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Alternative Housing
by Dallas Appraiser L.L.C. on 06/11/14
Title:
Alternative Housing
Word Count:
470
Summary:
Alternative housing can be anything from an tent to a $100,000 RV. Here are some of the options, and their advantages.
Keywords:
#alternative_housing, #housing, #real_estate, #DFW, #Arlington, #mansfield, #Dallas, #Fort_Worth, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Home_Appraiser, #Home_Appraisal, #REO, #bank, #foreclosure, #Texas, #Taxes
Article Body:
Why alternative housing? To save money, to travel, to live creatively - there are many reasons why people choose to live in tents, RVs, cabins, underground homes, rental rooms and anything else that's less common than the houses, condos and apartments that most people call home. Below are some of these housing options, and their advantages.
Alternative Housing That Moves
Camping at a hot springs area, we sat around the campfire one night with several young men living in the desert in their old converted school bus. It cost them nothing to park it in the desert (on BLM land you have to move every two weeks, though), bathed for free in hot spring tubs that were as nice as those in nearby expensive resorts, and played guitar around the fire each night. Not such a bad life.
In Arizona there are whole communities that spring up each winter, full of people living in their RVs. Advantages of RV housing are obvious, and include moving with the seasons, trying out different places, and not paying property taxes. I've talked to people living in Rv’s that cost $200,000 and ones that cost $600, so the selection of accommodations is varied, to say the least.
My wife and I lived for almost a month in our conversion van as we traveled from Arizona to Florida and then to Michigan. Advantages of a van include better mileage than an RV, and being inconspicuous. We found that could park and sleep almost anywhere.
Other Alternative Housing
In most areas where rents are high, renting rooms has become common. This makes sense for single people. Just pay a set amount each month or week, and (if it includes utilities) you have a predictable and lower cost of living. I rented out rooms in my own home for years, and even put carpet and lighting in a shed so I could get $50 per week for it in summer.
A friend of mine lived in a shack he built for $3,000 on a small piece of land he bought for $7,000. Eventually he ran into problems with the county because he had no occupancy permit. Apparently you can't live on your own land in the woods if your home is too small. However, you can camp on it, so a $2,000 used RV parked on your land makes for a cheap and legal housing alternative.
Some people live on houseboats and avoid paying property taxes. Some live in the jungle near the beaches in Hawaii, so they can afford to be in paradise. I know people who lived in a basement while slowly building the house above for cash. People live in cabins built in the national forest wilderness, moving every few years as they are discovered. Truly, your imagination is the only limit to your alternative housing options.
Search Engine Optimization and Advertising in Real Estate
by Dallas Appraiser L.L.C. on 06/11/14
Search Engine Optimization and Advertising in Real Estate
keywords: #DFW, #Arlington, #mansfield, #Dallas, #Fort_Worth, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Home_Appraiser, #Home_Appraisal, #REO, #bank, #foreclosure, #Texas, #Taxes
In today’s net-savvy real estate world it has become common for any business to have a website which they use mostly for advertising their products and services. With the advent of search engines it has become even easier for the customers to search for the stuff online. For a website to be successful its link should land in the first three pages which the search engine brings and the rank of the page should be high which means many visitors come to the site. This can be achieved by applying search engine optimization or popularly known as SEO. This is a marketing strategy which increases the quality and quantity of traffic flow to a particular website via search engines.
SEO not only affects the search engine results, but also image search, video search and industry specific vertical search engines. It determines how a search algorithm functions and searches what is popular with people. When a website link is submitted to a search engine, a spider crawls through a page to gather links which lead to other pages and stores those pages on the server of the search engine. The information collected from these pages is sent to the indexer, whose job is to extract information from those pages such as the keywords and their weights, the location of the page and other links that are stored for the spider to crawl in future.
In the beginning, the search engine optimizer algorithms were dependent on the keywords, Meta tags, and index files provided by the Webmaster. Meta tags provided information about a particular page, but using them for indexing the pages did not prove to be successful as some Webmaster’s added irrelevant Meta tags to increase the number of hits and earn huge ad revenue. They even changed the HTML of the web pages to achieve a good rank for the page. But this was a case of abuse as it fetched irrelevant pages.
