Texas Land Trusts About

About Texas Land Trusts Maincontent Local Navigation print friendly search Regulations Publications Outdoor Learning Kids Game Warden Grants Get Involved Shop FAQ Calendar Español Experience Texas Fishing & Boating State Parks & Destinations Hunting & Wildlife Land & Water Doing Business Home Land & Water Land Private Tltc Trusts Texas Land Trusts About Texas Land Trusts Starting a Land Trust Texas Land Trust Directory Foreword Listing Regional Index About the Texas Land Trust Council ( TLTC ) TLTC Board of Directors and Honorary Council News 2004 TLTC Conference Speech Bulletin Board TLTC Publications Land Trust Resources Texas Land Trusts Top 1-Million Mark in Acres Conserved Texas has thirty-nine (39) not-for-profit land trust organizations operating at a statewide, regional or local level in the state. Land trusts are a creative answer to today's land conservation challenges. Land trusts provide local solutions to local needs: that might be the protection of a watershed, an archeological treasure, a prairie, farm and ranch land, or a portion of a larger ecosystem. 2003 Protected Land Inventory Summary Conservation Method Sites Acres Fee Simple Ownership 191 269,179 Conservation Easement 142 281,080 Transferred N/A 322,361 Other* N/A 435,061 Total N/A 1,307,681 * Includes conservation leases, management agreements, will donations, etc. Land trusts offer various conservation approaches - many of the organizations willingly hold conservation easements or provide technical assistance to landowners; they may buy or accept donated lands; many provide local conservation education and planning assistance. Land trusts in Texas help protect more than 1,300,000 acres in 86 counties. To learn more about Texas Land Trusts, view the Texas Land Trust Directory . Information: Did you know... Land trusts conserve 499 sites throughout the state? Contact Us | Help | Accessibility | Media | Site Policies | Complaints | Intranet | State of Texas | TRAILS Search | TexasOnline | Compact with Texans Texas Parks and Wildlife Department , 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744 Toll Free: (800) 792-1112, Austin: (512) 389-4800 Content of this site © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department unless otherwise noted. Last modified: July 29, 2005, 3:50 pm

