There are houses that you might be overlooking because they are priced significantly out of your range. However, don't discount these properties immediately. With the help of your Realtor®, you might be able to find an overpriced home and make an offer that will be accepted.
Why do sellers overprice homes? Well, it starts out with wanting the most bang for their equity. It's nicer to believe that one's home can sell for $450,000 instead of $350,000. Also, many sellers are ignorant of what makes homes sell for lower or higher. Maybe the house down the street sold for $50,000 more than what one's house is worth, but maybe it has an extra bedroom, remodeled kitchen or finished basement that bumps up the price.
Another reason is unscrupulous behavior on the part of the agent. If the agent can hang a sign outside a property, they are getting extra exposure. They might pull in more deals through people who call about the original house but end up getting shown another. Or, the agent might think that they can get the seller to drop the price to something more reasonable as the weeks go by. (This is an excellent time to note that one should go with the agent who has the knowledge and the honesty to tell you what your house is worth, not the agent who quotes you the highest selling price!)
Back to the overpriced home. Look above your upper price range and see if there are any properties that fit the definition of "overpriced, not-going-anywhere". If your Realtor knows the neighborhood, they should have a good idea of what homes should go for and whether it's worth putting in a lowball offer. Ask about the DOM (days on market) for the area and see which homes exceed this timeline. If you find a property that appeals to you, it's time to look at an offer.
The seller has to be ready to sell if they are going to accept an offer significantly lower than their listing price. There are sellers who, for whatever reason, put their house up for sale but aren't really ready to sell. They are not about to accept the fact that their house just isn't worth what they think it should be. Don't waste your time trying to convince this seller; they will either sell or they won't and, right now, it's on the 'won't' side.
Some sellers get offended by lowball offers. This is not your problem, but there are some things you can do to smooth the way for your offer and avoid rubbing a seller the wrong way. You can tell your agent to go in person to lay the first offer on the table. Information about the recent sales of comparable homes may also help the sellers see that your offer is not an insult but rather a reasonable figure. Be willing to negotiate with people who are open to lowering the price. Sometimes it takes a fair amount of communication to achieve a great end result.
With a little time spent with your Realtor, searching and evaluating homes, you might luck out on an overpriced one. It doesn't hurt to at least see if the sellers are open to negotiation.
For the tools and information needed to succeed in the Saint Paul real estate market, look no further. Saint-Paul-Real-Estate.com offers valuable information on St.Paul neighborhoods and surrounding communities including North End St Paul real estate.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Barker
Friday, October 10, 2008
Rent Or Sell?
It was a question that once never entered our consciousness - if we wanted to move, of course we would sell up! Now suddenly there are too many variables involved and many of us are asking the question: shall we sell now or shall we rent our house.
Well, one thing is for sure, if you want to buy in a new location, then it is best to - at least - try and sell in the old location so that you can get settled in the new one.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly five and a half thousand Americans are moving every day. Wow! Surely some of them will be moving into your area?
Apart from finding it easier to settle into the new area, another reason to list your home if you are planning to move is this: the area that you will be buying in is experiencing the same housing difficulties as you; therefore so as long as you are selling AND buying you have lost nothing.
This is because selling in a buyer's market means that you may have to settle for a lower price than you hoped for, but buying in the same buyer's market means that you too will be able to negotiate a lower price for your new home.
There are drawbacks to renting your home, although many landlords will not experience them, it is just a question of luck. Luck and careful reference checking! As a renter you are fully aware that you are buying your landlord's home for him/her; the renter has less to lose than you. Another point is that renters do not get tax breaks but home owners do.
One of the biggest single reasons for staying or being a home owner is the tax credit system. Over the years, tax relief will more than balance any loss of equity that you may feel you are taking.
The United States government actually subsidizes you to enable you to pursue the American dream and buy your own home. There are many different types of tax relief that we, as Americans, benefit from.
Both from local taxes and federal taxes there is a choice of tax credits and/or exemption due to mortgage interest payments, homestead exemption, property tax help, private mortgage insurance, capital gains exemption, and points paid on loans.
Many of us save thousands of dollars every year as we levy tax relief against our mortgages, but we forget to add these savings into the formula when we are summing up the advantages or disadvantages of buying a house.