Search engines then began utilizing complex ranking algorithm, which were difficult for the web masters to manipulate so as to provide web surfers with genuine results. The rank of the web page was calculated mathematically by functions using strength and quantity of the inbound links. The higher the rank of the page the more chances it had to be viewed by a person. Later algorithms were developed which considered various other on-page factors such as rank and off-page factors such as hyperlink. Since the web masters could not manipulate the page rank, they began exchanging, selling and buying links, which lead to link spamming and even creation of numerous sites dedicated for this purpose.
Algorithms became more complex by every passing day and top search engines kept their algorithms a secret. As the cost of SEO increased, advertisers were roped in to pay for it, which finally resulted in high quality web pages. Although investing in SEO is very fruitful, but at the same time is risky because with out any prior notice the algorithms being used are bound to change and the search engine will stop directing visitors to the page. Many consultants are available in the market that provides SEO services. They manipulate the HTML source code of the web site like menus, shopping carts and sometimes even the content of the website to draw more traffic. Search engines like Yahoo has algorithms that extract pages not according to the page rank but according to the cost per click or set fee, that is if a advertiser desires that the page containing his ad be displayed, he is expected to pay money for it. This is a point of controversy, as only the big businesses will be able to increase the number of hits of their page but not the small business who might be having a better quality page.
Google Ad Words explores ads which have words typed in the search box by the surfer. The Million Dollar Homepage started the concept of Pixel advertising, which is a graphical kind of advertising. Depending on the pixels, the space is sold to the advertiser. Keyword advertising involves advertisers who buy URLs of a site and place their ads at that location. Thus SEO is a market in its own which is yielding great results for businesses on Internet.
Buying A Home After Bankruptcy
by Dallas Appraiser L.L.C. on 06/10/14
Buying A Home After Bankruptcy
Keywords:
#foreclosure, #REO, #Bank_owned, #Investing, #Real_Estate_bookkeeping, #DFW, #Real_Estate, #Real_Estate_Appraiser, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Texas, #North_Texas, #Dallas_Appraiser
Experienced bankruptcy lately? You may wonder if you will still will be able to get a home loan. You may also be wondering if buying home after bankruptcy is a good idea for you.
While bankruptcy can make your mortgage loan approval difficult, it is still possible to get approved. In fact there have been more and more, bad credit loans coming out all the time.
They are called the Subprime lenders; they are focusing more on helping individuals with poor credit in buying home after bankruptcy.
This is happening mostly because bankruptcies are still on the rise and there is an increasing number of people with bad credit who are looking for home financing.
Just to give you a bit of an overview here are some very good reasons to consider after bankruptcy buying home:
Increase your credit rating. When you make your payments on a regular basis, you will be able to develop your credit rating. Once your pre-payment penalty is done, you should be able to refinance your credit loan for a much lesser interest rate.
After your bankruptcy has been for ended 2-3 years, you ought to have a much easier time qualifying for a lesser interest rate mortgage loan.
You will be able to own an asset. If you are just renting a home then you are absolutely throwing your monthly payments away. Why not just buy a home, over time, its value will increase and you are working you way towards owing an asset.
Once you have bought your house, as soon as 6 months or so later, you might be able to take out an equity loan on your home and consolidate any other debt that you might have since your bankruptcy or debt that could not be included in your bankruptcy.
Taxes and student loans will not be discharged in a bankruptcy. You may also want to use the extra cash to invest in a business venture or for needed home improvement.
It is very tempting to buy an new home, new car, do some renovations, etc., after bankruptcy discharge you have no debt left. You will probably feel like you can afford a larger house payment due to the financial experience that you have.
But it is not that easy so here are some factors to consider before committing yourself to a new house payment.
The Pre-payment penalty. This penalty is usually about 6 months worth of house payments. And usually lasts from 2-3years. Once you sign those mortgage papers you absolutely have to make those payments. If you don't have the amount of the pre-payment penalty in savings, you are locked into making the payments or losing the house.
The Two Year Mark. Keep in mind that after 2-3 years from the date of the bankruptcy discharge, mortgage loans will be much easier to get. With a small down payment, you might even be able to get a mortgage loan without a pre-payment penalty.
So, if you are within 6 months or so from the 2 year mark. It would be smart to wait it out and have more mortgage loan options.