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

investment property advertisement If

MSN Money - How to find good investment property 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 Liz Pulliam Weston: • Streamline your finances in 8 steps , 1/12/2003 • Ditch all fees for online banking services , 1/12/2003 • In clash of debit-card titans, consumers lose , 1/12/2003 More... Related Sites American Association of Small Property Owners Rental Property Reporter National Real Estate Investors Association The Basics How to find good investment property advertisement If you're cut out for it, life as a landlord can be quite profitable. But success isn't assured. Here's what you need to know before diving in. By Liz Pulliam Weston The idea of owning rental real estate seems to be gaining popularity as investors tire of the swoops and swoons of the stock market. As I pointed out in a separate column , not everyone has what it takes to be a landlord. But those who do may find rentals to be a good way to build wealth. Once youve made the decision to buy rental property, your real work begins. Finding a profitable rental property usually takes time, connections and plenty of research. Heres what you need to know to get started: Start investing with $100. Explore our new ETF center. Know your time horizon As with any other investment, you should have a good idea how long you plan to own a rental property before you buy it, says Robert Cain, publisher of the Rental Property Reporter newsletter. The longer you plan to own the property, the more youll probably need to invest in maintenance, repairs and improvements, Cain said. If youre keeping it for 20 years, at some point youre going to be putting a new roof on that property. Youre going to be putting in new appliances and doing some major repairs, Cain said. If youre only planning to own a property for five years, by contrast, youll probably want to avoid making any major improvements unless youre sure you can recoup the cost with a higher sale price. You also may face more investment risk with a shorter time horizon. Although your rental will almost certainly appreciate over 20 years, it could easily lose value in the next five, particularly if youre buying in an overheated market. Youll need a bigger potential annual return to make up for that risk. For many small investors, long-term ownership makes the most sense, said Pat Callahan, an attorney, landlord and founder of the American Association of Small Property Owners. Youll have plenty of time to ride out any swings in the market, and rental income can make a nice supplement to your day job. Find enough rental properties, and being a landlord may become your day job. Develop a network Experienced landlords find their properties in a variety of ways. Some hunt for foreclosures, making friends with city hall clerks or bank employees who know which properties are about to be sold. Some run ads in local newspapers. Others work with real estate agents who keep their eyes peeled for possible buys. Several landlords recommended joining a local landlord or property owner's association to make contacts. Callahans Web site offers links to local groups, as does the National Real Estate Investors Association. (See the links at left under "Related Sites.") When you begin to own rentals, all the other investors start coming out of the woodwork, said Sean Hoppe, a landlord in Pottsville, Pa., who owns 11 properties. Through investor meetings, networking, etc., I can find out what is for sale. (Hoppe, by the way, is 25 and hopes to retire from his job as a computer consultant in three years.) You also can try approaching landlords directly to see if theyre willing to sell, by calling the numbers listed on rental ads in the classifieds, by cruising neighborhoods looking for for rent signs or by talking to any landlords you know personally. Thats how Bob, who asked that his last name not be used, bought his rental property near Albany, N.Y. The landlord of the three-unit building where Bob had rented for 15 years was tired of the hassles and ready to sell. We love (the area) and jumped at the chance to buy it, Bob said. So far, Bob and his wife have been pleased with their purchase. They raised rents and required security deposits, which caused the propertys less desirable tenants to leave. He also has a backup plan for the building in case he starts to feel like the prior owner. If being a landlord got to be too big a hassle, Bob said, we would just get rid of the tenants and make it our own place. Get your finances in shape The better your credit, and the less credit card and other consumer debt you have, the better your prospects for getting a decent loan, Callahan said. Lenders usually require bigger down payments, higher interest rates and generally stronger finances when youre buying rental property. Thats because they know people are more likely to default on investment property than they are on their own homes. Landlords say it also pays to have a substantial cash reserve left over after buying a property. This can help pay for unexpected repairs and vacancies. Although there are few rules of thumb, setting aside at least one months rent for each unit is a good start. CPA Paul Berning suggests having a line of credit, secured either by the property or your own home, to cover larger costs. You also should make sure you can save enough for retirement and other goals before investing in rental real estate. While rental income can supplement your retirement kitty, most people shouldnt count on it to replace other investments or allow themselves to be entirely exposed to the whims of the local real estate market. Rents and property values can fall as well as rise, and those who are adequately diversified with investments in stocks, bonds and cash will be better able to endure the bad times as well as the good. Avoid overpaying As one experienced landlord put it: You make your profit when you buy a property, not when you sell it. Pay too much, and youll never recoup as much as you could have had you driven a better bargain. The rental real estate market is generally tougher on investors who overpay than on homeowners who do the same thing, several landlords said. While a home is often an emotional purchase, which can lead to I must have it! offers and bidding wars, most landlords look strictly at the numbers to see if their investments will pay off. If you pay too much for a rental, you cant count on a greater fool coming along later to bail you out. Not overpaying can be tough in a hot market, however. Apartments in New York, for example, currently sell at a 60% premium over their inherent value. In other words, theyre selling for much more than the income streams the apartments generate, according to Reis, a national real estate research firm. In San Francisco and Los Angeles, the premium is 10%. Some landlords use formulas, such as not paying more than six to eight times the rents they expect to make the first year. Others try to estimate what the property could be worth after needed repairs and upgrades are made, and they dont pay more than 70% of that price, less the cost of those repairs, CPA Berning said. Every real estate market is different, however, and these formulas may not work in your area. Whats key is to make sure your rental income will cover your out-of-pocket costs, Berning said. That includes the mortgage payment on the property, as well as taxes, insurance, maintenance, repairs and a vacancy rate of around 5%. (If you have five units, for example, you should expect at least one unit to be empty three months each year. Heres the math: 5 units times 12 months equals 60; 60 times .05 is 3.) If you can at least break even, youll be able to profit from any price appreciation as well as from tax breaks available to rental property. Cains Web site sells $55 software to help you make these calculations (see link at left). When crunching the numbers, you should know that theres a big difference in how repairs and improvements are treated for tax purposes. You can typically deduct the cost of a repair, such as patching a roof or fixing a leaking pipe, on your tax return for the year in which the repair is made, Berning said. Replace that roof or those pipes, however, and its typically considered an improvement, which means the cost cant be deducted. Instead, its added to the amount you paid for the property to determine your tax basis when you sell. The higher the basis, the lower your taxable profit. But if you have to wait 20 years after making a major improvement to recoup any of the cost for tax purposes, you may think twice about buying a property that needs a lot of upfront work, Berning said. To better estimate your costs, get a thorough inspection before you buy a property. Some landlords have favorite electricians, plumbers and contractors that they send to any prospective property, promising them that they can do any repair work they find. Others use professional inspectors they trust. Longtime landlords say all this work pays off in profitable properties that build their net worth while providing a steady income stream. Callahan, whose family started investing in rental real estate in the 1940s, says its a way of life she recommends. It doesnt matter if youre a professional or a laborer, Callahan said. Its the equal-opportunity wealth builder. 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 9.29 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. 9.20 10 ways to avoid outrageous hospital overcharges 9.17 The tricks and traps of debt consolidation 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