In this 'instant gratification' age, it is almost impossible to believe there will be advantages to home owning in thirty years time when we are older. What are the advantages?
In time, the house will be paid for so there will finally be no mortgage payments and the home may render some equity money via a reverse mortgage for emergency spending money.
However, renters get no emergency spending money and they can never stop paying rent. Unless of course they get notice to leave their home, and as a homeowner, remember, this can never happen to you.
Yes, home ownership may not be the perfect answer, but it beats busking!
PorchLight Real Estate Group combines local market knowledge with cutting edge marketing skills. For more information on Denver CO real estate or to do a search for Arvada real estate, visit us online at PorchLightGroup.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carol_P_Freyer
Well, one thing is for sure, if you want to buy in a new location, then it is best to - at least - try and sell in the old location so that you can get settled in the new one.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly five and a half thousand Americans are moving every day. Wow! Surely some of them will be moving into your area?
Apart from finding it easier to settle into the new area, another reason to list your home if you are planning to move is this: the area that you will be buying in is experiencing the same housing difficulties as you; therefore so as long as you are selling AND buying you have lost nothing.
This is because selling in a buyer's market means that you may have to settle for a lower price than you hoped for, but buying in the same buyer's market means that you too will be able to negotiate a lower price for your new home.
There are drawbacks to renting your home, although many landlords will not experience them, it is just a question of luck. Luck and careful reference checking! As a renter you are fully aware that you are buying your landlord's home for him/her; the renter has less to lose than you. Another point is that renters do not get tax breaks but home owners do.
One of the biggest single reasons for staying or being a home owner is the tax credit system. Over the years, tax relief will more than balance any loss of equity that you may feel you are taking.
The United States government actually subsidizes you to enable you to pursue the American dream and buy your own home. There are many different types of tax relief that we, as Americans, benefit from.
Both from local taxes and federal taxes there is a choice of tax credits and/or exemption due to mortgage interest payments, homestead exemption, property tax help, private mortgage insurance, capital gains exemption, and points paid on loans.
Many of us save thousands of dollars every year as we levy tax relief against our mortgages, but we forget to add these savings into the formula when we are summing up the advantages or disadvantages of buying a house.
In this 'instant gratification' age, it is almost impossible to believe there will be advantages to home owning in thirty years time when we are older. What are the advantages?
In time, the house will be paid for so there will finally be no mortgage payments and the home may render some equity money via a reverse mortgage for emergency spending money.
However, renters get no emergency spending money and they can never stop paying rent. Unless of course they get notice to leave their home, and as a homeowner, remember, this can never happen to you.
Yes, home ownership may not be the perfect answer, but it beats busking!
PorchLight Real Estate Group combines local market knowledge with cutting edge marketing skills. For more information on Denver CO real estate or to do a search for Arvada real estate, visit us online at PorchLightGroup.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carol_P_Freyer
Marble Supply and Construction Providers
Marbles are an important component in real estate construction. Every construction work is imperfect without inclusion of marbles in some most desired portions of buildings. Marble tiles, granite slabs, and other marble components play a very important role in initial decoration of every home, office, residential or commercial property. To get the maximum possible attractive look and feel, one needs to fully utilize the beauty of marbles and other natural stones.
For getting right marble for your construction purposes you need to consult an experienced marble supplier. Not every marble supplier is as experienced as you need. Therefore, before making decision of selecting your marble supplier, take a look at the marble products collection at their store. That will provide you with a fair idea of their reach and expertise in marble product supplies.
Marble suppliers are generally in contact with several marble manufacturers or some of them are marble manufacturer themselves. It's better if you chose a marble manufacturer cum supplier for your all marble needs for construction purposes. It will keep you less worried for timely delivery of marble slabs, granite tiles, and other decorative marble products.
If you do your market research well, you will most probably end up finding a marble manufacturer, supplier as well as a construction consultant providing all kinds of services related to marble products, their installation, and maintenance for a fixed period of time. Marble consultants can help you in choosing the best textured marbles for your flooring needs. Prefer those suppliers who can provide you supplies of all required marble products, so that you don't have to run from one supplier to another supplier in order to get all natural stone products ready to complete timely construction.
