Real Estate Investing
Real Estate Software: Commercial Real Estate Software/Residential Real Estate Investment Software Excel Templates - Excel Training - Excel Add-ins Real Estate Software For Free 24/7 Microsoft Office Support See: Our Free Excel Help & VBA Help Forum . See Also our: Free Excel Newsletter Real Estate Software Real Estate Software Home - Real Estate Software Invest - Real Estate Investment Software Real Estate Investment Software for Real Estate Investors and Home Buyers. For Real Estate Loans, Mortgages, Calculate Amortization & More! See: Property X - Property Investment Analysis Software AND Real Estate Investment Analysis Software Our Most Popular Real Estate Investment Software products Back to: Financial Calculators | Financial Software | Excel Templates | Excel Add-ins | Software Categories | Search All Software Real Estate Investment Software Index Free Choice of Complete Excel Training Course OR OzGrid Add-ins Collectio n on ALL purchases totaling over $70.00. ALL purchases totaling over $150.00 gets you BOTH! Purchases MUST be made via this site. Real Estate Investment Software Popular & VERY Well Priced Real Estate Software that is made specifically for USA real estate , but can be used in any English speaking country that uses dollars (any type of dollars). The real estate investment software suite includes 3 products for financially analyzing income property, and 2 products for all types of real estate, including amortization (loan) and appreciation software. It has investing, commercial real estate, real estate development, and residential (amortization & appreciation) applications.Real Estate Development Software Suit:Download Free Trial Version From Download 1 or Download 2 PropX: Real Estate Software Popular Australian Real Estate Software. PropertyX is a complete property investment analysis software that comes with more than 12 investment analysis calculators, up to 40+ year projections, and investment analysis reports with graphical illustrations. Super Amortization Loan Software The Super Amortization Loan Software is full featured loan software that works for fixed rate, variable rate (up to 3 adjustments), principle and interest payments, interest only payments, interest only payments later switching to principle and interest payments the month you specify, and it can accept up to 30 balloon payments. This software is ideal for anyone wanting full featured loan software for law practice, real estate, or other purposes. Download Shareware Version from Download 1 or Download 2 . Real Estate Calculator Suite Real Estate Calculator Suite includes a Date Calculator, a Fraction / Decimal interest rate conversion table, sample text for closing credit accounts, a Documentation List to help you gather your paperwork, a Home Inspection form to help you review potential homes, a Mover's To Do List, a Fraction/Decimal Conversion Chart and useful tips for home buyers and sellers PC Property Manager Real estate software-PC Property Manager is a rental property management software & Real Estate Investment Software system for residential rental property investors to manage their financial and other rental property transactions. It is more than an excellent book-keeping system. Amortization Calculations Mortgage and loan software includes the powerful Amortization Schedules Plus! feature that allows you to override, skip or add any number of payments. Includes 14 different Day Count Conventions including 30/360 and Actual/Actual, plus many different Payment Types including Normal, Continually Adjusting Payments, Fixed Principal plus Interest and Interest Only. Back To Real Estate Software. Top^ Property Management software Practical and easy-to-use DIY property management software to create tenant statements and reports, track payments and expenses for unlimited number of tenants, owners, loans and investments PLUS loan and investment tracker and simulator. Amortization Calculato r Amortization schedules and calculators to solve financial questions instantly Make better financial decisions and save time and money with the Ultimate Loan Calculator. Amortization Loan Software Calculate your payment and make a payment schedule. Can accept up to 30 balloon payments, if you have any. Use for real estate loans, mortgages, contract sales, notes, and car loans, etc. Amortization Tables & Schedules Only need amortization tables and schedules? Check out Quick Calculate Amortization for the most powerful, easy to use amortization tables and schedules. Back To Real Estate Software. Top^ APR Spread Calculator uses the Actuarial Method of calculating Annual Percentage Rates for mortgage loans as explained in Appendix J of 12 CFR Ch. II, Pt. 226, the portion of the United States Code of Federal Regulations known as "Regulation Z". Canadian Loan Spread Calculator Based on the popular US version of Loan Spread Calculator , Canadian Loan Spread Calculator Pro gives you a unique perspective on borrowing money! Check My Mortgage Calculates any mortgage repayment schedule / table. Which mortgage? Compare expenses of each