Real Estate Agent By
BuyMyself - Canale, IRED Attitude & News Home Directories Int'l Realty US Realty BuyMyself Choosing A Real Estate Agent By Stephen M. Canale, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA There's a common saying in the real estate industry regarding the vast number of agents in the business: "If you don't have any friends who are agents, then you probably don't have any friends at all." With so many agent out there, how can you make an intelligent decision? Do you choose a friend, neighbor or coworker? Should you work with an agent at a large firm, a small firm, a franchise or an independent? While there's an exception to every rule, and every marketplace has its own nuances, here are some solid rules to apply when you want the best representation to protect your interests. Demand Experience The real estate profession is plagued by high turnover. This creates a workforce that is made up of many newcomers. While there are brand new agents with good intentions, why trust one of the largest investment you'll ever buy or sell to someone without experience? Always look for an agent with at least two years of experience. Anyone still in the business after two years has probably learned at least the fundamentals of real estate. Look for Commitment Another problem we have in the industry is a large number of part time and recreational salespeople. These folks have either retired from some other career, work in real estate seasonally or are earning a second income for the family and honestly don't need to work full time. No matter how long they have been in real estate, their lack of full-time commitment makes it impossible for them to keep up with the vast changes in law, marketing and business practices that are occurring in the profession today. If an agent isn't working at least thirty hours a week, fifty weeks a year, look for someone else. Consider Education In the majority of states, the requirements for real estate licensing are substantially less than those for cutting hair. In Michigan, for example, all that is required is a forty-hour class and a multiple choice test. You cannot rely on licensing to indicate competence. And, unfortunately, many agent's real estate education ends with their pre-license education. While there are numerous advanced real estate education courses available, the only technical and competence based program available nationwide is the Graduate, REALTORS® Institute (GRI) series, which is administered under the direction of the National Association of REALTORS®. A REALTOR® who completes the fifteen eight-hour modules, and passes examinations, may then use the designation of GRI. While only 15%-20% of agents have earned this accreditation, it should not be too difficult finding a GRI in your marketplace as they will commonly print the designation behind their name in advertising as well as on letterhead and business cards. Conduct Interviews Before you hire an agent to help you buy or sell a home, you should interview at least three agents in person. In order to do this, first get recommendations from friends, family and neighbors. Then look on the web, in homes magazines and the local newspaper to see what kind of marketing the various companies are doing in your area and call a few that impress you. Then make brief fact-finding calls to determine which of the agents on your list are full time, experienced and either hold the GRI designation or are at least working aggressively toward it. You will probably need to call ten to fifteen agents in order to find three that are worth interviewing. The interview itself need not be a formal one. It is simply an opportunity for you to meet the candidate and explain your needs; and to determine whether you would be comfortable working with them. Ask whatever questions you like, or simply explain your goals and listen carefully to what they propose to do for you in meeting your needs. The decision If you follow the suggestions above, you will find that there are excellent agents working for firms both large and small; both franchised and independent. Thus, the real decision must be made based on the competency of the individual agent you will be working with on a day-to-day basis. Stephen M. Canale is President, Broker/Instructor of Acclaim Residential Marketing Ann Arbor, Michigan | IRED Home | Search IRED | © 1995-2005 IRED.Com, Inc All Rights Reserved
new home loan, even
Home Loans for Every Home Buying Situation - Quicken Loans America's Home Loan Experts SM GO My Quicken Loans Login Great Rates. Expert Advice. Fast Process. Call 800-251-9080 To Get Your Rate Refinance Refinance Center Learn About Refinancing Refinance Calculators Refinance Loan Options Contact a Refinance Expert Home Purchase Home Purchase Center Learn About Buying a Home Home Purchase Calculators Home Purchase Loan Options Contact a Purchase Expert Home Equity Home Equity Center Learn About Home Equity Home Equity Calculators Home Equity Loan Options Calculators Calculators Refinance Calculators Home Purchase Calculators Home Equity Calculators Contact a Loan Expert Loan Options Loan Options Refinance Loan Options Purchase Loan Options Home Equity Loan Options Contact a Loan Expert Bad Credit Rates Learn About Buying a Home Home Purchase Calculators Home Purchase Loan Options Contact a Purchase Expert Home Purchase Center Buying a house? Get a payment now! Expected Purchase Price: Expected Down Payment: Choose A State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Call: 800-251-9080 Quicken Loans makes it easy on you: Save time. No