Borrowing Too Much. This is the most common mistake that we usually get into. If you do decide to buy a house, buy one that you know you will be able to afford. Don't max yourself out on credit, living right up to the edge of your income.
If your income suddenly drops, you'll want to make sure that you can still afford your house payment. Be conservative with how much home you need to buy.
Most of us always think that bankruptcy is the end of our credit life. But don not despair because I know some people that have been in to bankruptcy but has been able to get up again and rebuild there credit quickly most of them has even been able to buy a new house.
Bankruptcy will show up on your credit report for 10 years. That means that every mortgage lender will certainly see that fact when evaluating your mortgage application.
Although it may be difficult to find a bank to give you a mortgage it's certainly not impossible. Banks want to make money and you may find one that's willing to take the risk.
Assets and Liabilities
by Dallas Appraiser L.L.C. on 06/10/14
Assets and Liabilities
Keywords:
#Bookkeeping, #DFW_Bookkeeping, #Investing, #Real_Estate_bookkeeping, #DFW, #Real_Estate, #Real_Estate_Appraiser, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Texas, #North_Texas, #Dallas_Appraiser
Making a profit in a business is derived from several different areas. It can get a little complicated because just as in our personal lives, business is run on credit as well. Many businesses sell their products to their customers on credit. Accountants use an asset account called accounts receivable to record the total amount owed to the business by its customers who haven't paid the balance in full yet. Much of the time, a business hasn't collected its receivables in full by the end of the fiscal year, especially for such credit sales that could be transacted near the end of the accounting period.
The accountant records the sales revenue and the cost of goods sold for these sales in the year in which the sales were made and the products delivered to the customer. This is called accrual based accounting, which records revenue when sales are made and records expenses when they're incurred as well. When sales are made on credit, the accounts receivable asset account is increased. When cash is received from the customer, then the cash account is increased and the accounts receivable account is decreased.
The cost of goods sold is one of the major expenses of businesses that sell goods, products or services. Even a service involves expenses. It means exactly what it says in that it's the cost that a business pays for the products it sells to customers. A business makes its profit by selling its products at prices high enough to cover the cost of producing them, the costs of running the business, the interest on any money they've borrowed and income taxes, with money left over for profit.
When the business acquires products, the cost of them goes into what's called an inventory asset account. The cost is deducted from the cash account, or added to the accounts payable liability account, depending on whether the business has paid with cash or credit.
Buying: Knowing The Area
by Dallas Appraiser L.L.C. on 06/10/14
Title:
Buying: Knowing The Area
Word Count:
383
Summary:
One of the most important aspects of any home that you move into is, without a doubt; the area. Homes may look fantastic online, but there is always the possibility that the area this fantastic home is in may be less than desirable. Before you move to any new town, subdivision or city, its a good idea to do a little research and find out as much as possible about the place that you are considering calling home.
Keywords:
#DFW, #Real_Estate, #Real_Estate_Appraiser, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Texas, #North_Texas, #Dallas_Appraiser
Article Body:
One of the most important aspects of any home that you move into is, without a doubt; the area. Homes may look fantastic online, but there is always the possibility that the area this fantastic home is in may be less than desirable. Before you move to any new town, subdivision or city, its a good idea to do a little research and find out as much as possible about the place that you are considering calling home. The logical place to start asking questions is to your realtor. Whether you are moving from a distance away, out of state or even out of country you may want to try to find a realtor that specializes in the area that you are interested in. Realtors are a great source of information and usually they know more about a given area than just about anyone.
In finding out about a new area there are some definite things that you will want to find out about. Start by finding out about the area itself. Is is an industrial town? Tourism Based? What kind of atmosphere can you expect when moving there? The next things that you should consider are the employment market and the education system. It's always comforting to know what kind of job environment is in the area you are moving to. Is there room for your career to flourish? Additionally, even if you do not have children, knowing the education system is just a good idea. It is one of the things that people usually consider important in a new town, and if you have to move again; a home in a good education district will fetch a higher price.
Try to find out what the future hold for the area too. This can usually be accomplished by talking to your realtor, but also seeking info from the city itself. Find out if there are any development or expansion plans for the area. Things like proposed developments, both residential and commercial can drastically effect your property values. You will always be well served to stay cognizant of the future of any area that you move to. Keep in mind that potential developments and future plans can make or break an area, so the more info you have at the beginning the better.
