER PARTY HAVE A TIME DEADLINE? This is a question both home buyer and seller should ask of their realty agent. To illustrate, if one party has a job transfer, then purchase or sale of the home can be very important. But if the seller is moving to a retirement residence, time usually isn't so critical. However, if the seller already bought another home and needs to sell the current home to produce the down payment, then closing time is ultra-important. As experienced real estate agents know, the worst home buyers and sellers are those without any time deadlines. Those folks can take forever to make decisions. 4. HAS THE SELLER OBTAINED A PROFESSIONAL HOME INSPECTION REPORT? Today's smartest real estate agents suggest their sellers obtain a professional inspection report at the time of listing the home for sale. Then the seller is fully aware of most home defects and can either have the defect repaired or fully disclose it to prospective buyers, thus averting future lawsuits. Sharp home purchasers, and their buyer's agents, understand this trend. When a buyer is seriously interested in a house, always ask if the seller has already obtained a professional inspection the buyer can review before making a purchase offer. Even if the seller has obtained customary professional inspection reports, smart buyers should always include in their purchase offers a contingency clause for the buyer's approval of their own inspection report obtained at the buyer's expense. Most states now have some form of required seller disclosure statement revealing known home defects. However, many sellers are not aware of all their home's defects, or they might "forget" to disclose a defect. The old days of "caveat emptor" (let the buyer beware) have disappeared. Today, the new rule seems to be "let the home seller beware of the buyer and his lawyer." 5. WHAT IS THE BUYER'S MOTIVATION TO PURCHASE MY HOME? Just as home buyers need to know the seller's reason for selling, to create a harmonious negotiation situation, home sellers should ask why the buyer wants to purchase. Of course, there are many home purchase reasons. However, if the buyer has indicated a key reason why that particular house is under consideration, such as its great condition, outstanding school district, or need to move in quickly, the seller can use that information to enhance their negotiation position. 6. ASK AN OPEN-ENDED QUESTION, SUCH AS WHAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SHOULD I KNOW BEFORE MAKING A DECISION? There are many variations of this question home sellers and buyers can ask, especially of their real estate agents. To illustrate, a home buyer might ask their buyer's agent "What else should I know about this house?" Or the seller might ask their listing agent "If you were in my situation, would you accept or counteroffer the buyer's purchase offer?" SUMMARY : When negotiating a home sale, sellers and buyers can't ask too many questions to enhance their negotiation position. The prime reason is to determine how motivated the other party is to buy or sell. If there is weak motivation, you aren't in a strong negotiation situation. However, if the other party is highly motivated, then you are in a strong circumstance to negotiate your strongest price and terms. More details are in my special report, "How to Become a Super-Successful Real Estate Negotiator," available for $5 from Robert Bruss, 251 Park Road, Burlingame, CA 94010 or by credit card at 1-800-736-1736 or instant Internet PDF delivery at www.bobbruss.com . Back to top © 2005 Inman News Home | Real Estate Reports | Real Estate Newsletter | About Bob Bruss | Site Map

Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

FFIEC Home Mortgage Disclosure Act --- ABOUT HMDA: HOW TO FILE: PUBLIC DATA: REPORTING RESOURCES: SEARCH SITE INDEX PDF HELP CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY QUICK LINKS Rate Spread Calc Geocoding System FAQs Data Order Form Aggregate Report Disclosure Report National Aggregate Census Reports CRA Suppl Reg C Amend. Welcome to the FFIEC's Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) web site. Information is organized into four categories: About HMDA Learn about the history and regulation behind HMDA How to File Find file specifications, software and various resources for reporting HMDA data Public Data Access on-line reports and ordering information for HMDA public data Reporting Resources Quick reference to reporting resources and assistance. WHAT'S NEW The 2006 HMDA Data Entry Software is available. Asset threshold increase for CY2006. FAQs updated with Type of Purchaser. FFIEC issues additional guidance on HMDA reporting . FAQs updated with Temporary Financing. 2006 Edits and File Specs are available. Corrections for 2004 HMDA Aggregrate and Disclosure data are available. Press Release announces the availability of 2004 HMDA data. -MUST READ. Data Collection Procedure Change -MUST READ. 2005 Census Data Geocoding System is now updated with 2005 census information. The 2000 CRA/HMDA Reporter is now available. This newsletter provides information on various topics to assist in the collection and reporting of CRA and HMDA data. It's a MUST READ! -- An August 8, 2000 Press Release announces the availablility of data about 1999 mortgage lending activity, National Aggregates , MSA Aggregate and Disclosure Reports . --

