Dallas Appraiser L.L.C. wants your help and commentary on our Real Estate Blog

Title: 

Flipping Houses: Make $30,000 a Month Flipping Real Estate

Word Count:

676

Summary:

Make $30,000 a month flipping houses.  Discover how to find homes to buy below the market. Also, uncover five main points you must take into consideration prior to flipping houses.

Keywords:

flipping houses, real estate, flipping real estate

Article Body:

Okay, you know the drill: purchase a house below the current market rate, make some repairs and improvements to it, and then turn around and sell [flip] the house to generate big profits. 

While the concept of flipping houses is nice, the reality is that so much more is involved in flipping real estate. Without the proper knowledge on how the process works, you could end up being saddled with a house you really do not want to own or end up taking a big loss on the sale of your property.

The real estate market has the potential to create huge profit windfalls for the savvy buyer. Here are a couple of tips to help increase your profit margin when flipping houses:

Buy low and sell high.  How do you find homes to buy below the market?

1. Create a free brochure titled ì3 ways to avoid foreclosure and get cash NOW for your equityî.  Then, distribute your brochure to people who are currently in the foreclosure process and homeowners who are currently 90 to 120 days behind on their mortgage payments.  

By the way, one of the helpful tips in your brochure should be to call you for a quick sale.

You can obtain foreclosure information from your local court house.  For a list of homeowners who are currently behind on their mortgage payments you will need to contact a credit agency - Experian.com, Equifax.com, or TransUnion.com.  

2. Contact divorce attorneys in your area.  Offer your home buying service as a resource to help clients liquidate their homes quickly at a fair price.

Now, before you get into house flipping there are five main points you must take into consideration prior to closing on your deal:

Acquisition Costs-Every home will cost you money before the deal is even finalized. Plan on writing out checks to your attorney, to the title company, government agencies ñ such as recording fees, and an application fee for a mortgage [unless you are paying cash], and other closing costs. 

Look into getting an option arm mortgage loan with a 1% minimum payment.  This type of loan program can increase your cash flow by cutting your monthly payment in half!  

These loans will also allow you to take a small piece of your equity and turn it into a tax deduction by creating deferred mortgage interest. 

Management Costs-During the period you own the home you can expect to shell out cash for property taxes, utilities, lawn maintenance, homeowners insurance, mortgage payments, and more. The longer you keep the home, the more expenses you will incur. 

Home Improvement Costs-Are you ripping out the kitchen? Laying new flooring? Putting in a new garden? Whatever repairs and improvements you make, are you certain that you can recoup these costs when you flip the house? Will the value of the house increase enough to cover your expenses?

Selling Costs-Once you are ready to sell the home, will you be selling it privately or through a realtor? Real estate commissions running as high as 6% can eat up your profits very quickly. In addition, you will need to pay an attorney to represent your interests and pay any other related expenses.

Capital Gains-A good problem to have is to make so much money off of flipping houses that you have to worry about paying capital gains taxes. You may avoid federal taxes, but your state or local government may assess a tax on you. Count on it especially if you live in a high tax area!

The ìdealî you thought you made with the purchase of a house can quickly evaporate if the market turns cold or your expenses run too high. Carefully consider all five points before taking action and know your local real estate market inside and out. 

Yes, people do make tidy profits by flipping houses, while others lose out. Do your homework before jumping in to make certain that you understand everything before buying a house that you plan on flipping later.

Dallas Appraiser LLC

Title: 

Foreclosures - Take Action Early

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421

Summary:

If you are looking at the potential for foreclosures, the worst thing you can do is take a ìwait and seeî attitude. In fact, the earlier you can start talking to and negotiating with your creditors, the better.

Keywords:

foreclosures

Article Body:

If you are looking at the potential for foreclosures, the worst thing you can do is take a ìwait and seeî attitude. In fact, the earlier you can start talking to ñ and negotiating with ñ your creditors, the better.

Start early actually means that you should contact the person or company that holds the title to your property as soon as you think you may be in trouble. Itís tempting to avoid the problem to the point of not answering the telephone when those creditors call, but thatís not going to solve the issue. In fact, creditors who arenít getting answers or satisfaction are more likely to take action than those with whom youíve been talking. 

Another reason you should start talking to your creditors well before foreclosure becomes immediate and unavoidable is that you have more options at that point than when the creditor is already taking action. One of those options could be the chance to renegotiate your loan. You might be eligible for a refinancing loan that will stretch your payments out over a longer period of time, meaning youíll have lower monthly payments. That could significantly increase your ability to make those payments on time.

Not only could you be eligible for a longer payoff, you may also qualify for a loan thatís larger than your current payoff. That means you could get some cash back from refinancing your loan. If youíre having trouble meeting other bills as well because of some short-term issue, this influx of cash could be the answer youíre looking for. 

If you take time to contact your lender, you may also find them willing to give you a break on a payment or two. Some lenders will allow you to pay the interest due, putting the rest of the payment off until the end of your note. While you probably wonít have the option to do this more than once or twice, it could be the answer to short-term problems that sometimes hamper the ability to make payments on time.

Itís human nature to avoid confrontations, including those that occur when youíve had trouble making your payments on time. But this isnít a situation thatís going to resolve itself. Take time to contact your lender. Explain as much of the problem as you can and ask for advice. Youíll find them much more willing to negotiate with you early in the process than after youíve missed several payments.

Dallas Appraiser LLC

Title: 

Save Money On Relocating

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512

Summary:

Moving can get expensive quickly.  Learn some tips and tricks for saving money on your relocation.

Keywords:

move, moving, relocate, relocation, moving house, real estate, business, home

Article Body:

When you are moving, you are already spending a lot of extra money.  It helps to know some tricks for saving some money.  Then your moving expenditures will not be so great.

One of the easiest ways to save money on relocating is to move less stuff.

Be sure to go through your things beforehand and throw out, give away, or sell whatever you will not need. A lot of people get into a time crunch when they are relocating, and they donít have time to do this. They end up moving a lot of stuff that they then throw out when they reach their destination. 

Talk about a waste of money. Take the time to get rid of these things before you move.

Remember that if you give some of your stuff away, you should request a receipt so that you can deduct the amount donated from your taxes.  This will save you money again.

Another way to save money is to do a lot of the work yourself. Even if you hire movers, you can do the packing yourself. This will save a lot of money. The time-intensive work costs the most, so do your own packing and save a bundle.  Remember to get started early if you are going to be doing your own packing. You canít pack up an entire household at the last minute.

Of course, you can save even more by renting a moving truck and loading and driving it yourself. But here you have to think about how much help you have. If it takes you two days to load the truck, you might be cheaper off to hire professionals to do your relocation. They will do it a lot quicker and you will lose less friends too.

When you are relocating, there are a lot of ways to save money besides the obvious. For example, make sure you leave your old apartment in pristine condition, so that you will get your security deposit back. This is like found money that can be used for other things when you are moving.

You can also save money by canceling your cable service a month early. You wonít have much time to watch it anyway. You will be too busy packing and going through your things in preparation for the move. In the place you are relocating to, wait a month before hooking up the cable. In this way, you save the money of two months of cable service.

On the day of the relocation, pack yourself some meals in a cooler and you can save a lot of money on restaurant meals.

Sometimes the stress of relocating makes you spend money just to save time and energy. But if you plan ahead, you will not have these unexpected expenses. Instead of renting an expensive hotel room, try to stay with friends, or at least pack the kids of to Grandmaís until the move is over.

Be creative, and you will come up with a lot more ways to save money on relocating.

Dallas Appraiser LLC

Title: 

One Way To Buy A Cheap House

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452

Summary:

There are several ways to buy a cheap house. Here is one of the simplest ways, but is it right for you?

Keywords:

buy a cheap house, cheap house, real estate

Article Body:

One of the simplest ways to buy a cheap house is to make a low offer. Sometimes called a "lowball" offer, this is a basic ploy used in real estate and many other negotiations. Everyone knows the technique, but most are afraid to use it. It can be a waste of time if you don't do it right, and it can be embarrassing, but it also can get you a cheap house.

A very successful real estate investor once told me,"If you aren't embarrassed by your offer, it isn't low enough." He's made millions in real estate, so I think he's worth listening to. However, you need to understand that a truly low offer isn't going to be accepted most of the time. 

In fact, it will almost never be accepted. Does this mean it is a waste of time? Not at all! There will often be counter-offers, and a low initial offer is just a way to alter expectations.

<b>Buy A Cheap House By Lowering Expectations</b>

Once, when I was selling my car, a really nice guy looked at it. After crawling under and inside the car, he politely offered me half of what I was asking, and left his phone number (I said no). I wondered what was wrong with the car, and I found myself hoping I could get just a bit more than that half-price offer. My expectations had been altered quickly. Fortunately for me another person gave me the full asking price before I decided to pick up that phone.

The idea of a low offer then, is to alter expectations. If a seller is asking $200,000, and you offer $160,000, will he accept your offer? No. He'll almost certainly reject it. Buying a cheap house isn't going to be as easy as that.

However, he may counter-offer. Now suppose you go back and forth, and eventually agree to $182,000. He not have considered going this low before, but now it seems like victory to him after starting at $160,000.

The downside? You will lose a lot of potential homes this way. Some sellers won't even take subsequent offers seriously once you have offended them with your extreme offer. This then, is a technique to use when you have time to find that home, and really want the best deal you can get.

One investor in California routinely made dozens of offers at a time on houses. He didn't even look at them, but wrote the offers for 25% less than the asking price (he did include an inspection contingency to protect himself). Most of the sellers said no - most, but not all. He repeatedly got great deals in this way. That's one way to buy a cheap house.

Dallas Appraiser LLC

Title: 

5 Features to Look for when Choosing a Property Rental Service

Word Count:

628

Summary:

Thinking of using a property rental service to manage your vacation rentals or apartment for rent in Spain?  Here are five key features to watch for before choosing a service...

Keywords:

holiday rental, apartment for rent, villa rental, vacation rental, golf holidays, property rental, spain holiday, costa

Article Body:

If you're thinking of using a property rental service for your Spain holiday rental or apartment for rent, there are some key features you should look for before making a commitment. You'll want the best possible service while also earning maximum profits for your vacation rental. Here are five major features every property rental service should offer.

1. Excellent Customer Service

Your guests will remember you by the service they receive during their stay at your villa rental, apartment or vacation rental. The property rental service you choose should offer excellent customer service and be able to provide testimonials from satisfied property owners. Your guests should arrive to a clean villa, home or apartment. 

If renting for a vacation, golf holiday or some other Spain holiday, each guest should receive a welcome packet including directions to the rental property as well as helpful information about the surrounding area. If you have an apartment for rent, tenants should be treated well. Rental payment collection, service maintenance and assistance with local utility and phone set-ups should be provided with friendliness and thoroughness.

2. Cleaning Management

A property rental service should provide reliable cleaning management. You might live too far away to handle cleaning or manage a maid service. If you live in England or the U.S., but your vacation rental or apartment for rent is located in Fuengirola, Mijas, Puerto Banus, or Elviria of Spain, then you'll need a property rental service that will handle cleaning with care. For holiday rentals and villa rentals, cleaning must be provided between each guests' stay and sometimes during the week of a stay as well. For vacation homes and villas, the lawn must be maintained as well. Be sure this is included with your service.

3. Key Holding, Inventory, and Detailed Necessities

You may not be able to handle local errands for your vacation rental or apartment for rent. Therefore, the property rental service should be entrusted with these tasks. Some necessities to keep the rental property operating legally include key holding, insurance, property tax and levies, building permits or licensing, bank account management, phone and utility set up and billing, etc. 

Another area of importance is inventory.  The furniture and other valuables in your apartment or villa rental must be kept on an inventory list and checked physically each time a guest departs. If you live in another country but own rental property in an area of Spain such as Costa del Sol, Marbella, Benalmadena or any other area, then obviously you're going to need someone locally who can check your inventory for you. Choose a property rental service that provides these types of services to eliminate worries while you're away.

4. Building Refurbishing and Major Repairs

Another feature to look for in a property rental service is whether or not they provide building refurbishing services and major repairs. The benefit of this is the provider will already have contacts to do the jobs needed. You won't have to spend endless hours trying to find a dependable contractor or handyman.

5. Promoting Your Apartment or Spain Holiday Rental

Check to be sure the property rental service will promote your apartment for rent or Spain holiday rental. Promotions will increase your number of rentals and profits each year. A property rental service may handle your advertising in local, national and international venues. If they have a website, they may promote your holiday rentals at the site. If you own a vacation rental near golf courses, then make sure they will advertise your rental from the angle of "golf holidays."

Keep these features in mind during your search for a property rental service. By choosing a service with great features, you'll have peace of mind knowing that your holiday rental or apartment for rent is in good hands!

Dallas Appraiser LLC

Title: 

5 Tips to Maximize Your Home’s Value When You Sell

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925

Summary:

Whatever the reason for selling, you wíll want to get the most out of the transaction.  Some simple tips can help you market and sell your home in the least amount of time, for the maximum value.

Keywords:

real_estate

Article Body:

1) First, do your homework.   Find out the local market conditions for your neighborhood.  Depending on your area, there may be better/worse times to sell.  Once you have decided to sell, there are three different levels of service that you may want to consider:

ï Sell the home yourself (FSBO)

ï List your with a Discount / Flat fee broker

ï Utilize a full service real estate agent/brokerage

If you are inclined to sell the home yourself, note that you will bear the responsibility for marketing your property, along with full legal disclosures, inspections, appraisals and the like.  You should be very comfortable with real estate related documents, and comfortable with the legal implications resulting from the transaction. 

You can also choose to use a discount or flat fee broker, who will assist you to sell your property.  Depending on the broker you select, you may be able to get some assistance with marketing, open houses, disclosures, title/escrow, etc.  Make sure that you understand exactly what services you are willing to pay.  Make sure you understand what services are covered under each pricing plan.  Find out if your listing will be posted on the website, what signage will be available to you; find out if you are posting the home to the respective MLS (multiple listings service) in your area. Each broker is different, so make sure to get references from former clients.  

If you want to market your property to the largest pool of possible buyers, list your property with a full-service real estate broker/firm.  Now, before you pick up the phonebook or check that postcard you received in the mail, make sure to take the time to interview more than one agent/agency.  

Find out if they are a REALTORÆ -- a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, a trade organization of nearly 1 million members nationwide.  Members of NAR subscribe to a stringent code of ethics to guarantee the highest level of service and integrity.  You may also want to know if they have any special REALTORÆ designations, such as GRI and CRS, which require that real estate professionals take additional specialized real estate training.  In addition to qualifications, you should check references of the agent.  Make sure to speak with former clients to see if the agent is responsive and is available to keep you up-to-date with progress.   You need to have direct contact with your agent, so you will need to be as comfortable as possible.  The agent that handles your listing should:

ï Detailed marketing plan for your house, including online and offline marketing 

ï Prepare a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) of properties in your area that have sold, as well as properties currently listed

ï Help you determine the best selling price for your house

ï Advice on suggested home improvements 

During the time that your house is on the market, potential buyers will make appointments to view your home, along with the planned open-houses that you or your agent may schedule.    Try to evaluate the house as if you are seeing it for the first time. Buyers need to envision themselves living in the home, so take care to present the property in its best light.  Put yourself in the position of a potential buyer and view the property starting at the front, itemizing the most cost-effective enhancements to make. 

2) Clean up as much as possible.  You may want to paint walls (neutral colors are best) or spruce up wallpaper.  Replace old flooring and worn carpets.  Check and repair damaged or unsightly caulking in the tubs and showers.  If possible, hire a cleaning service. Display your best linens, towels, and shower curtains. Make up beds, and put fresh flower arrangements on the table.  Make sure that there are no offensive odors in the house.  Odor is the first thing buyers notice, and often a permanent turnoff.   

3) Make your house their new home.  Put away or pack small appliances and other items that might be sitting on countertops or tables throughout the house. You want buyers to visualize the space in each room, so it is best to remove as many smaller items as possible.  Remove personal items, pictures and items to present clear shelves, book cases and walls.  Move excess furniture to make rooms more spacious. Replace heavy curtains with sheer ones that let in more light.  Clean and organize the closets. If you must, store boxes in an out of the way location.  You may also want to rent a temporary storage unit, to allow you to de-clutter every part of the house.

4) Do not forget the outside!  The right landscaping can enhance the curb appeal of a home.  Eliminate weeds, patch bare spots, fertilize and water. Take a good look at the shrubbery. Bushes that have grown to cover windows should be pruned to let sun and light into the home.   Fill in bare spots with small shrubs and colorful, fast growing annuals, such as impatiens and petunias. A few well-placed flower pots by the front door can be very inviting. Today's buyers want low maintenance. Your goal should be a beautifully maintained yard that looks easy to care for.

5) Allow your agent/representative to show your home.  Buyers do not want to offend current owners, so they may be more hesitant to consider your home if you are present for open-house events.  Be flexible about showings. It ís often disruptive to have a house ready to show on the spur of the moment, but the more often someone can see your home, the sooner you will find a seller.

Dallas Appraiser LLC

Title: 

5 Tips for Overseas Vacation Home Buying Success

Word Count:

668

Summary:

Owning a vacation home abroad in an exotic location is a commonly shared dream ñ and for those serious about making their dream come true here are the five main things to remember when buying property abroad.

Keywords:

Vacation property, vacation real estate, property abroad, real estate abroad, real estate investment, overseas real estate, overseas property, investment property, buying property

Article Body:

The dream of owning a vacation home in some sun-drenched overseas location is one the majority of us share, and because real estate proves itself time and again as a solid long term investment commodity, many more people are committing to purchasing real estate abroad as an investment that they and their family can also enjoy and benefit from. 

When buying a vacation home abroad there are a number of key considerations to bear in mind to avoid some of the traps and pitfalls sometimes associated with buying long distance and in an unfamiliar country.  With these 5 tips for overseas vacation home buying success you can quickly cut a swathe through the research process and move towards securing the dream swiftly and securely. 

Tip One ñ Learn the Rules and Regulations 

Different countries have different rules relating to the right or otherwise of foreign citizens to own the freehold title to immovable property.  Some widely publicised destinations don't allow foreigners to directly own the land on which their property sits (Bulgaria) or more than one property (Cyprus) for example, and some countries are less economically or politically stable than your own which can mean that real estate related rules and regulations may change in the future.  Make sure you're comfortable with the workings of the country you're considering buying a vacation home in, and if in doubt seek professional advice about that country and the ambitions you hold for owning a holiday home in it. 

Tip Two - Good Investment/Bad Investment 

If you're buying a vacation home with a hope that it will go up in value and be not only a family retreat but a great asset, know that real estate, just like any investment commodity, can go down in value as well as up.  Furthermore not all countries have a real estate economy the same as the one in your own country ñ a little research would be wise into the historic nature of the property market in your country of choice as well as predictions for its future.  While such data is not a direct indication of how well your investment will perform it will arm you with more data to hopefully make your decisions easier. 

Tip Three - Title Deeds and Legalities 

Legal systems and the title deed registration process differ from country to country therefore know your legal rights and try and find out about the essential searches, surveys and title deed checks that need to be conducted before you should commit to buying your overseas vacation home.  Never enter into any form of contractual agreement without the direct assistance of an independent lawyer and never accept someone's word that a vacation home has its permissions and title deeds valid and up to date.  Insist on seeing and checking all important facts and data before signing on the dotted line. 

Tip Four - Accessibility and Desirability 

If you're thinking about making an income from your vacation home or even hoping to holiday in it yourself regularly, one of the most important factors to bear in mind is the accessibility or otherwise of your vacation home.  If your real estate is difficult to reach, with many miles to traverse and complicated and expensive plane journeys to plan, then it will just become a less desirable commodity over time. While a vacation involves getting away from it all and escaping every day life, a vacation destination and home should be easy and affordable to reach. 

Tip Five - Enlisting Assistance 

Consider enlisting the help of a reputable real estate agent, an independent lawyer and if you want to make money from your vacation home, a property management service.  Such professionals can save you time, effort and money and they can make the whole process of buying and owning a vacation home that much simpler.  Make sure you take references, examine credentials and see qualifications before employing anyone to assist you however, and if at all possible seek recommendations because anyone who does a good job will always get good press!

Dallas Appraiser LLC

Title: 

3 Tips to Staging the Inside of Your Home Like a Pro

Word Count:

340

Summary:

Are you considering putting your house up for sale, but not sure where to start? Afraid it will take too long to sell, or that you wonít get the price you want?  Here are three tips to help ensure that won't happen to you.

Keywords:

Prescott real estate, Prescott realtor, Arizona real estate, Arizona realtor, home selling tip, real estate in Prescott

Article Body:

Are you considering putting your house up for sale, but not sure where to start? Afraid it will take too long to sell, or that you wonít get the price you want? Think about ìstagingî your home, or in other words, setting the scene for immediate buyer interest in your property. 

To be really effective, you need to look at both the outside and the inside of your home. Here are 3 tips to get you started with the inside of your home:

1. De-clutter. This is one of the most important things you can do. It might be easier to think of de-cluttering like this ñ youíre moving anyway, so why not start packing now?

Pack up everything you donít need and store the boxes out of sight in the garage (or consider temporarily renting a small storage locker). 

2. Organize your closets - put similar colors together, pants together, skirts together, shirts together etc. Why? Because it will make the closets look bigger. (Really.) An organized closet appears bigger, and you want your closets to look as spacious as possible.

3. Make your home look like a model. You want to de-personalize as much as possible so potential buyers can imagine themselves and their own belongings occupying the space in your house. That means minimizing ñ putting away everything you donít need or use. Clear off kitchen counters as much as possible ñ stash all those appliances you donít use, and put miscellaneous small clutter in a few attractive baskets or boxes

And the biggest tip of all? Imagine yourself as a potential buyer looking at your property for the very first time. What impressions are you getting? Would YOU buy your house? What would you like to see changed before you put an offer on your house?

And donít worry about spending several thousand dollars to get your house ready to sell ñ youíll get it all back when your house sells. Proper staging helps you sell your house in a shorter time and at the price you want.

Dallas Appraiser LLC

Title: 

3 Pitfalls to Avoid When Playing in the Real Estate Game

Word Count:

518

Summary:

Don't rush blindly towards real estate investing. Here are 3 big pitfalls to avoid.

Keywords:

real estate, finance, investing, money, retirement, multiple streams of income, property, housing, rental

Article Body:

So you have seen your umpteenth infomercial with the guy in his neatly pressed button-upped white T-Shirt grinning ear to ear waving his rock-solid no-money-down rags-to-riches real estate investment course for 3 easy payments of a gazillion dollars (but only if you call now) and now you are thinking, "wow this looks like a great deal, I better get it fast before the special offer expires." You notice how there ís always a special offer? Anyway, I am not saying this guy is not telling the truth, however regardless of which course or school of thought you buy into there are several key areas that one must avoid when engaging in any real estate related transaction.

Pitfall Number 1: Do not Overpay!

The whole point in investing is to find properties that are undervalued. How does one find out what is undervalued versus overvalued? Without getting into technical details, the bottom line is you need experience. Yes much like shopping for anything else, real estate is essentially one of the highest ticket items in the shopping center of life. Itís advisable to stick with one market, perhaps the one closest to you in proximity as a starting off point. Through your experience and asking the right questions, you will eventually have a feel for the pulse of the market you are looking after, and of course identify what is considered a good buy.

Pitfall Number 2: Know the Market

Yes, you are actually going to have to do more work! This part is really common sense though, but executing it where the beauty and the payoff comes in. How do you make money in real estate? The most basic way is to buy low and sell high. So from the first step, you have identified general trends in the value of homes, and are pretty good at spotting undervalued homes. Assuming you acquire that home, you may want to profit from it by selling it off to someone else for a higher price. How can you do this? Well there are many ways. For one, most markets appreciate in value over time so if you want a longer term approach that will work. Making upgrades to the property will automatically raise the price of the home as well. Think in terms of what the market wants, not what you personally want. You arenít the one buying it; you are trying to sell it to someone else for a higher price than you bought it.

Pitfall Number 3: Know Your Budget

It may be a fine philosophy to go through life on a whim, but real estate is serious business, and thus diligent financial planning and budgeting is critical to your success. Donít worry you donít need to be a finance geek, however you need to be disciplined and know your budget from the onset, or you may be finding you are learning that you need to make certain renovations or upgrades, and didnít anticipate it going over to a certain cost. Think ahead as to what is needed before actually going forth with investing in real estate.

Dallas Appraiser LLC

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:

real estate, fl real estate. real estate investing, real estate investing guide, flipping, rehab, fl, mike perl, foreclosure, tcreia, real estate club

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 Miami, Alex, 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, Publix 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.

Dallas Appraiser LLC