3 Surefire Ways To Sell Your Homes On Steroids, While Other Investors Can't Give Away Their Homes
by Dallas Appraiser L.L.C. on 06/09/14
Title:
3 Surefire Ways To Sell Your Homes On Steroids, While Other Investors Can't Give Away Their Homes
Word Count:
1407
Summary:
So you need to sell your home?
This article is exactly what you need to do, to sell your home or create a bunch of leads of individuals, who are HOT prospects to buy your home.
Keywords:
#DFW, #Texas, #Arlington, #Fort_Worth, #Dallas, #mansfield, #Euless, #Cedar_Hill, #De_Soto, #Appraisal, #Appraisals, #Appraiser, #Appraisers, #home_Appraisal, #Home_Appraiser, #Real_Estate, #Real_Estate_Appraiser, #Real_Estate_Appraisal
Article Body:
So you need to sell your home?
This article is exactly what you need to do, to sell your home or create a bunch of leads of individuals, who are HOT prospects to buy your home.
Before, I share my 3 steroid ideas on selling your homes; you need to take a few simple steps...
PREPARATION
1. You need to locate and interview an aggressive Mortgage Broker, very knowledgeable, with a GREAT TRACK RECORD of closing deals, especially difficult ones.
I cannot stress enough the importance, of having a great broker on your power team. I own and run, the R.E.I.A. (real estate investor club / www.tcreia.com) in my area, so whenever I hear a member, say they got a difficult deal closed, I always make sure to inquire for an introduction, because this might be the broker who can get most of my deals funded.
Remember, you can sell a home ten times, if you can't get the buyer funded by a mortgage company...who cares, your wasting your time.
2. You should make some effort in fixing the home up; even if it's a hunker, I'd still get the lawn cut and maybe throw a coat of paint on the property. You'd be amazed at the improvement to even an ugly property, with a simple coat of paint on the front of the property.
3. Go to your local community financing office or local grant and home buyer bond office. For example in my area (South Florida and Palm Beach County), both counties run a FREE class for your buyers on becoming a first time home buyer and when they take the class, they then get a voucher from the county, giving them $10,000.00 toward the purchase of their first home. The best part is sometimes the loans are even forgiven, when certain criteria are met by the new homeowner.
LET'S DO SOME MARKETING ON STEROIDS
Let's be frank, your going to have to be more aggressive, smarter and persistent than 99% of all your homes neighbors.
There's no magic pill, but this has been working for both my students and me, for the last year, and we're always testing and fine-tuning the system.
And I can tell you, that while every other investor, is sitting with their heads in their butts, my students and I are able to sell all of our properties, during one of the worst RE slowdowns in history, and this is in South Florida, one of the most depressed markets in the Country,
1. Buyer First System
Basically you create your own buyers. The best example would be converting a lifetime renter into the American Dream a homeowner. Just so happens, that while becoming the American Dream, they also end up buying your home.
Very simply, create a flyer or postcard, and market to communities of people who would be a great prospect to buy your home.
Who doesn't want to be a homeowner in America? Nobody, that's a stupid question, everyone wants to be a homeowner, and it's bred into us as kids.
The real key is you must understand, that these individuals renting, most are under the impression they CAN'T get a mortgage. They might have tried in the past, and we're shutdown and embarrassed, only to believe they would live the rest of their lives as a RENTER.
These are the best leads you can focus on, because it's not a matter of IF they'll buy your home, they will, the key is can you get them funded or is it the right house for them, financially affordable.
I must also share with you, this strategy will take some of your time and initiative, because their is hand holding involved, mortgage brokers, and helping them get any government help in First time homebuyer money.
2. Fish in some one else's pond!
Go where the most prospects are for your home. I'll give you some examples, you need to go where the most and the best prospects are to buy your home, assuming it's a good deal (priced right, and there's still built-in equity for your buyer).
If you have any contacts or a friend of a friend, now is the time for using it and your expectations are for these contacts to open doors for you, to their sphere of influence.
For Example, one of my students, Courtney, leveraged a contact he had, his cousin (she was a middle school teacher), and she introduced him into the schools, where it just happened that the schools are in the same area, that he was selling a great starter home.