Even for interior decoration of your home, office or other commercial properties you need to be in touch with your marble supplier. Your interior designer and marble supplier together can make better home decoration plans. A perfect marble supplier can reduce your interior decoration budget to the minimum by providing you an excellent and magnificent look only by using different color or textured marble collection. By using granite slabs in kitchens and bathrooms you can create a different private ambiance for you inside your home. You can provide a younger environment to the kid's room by using perfect shaded marble tiling and flooring.
All these are just some benefits of contacting an experienced marble supplier. You can even have a better experience by working with them. They can provide you better construction experience only by providing their fruitful suggestions and inputs. So, it's not a bad decision if you have planned to spend some more money on marble products and taking services of a marble construction consultant.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions, bid on your projects, or schedule an appointment to learn more about us. Visit us at: http://www.pacificbedrock.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexender_Smith
For getting right marble for your construction purposes you need to consult an experienced marble supplier. Not every marble supplier is as experienced as you need. Therefore, before making decision of selecting your marble supplier, take a look at the marble products collection at their store. That will provide you with a fair idea of their reach and expertise in marble product supplies.
Marble suppliers are generally in contact with several marble manufacturers or some of them are marble manufacturer themselves. It's better if you chose a marble manufacturer cum supplier for your all marble needs for construction purposes. It will keep you less worried for timely delivery of marble slabs, granite tiles, and other decorative marble products.
If you do your market research well, you will most probably end up finding a marble manufacturer, supplier as well as a construction consultant providing all kinds of services related to marble products, their installation, and maintenance for a fixed period of time. Marble consultants can help you in choosing the best textured marbles for your flooring needs. Prefer those suppliers who can provide you supplies of all required marble products, so that you don't have to run from one supplier to another supplier in order to get all natural stone products ready to complete timely construction.
Even for interior decoration of your home, office or other commercial properties you need to be in touch with your marble supplier. Your interior designer and marble supplier together can make better home decoration plans. A perfect marble supplier can reduce your interior decoration budget to the minimum by providing you an excellent and magnificent look only by using different color or textured marble collection. By using granite slabs in kitchens and bathrooms you can create a different private ambiance for you inside your home. You can provide a younger environment to the kid's room by using perfect shaded marble tiling and flooring.
All these are just some benefits of contacting an experienced marble supplier. You can even have a better experience by working with them. They can provide you better construction experience only by providing their fruitful suggestions and inputs. So, it's not a bad decision if you have planned to spend some more money on marble products and taking services of a marble construction consultant.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions, bid on your projects, or schedule an appointment to learn more about us. Visit us at: http://www.pacificbedrock.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexender_Smith
Real Estate in Louisiana - Baton Rouge is a Great Place to Live
Buying real estate in Baton Rouge is a great decision; the town offers some of the best features and amenities of any city in Louisiana. It has a population of about 220,000 people and it is located about 80 miles northwest of New Orleans. It is also the capital of state and home to all the state government buildings as well as the state's largest university, LSU. Buying into the real estate market in this city allows you a chance at life in fast-paced, historic southern city. A realtor could help you find a good estate in the city.
The Neighbors
Because Baton Rouge is the capital city, it is full of young, single professionals. The town's median age is only about 30 years old and only 36 percent of the total population are married. The inhabitants are also fairly well educated with about half having completed some college. However the city gained more children and senior citizens after the nearby 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster, as people fled the New Orleans area. It has a very healthy mix of diversity compared with the state averages and showcases a variety of cultures.
Only 7.4 percent of the city's residents commute more than 45 minutes to other places for work, and most commuters only drive about 20 minutes to their jobs.
The Highlights
-Baton Rouge is a very temperate city, with weather temperatures ranging from 40 degrees in the winter to about 90 degrees in the summer.
-Homeowners can enjoy nearby sporting events hosted by the local college and professional teams. The LSU Tigers offer a wide variety of sports, and the city is close to the New Orleans Saints (pro football) and the Hornets (pro basketball).
-Baton Rouge has a great zoo with 1800 animals from all around the world.