financing option. Financial Advisor Great VALUE! Financial Advisor for Borrowing, business profitability, discounted cash flows, financial planning, investing, bonds, cost of capital, options, valuation and more! Home Buyers Calculation Suite Real Estate Calculator Suite is an integrated collection of real estate calculators for Windows that gives you the ability to play with the numbers. Back To Real Estate Software. Top^ Home, Car, Loan, Mortgage .... Calculator Software that offers financial management software solutions for mortgage calculation, loan calculators, and real estate calculators. Financial planning and investment calculators are the Software's expertise. Loan Advisor for Excel Loan Advisor for Excel is a special loan toolbox derived from Financial Advisor for Excel with many loan calculators for users who need a tool to establish and compare different loan options. This powerful set of calculators will help you in many loan calculations and determine the better loan for you. QuikCalc Mortgage & Loan Manager Lite Down Payment Amount, Gross Debt Service Ratio, House Price from Payment Amount, Interest, Amount, Maximum Loan, Maximum Payment, Mortgage Payment, Principal Amount, Rent Payments Total, Time to Pay Off Accelerated Loan, Total Debt Service Ratio, Total Debt Service Ratio Maximum Amount, Total Interest Paid, Total Paid for Home. QuikCalc Mortgage & Loan Manager Personal Mortgage and loan software includes the powerful Amortization Schedules Plus! feature that allows you to override, skip or add any number of payments. The Loan Management feature allows you to track actual loan terms and varying interest rates, as well as your actual payments made and projected payments QuikCalc Amortization Mortgage and loan Real Estate Investment Software includes easy to use amortization tables and schedules that allow any interest rate, payment and compounding frequency, including accelerated payments. Includes many reports including annual summaries. See before and after comparisons of your changes. Data file backup and integrated field level popup calculator also included. Back To Real Estate Software. Top^ Main Software Categories Search All add-ins and Software Excel Add-ins || Excel Training || Excel Templates || Employee Scheduling Software || Excel, Word, Access Password Recovery || Corrupt Excel, Word, Access File Recovery || Financial Software || Financial Calculators || Conversion Software || Construction & Estimating Software || Real Estate Investment Software || Time & Project Management Software || Database Software || Neural Network Software || Trading Software || Charting Software || Windows & Internet Software || Barcodes , Fonts, ActiveX, Labels and DLL's
home for sale, historic
Historic Homes for Sale, Historic Real Estate & Property for Sale in the United States @ PreservationDirectory.com Historic preservation homes for sale, historic home for sale, historic house for sale, historic property for sale, historic real estate for sale, and preservation home for sale. Last Updated: December 23, 2005 View wonderful historic homes and property for sale and rent throughout the United States by clicking on the map below. Each historic property for is listed on its own page, complete with multiple photos, full description and history of the property, complete contact information for seller/rental organization, and much more. For information on listing your historic home(s) for sale, please click here . NEW - Historic rental properties are now being listed. Now you can view historic apartments and homes for rent, historic event rentals (for weddings, business meetings, and other functions), and office space for lease. To view the historic rental properties, please click the link next to the map below. The listings for historic homes & real estate for sale and rent in the United States & Canada are currently divided by region - to view listings, please click the geographic region header or appropriate area on the map below: * New Listings Click above to view new listings added in the last 2 months! 1. Northeast : CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT 2. Mid-Atlantic: DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA, WV 3. Southeast : AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC 4. Mid-Central: KY, OH, IL, IN, MI, TN 5, Upper Midwest : IA, MN, ND, NE, SD, WI 6. Lower Midwest: AR, KS, MO, OK, TX 7. West : AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY 8. CANADA : View listings for Provinces in Canada * Historic Rentals Click here to view historic rental properties. Click link below for information on listing your historic property for sale or rent CLICK HERE FOR CANADA LISTINGS Featured Historic Home for Sale: The Allen-Beville House Douglaston, NY (click link to view) Historical Holiday Gala...See the Beville House dressed for the holidays...Candle light tour with cocktail reception culiminating at a second historical landmark...This fundraising event to raise preservation awareness is planned at the Estate on December 11, 2005 from 5:30-8:30pm EST. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Douglaston Little Neck Historical Society. To read the full event details, please click here . Interested in receiving regular email updates of new additions to the "Historic Real Estate for Sale & Rent" directory? Receive an electronic newsletter each 6 weeks that will display the new historic homes and buildings for sale that have been recently added to PreservationDirectory.com. CLICK HERE to be added to the "Historic Real Estate for Sale & Rent " Email Update List. Feedback from those listing their Historic Property on PreservationDirectory.com: "I think your site is unique among what I was able to find on the Web, and a great service. Not everyone wants a historic house with the accompanying challenges. Your site helps house owners seeking to sell or rent their property a means to directly target the audience that will recognize the unique charms of a historic property." - Mary Traeger Pascale, Waterview Historic Gem, Keyport, NJ " PreservationDirectory.com provides a unique venue for owners to build visibility and identify qualified, willing and able buyers in this specialty segment of the market that few real estate organizations can match." - Andrew Bulla , The Stone House in Pine Valley, McKnightstown, PA Thanks for all your help. Please put a sold sign on the ad so we will stop getting calls. They're still coming in. Your site has been a huge help to us. We really appreciate what the site did for us. Thanks again. - Debbie Ward, Prudential Carolinas Realty "Thanks for your quality editing and presentation. My listing with you has yielded much more interesting and serious prospects than my more expensive listing with [other prominent online services]. I am recommending PreservationDirectory.com to others I know. It is an excellent website and all of the seriously interested responses came from this connection, and some traveled long distances to see the house." - Nancy Stillians, The Stillians House, Villisca, IA " Thanks for your help. The website is a good one and I have advised several people to use it. I think it offers a quality alternative to other online services. I really appreciate the professionalism represented in the website and I especially enjoy the "depth" of listings and the history they represent. " - Frank Brough, Hale's Riverfront Homestead, Mosheim, TN "It was definitely a positive experience dealing with your organization. I have had numerous hits from your site. I sold it through a local realtor, but feel your website was very successful in getting responses. Thanks again!" - Robbie Blake, Blake Real Estate, Bronson, FL What qualifies a home, lodge, warehouse, mill, lookout tower, etc. as being a historic property? The only universally agreed-upon criteria appears to be the property being 50 years old or older, which is what we are using for this directory. The degree of further "historical significance" then depends on a multitude of factors, including if the structure is representative of an architectural style, its association with a locally or nationally famous event or person, or being located within the boundaries of a local or national historic district, to name a few. Using various methods of research, information can be gathered that will help to piece together the story of your home. For more information on your home and researching its history, contact your local historical non-profit organization or the Local, State or Federal government department that is charged with historic preservation and/or cultural resource management. These preservation groups and programs may be listed in our "Preservation Organizations" directory Please note: As more historic real estate is added to the directory, the categories will become more specific (ie. by State, rather than a large geographic region). Also, we will soon institute a more comprehensive search capability, allowing you to search by such elements as architectural style, sell price, date built, house dimensions, etc. Please note: All information provided on each listing has been provider by the seller. We cannot verify the information provided - please contact the seller/agent with all questions you may have about the historic home or property for sale. Map courtesy of Collectics Antiques & Collectibles Email: preservationdirectory@comcast.net Best Viewed at 800x600 pixels in Internet Explorer 2000-2005 PreservationDirectory.com, All Rights Reserved.
Investment Property Calculator An
