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

Title: 

Real Estate Negotiation - Time Power

Word Count:

654

Summary:

Time is one of the basic elements of real estate negotiation. Do you know this secret of using it well?

keywords: #Real_estate_appraiser, #Dallas, #Tarrant, #Johnson, #Dallas, #home_appraiser, #home_appraisal, #Property_appraiser, #home_value, #real_estate_appraisal, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Home_size, #casa, #Arlington_Tx, #Mansfield_Tx, #foreclosure, #property, #Home, #House, #Real_Estate, #Measure, #house_size, #DFW, #square_footage #what_is_my_house_size, #Stage, #staging, #Refinance, #value, #For_sale_By_Owner 

Article Body:

One of the crucial elements of real estate negotiation is time. Understand and master the use of time, and you can buy a home for thousands less. Here is one of the most important aspects of time:

Deadlines In Real Estate Negotiation

Time is of the essence. It even says as much on most real estate contracts. What does this mean? It means that whoever controls or understands the elements of time has the better negotiating position.

When I bought my first piece of property, I asked the seller why he was selling. He said he was moving. I asked him when he was moving, and he said in a couple weeks. He also mentioned that he wanted to close the sale before he moved. I offered him 20% less than he was asking, and he accepted.

He gave away too much information. Specifically, he gave away his deadline. One of the most important things to understand in real estate negotiation is deadlines. The two specific things to remember are: 1. Don't give away your deadline(s), and 2. Find the other side's deadline(s).

Find out whatever you can about any relevant deadlines. Sometimes there isn't a clear deadline, or there are several deadlines for different parts of the negotiation. Whatever the case, the more information you can gather about those deadlines, the better.

How do you use that information once you have it? The crudest method is to simply delay and wait until the last moment to negotiate. This only works if the other side doesn't walk away, and if your own deadline permits it. It also requires that you don't violate any of the terms of your purchase offer, so the seller can't sell to someone else.

A bit of sophistication is required to use this information effectively. You may want to start by identifying what is most important to you in the negotiation. For example, is the price or the terms the crucial element for you?

Let's assume that price is most important to you. When you wrote the offer, you put some price on it, but you have inspections and other contingencies that allow for everything to be renegotiated. The process of inspections and negotiations ties up the property, so your competition is excluded for the moment. Then you learn that owner really wants to sell by the start of the school year, because he will be moving with his children.

Work on everything else in the negotiations except the price. Have inspections done, agree on what will be included with the property, etc. As the seller's "deadline" approaches, he will be getting anxious to close the deal. Then you let him know you're ready to close quickly. Of course, you'll need the price adjusted due to the results of the inspections.

At this point the seller has the choice of throwing away the whole deal. This means starting over, and not moving when he wanted to. Alternately, he can be happy that he got what he wants most - a quick close. This means giving you your price.

This points up the importance of getting information on the other's deadline, but also the importance of not revealing your own. When I was a real estate agent I heard the story of a man who sold his property for a large profit. He had to pay $80,000 in capital gains taxes unless he rolled the money into another property, as a "title 31 exchange." He had 60 days to close on the new property.

Imagine the abuse he would open himself to if, with ten days to go, the seller learned of his deadline and the cost of missing it. He could threaten to delay closing unless the buyer paid $10,000 extra for some old coin-operated washing machines, for example. Overpay by a few thousand, or lose $80,000. What do you think he would do? You can see the power of time in real estate negotiation.

Title: 

Where Are The Really Good Real Estate Investment Deals?

Word Count:

864

Summary:

How to find and profit from the very best deals, and it's easier than you think!  Keep swinging!

keywords: #Real_estate_appraiser, #Dallas, #Tarrant, #Johnson, #Dallas, #home_appraiser, #home_appraisal, #Property_appraiser, #home_value, #real_estate_appraisal, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Home_size, #casa, #Arlington_Tx, #Mansfield_Tx, #foreclosure, #property, #Home, #House, #Real_Estate, #Measure, #house_size, #DFW, #square_footage #what_is_my_house_size, #Stage, #staging, #Refinance, #value, #For_sale_By_Owner 

Article Body:

In writing my last article about the neighborhoods where I find the most profitable rehab real estate investment deals, something occurred to me.  

