Is Your Real Estate Agent Too Old?

The Wall Street Journal ran a story indicating that while buyers are getting younger, the real estate agents that serve them are getting older. There seems to be an age gap. The average first time homebuyer in 2007 was 39, with almost half of those falling between the ages of 25 and 34; the average age of Realtors is 51.

The story goes on to say: “The Globe points out that Gen X and Gen Y buyers don’t want the hand-holding of the typical agent/home-buyer relationship. Many of these consumers prefer to do their own house hunting and research online, and some are skipping buyer agents all together to complete the entire home search and home purchase on their own.”

Well, skipping the use of a real estate agent buyer may sound good, until you consider that you could end up overpaying for the home you buy, or you may in fact have missed the home of your dreams simply because it was not actively marketed. The question becomes how to find a good real estate agent.

Read about the benefits of using a Real Estate Agent Buyer.

How to find a good real estate agent:

And then, consider that this service is provided to you AT NO why wouldn’t you use it? Just as you probably use a professional to prepare your taxes, prepare legal documents and contracts, clean your teeth, or perform surgery, using an agent to assist you with your home purchase is just plain smart! An agent is bound by their fiduciary duties, but if the agent is representing both sides, then there is always the chance that you will come up money was left on the table. Why not have someone to represent you exclusively?

As for the age , I have to admit that living in South Orange County and enjoying the lifestyle that Laguna Beach and the surrounding cities provide, does keep you young – both mentally and physically.

Prevention magazine recently ran a story which listed the signs that you will live to be a hundred. Their research showed, in part, that if you’re the life of the party, felt 13 years younger than you are, run for 40 minutes a day, embrace technology and don’t could enjoy decades of quality life.

And if that doesn’t work then hey, this IS Orange County…there is always Botox!

But seriously, buyers today are smart no matter what age they are. I have clients of all ages who come to me prepared to spend several million on a home – they don’t get to that point without some sort of saavy.

When it comes right down to it, purchasing your home is a big investment and buyers of all ages and price points deserve to have a qualified, experienced real estate agent buyer professional and dynamic realtor team to represent them.

Your money knows no age.…

Vero Beach Homes For Sale

If you’re looking for Vero Beach homes for sale, then you are looking for some of the most desirable, beautiful and top-quality property in the state of Florida. These home for sale are just as beautiful as homes in West Palm or Miami, without being quite as expensive. They all have amazing ocean-front areas, but Vero Beach is one of the best areas that allows you close access to some of the most beautiful tropical property in the state. If you’re looking for Vero Beach homes for sale, you will certainly find them, especially since these are homes that are in high demand while being offered for sale and rent quite often.

For many listings of homes for sale, you’ll find that homes and lots will cost you a pretty penny, but they are worth it for their desirable location. You can buy an undeveloped lot on either the river-front, waterfront, ocean-front, or even private communities or near the golf courses. If you want an actual home, single-family homes are not too hard to come by in all those areas, costing somewhere between two hundred thousand to 3 million dollars depending on the area.

Because of their fairly high price already, it is certainly suggested that you avoid real estate agents, who are interested in up selling for a profit, while you want to get the best value for the property you are buying. Look for Vero Beach homes for sale by owner, as you’ll actually get a better deal. If you escape the real estate agents, these homes are going to be more affordable. You will have a good repertoire with the owner and will have more chances to actually ask questions about the home.

Located in Indian River County, Vero is an optimal area to live. There is a great deal of tourism in the area as well, mainly from the fact that this is part of the amazing Treasure Coast of Florida. This makes for astounding beaches with amazing sand quality, so when you find Vero Beach homes for sale by owner, you can find optimal beach-front property. With walkways, beaches and amazing surf, Vero itself is an area in high-demand. You will have amazing attractions at your disposal when looking for real estate in this area of Florida.

Vero Beach homes for sale by owner are some of the most affordable and sought-after homes in the area. An area of high-quality and of exquisite landscape, you really can’t go wrong by looking into. From schools to tourist attractions to even the historical aspect of the beach, whatever your interests, finding one of the Vero Beach condos for sale is going to certainly help.…

How Can a Landscape Contractor Help You Succeed in Real Estate Business?

