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

Property Listing Resource Property

Property Line - Your Commercial Property Listing Resource Username Password -- Username: Password: Need help logging in? Need help logging in? -- -- LIVE HELP CONTACT US IMMEDIATE ACCESS Registration is an easy three-step process that offers instant access to the complete range of tools Property Line has to offer. Your Country: Please select your country United States Canada Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Ashmore Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Rep Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo (Brazzaville) Congo, Democratic Rep Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia, The Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia, Federated Moldova Monaco Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent Samoa San Marino Sao Tome Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Your State: Please select your state Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Guam 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 Washington DC West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming -- Privacy Policy · Terms of Service The response I received from Property Line's marketing was better than I have ever received for any marketing in the nine years I have been a commercial real estate broker. Burt Gay Marcus & Millichap Commercial Property Listing Resource Property Line is a listing reference resource that caters exclusively to a national database of commercial real estate professionals. List inventory and search for inventory in an unlimited capacity. Bulk upload inventory with unlimited attachments at no charge. Property Line also offers proven marketing tools that "push" inventory to a national database to help close deals and move inventory. About Property Line Property Line supports the commercial brokerage community by marketing properties, promoting commercial brokerage companies, and offering unparalleled marketing tools to the commercial broker. Property Line began in 1984 as a graphic design, print and distribution facility that specialized in networking for commercial real estate brokerage houses. Property Line's commitment to the brokerage community combines the power of emerging technologies to the time-tested practices of professional commercial real estate. The Property Line goal is to streamline the commercial agent's responsibilities, boost production and improve financial returns. Reliable information, dependable marketing vehicles, and organizational tools created specifically to meet the needs of today's competitive-and successful-commercial agent have been Property Line's hallmark since its inception. Property Line offers unparalleled customer service, free tools to assist brokers in listing and searching inventory, and the latest technology to "push" inventory to a national database of Commercial Real Estate Professionals. HOME · PRODUCTS · FAQ · SIGN UP · ADMIN LOGIN · CONTACT US © 2005 Property Line International, Inc. · PRIVACY POLICY · TERMS OF SERVICE

House Rent

Renting a House RENTING A HOUSE If you rent a house, rather than an apartment, you'll have some additionalconcerns: Lawn care and snow removal will probably be your responsibility. City codes require that lawns be mowed. If you think the landlord is providing either of these services, make sure your lease says so. Garbage hauling is not a municipal service in Champaign-Urbana. Unless your lease says that the landlord provides and pays for hauling, you'll have to call a private hauler and arrange service. Look in the yellow pages under "garbage." (Note: references in your lease to sanitary fees are for the sewer system, not for garbage hauling). Don't assume the garage comes with the house; make sure the lease says you are renting the "house and garage." If the house has no garage but you plan to park in the driveway, make sure the lease says Lessee may park in the driveway at no extra cost. Be sure the lease states the number of bedrooms in the house, especially if any bedrooms are in the basement or attic. If any area containing bedrooms becomes unfit for habitation while the rest of the house is still habitable, you'll be in a better bargaining position with your landlord if you can prove that the uninhabitable space was leased to you for living and sleeping purposes. Zoning laws prohibit more than four unrelated adults from living together in a single family home. The tenants, as well as the landlords, can be held liable by the city for violating the law. Enforcement is complaint-driven. If you live in Urbana near the U of I campus, or if you live anywhere and annoy your neighbors with noise or illegally parking cars on the lawn, you are a likely target for enforcement. See section of this handbook on " Zoning ." Be especially careful about including in your lease a list of all appliances that the landlord will "provide and maintain." Don't assume the washer and dryer in the basement will be repaired by the landlord if one breaks down. They may have just been left in the house by previous tenants. Protecting your deposit is a bigger job with a house. Many tenants report being charged at the end of the lease for leaving trash in the yard, damage to a porch, lawn care, cleaning out the basement, etc. Both when you move in and when you move out, you should take photographs of the basement, attic, front and back yards and the porch , in addition to photographs of walls, floors, insides of oven, fridge and cabinets and all fixtures. Damage deposit refund law does not cover houses (except in the City of Urbana). If the house is in Champaign, Savoy or anyplace other than Urbana, be sure your lease states the time period for refund of the deposit and requires the landlord to provide you with an itemized statement of damages within a certain time period. A sample clause appears in the section of this handbook on signing a lease. Return to Home Page Return to Table of Contents