-The city has plenty of arts and museums. Some of the more well known venues are the Shaw Center for the Arts, the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum, and the Old State Capitol Center for Political and Governmental History.
-Baton Rouge is home to a full-scale amusement park and a water park.
The Real Estate
Real estate in Baton Rouge is a great bargain. The median family income is higher than the state average and home prices are slightly higher too, but they are still extremely affordable compared with the national median home prices. Before Hurricane Katrina, home prices were appreciating at a much higher rate than the national average, and home prices will probably see nice appreciation again in the future after all affects of the Hurricane have all been dealt with. Realtors in the city can help you find a home that is perfect for your needs, whether it be a condo, townhouse, or an existing or brand-new home.
Baton Rouge is a wonderful city with lots of choices available real estate. It has a long, rich history and plenty of arts, sports, and culture. Your realtor can help you spell out your needs and wish list and help you locate the right home in the city for you!
Real Estate in Louisiana Baton Rouge has proved to be a great deal with lots of choices available in real estate. The city has plenty of arts, museum, sports, culture, and history that makes it a much sought after destination. Visit us online at http://www.realestatelouisiana.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stratton
The Neighbors
Because Baton Rouge is the capital city, it is full of young, single professionals. The town's median age is only about 30 years old and only 36 percent of the total population are married. The inhabitants are also fairly well educated with about half having completed some college. However the city gained more children and senior citizens after the nearby 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster, as people fled the New Orleans area. It has a very healthy mix of diversity compared with the state averages and showcases a variety of cultures.
Only 7.4 percent of the city's residents commute more than 45 minutes to other places for work, and most commuters only drive about 20 minutes to their jobs.
The Highlights
-Baton Rouge is a very temperate city, with weather temperatures ranging from 40 degrees in the winter to about 90 degrees in the summer.
-Homeowners can enjoy nearby sporting events hosted by the local college and professional teams. The LSU Tigers offer a wide variety of sports, and the city is close to the New Orleans Saints (pro football) and the Hornets (pro basketball).
-Baton Rouge has a great zoo with 1800 animals from all around the world.
-The city has plenty of arts and museums. Some of the more well known venues are the Shaw Center for the Arts, the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum, and the Old State Capitol Center for Political and Governmental History.
-Baton Rouge is home to a full-scale amusement park and a water park.
The Real Estate
Real estate in Baton Rouge is a great bargain. The median family income is higher than the state average and home prices are slightly higher too, but they are still extremely affordable compared with the national median home prices. Before Hurricane Katrina, home prices were appreciating at a much higher rate than the national average, and home prices will probably see nice appreciation again in the future after all affects of the Hurricane have all been dealt with. Realtors in the city can help you find a home that is perfect for your needs, whether it be a condo, townhouse, or an existing or brand-new home.
Baton Rouge is a wonderful city with lots of choices available real estate. It has a long, rich history and plenty of arts, sports, and culture. Your realtor can help you spell out your needs and wish list and help you locate the right home in the city for you!
Real Estate in Louisiana Baton Rouge has proved to be a great deal with lots of choices available in real estate. The city has plenty of arts, museum, sports, culture, and history that makes it a much sought after destination. Visit us online at http://www.realestatelouisiana.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stratton
Real Estate Buyer Cash Bonus
What is a real estate buyer cash bonus asked one buyer to me the other day. Well how do you explain something that is so revolutionary and yet so simple. A buyer cash bonus, at least the buyer cash bonus that we offer, is based on someone doing work and then getting a split of the pay. I told you it was simple. This is what you do to make money now, huh?
When you are a buyer you have to make the decision on what you want to see, what you want to buy and ultimately what you are going to pay for the house. So, a buyer cash bonus, again how we do it, is rewarded when you help us determine what you want to see in person (closer than a drive-by). We determine how much of our commission we will pay you based on how many homes we take you too. When you narrow the houses down and take us only to houses that you are serious about, we spend less time with you and therefore are willing to give you more of our commission.
After all, we can't make these decisions for you. You ultimately decide what type of home you are looking for and what appeals to you further after you drive through the neighborhood and see the house in person. This process of the buyer doing what they would be doing anyway lessens the amount of time spent with one buyer and allows us to work with more buyers at the same time.