He sold the home that he needed to the most, but then, once word spread of what he was able to do, the rest of the teachers came out of everywhere, wanting him to help them. He's since helping the 1st teacher, sold another 5 homes, to 5 different teachers, earning him over $30,000.00 for this simple, leveraged relationship.
So what ponds can you fish in, with your marketing? Think about whom you know (friends, family members, and associates)?
BEST: Teachers, Cops, Firefighters, Government Employees, Bus Drivers, Department of Transportation. (These careers are loved by lenders, they mostly have good credit, and their income is basically guaranteed and very stable.)
GOOD: Large local employers: Supermarkets, Local telephone company (Bell South), Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc.
3. Use the Internet...
You should definitely have an individual website for your property.
You can get a simple site built for under $100.00.
¸ Use www.elance.com or www.rentacoder.com : Two great sites, for getting your site created, they are both similar to EBay. You post an auction about your project (your home website), and then companies bid on your job, and you get to see samples of their work and read all their feedback, after you decided who wins your job, you choose a winner. Oh by the way, both of these services cost you nothing, their completely FREE. ¸ Take some pictures with a digital camera of your home and you'll end up emailing them to the site designer, to post on your site. (good example, is www.735airoso.com) ¸ Treat this as an online, digital brochure, basically being able to do whatever you can conceive. ¸ You can take a video of the home, with you walking through the home and then have it placed on your site. If you're intimidated by video, like I was at first, don't be, because your web site designer can do it for you, very easily.
Now, when ever you talk to someone on the phone or in person, they can quickly look at your property, on the web. This will be the best $100.00 you'll ever spend on marketing of your home.
4. BONUS: Promote and hold your own, "First Time Homebuyer Seminar".
Before you say anything, I don't expect you to be Tony Robbins, if you can get 10 to 15 people in a room, your going to be successful.
We shared this strategy with my mentoring students, and it's been working excellent for them, from the results I've been receiving back from my future millionaires. In fact, one of my students from Dallas, Texas has been executing this strategy like gangbusters.
Before writing this article, I received permission from Alex to share some of his feedback with you, on the Homebuyer seminars that have been very successful for him.
He's now doing 1 a month, every month. Also, since he's has a few successfully under his belt, he's now selling sponsorship space to his seminars, to Mortgage brokers, credit repair companies, and he's even worked out a joint venture with two different realtors, whom pay him for every property they sell to one of his prospects.
If you're curious how he's filling the room, all he's doing is as follows...
-Flyers in Parking lots, I.E. Wal-Mart, Public Supermarkets, and local churches.
-Free Advertising on www.craigslist.com
-He uses bandit style signs on the side of the road, 18 x 24, corrugated plastic signs.
-He's even put up a website that the attendees, can pre-register for the seminar. (Sorry, he didn't want me giving out the site, for obvious reasons)
-He also is giving them an ethical bribe for attending the seminar; he gives them a few nooks and tapes just for making it to the event. The best part is he received the books for free on the internet, and he's also allowed to give them away for free and even rebrand them as his own books.
Being Flexible as a Real Estate Business Analyst
by Dallas Appraiser L.L.C. on 06/09/14
Being Flexible as a Real Estate Business Analyst
Keywords:
#DFW, #Texas, #Arlington, #Fort_Worth, #Dallas, #mansfield, #Euless, #Cedar_Hill, #De_Soto, #Appraisal, #Appraisals, #Appraiser, #Appraisers, #home_Appraisal, #Home_Appraiser, #Real_Estate, #Real_Estate_Appraiser, #Real_Estate_Appraisal, #Bookkeeping, #DFW_Bookkeeping, #DFW_Real_Estate_Bookkeeping
Sometimes the business analyst can be so caught up in a project he or she forgets tried and true methods do not always work. The analysis team is trying to get done what the customer has scoped out and sets up a plan of action. The plan of action requires certain fundamentals. There are times when these rudimentary ideas just do not work for the client. The client can not understand why these steps may be so important. This is when the business analyst needs to step back and ask the same questions as the client. It is all in communication.
The professional business analyst must understand success of the project is not only about requirements documentations it is about how those requirements are handled. The business analyst is the acting liaison between the client and IT. The documentation may be required for the IT team to do their job. Certain explanations may be necessary for everyone to understand what is needed. Yet the client may not understand the documentation or have no need for it to begin with. Communication skills are what is required.