In that article I described investing from what I've found is typical in doing this business.  I wrote about where I TYPICALLY find the deals.  Well, what IS typical in this business?

No two deals are the same, that's for sure!  Every rehab itself is different with different problems to solve.  So, in describing a typical deal, I'm referring to the spread involved.  The spread is the different between what I can buy the house for, and what it's value will be when it's brought back up to standards.  

The next big question is, "What will the rehab going to cost."

For instance, if a property in my market has a $25,000 spread between what I can buy it for and what I can sell it for (the as-repaired appraised value), it's a "maybe" in my book depending on how much rehab it needs.  If it needs much, I would probably pass unless some external factor makes it a good buy, like the neighborhood.  In other words, if it needs much rehab, I'd have to be convinced enough to put some of my own money into it.

I typically look for houses with a $30,000 spread or better.  You have to decide for yourself, based on values in your area and what is the minimum you want to make, what spread you'll be happy with.  

So, what is a rehab real estate investor's "home-run? " 

Home-runs occur at the outer edge of what is typical.   My home-run deals have occurred one of several ways.  

  -  The spread is stellar.  Let's say the spread is $45,000 and the rehab is a manageable $5-10,000.  

  -  The spread is good, but the rehab is very light.  Wham-bam, I'm looking for tenants within days of closing.

  -  The cost is exceptionally low for a given area.  Sometimes the spread on paper will not be anything to get excited about, but the property has a huge lot, extra bedrooms, or is located an area that is in serious demand.

  -  There is NO rehab, and the spread is sufficient that I can buy it with none of my own money.

  True story -  I've only had one NO rehab deal.  Wow.  This house had been recently rehabbed, clean and didn't need a thing!  This was a home-run just due to the ease at which I added this property to my inventory!  The spread wasn't great, in fact, I had a local hard money lender make up a story about being out of money because he thought the spread was too narrow and didn't want to lend on it.  He wrongly assumed there was a significant rehab.  (Being straight up with me was too hard, I guess.)  I consider this a home-run because I bought this property, changed the locks, put out a sign and had it rented within two weeks.  Mind you this is a beautiful well-built brick/block home in a great neighborhood.  Cost to me - nothing.  This house has one of my best cash flows month-to-month.

The point here is to give you an idea of what kinds of home-runs rehab real estate investors look for.  But, here is a key pointÖ

It's truly NOT worth my time, or yours, to wait around for the home-runs.  I firmly believe that these kinds of home-run deals come about by being an active investor.  Rehabbers that keep 1-2 projects going at all times, get calls from wholesaler with great deals.  Personally, I make the best buying decisions decisions with what I have among the properties brought to me when I am in my "buy mode."  Some of these turn out to be home-runs, some don't.  

If I waited around for only the home-runs: 

  -  I would waste precious learning time.  Since there is no substitute for experience, I want all I can get!

  -  I would lose money over the long run as a buy-and-hold investor.  If I'm buying and rehabbing with little or none of my own money anyway, it doesn't make sense to wait around for home-runs if I can add properties to my inventory that fits my investment criteria. If you're in the buy and hold business, the important thing is how much property can be controlled with as little money as possible.  

Question:  Is it better to have $1,000,000 worth of property appreciating or $200,000?

Hitting a home-run in rehab real estate, and anything else, requires these two ingredients:

 - You've GOT to be "in the game."  By this I mean you have to have prepared in advance for your turn at bat.  In the rehab business, this means you have enough knowledge to get started, you have a decided investment criteria, you have your money source lined up, and you are looking for property.

 - You are "swinging."  In the rehab business, this mean you are buying property, rehabbing, learning and turning.  It's not enough to merely stay on the sidelines.  