We give our buyers our more advanced tools so that they can search for houses and even be notified of houses immediately as they come on the market or fall into the price range of their customized search. Buyers now back that up by doing their own demographic search and tax search as well as searching comparable properties so that they know all about the house and the neighborhoods they are interested in before they ask us to go along with them to see them in person.
Then, we see the house with the buyer and give them our thoughts. If the buyer wants to proceed to write an offer, that is where we take over as normal. But a funny thing happened along the way to giving our buyers over $3 million in buyer cash bonuses (so far through September 2008), we actually acquired skills far superior to our old ones when it comes to contract negotiation. Because we were doing far more volume, we have far more experience and in real estate, more than any other profession, experience truly equates to talent. So instead of working with 12 clients per year, we are each selling over twice that many houses, because we are freed up to work with more clients. Like anything, what makes you good at what you do is Practice! Practice! Practice!
If you are a seller of real estate, view more marketing tips on my website.
http://www.DuffyRealtyofAtlanta.com
If you are a buyer of real estate, I have a whole website that you must see about buying. This is a FREE website made for you.
http://www.TipsandFormsforBuyers.com
From Rhonda Duffy, Real Estate Broker and National Consumer Advocate
The Real Estate Powerhouse
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rhonda_Duffy
When you are a buyer you have to make the decision on what you want to see, what you want to buy and ultimately what you are going to pay for the house. So, a buyer cash bonus, again how we do it, is rewarded when you help us determine what you want to see in person (closer than a drive-by). We determine how much of our commission we will pay you based on how many homes we take you too. When you narrow the houses down and take us only to houses that you are serious about, we spend less time with you and therefore are willing to give you more of our commission.
After all, we can't make these decisions for you. You ultimately decide what type of home you are looking for and what appeals to you further after you drive through the neighborhood and see the house in person. This process of the buyer doing what they would be doing anyway lessens the amount of time spent with one buyer and allows us to work with more buyers at the same time.
We give our buyers our more advanced tools so that they can search for houses and even be notified of houses immediately as they come on the market or fall into the price range of their customized search. Buyers now back that up by doing their own demographic search and tax search as well as searching comparable properties so that they know all about the house and the neighborhoods they are interested in before they ask us to go along with them to see them in person.
Then, we see the house with the buyer and give them our thoughts. If the buyer wants to proceed to write an offer, that is where we take over as normal. But a funny thing happened along the way to giving our buyers over $3 million in buyer cash bonuses (so far through September 2008), we actually acquired skills far superior to our old ones when it comes to contract negotiation. Because we were doing far more volume, we have far more experience and in real estate, more than any other profession, experience truly equates to talent. So instead of working with 12 clients per year, we are each selling over twice that many houses, because we are freed up to work with more clients. Like anything, what makes you good at what you do is Practice! Practice! Practice!
If you are a seller of real estate, view more marketing tips on my website.
http://www.DuffyRealtyofAtlanta.com
If you are a buyer of real estate, I have a whole website that you must see about buying. This is a FREE website made for you.
http://www.TipsandFormsforBuyers.com
From Rhonda Duffy, Real Estate Broker and National Consumer Advocate
The Real Estate Powerhouse
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rhonda_Duffy
How to Build a Real Estate Business That Lasts
Building a real estate business that lasts should be the primary focus of every real estate business. Otherwise, your business will become more difficult every year, instead of easier. The reason that it becomes more difficult is simply that you are tired of starting at zero every year. Business should become easier every year because of the building block effect. Any business should become easier every year, no matter what the economic climate is.
There are ways to make it easier.
Here are some pointers that I believe must be instituted in a business as soon as you read this no matter how long you have been in that business.
Rule 1 - Every time you give a directive to anyone, whether it is a client, staff member or another agent, it should be written down. It needs to be added to a folder named "How You Communicate with Clients, Staff or Agents". In other words, don't reinvent things every time you communicate. This also allows other people to speak for you.
Rule 2 - Have an office manual, agent manual and client manual. These can be websites or written hard-copy manuals but the point is that every how-to should be a process that someone can read and reference.