long forms to fill out. Convenient. We research your loan options for you. Expert Advice. The right loan for you. Fast. Close in weeks. Power Buyer SM Home Loans Loans that give you an edge when buying a home Select your situation below... I'm a first-time home buyer Get pre-approved. Buy a home with no money down! I'm moving and will be buying a home Close fast on your new home loan, even before you sell! I'm buying a vacation home Very low down payment requirements!! I'm building a new home Lock your mortgage rate for up to 12 months while you finish building! About The Loan I May Be Interested In: (* Indicates a required field) *Loan Purpose Choose One Refinance Home Equity Line of Credit Debt Consolidation / Cash Out Home Improvement Purchase - Looking but have not found a home yet Purchase - Just researching my options Purchase - Signed or expect to sign purchase agreement *Estimated Home Value/Purchase Amt: *Desired Loan Amount: About Me: *First Name: *Last Name: *Address: *City: *State: Choose A State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut D.C. Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming *Zip: *How did you hear of us? Choose One Real Estate Insiders Rush Limbaugh Radio Ad TV Ad Friend Search Online Ad News Other *E-mail: *Home Phone: - - *Work Phone: - - Ext. OR CALL 800-251-9080 The information you provide to Quicken Loans will be used to fulfill your request. Quicken Loans does not share your information with outside companies for their promotional use. Occasionally, we may contact you with special offers that may interest you. If you do not want to receive these offers you may opt-out by clicking here . Your browser does not support current technology. Please consider upgrading. //-- America's Home Loan Experts — Quicken Loans! Quicken Loans' quick and easy mortgage process made us the nation's largest online mortgage lender. Our exclusive home loan options allow you to find a mortgage that's right for you. Explore our Home Purchase Center for information on purchasing a home, getting a home loan, and more. Our mortgage calculators can quickly show you how much home you can afford and the mortgage amount you may qualify for, or check mortgage rates online. Not sure which loan is right for you? Call Quicken Loans today and talk to a home loan expert — 800-251-9080 . Refinancing | Home Loans | Home Equity Loans | My Quicken Loans Login Mortgage News | Mortgage Rates | Mortgage Calculators | Apply Online About Us | Careers | Contact Us | Feedback | Site Map | Help | Search Security and Privacy | Disclosures and Licenses | Terms of Use © 2000 - 2005 Quicken Loans Inc., All rights reserved. Lending services provided by Quicken Loans Inc., a subsidiary of Rock Holdings Inc. “Quicken Loans” is a registered service mark of Intuit Inc., used under license. Build 2741 2005-10-25 09:50:43
Home Mortgage Points The
Tax Topics - Topic 504 Home Mortgage Points 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 504 - Home Mortgage Points The term "points" is used to describe certain charges paid to obtain a home mortgage. Points may be deductible as home mortgage interest, if you itemize deductions on Form 1040, Schedule A (PDF). If you can deduct all of the interest on your mortgages, you may be able to deduct all of the points paid on the mortgage. For information on deducting interest, refer to Topic 505 . You can deduct the points in full in the year they are paid, if all the following requirements are met: Your loan is secured by your main home (your main home is the one you live in most of the time). Paying points is an established business practice in your area. The points paid were not more than the amount generally charged in that area. You use the cash method of accounting. This means you report income in the year you receive it and deduct expenses in the year you pay them. The points were not paid for items that usually are separately stated on the settlement sheet such as appraisal fees, inspection fees, title fees, attorney fees, or property taxes. You provided funds at or before closing, that were at least as much as the points charged, not counting points paid by the seller. You cannot have borrowed the funds from your lender or mortgage broker in order to pay the points. You use your loan to buy or build your main home. The points were computed as a percentage of the principal amount of the mortgage, and The amount is clearly shown on your settlement statement. Points that do not meet these requirements may be deductible over the life of the loan. Points paid for refinancing generally can only be deducted over the life of the new mortgage. However, if you use part of the refinanced mortgage proceeds to improve your main home and you meet the first six requirements stated previously, you can fully deduct the part of the points related to the improvement in the year you paid them with your own funds. Points charged for specific services, such as preparation costs for a mortgage note, appraisal fees or notary fees are not interest and cannot be deducted. Points paid by the seller of a home cannot be deducted as interest on the seller's return, they are a selling expense which will reduce the amount of gain realized. Points paid by the seller may be deducted by the buyer provided the buyer subtracts the amount from the basis, or cost, of the residence. Points you pay on loans secured by your second home, can be deducted only over the life of the loan. You may be subject to a limit on some of your itemized deductions, including points, for more information on the adjusted gross income limitations please refer to the Form 1040 Instructions. For more information on points, refer to Publication 936 , Home Mortgage Interest Deduction. More Tax Topic Categories Accessibility | FirstGov.gov | Freedom of Information Act | Important Links | IRS Privacy Policy | U.S. Treasury