The business analyst may get further and move faster with just a simple meeting to explain the methods and procedures being used. The client can ask questions and the business analyst can explain. The case studies and other documentation would not in any way assure the client of progress. There are those who need to hear it because to them it may look good on paper, but how is it supposed to work? A good business analyst can explain the intricacies of what is taking place. The client can sign off. The work can continue. The goal is being met.
This is where the business analyst must be flexible. Just because he or she has done this a thousand times with other clients does not mean this client is like the other thousand. The job of the business analyst is to determine what the client wants. Paperwork may be a burden to the client. The business analyst should comprehend how information is delivered. He or she must be flexible enough to deliver what the customer is requesting. The business analyst must ensure the client is comfortable with how information is delivered. Not the other way around.
There will be times the business analyst must learn to be flexible when it comes to dealing with information. Not everyone can do the job of a business analyst. This is why he or she was hired in the first place. However, there may be no documentation for certain things the analyst is normally made privy to. The business analyst must be flexible in knowing how to work around this barrier. He or she must know how to gather the information needed to perform the task. Flexibility comes in handy at this point. The business analyst may have to do what he or she can at present and wait for statistics to be gathered. Instead of getting a concise written report from the team, the analyst may have to interview each member to gather what he or she needs.
The key is to work within the boundaries of the client. Do what the client feels comfortable with. The business analyst may not be as comfortable. Being flexible in any situation will do away with this unease. The task at hand can be accomplished.
Characteristics Of A Successful Entrepreneur in Real Estate
by Dallas Appraiser L.L.C. on 06/08/14
Title:
Characteristics Of A Successful Entrepreneur in Real Estate
Word Count:
400
Summary:
Studies have shown that successful entrepreneurs possess these characteristics:
Keywords:
#DFW_Real_Estate, #DFW_Home_Appraisal, #Home_Appraisal, #Home_Appraisals, #Home_Appraiser, #Home_Appraisers, #Real_Estate_Appraisal, #DFW, #Arlington_Appraiser, #Arlington_Appraisal
Article Body:
Studies have shown that successful entrepreneurs possess these characteristics:
1. Self-confidence
This is that magical power of having confidence in oneself and in one's powers and abilities.
2. Achievement Oriented
Results are gained by focused and sustained effort. They concentrate on achieving a specific goal, not just accomplishing a string of unrelated tasks.
3. Risk Taker
They realize that there is a chance of loss inherent in achieving their goals, yet they have the confidence necessary to take calculated risks to achieve their goals.
Entrepreneurs are people who will make decisions, take action, and think that they can control their own destinies. They are often motivated by a spirit of independence which leads them to believe that their success depends on raw effort and hard work, not luck.
So which of these three main characteristics is the most important? Believe it or not, it has to be self-confidence. Without self-confidence, nothing else is possible. If you don't believe in your abilities, then the first challenge that arises may knock you off the path to achieving your goals. Here are a few things to keep in mind for maintaining a higher level of self-confidence.
Positive Thinking
Well, it all starts with a positive attitude, doesn't it? Believing that something good will happen is the first step. Negative thinking simply is not allowed. You must truly believe that there are no circumstances strong enough to deter you from reaching your goals. Remember too, that positive thinking can be contagious. When positive thinking spreads, it can open doors to new ideas, customers, friends, etc.
Persistent Action
Now all of the positive thinking and believing in the world is useless if it is not applied towards a goal. You have to take action, no excuses are allowed. This action must also be persistent. Trying once and then giving up is not going to be enough. Keep at it one step at a time. If you can't get by a certain step, then find a creative way to try again or just go around it.
At the beginning of this article we identified a few traits that are common among successful entrepreneurs. You should be able to look ahead and see yourself where you want to be. Now just maintain a strong belief in yourself and your skills, stick with it, and don't give up. If you can do that, you're already half way there!
Climbing The Equity Ladder
by Dallas Appraiser L.L.C. on 06/08/14
Title:
Climbing The Equity Ladder
Word Count:
306
Summary:
If you currently find yourself in the enviable position of looking to buy a second property then congratulations. The equity that you stand to gain from this purchase can be considerable, just remember to plan properly, to maximize your gain. The first step in this process is to decide what the second home will be utilized for.