Rule 3 - Anything that you write should be written on your computer so that the file can be saved.
Rule 4 - Investigate technology, but if the software or technology has a learning curve it had better be truly needed. Remember that the more complicated that you get, the less people that can use it. This includes your clients.
Rule 5 - Keep your head toward the stars, not in the dirt. If you are in bad times now it is because you have not built a strong functioning business that allows you to stay out of the day-to-day business. The day-to-day business that does not include prospecting and gaining advertising ground will lead you to insanity. As a business owner, you must get out of the day-to-day and hire someone. The real key to any business is prospecting. Period.
So, the bottom line is, the quicker you can clone yourself the better. That way you can give information that you wrote to someone to do a process that you've already created. The sooner you can do this, the sooner you can have a business that thrives with you just keeping your head up and prospecting and going forward.
If you are a seller of real estate, view more marketing tips on my website. http://www.DuffyRealtyofAtlanta.com
From Rhonda Duffy, Real Estate Broker and National Consumer Advocate The Real Estate Powerhouse
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rhonda_Duffy
There are ways to make it easier.
Here are some pointers that I believe must be instituted in a business as soon as you read this no matter how long you have been in that business.
Rule 1 - Every time you give a directive to anyone, whether it is a client, staff member or another agent, it should be written down. It needs to be added to a folder named "How You Communicate with Clients, Staff or Agents". In other words, don't reinvent things every time you communicate. This also allows other people to speak for you.
Rule 2 - Have an office manual, agent manual and client manual. These can be websites or written hard-copy manuals but the point is that every how-to should be a process that someone can read and reference.
Rule 3 - Anything that you write should be written on your computer so that the file can be saved.
Rule 4 - Investigate technology, but if the software or technology has a learning curve it had better be truly needed. Remember that the more complicated that you get, the less people that can use it. This includes your clients.
Rule 5 - Keep your head toward the stars, not in the dirt. If you are in bad times now it is because you have not built a strong functioning business that allows you to stay out of the day-to-day business. The day-to-day business that does not include prospecting and gaining advertising ground will lead you to insanity. As a business owner, you must get out of the day-to-day and hire someone. The real key to any business is prospecting. Period.
So, the bottom line is, the quicker you can clone yourself the better. That way you can give information that you wrote to someone to do a process that you've already created. The sooner you can do this, the sooner you can have a business that thrives with you just keeping your head up and prospecting and going forward.
If you are a seller of real estate, view more marketing tips on my website. http://www.DuffyRealtyofAtlanta.com
From Rhonda Duffy, Real Estate Broker and National Consumer Advocate The Real Estate Powerhouse
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rhonda_Duffy
Real Estate Agents With Common Sense
Someone asked me if I knew any real estate agents with common sense the other day. I thought it was an odd question until they explained that they had never met any. Of course, they said present company excluded, but I knew that they could not mean that because they did not know me yet.
I got to thinking. What does that mean, agents don't have any common sense? I think I have the answer. I think that they mean that agents are using the common way of sales to get sales done.
The first thing that you have to do in sales is prospect. The only way to prospect is to go to where the buyers and sellers are. And, the only ethical place that we can go to gather these prospective clients is on the Internet. Yet, when you look on the Internet, at most agent's performance, you find that the houses they list have horrible photos, no enhancement of the ads or anything else that make them stand out.
Most agent websites, if they even have one, lack content are mainly a business card template saying how great they are. There is no mention of any accomplishments, their track record or anything of substance. It is just a glamour shot, as if that is going to lure a buyer or seller because the person looks nice.
The advertising that most agents do for the homes that they have listed require no effort past putting the house in the MLS. They then rely on the MLS to feed the data to other websites. Their thinking is, "Well we did pound the sign in the yard, etc..."
There is nothing else done on the majority of the advertising plans implemented by traditional agents.
Now, the latest trend is that the listing agent refuses to show the house to any buyers that call that are working with a buyer's agent. And, if they do show the house, they are claiming the entire commission, citing procuring cause. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it the listing agent's job, to open the house to all buyers? And certainly, they shouldn't cop and attitude with any buyer's agent who has a client that wants to see the house. The overall attitude now is that a listing agent can dictate whom they want to work with - but this is not nor shouldn't be the case.
