What is Private Money?

If you think that banks, credit unions, and mortgage companies are the only sources of funds for your investment properties, think again. There are a lot of ways to get the money to buy investment properties without having the need ask banks for help. One of these methods is acquiring private money.

As the name implies, private money refers to the funds being provided by private individuals or organizations. It is somewhat similar to hard money loans in a sense that their lenders are not concerned about a borrower’s credit history. Unlike the financing provided by banks and other traditional lenders, this particular type of loan is considered flexible by many borrowers as there are no definite rules or terms when it comes to private lending.

One of the advantages of securing financing from private money lenders is that a borrower doesn’t have to undergo credit checks. In addition, borrowing from these people doesn’t usually reflect on your credit report. And because terms can be flexible, there are times that you can get unlimited funds from these private lenders.

In addition, these non-traditional lenders can act quickly and process a loan application in a flash since they don’t have to scrutinize lengthy documents or hold a meeting with a board of directors. This can be quite beneficial to a real estate investor since he can easily obtain the funds he needs to buy real estate. In addition, he doesn’t have to wait weeks or months just to find out the results of his loan application, unlike when he asks banks for financial assistance.

Finding lenders of private money is also relatively easier. They can be your neighbor, your friends, or your family and relatives. You will be amazed to know that there are many people who might be willing to lend you thousands of dollars with 8% to 10% interstate rates.

To obtain private money, however, you have to convince the financier that the collateral for the loan, which is the property you want to rehab or flip, has a higher value than the loan amount. In addition, you have to make sure that the title is clear and that the property can be sold easily.…

Real Estate, An Investment

Real Estates are popular investments for most people. However before any investment is made, it is important to first research and study what you are planning to invest on. Possible sources on where to find investment properties are in multiple listing services, commercial information exchange, real estate agents, bank real estate-owned departments and public agencies, public auctions and private sales. These assets are comparatively more expensive than other forms of investments such as stocks and funds. Seldom are instances where a investor pays the total amount or price of the property in cash, so available financial terms or debts such as mortgage loans are used to finance the investment, where the collateral is the property itself. There are three possible types of real estates, residential and commercial.

Properties considered as residential are those that people could dwell and live in, such as single-family homes, multi-family houses, duplexes, condominiums, townhouse and apartment buildings. This also encompasses portable dwellings like boats, mobile house and houseboats. It s reasonable enough for investors to choose this type of real estate since a house or a home is one of our basic needs. No doubt everybody needs a adequate place to live and there is a great demand for more housing properties. Residential Properties usually have less costs and price. There are many banks and lenders who can help provide financing on this real estate type. From the view of these banks and financial services, should there be failure in re-paying the mortgages, they can easily get their money back since other investors are ready to buy the foreclosed property.

Residential properties have their own disadvantages as well. Housing estates need to be managed and maintained regularly. There is likely more repairs to be done which means additional outflow of cash. If the property is used as a form on income through leasing and no tenants are renting it, then there will be no income.

Whereas Commercial properties are places where business dealings and activities are held such as office buildings, industrial complexes, shopping centers/malls, stores and warehouses. Commercial real estates usually have higher rate of return than residential properties. There is consistent income and stability in the investment since there are long term leases offered. Tenants usually fix any damage and repairs on their own. Commercial property owners could have steady income as the value of the property increases. While the disadvantages of commercial real estates include: loans which are hard to obtain and a large amount of money is required up front, commercial spaces are often difficult to lease and can sometime remain vacant for long periods of time.

To cap it off, commercial properties are usually valued depending on the income calculation whilst residential properties make use of comparable properties for a possible approximation.

The investor should understand that whether it is a residential or commercial property, there are always risks involved. So it is important to take time in researching the property and give extra effort in …

Why Lead Generation Services Work

It’s been said that in the world of real estate marketing you will find no viable shortcuts. The way that you will achieve success in this area will be with your own sweat and hard work. That statement is true, but there are ways in which you can get a head start in real estate sales or consulting.

It’s easy to permit yourself to slide and to not give any real thought or financial investment to your long term success, to ride along in the leads of friends, family and other contacts. The reality is that this is not the road to long term success.

If you are ready for a very significant change in your business, and a long term and sustainable upswing to your sales, the answer may be a lead generation service.

Lead generation services are those services which offer you the opportunity to get solid and reliable real estate leads which are delivered to you–sometimes in real time– and you can strike, as they say, while the iron is hot. Lead generation services offer you the means to get the phone calls or emails directly to you or even sent to your telephone or cell phone if you so desire. You are able to change where those calls or emails will go on a daily basis so that whether you’re using your iPhone or your iPad, you will be able to get your leads and answer their questions or calls.

Some services take the service just a step further and offer a service with a difference. You will be able to not only receive phone calls and emails which are delivered in a timely way, but also to make audio recordings which offer a tour of the home using your own voice when you are not able to take a call.