Property Search

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 Selecting a Community Real estate agents play an important role in helping you find the right community. Whether relocating your family across the United States or buying a new home a mile from your current home or apartment, purchasing a home in the “right” community depends ... >> 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

Home Equity

Avoiding Home Equity Scams Avoiding Home Equity Scams Y ou could lose your home and your money if you borrow from unscrupulous lenders who offer you a high-cost loan based on the equity you have in your home. Certain lenders target homeowners who are elderly or who have low incomes or credit problems—and then try to take advantage of them by using deceptive practices. The Federal Trade Commission cautions all homeowners to be on the lookout for: Equity Stripping: The lender gives you a loan, based on the equity in your home, not on your ability to repay based on your income. If you can’t make the payments, you could end up losing your home. Loan Flipping: The lender encourages you to repeatedly refinance the loan and often, to borrow more money. Each time you refinance, you pay additional fees and interest points. That only serves to increase your debt. Credit Insurance Packing: The lender adds credit insurance to your loan, which you may not need. Bait and Switch: The lender offers one set of loan terms when you apply, then pressures you to accept higher charges when you sign to complete the transaction. Deceptive Loan Servicing: The lender doesn’t provide you with accurate or complete account statements and payoff figures. That makes it almost impossible for you to determine how much you have paid or how much you owe. You may pay more than you owe. Some of these practices violate federal credit laws dealing with disclosures about loan terms, discrimination based on age, gender, marital status, race, or national origin; and debt collection. You also may have additional rights under state law that would allow you to bring a law suit. The FTC suggests if you’re thinking about using your home as collateral for a loan, be careful. Unless you can make the loan payments out of current income, you could lose your home as well as the equity you’ve already built up. Some additional tips to remember: The lure of extra money or the chance to reduce monthly credit payments can be very costly in the long run. High interest rates and other credit costs could get you in over your head. Credit insurance may not be a good deal from a lender. If you want the added security of credit insurance, shop around. Don’t sign a loan agreement if the terms are not what you were given when you applied. Ask for an explanation of any dollar amount, term, or condition that you don’t understand. Federal law is very clear about what credit and loan term information must be provided in writing when you apply for a loan and before you sign any agreement. In addition, shop around for the best loan terms and interest rates. Contact lending institutions, such as banks and credit unions, and consult a legal or financial advisor, or someone you can trust before you make any loan decisions. Or contact your local Fair Housing Office, legal aid, or senior services organization for information and help. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues , visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel , a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION FOR THE CONSUMER 1-877-FTC-HELP www.ftc.gov Jan. 1998