A landscape contractor is someone who is responsible in providing you with everything that you need on your landscape to increase the value of a property that you have. Say, you purchased a property with a ruined landscape, a landscape contractor will help you determine the things that should be done in order to make it look beautiful and to increase its overall value. In this article, we will be discussing more about how these contractors can help you succeed, and why are they very important for you.

By hiring a landscape contractor, you will be able to save yourself from all the troubles that are associated with maintaining the perfect condition of your landscape. There are contractors who are offering monthly services, which mean that they will be responsible in taking care of your property without even contacting them. They will be visiting your property every week and will try to figure out how they can improve your landscape. After this, they will be telling you the things that they need, and after settling the fee, they will be starting to renovate your landscape to increase its value.

If you are in real estate business, you can easily monetize all your properties with the help of a landscape contractor. Buy properties with ruined landscapes and hire them to fix everything for you. It has been said that a great landscape can increase the overall value of a property by two fold, giving you better profits for your property. The best thing about it is that property landscaping won’t cost a lot of money, and you don’t even have to spend a lot of time on it with the help of a contractor.

If you were able to find a top-notch landscape contractor, they will even work on your property without charging anything for as long as you will be purchasing everything that you need from their shop. This will help you save more money, and will make your business more profitable. Just make sure that you are going to deal with qualified contractors to be sure that you will get the best quality service possible.

Keep in mind that a landscape may not be important for some people, but there are some who will be spending thousands of dollars just to have a great landscape. So if you have enough cash in your pocket, one of the best investments that you can make for your property is by hiring a landscape contractor.…

Steps to Take For A Quick Property Sale

Financial emergencies can arise at any point in life, and if these are big-ticket items, many people need to consider selling their home quickly. Outside of the financial emergencies, many people who are moving out of the city or country are in a hurry and want to sell their property without wasting any time. Well, it does not matter what the reason might be behind you selling your property quickly, but what matters is making sure that you do not make the mistake of selling it cheaper than it is worth. Here are some steps to take for quick property sales.

What does a person do when he or she wants to sell property quickly? Simple, advertising and taking assistance from a real estate agent two of the most important steps to take.

Today there are so many ways of advertising. There used to be a time when we would only see ads in newspapers, then came a time when TV commercials started showing, then we had internet take over the medium of advertisement, and now you still even receive phone calls for advertisers marketing various products or services. Well, what I am saying here is that in advertising for a property sale, you have plenty of options, and it can reach a lot more people in a shorter amount of time.

Although considered by some to be old and traditional, newspapers have still not lost their importance, so you cannot overlook that newspaper real estate sales section. Therefore, contact a couple of newspapers that are the most reputable ones in your area —- multiple newspapers will cost you more, but will allow you to reach a broader target audience.

Several people these days consider producing a quick TV commercial about their property for sale; it’s not cost effective for national channels, but the local stations often allow moderately priced time slots.

Nowadays, you of course can’t overlook the power of the internet. Get your property listed in the MLS databases, as well as consider establishing a website for just your home. Websites are becoming a necessity, both for the information they provide as well as the credibility factor that having a website conveys.

Lastly, solicit the help of a couple of real estate agents who will know some customers who are currently in the market for a home —– these realtors can help get your property sold in a speedy timeframe. The best realtors in an area work on both the buy-side and sell-side, and seem to always have people ready for buying homes. A good realtor can help save time, and ensure your property will be sold at a reasonable price.…

Good Property Portfolio For Your Real Estate Business Expansion

Being a property investor, you should know how essential it is to have a property portfolio. This can be your tool to gather more contacts and potential property buyers. With all the good information that you have in your portfolio, your clients will have no reason why they shouldn’t buy or rent your property.

Once you have a detailed and accurate property portfolio, you will be ahead over your competitors. If you want to expand your property list in your portfolio, it is a must that you have huge capital for investing. Aside from your personal savings, you can also go for other capital options like borrowing money from friends, getting credit cards with minimal interest rate or by going for a mortgage property loan. You can choose which ones will work for you.