Being able to answer the questions of your prospective client even when you’re not available to know what those questions are is a service that is simply invaluable. If you’re not there to help with the questions or answers, you’re unable to give the tour, your competitors will be able to do so. Using lead generation services which offer other kinds of services as well will put you out in front of your competition in the real estate business.…

Tips to Increase the Value of Your Home

Selling your home at a profit can be quite a problem. For one thing, its value may have already decreased overtime; this may be due to ordinary wear and tear or inevitable accidents. For whatever the reason, you may find yourself stumped in trying to find ways to sell your home for more than its actual value. All is not lost however; there are simple and inexpensive ways to help you spruce up your house to make it seem more valuable than it actually is.

First, consider the upkeep and cleanliness of your house. Check out your yard. If there are bushes that need trimming or grass that need cutting, go ahead and work it. Mow the lawn, mulch the flowerbed and add a little landscaping if you can. Gardening chores maybe hard work but it won’t cost you a thing. Potential buyers will see your front yard first and get their first impression of your house from there. So spruce up the front and event the backyard. After your done outside, its time to check the inside of your house. Dust tables and shelves, vacuum the carpet, clean the bathrooms, wash the windows and walls, and make sure you get rid of all the clutter. What your home looks like on the inside is just as important as how it looks on the outside. It would also help if you put on fresh table linens, curtains and fluff up the cushions. Don’t forget to dispose of the trash properly, both inside and outside the house.

Once you are done with simple house chores, you should try doing some simple house repairs. It doesn’t have to involve a major remodel of your house. All you need to do is a couple of do-it-yourself fixer uppers. Repairs such as tightening the kitchens sinks, fixing door knobs, replacing old light bulbs, repairing windows and the like can be done with a little extra time and your own tool box. If you can, you might think about applying a fresh coat of paint to cover some walls in the house or re-varnishing some of the furniture. With enough skill, you can also refinish old cabinets and shelves or re-upholster some of your furniture. But again, this doesn’t have to cost you too much. All you need is some effort and patience to do these tasks. If you are too lazy to do any of the work though, do not feel bad about signing a contractor’s service forms to have them do the work.

However, adding some things to your home can also increase its value. Installing new lights might give your house a brighter more modern look. Getting a new carpet or new piece of furniture might spruce up a room and make it more charming and appealing to potential buyers. By following these tips, you will feel comfortable asking for a higher sales price in your real estate legal forms.…

Speculate Vs Control, Choose to Control Your Success in Real Estate Investing

 A crucial concept to understand is that we do not have control over the value of real estate. There are so many economic and market indicators that effect value. So what is an investor to do? Easy, instead of speculate, control your profitability and probability of success with your investments. You can make money anywhere and in any market with real estate. Some areas or market conditions make things much more difficult but you can and will always be able to control how you buy. Here are things you can do that can not only increase your success but you have control.

Buy at deep discounts off market value rather than at or close to market value – 70% LTV max meaning a property worth 100K you want to purchase for 70K max which includes repairs.

Buy a property that has strong positive cash flow – In many markets you can find properties where the rents are 1.5X or even double PITI, Payment+Tax+Insurance. $200 positive cashflow may not be enough to cover maintenance, property management, vacancy or surprises. And always make sure you have reserves to cover for these items.

Buy in a good area with strong demand from renters and/or homebuyers – Warzone properties look so great when priced so cheap. Well they are priced so cheap because there is such a huge supply and no demand. That is a recipe for disaster. Find the diamond in the rough in the areas that have strong demand from buyers and renters and do not have an oversupply of homes.

Do deals with multiple exit strategies rather than limited by one – Tremendous equity and cash flow results in the ability to flip, wholesale, sell to an investor, refinance, lease option, buy and hold, etc. Multiple exit strategies afford you the ability to make mistakes and run into surprises and still profit.

Buy because the numbers make sense thus making an informed business decision rather then buy based on emotions – Too many investors fall in love with the deal. This is a business, not the home you are going to live in. The numbers have to make sense or it is not worth the risk.

For more Free articles, Guides and information visit us at . Check out some of the example deals we have on Current and Past Deals.…

How to Take More Real Estate Listings In Any Market

It can feel overwhelming when you first decide that you want to take more listings. Regardless of economic challenges you will always find competition when targeting sellers to list their home. For many agents getting to 1-2 listings a month never happens. They provide the excuse of “that’s just sales” or “hey it’s feast or famine”. Instead of approaching the business like every other agent and struggling to take 1-2 listings monthly I invite you to consider a different approach.

Before diving in to making calls, sending letters, door knocking, or even setting up a new website, consider what your overall real estate marketing approach. To help you start in the right direction consider asking yourself the following questions.

What is my marketing personality?

Have I tried any seller marketing in the past with some success?

What can I put into action daily that will bring me leads?

What am I willing to pay to get a single listing? (consider having a rule such as 7% of your gross commission)

How can I make it easy to track my results?

How long will I stick with a marketing program before I make a change or cut it entirely?

How can I develop systems that will have automatic follow up to compliment my active marketing?