Let me say that again

IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO MERELY STAY ON THE SIDELINES.

Title: 

Why Room Rentals?

Word Count:

575

Summary:

Why should you rent rooms in your house? Maybe you shouldn't, but then perhaps the money would change your mind.

keywords: #Real_estate_appraiser, #Dallas, #Tarrant, #Johnson, #Dallas, #home_appraiser, #home_appraisal, #Property_appraiser, #home_value, #real_estate_appraisal, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Home_size, #casa, #Arlington_Tx, #Mansfield_Tx, #foreclosure, #property, #Home, #House, #Real_Estate, #Measure, #house_size, #DFW, #square_footage #what_is_my_house_size, #Stage, #staging, #Refinance, #value, #For_sale_By_Owner 

Article Body:

Room rentals? Why would you want to make your home into a boarding house? Maybe you shouldn't. I enjoyed having people living in my house, and most of them became friends. On the other hand, you might not like that arrangement. I hated being a landlord when I owned rentals that were not my home. Each of us is different.

Consider Your Room Rental Options

You don't necessarily have to live with the room-renters, so consider all the options available. You could do any of the following:

1. Rent rooms in your own home and share common space with the renters. This is what I did for several years when I was single, and it worked fine for me.

2. Partition your home so you can rent rooms without sharing common space.You'll need at least two bathrooms, and separate entrances to make this work.

3. Add an efficiency apartment for yourself, so you can have privacy, perhaps still sharing a laundry room with the renters. This is what we did when I married. It also opened up one my previous bedroom, increasing the rental income enough to pay for the new apartment in less than a year.

4. Buy a house just to rent it out by the room. This can be an excellent way to get cash flow out of homes that might not otherwise be such good investments.

5. Sublet a room in the apartment you rent. If this is okay with the landlord, it can be a way to afford a nicer apartment, or to get past financial hard times.

6. Use room rentals as a way to afford a house payment. If you are having trouble buying a home because you can't afford the payments, you can buy a home with extra rooms and rent them out.

Consider The Money In Renting Rooms

The amount you can charge for rent will vary greatly in different parts of the country. Here is what I charged renting rooms in a mobile home in a small town in northern Michigan (a few years ago):

Small Bedroom: $65 per week times 52 weeks equals $3380 per year.

Medium Bedroom : $75 per week times 52 weeks equals $3900 per year.

Large Bedroom : $85 per week times 52 weeks equals $4420 per year.

Potential Annual Income (I had a couple weeks vacancy now and then): $11,700 per year.

This was a home that I lived in, remember. I included all utilities in the rent, and I tracked my expenses closely. Including repairs to the heating system, the refrigerator and roof, as well as utilities, garbage collection, cable television, local phone service, property taxes and insurance, my costs the last year I had the house were $3,900 (I had already paid off the $253/month mortgage).

How do you figure profit when you live in the home? Renting rooms in my home probably added $300 or so to the annual costs. Heating was almost the same cost, as was garbage collection, taxes, insurance, cable television, and phone service. A little more wear and tear and a bit more electricity were the only real additional costs. In other words, almost all the extra income was profit. Or if you want to look at it another way, I lived for free and had $7800 income from the home I lived in.

Do you want to have thousands of dollars of extra income every year? What would you do with that money? Think about that, and you have the answer to why you should rent rooms.

Title: 

What is a Foreclosures List?