If you want to expand your real estate investment, you can buy properties in different areas of the world with good and profitable properties like in UK. Also, it’s important to expand your target market. You can go for properties that will be catered to students, to nurses, to teachers and to other professionals.

If you will develop your real estate portfolio, make sure to provide specific and accurate details about the property that you own. You have to put there the building type in your property, if it’s fully furnished or not, and what are the other amenities that your clients can enjoy in your property to ensure their comfort and proper accommodation.

The place where the property is located is also very vital in this business. You must be sure that the property is located near the church, market, school, offices and other establishments that can be very helpful to your clients. You must provide them with a guarantee that they can live an easy and convenient life. If you have all of these information in your portfolio, your clients will be delighted to stay in your property.

The tips above are just the basic information that you can have in your property portfolio. You can make it more enticing by adding other important and attractive information to encourage your clients to visit and stay in your property.…

Ways of Acquiring Foreclosures Homes For Sale

Several options are available to buyers of foreclosures homes for sale. A buyer should decide whether to acquire a property from an auction, negotiate with a bank on an REO purchase or deal directly with the home owner to buy a particular house. In all types of transactions, understanding the pros and cons of each is important to make sure that the buyer gets the best deal that he can possibly get.

Why Go Through Auction Bidding?

Buying a house from an auction offers the advantage of a quick, no-nonsense acquisition. The moment the buyer is declared the winner, he will have no reason to fear that other offers, even better ones, will be entertained. As long as he can close the transaction at the predetermined closing date, he will have no trouble taking over the property.

The negative side of auction is that a lot of cash is needed before a buyer can even join the bidding war at the auction house. Some states require the full maximum bid amount before they even allow a buyer to bid on any of the foreclosures homes for sale, while other areas only require the down payment or ten percent of the full purchase price. In both cases, cash or cashier’s checks are the only accepted modes of payment.

Are REO Deals for You?

Buying a real estate owned house or a bank foreclosure offers the benefit of dealing directly with the bank that owns the property. Transactions are usually straightforward and secure in such a way that REO properties do not carry liens or unpaid obligations left by previous owners.

One of the negatives is the possibility of getting a house that requires a lot of money to repair. That is why REO buyers are advised to conduct a thorough inspection of the properties prior to making an offer. Another negative is that bank transactions can take weeks or even months to complete. This means that buyers of foreclosures homes for sale by banks will not be able to move in immediately and must wait for a certain period of time before they can legally claim the property as their own.…

Real Estate Market Two Ways

Every home search is not created equally. Each search will involve at least two of the three known players in real estate. They are the seller, the lender, and the buyer. Their levels of involvement focus on clear ownership and achievement of their best price. These individuals or entities are only limited by their amount of leverage in the sale. This is further clarified by the two states of the real estate market. On one hand, leverage can be in the seller’s hands during a period classified as a seller’s market. The sellers are able to, within range of other competitive homes, set their home’s value according to its size (lot and usable square feet), how much they paid for it, and how much they’ve invested in it.

On the other hand, leverage can be in the buyer’s hands during a period classified as a buyer’s market. This is when buyers inadvertently drive down prices when they are focusing on lower priced homes and letting expensive homes sit on the market until sellers have to readjust their asking price. Sellers know that the longer a house is on the market, the less attractive it is to buyers and the less attention it will receive. So sellers typically like it when they are in control of the negotiations in real estate. But, buyers have their turn at the wheel in the housing market. That is to say, when the economy is in recovery, as it is today, the value of homes have plummeted in some areas so homeowners can no longer justify high asking prices. Property value plummets collectively in the housing marking. And buyers are getting into their dream homes at rock bottom prices these days.