So, to work towards a reputation as agents that is one of ethical common sense, I think that many schools, brokerages and workshops really should focus on how real estate should be sold in the 2000's not in the 1960's. Times have changed and most consumers today know more about how to market their home on places like You Tube, My Space and with Google Ad Words than agents do. And that is scary!
If you are a seller of real estate, view more marketing tips on my website.
http://www.DuffyRealtyofAtlanta.com
If you are a buyer of real estate, I have a whole website that you must see about buying. This is a FREE website made for you.
http://www.TipsandFormsforBuyers.com
From Rhonda Duffy, Real Estate Broker and National Consumer Advocate
The Real Estate Powerhouse
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rhonda_Duffy
I got to thinking. What does that mean, agents don't have any common sense? I think I have the answer. I think that they mean that agents are using the common way of sales to get sales done.
The first thing that you have to do in sales is prospect. The only way to prospect is to go to where the buyers and sellers are. And, the only ethical place that we can go to gather these prospective clients is on the Internet. Yet, when you look on the Internet, at most agent's performance, you find that the houses they list have horrible photos, no enhancement of the ads or anything else that make them stand out.
Most agent websites, if they even have one, lack content are mainly a business card template saying how great they are. There is no mention of any accomplishments, their track record or anything of substance. It is just a glamour shot, as if that is going to lure a buyer or seller because the person looks nice.
The advertising that most agents do for the homes that they have listed require no effort past putting the house in the MLS. They then rely on the MLS to feed the data to other websites. Their thinking is, "Well we did pound the sign in the yard, etc..."
There is nothing else done on the majority of the advertising plans implemented by traditional agents.
Now, the latest trend is that the listing agent refuses to show the house to any buyers that call that are working with a buyer's agent. And, if they do show the house, they are claiming the entire commission, citing procuring cause. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it the listing agent's job, to open the house to all buyers? And certainly, they shouldn't cop and attitude with any buyer's agent who has a client that wants to see the house. The overall attitude now is that a listing agent can dictate whom they want to work with - but this is not nor shouldn't be the case.
So, to work towards a reputation as agents that is one of ethical common sense, I think that many schools, brokerages and workshops really should focus on how real estate should be sold in the 2000's not in the 1960's. Times have changed and most consumers today know more about how to market their home on places like You Tube, My Space and with Google Ad Words than agents do. And that is scary!
If you are a seller of real estate, view more marketing tips on my website.
http://www.DuffyRealtyofAtlanta.com
If you are a buyer of real estate, I have a whole website that you must see about buying. This is a FREE website made for you.
http://www.TipsandFormsforBuyers.com
From Rhonda Duffy, Real Estate Broker and National Consumer Advocate
The Real Estate Powerhouse
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rhonda_Duffy
How to Buy and Sell Property in Peru
Tips for Buying and Selling Property
With the falling dollar, housing is in South American countries, such as Peru, is increasing in demand. Although there's a bit of paperwork involved when buying or selling property, it's well worth it. You can get great value for your money and property has been steadily increasing in value due to the demand.
Buying Property
Before you sign the contract, always go to SUNARP (registros publicos), it's just in front of the Rebagliati hospital, to check out its status. You only pay a few soles.. Make sure there's no mortgage (hipoteca) on the property and the owner doesn't have any legal problems. You'll need a DNI, CE or the permission to sign a contract visa. Once you're ready to buy, go to a notary and they will tell you everything that you need. Be aware that you will need to pay taxes of 2% on the property in addition to the notary fees, which are usually less than 1000USD.
First step, you will have to sign a Minuta (which is a short document saying who's selling and who's buying) Make sure the notary legalizes the signatures.
Second step, you will also have to sign an Escritura (which is the long legal document that explains everything).
Third step, go together to the Municipality and you each will get two copies of a PU (Public property taxes, ex. water, sidewalks, etc) and an HR (Private property taxes, your property) You will have to fill out these forms so that the property legally changes names. You will also have to pay a fee to transfer the names.
Lastly, about payments. Many people prefer a cheque de garantia (we got ours at BCP and they cost 20USD each) We got two cheques, we gave the owner the first one after we signed the Minuta and the second one after we signed the Escritura.