Real Estate Loan
Countrywide Financial - Real Estate Mortgage Lender - Home Loans - Equity Loan Mortgages contact us | careers | sitemap | help | log in Homepage Home Loans Home Loans Main Page Today's Rates Purchase a Home Refinance Your Home Use Your Home Equity Less Than Perfect Credit Loans en Español Start Your Application Calculators Your Home Loans Accounts Customer Service Banking Banking Main Page Today's Rates Certificates of Deposit (CD's) Money Market Accounts Savings Accounts View All Banking Products Open an Account Your Banking Accounts Financial Centers Insurance Insurance Main Page Homeowners Condo Home Warranty Life Disability Auto Health Commercial Employee Benefits Other Products Planning for Life Insurance Checkup Get a Quote Your Insurance Policies Your Accounts With over 35 years of service and one of the widest selections of loan programs , Countrywide Home Loans is an expert at finding solutions for all kinds of situations. log in to manage all of your Countrywide accounts username: password: destination: my account summary my home loans make a payment view transactions view loan details view statement my banking view account details my insurance view account details register | help forgot password forgot username Find more ways to : See what our customers are saying. purpose: Purchase Refinance Home Equity loan amount: property ZIP code: ZIP code finder Check today's high yield CD and Money Market rates Compare your rate Compare your coverage Get a free online quote home insurance calculator rate watch home loan calculators learn about our loans your credit report I want to: Purchase a home Refinance my home Use my home equity Click here to learn more about our great CD rates. SPECIAL ALERT: If you live in the areas affected by hurricanes, and need information regarding loans-in-process, new loans, or information on your account, please log in or call our customer service line: 1-800-669-6607. Click here for FAQs . PURCHASE REFINANCE HOME EQUITY for more information about new loans 1-800-556-9568 LESS THAN PERFECT CREDIT Countrywide Home Loans' Full Spectrum® Lending Division 1-800-871-1756 Customer service on existing loans 1-800-669-6607 BANKING top CD and money market rates , compare rates and terms 1-800-817-4383 INSURANCE homeowners , home warranty , auto , life , individual health , disability , commercial and employee benefits 1-800-262-4240 Countrywide Financial offers these products through our family of companies.* home loans | less than perfect credit loans | home loans en español | we house america | banking | insurance | investments | your accounts | log in contact us | site map | about us | investor relations | careers | privacy and security | licenses and registrations Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. and Countrywide Bank, N.A. are Equal Housing Lenders. ©Countrywide Financial Corporation. Trade/service marks are the property of Countrywide Financial Corporation and/or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. If you use a pop-up blocker, you should disable it while using our sites. * Countrywide Financial offers these products through our family of companies. Home Loans provided by Countrywide Home Loans; Banking services provided by Countrywide Bank, N.A., member FDIC; Insurance services provided by Countrywide Insurance Services, Investment Services provided by Countrywide Investment Services.
Land Loans If you're
VSECU - Land and Construction Loans RATES LOANS SERVICES DEPOSITS HELP ABOUT HOME You are Here: Home >> Loans >> Land and Construction Loans Land and Construction Loans Land Loans If you're planning to someday build your own home and have found the perfect land to do so, acquiring the land may be the first step in that process. A land loan mortgage is available to secure your dream lot, whether you're ready to build now or six years from now. The land you choose to finance must meet certain eligibility requirements such as: The building lot must be suitable for residential construction for a 1-2 unit home as your primary residence in Vermont or New Hampshire You building lot must have passed a perc test The total acreage cannot exceed 25 acres All land loans are adjustable rate mortgages and require a 20% down payment. Construction Loans If you’re ready to start building a new home this is the right loan for you. A construction loan is available for both new construction and the improvement of certain residential property in Vermont and New Hampshire. All construction loans are adjustable rate mortgages and require a 5% down payment. Requirements For construction projects where you'll be improving the energy efficiency of your home, you may want to consider our Energy Improvement Loan . Please contact a mortgage originator for more details on Land or Construction loan options. Apply Today See our online application ! © 2005, VSECU. All Rights Reserved. Additional Resources Current Rates & Terms Meet Our Mortgage Originators Energy Improvement Loan Apply Now! What Will My Loan Payments Be? Use Our Online Calculators Auto Loans Mortgage Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Other Types of Loans Search VSECU.com FREE VSECU CLASSIFIEDS BOOM! OUR TEEN WEBSITE CONTACT US PRIVACY & TERMS OF USE FAQ | FEEDBACK