Investment Property Calculator http://www.dinkytown.net -- Financial Calculators http://www.dinkytown.net -- Investment Property Calculator An investment property can be an excellent investment. This calculator is designed to examine the potential return you might receive from an investment property. Investment Property Calculator Property Address PROPERTY_ADDRESS Property Information PROPERTY_INFO Financing Information Purchase Price PURCHASE_PRICE Cash Invested CASH_INVESTED Loan #1 Amount LOAN_1_AMOUNT    Interest Rate INTEREST_RATE_1    Monthly PI LOAN_1_PI    Term in Months TERM_IN_MONTHS1 Loan #2 Amount LOAN_2_AMOUNT    Interest Rate INTEREST_RATE_2    Monthly PI LOAN_2_PI    Term in Months TERM_IN_MONTHS2 Property & Depreciation Information Land Value LAND_VALUE Personal Property PERSONAL_PROPERTY Building Value BUILDING_VALUE Personal property depreciation PERSONAL_PROPERTY_DEPRECIATION at PERSONAL_PROPERTY_DEPR_RATE depreciation Building depreciation BUILDING_DEPRECIATION at BUILDING_DEPR_RATE depreciation Total Depreciation TOTAL_DEPRECIATION Gross Operating Income Annual Rent ANNUAL_RENT Less Vacancy LESS_VACANCY Gross Operating Income GROSS_OPERATING_INCOME Annual Expenses Real Estate Taxes REAL_ESTATE_TAXES Utilities UTILITIES Insurance INSURANCE Maintenance/Repairs MAINTENANCE_REPAIRS Advertising ADVERTISING Admin/Legal ADMIN_LEGAL Supplies SUPPLIES Miscellaneous MISC Total operating expense TOTAL_OPERATING_EXPENSE Operating expense ratio OPERATING_EXPENSE_RATIO Tax and Appreciation Rates Tax bracket TAX_BRACKET Appreciation rate APPRECIATION_RATE Cash Before Taxes Gross Operating Income GROSS_OPERATING_INCOME Operating expense - TOTAL_OPERATING_EXPENSE Net Operating Income = NET_OPERATING_INCOME Annual Debt Service - ANNUAL_DEBT_SERVICE Cash Flow Before Tax = CASH_FLOW_BEFORE_TAX Cash After Taxes Net Operating Income NET_OPERATING_INCOME Total Interest - TOTAL_INTEREST Total Depreciation - TOTAL_DEPRECIATION Taxable Income = TAXABLE_INCOME Tax Paid or Saved TAX_PAID_OR_SAVED Cash flow after tax CASH_FLOW_AFTER_TAX Rates of return Total appreciation TOTAL_APPRECIATION Return on Investment with appreciation RETURN_ON_INVESTMENT_WITH_APPRECIATION Return on Investment without appreciation RETURN_ON_INVESTMENT_WITHOUT_APPRECIATION Cap Rate CAP_RATE Cash on Cash CASH_ON_CASH Schedule **REPEATING GROUP** Information and interactive calculators are made available to you as self-help tools for your independent use and are not intended to provide investment advice. We can not and do not guarantee their applicability or accuracy in regards to your individual circumstances. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding all personal finance issues. " This Financial Calculator requires a Browser with Java(TM) applet Support. If you are seeing this message you will need to download SUN's Java(TM) Plug-in. This can be done simply, and automatically, by clicking the link below: Get the Java(TM) Plug-in! Definitions Cash Invested The money, you the investor, actually have to put down on the property. (out of pocket). Usually it is the amount of earnest money you invest in property. Interest Rate The amount of interest the investor pays annually to borrow money from the lender. Rates and programs can vary, check with lender for more information. Land Value The approximate value of the land that the property sits on. Usually available on the tax records in the county the property resides. You can not deprecate land value. Personal Property Anything that you have that is used for the investment property, such as washer/dryer, range, refrigerator lawn equipment, fixtures and other. Personal Property Depreciation Rate The rate annually you can depreciate on the personal property. Building Value Depreciation Rate Recovery period for five-year personal property. Year Percentage 1 20% 3 14.20% 5 11.52% 2 32% 4 11.52% 6 5.76% Appreciation The amount the property is on an annual basis appreciation occurs on entire value of the property Loan P & I P=principle, I=interest Total Depreciation Total amount you can depreciate annually on personal property and building value. Gross Operating Income The amount of income available after vacancy. Total Annual Operating Expense The total annual expenses including real estate tax, repairs, management fees, insurance, utilities, supplies, and other miscellaneous expenses. Operating Expense Ratio It's the percentage amount- based on the income 23 - 30% is considered average. Net Operating Expenses Total annual amount of expenses. Cash Flow Before Tax What's left after expenses, principle payment and interest. Annual Debt Service Your payment to lender including principal and interest. Equal Principle Reduction The amount left annually as you pay down the principle and interest. Return on Investment w/appreciation Cash flow before tax + principle reduction + taxes saved/paid + appreciation divided by cash invested. Includes appreciation. Return on Investment w/ out Appreciation Does include same formula above except appreciation. Cap Rate AKA= Net operating income divided by price, capitalization rate, rate of return- Anything in Double Digits is Fantastic! Cash on Cash Cash flow before tax % cash invested. Investment Appreciation Annual Percentage of increase of appreciation of property. Total Return The total analyzation of returns of the property. Information and interactive calculators are made available to you as self-help tools for your independent use and are not intended to provide investment advice. We can not and do not guarantee their applicability or accuracy in regards to your individual circumstances. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding all personal finance issues.