The real estate market, however, remains competitive because of the diversity in the effects of the current economy, amongst other factors. There are some individuals and families who have sustained their incomes, their credit, and their investments. As sellers, they can wait for the market to improve in their favor before selling a home. As buyers, they can take their time searching for their ideal lot size, landscape, and home layout. They can do this because they have the down payment and credit availability to make the purchase of their intentions and not of the state of the market. That is the nature of real estate, respective to but during any state of the economy.…

History of Bay Harbor Islands

One might be surprised at the origin of the Bay Harbor Islands. Did you know that the beautiful island was once a sand-bar in Biscayne Bay? Shepard Broad was the mastermind of the Town of Bay Harbor Islands. He came here in 1920 from Russia at the tender age of 14. Broad bought two swamp islands in 1945 that were located in the middle of the beach’s barrier island and North Miami. At the time, no one could imagine what these swamp lands would become. But, Shepard Broad had an idea and a mission for the islands. He would not let the idea go because he knew how wonderful the islands could be if just a little time and effort would be given to them.

Broad used his own money to fill in the islands. He also used down payments from the sale of the lots to help bring Bay Harbor to life. Later he joined with Benjamin Kane as a joint venture to continue growing the area. The main street through town is named after Benjamin Kane. It’s interesting that Broad does not have a street named after him even though it was his original idea to form the islands.

Two years later, Bay Harbor Island was incorporated as a town and the rest is history. Broad knew that he could do so much more with the sand-bar that he purchased for a small amount. Little did he know that it would turn into the beautiful town that we see today. The first building permit was approved until 1947. Four years later the town had 550 citizens and 46 homes. Most of the people who moved there were looking to find something new. They didn’t mind taking the chance on a new opportunity and got a good price along the way.

Today that number is a staggering 5,100. The west portion of the island continues to be only single family homes. East Island contains multiple family dwellings and a small business district. The business district houses most of the items needed for the residents, but there became a need to have a connection to Miami that wasn’t via boat. The island is now joined to the northern part of Dade County by the Broad Causeway that began in 1951.

Shepard Broad continued to live in his home on Bay Harbor Islands until his death in 2001. He was 95 years of age.…

Pluses and Minuses Involved In Buying A HUD Owned Home

You must fully understand these in order to be capable of making an appropriate selection for you personally.

Positives: Points In Favor Of buying a HUD Home

1. A property condition report is provided for you.

All HUD Homes come with a property condition report (PCR). These inspection reports are good for 6 months and are provided by an FHA approved inspector designated by the Marketing & Management company assigned to your state.

2. Appraisals

Another good basis for buying a HUD is the appraisals are provided for you and are good for 6 months. This offers the extra benefit when using an FHA approved loan as the lender is required to use this FHA appraisal so long as it is not older than 6 months. This eliminates incurring the additional cost of an appraisal that most lender require. One that you, the buyer, has to pay for.

3. HUD will pay up to 3% of purchase price towards buyers closing costs.

With all loans there will be closing costs.. Knowing HUD will allocate these funds to your closing is important since most buyers purchasing a HoH are typically first time home buyers and may not be aware of this.. If you take this into consideration, then it makes sense to buy.

The points above show some of the positive aspects of buying a HUD. There is also a negative side. Let me go over a few of the downsides.

Potential Drawbacks When Buying

1. Your agent may not be authorized by HUD as an Approved Agent/Broker.

Whenever you are buying, it is important that your agent is a an approved agent/broker. Most agents are not authorized as an approved agent/broker. Choosing an inexperienced agent is undoubtedly a bad thing. It could be the main reason you are unable to get your offer accepted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

2. Simple Contracts Can Be Difficult If Your Agent Isn’t Experienced

Department of Housing and Urban Development has an entirely different contract package. Most agents do not know this. The state specific forms mandated by your state are not applicable.

3. In most cases, NO COUNTER OFFERS.

The last reason may want to avoid buying a HUD owned home is in most cases, Department of Housing and Urban Development does not make counter offers.. I strongly advise you to think about this factor seriously. If your agent is unaware of this then he/she may make an offer that is far too low to keep your offer in contention if you opt to buy from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

So that’s that. There are the actual advantages and disadvantages of buying a HUD. So it isn’t what everyone wants and requires. But it really will suit and help many. You should now take into account the points made above and choose if it’s best for you. The info presented should certainly help you to be well …