Real Estate Investment Software

Real Estate Investment Software - AnalyzeToWin Real Estate Software AnalyzeToWin Real Estate Software Real Estate Software Products: Real Estate Analyzer Professional Real Estate Analyzer Deluxe Investment Property Analyzer Lite Vacation Home Investment Evaluator Personal Home ROI & Cashflow Calculator Contact Us About Us Privacy Terms&Conditions Articles Links Site Map Advertisement Section The Lake of the Ozark's Home Rental Other Rentals Real Estate Software for the Informed Investor Real Estate Investment Software Maximize your return on investment with our real estate software for residential or commercial income properties. Our real estate analysis tools are easy-to-use and let you quickly create reports about return-on-investment (ROI), cash flow, future sales price and more. If real estate is part of your wealth-building strategy, our real estate investment software can help you: minimize surprises (or risk) by guiding you through typical expense categories and showing you the cash flows base your investment decisions on numbers (ROI) and take some of the emotions out of the decision-making process spend only minutes instead of hours on the analysis focus on finding the right properties using scenario analysis Choose the right Real Estate Software for your needs: Real Estate Analyzer Pro : Real Estate Investment Software for residential or commercial real estate investment analysis. Includes detailed tax treatment for active investors and real estate professionals. Investment Analyzer Lite : Software Version for less complex real estate investment analysis requirements. Real Estate Analyzer Deluxe : analyze either your personal residence , an income generating residential rental property or a vacation home . The Real Estate Analyzer Deluxe is a standalone real estate analysis program for Microsoft Windows (no spreadsheet) while our other programs require Microsoft Excel. Unlike the Investment Property Analyzer or the Real Estate Analyzer Pro, the Deluxe focuses on different property types but without the detailed tax benefit analysis required by most professional investors. Vacation Home Investment Evaluator or Personal Home ROI & Cashflow Calculator : for your personal real estate purchases. See our Real Estate Software Feature Comparison Table All of our user-friendly programs are designed to save you time in calculating the return on investment and evaluating potential future cash flows for your income property. Know the potential return and cash flows of your real estate investment! Our Guarantee: All our software products have a 10-day money back guarantee! Real Estate Analysis Software Programs for successful Real Estate Investors. All Rights Reserved Option Analysis LLC

Investment Property Ordinarily, when

How to Do a Tax-Deferred Exchange on Investment Property - eHow.com Clear Instructions on How To Do (just about) Everything Web eHow.com Home Finance & Business Center Taxes How to Do a Tax-Deferred Exchange on Investment Property Ordinarily, when you sell property for a profit and receive cash, the taxman is there to take his cut. A 1031 tax-deferred exchange on investment property allows you to roll over the gain from the sale of one investment property into another investment property without being taxed. (Note that this opportunity is available only on investment and income property - not on a personal residence.) Steps: 1. First, understand three basic rules: 1) The purchase price of the replacement property must be equal to or greater than the net sale price of the property you're relinquishing; 2)All cash or other proceeds received from the sale of the relinquished property must be used to acquire the replacement property; and 3) The properties must be of "like-kind," which means they must be the same type of property - must be, for example, property held for productive use in a trade or business or property held for investment. 2. Select an exchange facilitator to handle paperwork and to receive the funds from the proceeds of the sale. 3. Sell your investment property to a buyer; you must inform the buyer that you are doing a tax-deferred exchange. 4. Identify a replacement property within 45 days of the close of escrow or the date you transfer title of the investment property you relinquished. The address of the new property must be written down, signed by you and received by the intermediary or exchange facilitator within this 45-day period. (Failure to meet the identification requirements will make the sale of the relinquished property a taxable event.) 5. Acquire the identified replacement property within 180 days of the close of escrow or transfer of title of the investment property you relinquished. When you purchase this replacement property, you must make the seller aware that you are doing a tax-deferred exchange. Tips: When you are looking for a property to acquire, you may identify up to three properties of any value; one or more of these must be acquired. One property may be exchanged for several, or several properties may be exchanged for one. Unimproved real property held for investment qualifies for this type of exchange. Warnings: It's important to carefully plan the exchange with the assistance of an experienced and competent intermediary, preferably one who is completely familiar with the tax code in general as well as Section 1031. You, as the investor, may never receive or have access to proceeds from the sale of the relinquished property. 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: Invest in Rental Property Pay Taxes on Your Rental Home Get Tax-Free Profit From Your Rental Home Calculate the Tax Savings of Owning a Home Things You'll Need: calculators personal financial software real estate attorneys 1031-exchange facilitators Project Details: Skill Advisory: Moderately challenging New! -- Related eHows: Invest in Rental Property Pay Taxes on Your Rental Home Get Tax-Free Profit From Your Rental Home Calculate the Tax Savings of Owning a Home 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 .