In addition, after you have bought your house you should take out insurance to protect it. Mapfre is pretty cheap and very reliable.
Selling Property
If you want to sell property, you'll basically follow the same steps, except the buyers pay all the notary fees. Taxes for selling are higher. You'll have to pay 3% taxes and depending on your visa status, you'll have to pay up to 30% of the difference on the price you bought the property for and the price you're selling it for. For example, if you buy something for 1000USD and sell it for 2000USD, you'll pay up to 30% on the difference, in this case it's 1000USD. This is paid in SUNAT at the beginning of the following year. So if you bought it in 2008, you'll pay the tax around January or February of 2009. And if you sell less than three years after you bought the property, you'll have to pay a fine at the municipality. Fines vary according to municipality and according to the value of the property.
Sharon de Hinojosa (naturegirl321) has lived and worked (mainly teaching English) in the US, Scotland, Spain, the Czech Republic, China, Korea, and Peru. As well as teaching short-term in Venezuela and Taiwan.
She has created The LA Job List http://www.thelajoblist.blogspot.com which lists schools, institutes and universities in 19 Latin American countries which offer English teaching positions.
Since living in Peru since August 2006, she wrote The Ultimate Peru List http://www.theultimateperulist.blogspot.com With 60 pages it's a comprehensive guide for those living in or moving to Peru.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_De_Hinojosa
With the falling dollar, housing is in South American countries, such as Peru, is increasing in demand. Although there's a bit of paperwork involved when buying or selling property, it's well worth it. You can get great value for your money and property has been steadily increasing in value due to the demand.
Buying Property
Before you sign the contract, always go to SUNARP (registros publicos), it's just in front of the Rebagliati hospital, to check out its status. You only pay a few soles.. Make sure there's no mortgage (hipoteca) on the property and the owner doesn't have any legal problems. You'll need a DNI, CE or the permission to sign a contract visa. Once you're ready to buy, go to a notary and they will tell you everything that you need. Be aware that you will need to pay taxes of 2% on the property in addition to the notary fees, which are usually less than 1000USD.
First step, you will have to sign a Minuta (which is a short document saying who's selling and who's buying) Make sure the notary legalizes the signatures.
Second step, you will also have to sign an Escritura (which is the long legal document that explains everything).
Third step, go together to the Municipality and you each will get two copies of a PU (Public property taxes, ex. water, sidewalks, etc) and an HR (Private property taxes, your property) You will have to fill out these forms so that the property legally changes names. You will also have to pay a fee to transfer the names.
Lastly, about payments. Many people prefer a cheque de garantia (we got ours at BCP and they cost 20USD each) We got two cheques, we gave the owner the first one after we signed the Minuta and the second one after we signed the Escritura.
In addition, after you have bought your house you should take out insurance to protect it. Mapfre is pretty cheap and very reliable.
Selling Property
If you want to sell property, you'll basically follow the same steps, except the buyers pay all the notary fees. Taxes for selling are higher. You'll have to pay 3% taxes and depending on your visa status, you'll have to pay up to 30% of the difference on the price you bought the property for and the price you're selling it for. For example, if you buy something for 1000USD and sell it for 2000USD, you'll pay up to 30% on the difference, in this case it's 1000USD. This is paid in SUNAT at the beginning of the following year. So if you bought it in 2008, you'll pay the tax around January or February of 2009. And if you sell less than three years after you bought the property, you'll have to pay a fine at the municipality. Fines vary according to municipality and according to the value of the property.
Sharon de Hinojosa (naturegirl321) has lived and worked (mainly teaching English) in the US, Scotland, Spain, the Czech Republic, China, Korea, and Peru. As well as teaching short-term in Venezuela and Taiwan.
She has created The LA Job List http://www.thelajoblist.blogspot.com which lists schools, institutes and universities in 19 Latin American countries which offer English teaching positions.
Since living in Peru since August 2006, she wrote The Ultimate Peru List http://www.theultimateperulist.blogspot.com With 60 pages it's a comprehensive guide for those living in or moving to Peru.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_De_Hinojosa
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