Purchase Property
display-points -- This page uses JavaScript. Please enable it or upgrade your browser. UK Property Web - Home Buying and Selling Your browser does not support the script needed to run elements on this website. Please upgrade your browser or enable javascript in your browser's properties. Houses for sale. Dedicated to helping you buy and sell property throughout the UK. Houses For Sale UK Home :: Buy :: Sell :: Letting :: Services :: About us Property and Houses For Sale Privately in the UK We would like to welcome you to UK Property Web on your first visit! If your selling or buying you've come to the right place, we have 100's of houses for sale from all over the UK. Please be sure to contact us if you think we can help you purchase or sell a property. Advertise with us. Houses For Sale with UK Property Web Enter the name of a 'Town', 'County' or 'Region' and hit GO. e.g. 'Southampton' or 'Hampshire' or England. You can also search by Ref number enter all the numbers after Ref UKPW:00 UK Property Web is associated with the following websites: Search for houses from the comfort of your own home: advertise with us, you advertise with them... Houses for sale, flats, apartments, bungalows, cottages... advertisment You won't find another website that offers the same for less! Total Control of Enquiries No Commission Massive Savings Coverage Over 5 Websites Quality Photographs and Descriptions Wide Range of Properties Simple Property Search Total Coverage Over the UK UK PROPERTY WEB NEWS & UPDATES ~ Concerned about the housing market? Click here to find out more ~ ~ Will there be a repeat of the 1990 housing crash? ~ ~ Property Secrets ~ back to top @ UK Property Web we accept credit cards, debit cards and cheques. UK Property Web, 1 Pipit Close, Weymouth, Dorset, DT3 5RT. Email: contact us There are 22 active visitors. web design by
Sell House
Tips on Buying and Selling Your House Remarked out per Bob Gent 4/11/02 -- TIPS TO HELP YOU SELL YOUR HOME MORE QUICKLY Owners can help expedite the sale of their home by following a few guidelines to make the house more attractive to potential buyers. A thorough self-inspection and a walk-through with your real estate agent can reveal imperfections that might hinder a sale. (Please note: in Washington state, as in many other states, the seller must complete a "Real Property Transfer Disclosure Statement" form about the condition of property being offered for sale. Material defects must be disclosed.) House-hunters typically begin their inspection of a property bypreviewing its "curb appeal." A surprising number ofhomes are eliminated from consideration before potential buyersget out of their car because they find the exterior appearanceunsightly or uninviting. Following are some basic suggestions for improving the marketabilityof your home. Examine the lawn and flower gardens, making sure the lawnis mowed and free of drainage problems. Colorful flowers andshrubs can enhance the home's attractiveness. Check the sidewalks and driveway to make sure they're freeof weeds and clutter. Inspect the home's exterior, looking for loose, missing ordamaged siding and brickwork, a cracked and uneven foundation,and gutters, downspouts or fences that are in disrepair. Paintor repair any problem areas. Clear the decks! Clean decks, patios and steps, removingunnecessary furniture, toys and debris. Tidy up any pet areas. Inspect the front door. A fresh coat of paint or stain anda clean doormat can help create an inviting "first impression." Check lighting, making sure pathways and entry have adequateillumination. Inside the home, you should conduct an equally thorough inspection,since potential buyers are likely to open doors and cupboards,look into, look behind and operate everything to make sure thehome offers the space, layout and features they need. Extensiveredecorating isn't usually recommended, but all rooms should beclean and clutter-free. Think "light," "bright,""open" and "airy." Clear rooms (including closets and storage areas) of everythingbut the basics. Arrange furniture so rooms look spacious. Remove clutter from the basement and garage. Sweep floors,degrease spots and dust. Have carpets and drapes professionally cleaned. Patch walls and ceiling cracks, then repaint or wallpaper,using neutral shades. Check the basement for musty smells and signs of mildew orleaks, correcting any defects. Inspect bathroom and kitchen fixtures to make sure they sparkle,are leak-free and are otherwise functioning well. Remove stainsfrom countertops, sinks, tubs and showers. Test major mechanical components, including the furnace, waterheater and electrical system. Make sure windows and doors open and close easily. Replacecracked or scratched glass. Be aware of the amount and type of insulation. DETERMINING HOW MUCH HOUSE YOU CAN AFFORD Low mortgage rates and special incentives for first-time buyersare making the dream of home ownership a reality for more individualsand families. As you begin your search, you'll want to determinehow much house you can afford and what type of mortgage is bestfor your budget. In general, four factors will influence your ability to buy thatdream home. They are: how much of a down payment you will make. The more cash youput down, the less you'll have to borrow. the amount you need to borrow (your mortgage) to cover a monthlypayment for the loan principal (amount borrowed), interest ("price"charged for your use of the lender's money), taxes ( a portionof property taxes), and insurance. the mortgage interest rate. the repayment terms of your loan. When applying for a mortgage, your current earnings and expectedincome