real estate listings, homes

Real estate listings and homes for sale - RELO National Home Search Real estate listings and homes for sale - RELO National Home Search Search 2 million mls listings from The Leading Real Estate Companies of the World U.S. State Search U.S. Map --- Quick Search -- select state -- Alaska Alabama Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Connecticut 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 International Assignments: Cost, Benefits, Issues Explained Have you ever thought about moving your family to Europe, Asia, South America, or Australia? The more you think about the possibilities, the more questions come to mind. The discussion with a spouse won’t be quite the same as one about a move across country. … >> Click to continue Zip Code Home Search: County Search: Jump to State: Alabama Alaska Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Connecticut D.C. Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana North Carolina North Dakota Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Search by Metro Area: New York Chicago San Francisco Los Angeles Washington DC Boston Save 15% on your FICO credit score. Enter promo code "RELO" to redeem your discount. RELO National Home Search helps consumers find real estate listings, homes for sale or real estate agents. The tool enables consumers to search 2 million local real estate listings and homes for sale. Before buying a home, search mls listings and homes for sale to find a real estate agent through RELO National Home Search. According to the National Association of Realtors, 72 percent of consumers look for a residential property online. RELO National Home Search provides moving assistance to relocating consumers and second-home buyers. RELO Home Search links over 600 RELO members' websites together, the majority offer local mls listings in their area. Further, RELO provides relocation assistance services and international relocation through the RELO network. Whether you are buying a home, considering moving to a new city, considering a second home or selling a home, use RELO National Home Search to tap into the country's largest network of leading independent residential real estate firms across the nation and around the world. All RELO real estate companies focus on relocation and home buying help. © 2002 – 2003 RELO ® All Rights Reserved. | Terms and Conditions | Bookmark Page | Read Real Estate Articles

Denver Real Estate Doctor

bizjournals - Denver powered by DirectoryM - Residential Real Estate - Denver Browse Categories | Add Your Company | My Account Exclusive Listings - Residential Real Estate - Denver Denver Real Estate Doctor Don't settle for another real estate agent. Go with the best - Denver Real Estate Doctor, Jon Wachter! Our team concept and ability to Contact Company View Phone Visit Website dannyandjen, Coldwell Banker Residential 2497 County Club Loop, Westminster The Ultimate Dream Home! Contact Company View Phone Visit Website Sherlock of Homes Realty "The Super Sleuth Team" We are the exceptional "hands-on" team! Contact Company View Phone Visit Website Keller Williams DTC Cindy has lived in Colorado for 34 years and knows Denver thoroughly. Her favorite aspect of real estate is solving housing problems Contact Company View Phone Visit Website Metro Brokers-The Road Warrior Of Real... Contact Company View Phone Visit Website Team CEC REALTY : : BUYING – SELLING – INVESTING :: Welcome to TEAM CEC REALTY where you get: “Down Home Attention With a High Tech Contact Company View Phone Visit Website Coldwell Banker Devonshire "Creating a Successful Transaction Throught Experience, Service and Trust" Contact Company View Phone Visit Website Harrogate Homes Broker * Build * Invest Cross Functional Expertise @ Harrogate Homes Contact Company View Phone Visit Website View More Business Listings View Listing Contact Company Before You Buy... Help Advertise with Us · Directory Links · Contact Us · Privacy Policy · ©2005 DirectoryM, Inc. · 800-617-9715

Rental Property Join the

How to Invest in Rental Property - eHow.com Clear Instructions on How To Do (just about) Everything Web eHow.com Home Finance & Business Center Investing How to Invest in Rental Property Join the ranks of thousands of people who have discovered that investing in rental property can be profitable - and even enjoyable! Steps: 1. Determine what type of rental property appeals to you - a single-family residence, multi-family unit, commercial property, or a vacation home. 2. Narrow your search by focusing on available properties in a particular area. 3. Obtain comparable prices for similar properties in the area from a local real estate company. 4. Estimate possible rental income from a particular property, based on current rental prices for similar properties, found in the classified section of your local newspaper. 5. Determine possible cash flow (or loss) for the property by subtracting taxes, insurance, mortgage payment, maintenance, repairs and other expenses from the estimated rental income. 6. Consult a tax advisor about the tax consequences of investing in rental property. 7. Ask an attorney or real estate agent to review all contracts and agreements before submitting an offer. 8. Make an offer based on comparable prices for similar properties in the area, subject to appraisal, loan approval and thorough inspection of the property. 9. Determine who will manage the rental property. Tips: Establish and maintain an emergency fund to cover unexpected repairs and expenses on your rental property. Warnings: Mortgage loans for rental property usually require larger down payments with higher interest rates, than mortgages for owner-occupied properties. Tips from eHow Users: You may get turned in to code enforcement by null H. An older building that needs work may mean you can't rent it. Many cities have rental laws and fees to pay if you are a landlord. Cities may require you to hire an electrician for wiring repairs, for example, even if you can do the repairs yourself. Rate this tip: View 4 More Tip(s) from Users Please Share Your Tips with Us More Resources: Contribute to eHow: Write an eHow Article Suggest a Topic Give Us Feedback on This Article Related eHows: Make a Bid on a Home for Sale Buy a Home Invest in Precious Metals Invest in Student Housing Property Decide Whether to Buy Through a Realtor or by Yourself Things You'll Need: tax services real estate agents real estate attorneys purchase agreement Project Details: Skill Advisory: Moderately challenging New! -- Related eHows: Make a Bid on a Home for Sale Buy a Home Invest in Precious Metals Invest in Student Housing Property Decide Whether to Buy Through a Realtor or by Yourself Check out Thousands of How-To Solutions in eHow's Centers Automotive Careers & Education Computers & Home Electronics Family & Relationships Finance & Business Food & Entertaining Health Hobbies & Games Holidays & Traditions Home & Garden Personal Care & Style Pets Sports & Fitness Travel How to: --? Web eHow.com Home | Site Map | About Us | How To Books | Link to eHow Subscribe to the eHow of the Day Mailing List : Have the eHow of the Day appear on your My Yahoo! Page: Add the eHow of the Day to your RSS reader: © 1999-2005 eHow, Inc. How things get done. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy .