Archive for June, 2009

by Erin Cureton

Buying Realtor

In order to get the best deals on the market, you need to have a Realtor who is familiar with the foreclosure market. They work directly for one or multiple banks in the area that are trying to sell distressed homes. These Realtors can give you advice on the market, advice on how to bid for a property, and they often have connections with a Loan Officer who can get you financed in today's market. Ask for referrals from people who buy or sell homes.

Mortgage Professional

I do not endorse any lender over another, but I do get financing from Wells Fargo and Countrywide, two of the largest mortgage lenders. Your mortgage broker must be up to date with the change in the market. Many times the mortgage professional at larger lending institutions will be more capable of adjusting to this market and the changing needs of it. You need a mortgage professional who will be honest with you and work quickly for you. Today's mortgage market is different than it was 1 month ago, 5 months ago, 1 year ago.

Selling Realtor

If you get the right buying Realtor, they won't have time to sell your home. They are too busy with their bank contracts. You need a selling agent that is well versed in your city, or even in your neighborhood. The key is to find an agent who is honest with you to price your home correctly to ensure a sale. Time is money when you are flipping a house. Price it wrong and you could carry a property months longer than you should. Mortgage, taxes and utility payments can easily run into the thousands of dollars and cost you time gong towards your next project.

Home Inspector

Sounds simple enough, but if you don't get this right it can cost you dearly. Imagine buying a house without running radon tests or asbestos tests, only to find out months and tens of thousands of dollars later that you can't sell because the beautifully remodeled home is contaminated. It happens. Choosing the right home inspector can save you time and money. Also, if you pay attention to the home inspector reports, you will learn what to look for when you first visit a house. The key to choosing a home inspector is to make sure they hold certifications and can check your investment for mold, radon, lead paint, and asbestos.

Contractor

They will help you with cost controls. Holes in dry wall are easy to repair sometime for less than 100 dollars. While this looks bad and me keep the house from selling it is an easy fix. As the investor, a lot of what you need to know to buy wisely is learned by working with your contractor. The contractor controls the pace of work. The contractor also spends your money for you. They help you to develop and adhere to a budget.

Suppliers

You can save a lot of money buying wholesale. Typically you can find a wholesaler through an internet search or in the phone book under Building Supplies - Wholesale. To get an account, you need a company name, a credit card and a bank account, that's it. Don't buy retail! Home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes charges 20-40% markups for nearly every product on their shelves.

CPA

Now is not the time to buy TurboTax or do your own 1040EZ. In fact the 1040 will never be EZ again. You have profit and loss from outside of your normal job. You will need the help and experience of a CPA who is familiar with real estate investing. Also, don't wait until tax time to find your CPA. Find one early, interview them and get their advice months ahead of time. This will make the tax season a whole lot easier and less stressful.

Attorney

If you buy a commercial building a real estate attorney is a must. Not always an essential member of the real estate team, a real estate attorney can help you avoid some land mines as you grow your business. They can help you decide whether you should incorporate, form an LLC or go it alone as a sole proprietor.

Insurance Agent

Are you covered in case of loss from fire, flood, theft, or injured workers/ tenants. If your policy leaves you exposed in any one of these major areas, your work could all be done for nothing. An agent you know and trust will help you sleep better at night.

Friends & Family

Friends and family: two of the greatest words in the home renovation language. They will often offer you hours of unsolicited advice (often good advice) and hours of free labor. Jobs like light demolition, painting, cleanup and many yard projects can be handled by anyone who owns a home. Therefore if you have friends and family you have a light work crew. If you feed them well, provide a frosty beverage or two, and don't overwork them, the friends and family work crew will have fun, make your job more fun and most importantly work for free.

About the Author:

Erin Cureton is the managing partner of Cureton Property Alliance. Erin Recommends A & I Health Solutions for Mold Removal and asbestos Ohio Also consider sewer lining to reduce costs. Advertising by Advertising Agencies

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by Marty Chavez

Just turn on the TV or pick up a paper and it's nothing but gloom and doom. Rising unemployment, sinking property values, foreclosure rates skyrocketing, banks going bust, poor earnings by just about every company and the list goes on. Investors are scrambling to find a place to put their money that's safe and provides a decent return. Not an easy job in today's economy.

Real estate investing may be the the answer for investors are looking for. But what are the things needed to get started in this kind of investment opportunity? It's fairly simple but requires some work.

First, you need to be able to quantify the risk associated with a particular property. Real estate is an investment that doesn't only involve a small amount of money but the returns can be equally impressive! This is the reason why it pays to have substantial knowledge when it comes to real estate investment.

How to invest in real estate should also provide you a panoramic view and detail of your investment payments. After a careful perusal and background check of the type of investment you want to get on, it is best that you determine modes of payments such as, private financing, mortgage, loans and the like.

Always use contracts, no handshakes or word of mouth. A lot of people fail on a particular investment because they've fallen short on jotting down plans. When you plan for something especially if it's an investment that is as big as real estate, every step you carry out should be well conformed in your written plan.

How to invest in real estate likewise entails dealing with a trusted and reliable property developer. One that is mindful of the basic principles providing accessible home environments, high quality home and one that forges a legacy of providing families with cost efficient yet high standard shelters.

Make sure you do your homework before making a commitment to an investment. With so much money on the line there are a lot of crooks out there just waiting to sell you some Florida Swampland.

In conclusion, you need to consult legal assistance since you're dealing with a serious matter that greatly involves serious money. Asking a legal counsel to shed some light concerning real estate governing laws is deemed as one of the most excellent steps to formulate.

About the Author:

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