during the next few years may influence your borrowingpower. Outstanding long-term debt and how long you expect tostay in the home you're buying may also be considered. Most realty agents recommend getting preliminary approval fora loan, usually by getting "pre-qualified" or "pre-approved"for a certain monthly payment. Getting approved for a loan requireshaving a lender verify your financial situation, including yourcurrent assets (income, savings, investments and other sourcesof revenue) and your liabilities (existing loans, credit cardbalances and other obligations). Using this information, thelender will evaluate whether there are sufficient funds for thedown payment, whether you have adequate income to make monthlypayments, and your overall credit-worthiness, which is based ona review of your borrowing history. According to many real estate professionals and lenders, the biggestreason people get turned down for a loan is poor credit. Reviewingyour credit status and correcting any mistakes before applyingfor a loan can help you avoid surprises or disappointments. Consumersmay request a copy of their credit report from one of three majorreporting services: Equifax: 1-800-685-1111 Trans Union: 1-800-851-2674 Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (1-888-397-3742) A small fee may apply, although if you've been denied credit recently,federal law mandates that the lender tell you which company suppliedthe information. You have a right to a free copy of your reportfrom that company so long as you request it within 30 days ofthe credit denial. Pre-qualification, based on numbers you supply to a lender, isan indication of the range of what you can afford. Getting pre-qualifiedis neither a commitment to loan you money, nor is it an obligationby you to borrow from a particular lender. Lenders typically use one of two guidelines when evaluating aloan request. Most lenders will limit the loan amount to a percentageof your gross monthly income or to a multiple of your annualhousehold income. As a general rule, individuals or families can usually handlea housing payment that amounts to 25- to-28 percent of their grossmonthly income. Following this guideline, if gross monthly incomeis $3,500, monthly payments (inclusive of taxes and insurance)in the range of $875 to $980 are considered reasonable. Somelenders use an alternate ratio that allows 36 percent of totalmonthly income for housing expenses and other long-term debts,such as car loans, credit card payments and obligations for childsupport. (Monthly living expenses for utilities, groceries, entertainment,medical and auto insurance are not calculated in this formula.) Another guideline, based on gross annual household income, assumesmost borrowers can afford up to 2.5 times their gross annual income. This means a borrower with total income of $40,000 may qualifyfor a loan of up to $100,000. Whether using a "multiplier method" or a "percentagemethod," prospective home buyers should allow for closingcosts and moving expenses. (Closing costs are the fees and taxesthat are paid when the deed is transferred. These usually amountto 5-to-10 percent of the mortgage amount. Moving expenses includecosts for movers, as well as "move-in" deposits forutilities and other "necessities"). Many lenders provide work sheets and charts to help you calculateyour borrowing power, along tables so you can compare paymentsat different rates and for different loan periods. (Some realestate brokers and financial institutions even have "mortgagecalculators" on their Internet site to help you determinewhat you can afford.) Your borrowing power can be increased with favorable interestrates and terms. With lower rates, you can borrow more money. Different types of loans and the duration of the payback periodwill influence the interest rate that will be applied to yourmortgage. In general, the shorter the term of the loan, the lowerthe interest rate. There are dozens of different types of mortgage programs froma wide variety of financial institutions, including mortgage companies,saving and loan associations, commercial banks and credit unions. Prudent consumers will find it pays to compare options to findthe right loan for their particular situation. THE MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE (MLS) A multiple listing service is a system for collecting and organizinginformation on available properties in a given area. Such informationis shared by members who agree to cooperate with each other andto abide by certain operating procedures. This service enablesbuyers to have a vast selection of homes to consider, while sellersbenefit from having their property exposed to a large networkof real estate professionals and their clients. Most brokers in the Seattle-Everett-Tacoma area are members of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS), formerly called Puget Sound Multiple Listing Association (PSMLA). More than 1,300 companies with approximately 15,000 licensed sales professionals currently belong to this independent association. In addition to its primary function of maintaining a comprehensive database on thousands of properties, NWMLS produces various legal forms, publications and reports for its members. The "multiple" also maintains an electronic keybox system, which allows access to listings by authorized agents. Other benefits include an array of computerized services to assist with property searches, financial analysis, communications between offices, and access to data on property taxes, local schools and other information. Ongoing training and technical support are also available to NWMLS brokers and agents.