Before launching any marketing where you want to take more listings consider answering the above questions. Once you have the answers to those questions then you can put a marketing system into action. To take a serious volume of listings (30 or more a month) will require a minimum of 4 systems working for you all of the time. Most real estate professionals run one, referrals, which will tram them in survival mode.

Although each system can be different depending on your personality, consider a minimum of the following rules as you create your system.

Consistency – What can you have done daily (or do yourself) that will run your marketing? Can you send out postcards each day? Can you send out emails to prospects daily? Can you write an article? To bring in consistent leads requires consistent action. Have a system that allows you to put marketing into action each day of the week.

Active Marketing – While it would be nice to send out a few postcards or emails and wait for listings to come to you, that isn’t realistic. Part of your system should involve phone calls. You can call off of those who have requested information, the key is to set time aside each morning to call AND… you better call every morning.

When you can answer tough questions and create a real estate marketing system that has consistency and active marketing you will be on your way to taking 30+ listings monthly.

Get my power-packed free Real Estate marketing book today and start taking more listings now.…

Mortgage Fraud Schemes and Ways To Avoid Them

A big reason why our economy is in such bad shape is because of fraudulent transactions related to real estate industry. Borrowers provided misleading information while other real estate professionals made arrangements to gain money from lenders.

Any party can commit mortgage fraud in the real estate industry, the buyer, the seller and the professionals. A buyer can be held liable for this when providing wrong information to the lender. This can be related to employment income. Aside from giving wrong information, the borrower may also be liable if he fails to disclose important information related like kickbacks from the seller or other deals that earns him money. A silent second mortgage is also a form of fraud. Here, the buyer uses money from the seller to pay for the down payment. He acquires a second loan to pay for the seller without informing the lender.

Real estate professionals can also create a scheme that results to fraud. Here, the lender loses. The common type of fraud they make is the fraudulent appraisal. Here, a professional appraiser is part of a group of professionals to complete the act. Instead of stating the real value of the property, he doubles it so that the consumer can borrow a bigger amount. In most cases, this is accompanied by an air loan, wherein there is no real borrower and all information is fabricated. This means that no one pays the mortgage and lender loses the money.

You can avoid this. It is essential that you avoid this at all times because this will cause you a lot of troubles. This will hurt both your reputation and you finances. Here are some of the ways on how you can avoid this:

1. Be informed. Familiarize the essential information related to the purchase of a house. Do not do anything that you suspect is wrong even if your agent says that it is not a big deal. Remember, that the law will hold you reliable for wrong information provided. Work with a trusted lawyer or an agent with good credentials to ensure that you will not encounter any problems.

2. Do not sign documents unless you have read and understood them. Do not hesitate to ask questions regarding items you do not understand. If the information stated in the document is wrong, do not sign it. Bear in mind that signing the documents represents your agreement to the information it contains.

3. Do not make arrangements with sellers or real estate professionals that are not disclosed with the lender, especially those that involve money and kickbacks. Do not agree to this even if they claim that this is all right. You can be held liable for these acts. If you suspect fraud, consult a lawyer right away.

You may have earned while participating in mortgage fraud. However, everyone loses here. Our economy is in such bad condition because of these schemes. This will translate to unemployment, foreclosure …

3 Successful Real Estate Lead Generation Practices

Realtors depend on leads to make sales, and without them no real estate agent will have a successful career. It can be difficult to find leads on your own, which is why there are a number of real estate lead generation services that cater to agents looking to make contacts. Many of the common strategies still require you to make connections and meet people, but there are also newer strategies that take advantage of technology and the Internet to help you accrue a number of potential clients

Networking

This is one of the oldest methods of real estate lead generation. It can be anything from contacting past clients and finding out if they know anyone who could use your services to attending a realtor’s expo and meeting a variety of people in the industry. You can also go door-to-door, though that method has slowly lost popularity since the hazards of walking up to a strange home outweigh the positive aspects of gaining a client. One of the newer ways to network is called social networking. This involves building up an online presence and keeping your name out in front of various Internet users. From social sites to website bookmarking, social networking involves starting relationships with people you don’t know online and figuring out how to turn them or the people they know into customers. One way to do this is to publish a monthly newsletter that people can sign up for. Every email address you get is a possible lead. Every fan or follower you get on a social networking site is also a possible lead. While you want to focus on quality and not just quantity, it helps to get as many names as possible so you can start weeding out the prospects.

Call Capture Services

This real estate lead generation strategy connects you with serious buyers or sellers who have contacted you to inquire about your services. Whether looking to find out more about a property or ask you questions about selling, the client’s name and number is captured by the service and sent to you directly. This way, if they don’t leave a message or asked to be transferred over to your business line, you can call them back and follow up on the lead. These leads are more promising than blind leads because you know that the client is already interested.

Lead Sheets

Another type of available service is a lead sheet. These sheets are generated by a company and then sold to agents. There are no guarantees when using a lead sheet, and there are no refunds if none of the leads are good ones. Often, these sheets are compiled using expired listings or the names of for sale by owner listings. They shouldn’t be relied on as the sole source of leads, but used in conjunction with other real estate lead generation services.…