Keywords:
#DFW_Real_Estate, #DFW_Home_Appraisal, #Home_Appraisal, #Home_Appraisals, #Home_Appraiser, #Home_Appraisers, #Real_Estate_Appraisal, #DFW, #Arlington_Appraiser, #Arlington_Appraisal
Article Body:
If you currently find yourself in the enviable position of looking to buy a second property then congratulations. The equity that you stand to gain from this purchase can be considerable, just remember to plan properly, to maximize your gain. The first step in this process is to decide what the second home will be utilized for. Is it a vacation home? Perhaps a long or short-term rental? Either way, the more detailed about your forward planning you are, the smoother the process will be.
If you are looking at this purchase as a source of revenue then there are certain steps that you should take to ensure the home will bring in as much money as possible, thereby allowing you to pay off the mortgage quickly. For this type of investment, the cleaner the better. Nice homes are in high demand, and they fetch a good monthly rate. Enough so that the mortgage payment can be made easily with cash to spare. Also, ask yourself, "am I ready to be a landlord?" This will involve the task of finding and maintaining good tenants, and sometimes having to do what's right for you and your property, not what's right for the renters. If you have the tendency to be "too nice," land lording might not be for you.
No matter what your property is intended for, be sure to cover all the bases. Be as diligent as you were when buying your first home. Even more so, you will be able to apply any lessons you learned during that process on the new home, and avoid any mistakes or area of stress that were present in the first purchase. Many people buy a second house only to find themselves buying yet another. Once you start to climb the equity ladder its kind of hard to stop!
Does Staging Sell Real Estate?
by Dallas Appraiser L.L.C. on 06/08/14
Does Staging Sell Real Estate?
Keywords:
#DFW_Real_Estate, #DFW_Home_Appraisal, #Home_Appraisal, #Home_Appraisals, #Home_Appraiser, #Home_Appraisers, #Real_Estate_Appraisal, #DFW, #Arlington_Appraiser, #Arlington_Appraisal
There is something to be said about a neat and tidy house when you are sorting through house after house looking for the perfect home for you and your family. This is something that should be kept in mind when selling either a personal home or an investment property. There are a few other things you should keep in mind when it comes to selling real estate. One of those things is that staging sells homes.
Seriously, there is something cold about an empty house. It could be painted impeccably and meet every possible standard a family has and yet feel cold and anything but homey when walking through the home for a real estate tour or inspection. This can be easily overcome by contacting a local furniture rental store and picking out furniture that will match at least the primary rooms of the home in order to make the home appear leaved in and homelike.
The primary rooms that you will want to appear 'lived in' are the living room, dining room, master bedroom, and all bathrooms. These are the rooms that essentially sell homes and it is important to make them appear neat, orderly, and well cared for. If you have the funds for every room in the home then by all means do so. It is a huge selling point, particularly for those who are trying to sell homes quickly. If the home doesn't sell after the first two weeks or month (you decide the time limit) then you may want to remove the 'staging' furniture in order to eliminate the expense. I would strongly encourage you to keep this furniture as long as the home is being shown fairly regularly though.
You will want to do so much more than simply putting furniture in the property you are trying to sell. You want to create an atmosphere or warmth and comfort. This means you want to have prints on the walls, mirrors, plants, and pillows. You do not have to purchase items particularly for this process. You can use things from your own home in order to establish this atmosphere of homelike comfort. Be sure not to use sentimental favorites or very valuable pieces, as not all people who will view the property being sold are honest. It's a sad reality but something to consider all the same.
Other things that may help an empty home sell are scents. There is nothing quite like the smell of cookies in the oven or flowers in bloom to make a home feel 'homey'. These scents can be easily accomplished with well placed scented candles, potpourri warmers, dry potpourri, fresh-cut flowers, and electric room air fresheners. There are few things that will turn off potential buyers more quickly than an overpowering fragrance however so keep this in mind when selecting the method of fragrance. Having some fragrance in the home also eliminates the problem of an empty house taking on the 'empty house' scent that so many do over time. In other words, this is yet another part of the staging process that works for many trying to sell homes.
The short answer to the question of whether or not staging sells real estate is "yes". Staging a home can absolutely lead to a higher offer and a quicker sell, even in today's sluggish market.