Word Count:

430

Summary:

For some of the best deals in real estate, you have to dig a little deeper below the surface. It's tough to find good discounts on homes from a real estate agent, since often times they will be selling them for as much as possible to satisfy both the homeowner they represent and pad their own commission. But buying properties from a foreclosures list means getting the chance to win incredible homes for way below market prices. These unique properties are available from mortgage lenders for incredible discounts, because they are the result of defaults by homeowners. After a default, the lender involved will need to find some way to settle the debt owed. By repossessing and selling the homeowner's property at auction, the lender can collect the money they need to settle the loan debt.

keywords: #Real_estate_appraiser, #Dallas, #Tarrant, #Johnson, #Dallas, #home_appraiser, #home_appraisal, #Property_appraiser, #home_value, #real_estate_appraisal, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Home_size, #casa, #Arlington_Tx, #Mansfield_Tx, #foreclosure, #property, #Home, #House, #Real_Estate, #Measure, #house_size, #DFW, #square_footage #what_is_my_house_size, #Stage, #staging, #Refinance, #value, #For_sale_By_Owner 

Article Body:

For some of the best deals in real estate, you have to dig a little deeper below the surface. It's tough to find good discounts on homes from a real estate agent, since often times they will be selling them for as much as possible to satisfy both the homeowner they represent and pad their own commission. But buying properties from a foreclosures list means getting the chance to win incredible homes for way below market prices. These unique properties are available from mortgage lenders for incredible discounts, because they are the result of defaults by homeowners. After a default, the lender involved will need to find some way to settle the debt owed. By repossessing and selling the homeowner's property at auction, the lender can collect the money they need to settle the loan debt.

Buying Foreclosed Homes

However, homes for sale through these means can often be purchased for way below their actual value. Since the bank or lender usually only needs to collect an amount that is much less than the full value of the property itself, they are free to undersell homes and still make back what they need to cover the debt. As a homebuyer or investor, buying foreclosures from a for sale list at sales such as these can be a great chance to take advantage of undersold property and win it for way below its actual value. This means great initial savings, but also a big chance for potential profits through investment.

How to Find Foreclosure Listings

At BankForeclosuresSale, you'll be able to find hundreds of these incredible foreclosure listings through our online foreclosures lists database. It's easy to use our service to find the perfect listing for your needs, since you can search by town, city, county and a number of other criteria. As one of the internet's leading listings service providers, we are more than experienced in helping people find the listing of their dreams easily, and for a great price! We'll show you how to buy a house through all kinds of different means, including buying from government services like HUD and VA, and even bank owned foreclosures that offer incredible savings.

You'll have access to all kinds of educational information about buying everything from a Fannie Mae home to a pre foreclosure available direct from a homeowner. And our 24-hour Customer Support we'll help you locate the perfect home for sale in the area of your choice. So sign up today and use our foreclosures list to find all kinds of bank foreclosure and other great properties currently available!

Title: 

Tax Laws The IRS Doesn't Want You To Know About that can save you money in Real Estate

Word Count:

731

Summary:

Most People Are Not Aware That We Have Two Tax Systems. 

One is for employees, which was created to take your wealth, and one is for small businesses that was designed to create economic growth.  By being aware of the second you will save thousands of your hard earned money.

keywords: #Real_estate_appraiser, #Dallas, #Tarrant, #Johnson, #Dallas, #home_appraiser, #home_appraisal, #Property_appraiser, #home_value, #real_estate_appraisal, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Home_size, #casa, #Arlington_Tx, #Mansfield_Tx, #foreclosure, #property, #Home, #House, #Real_Estate, #Measure, #house_size, #DFW, #square_footage #what_is_my_house_size, #Stage, #staging, #Refinance, #value, #For_sale_By_Owner 

Article Body:

Most People Are Not Aware That We Have Two Tax Systems.

One is for employees, which was created to take your wealth, and one is for small businesses that was designed to create economic growth. The reason is that small businesses generate over 70% of the job growth in this country. This is why Congress passes "good" tax laws (Yes, you heard me right, there are "good" tax laws) for small businesses. However, you must have a business to take advantage of these "good" laws.

If you have a side business and have the right knowledge, you can deduct part of your house, your kid's education (no kidding), some of your vacation costs almost anywhere in the world, set up a pension plan that makes any government plan paltry by comparison and much more. Even better, if your business generates a loss, you can use that loss against any form of income such as your wages, pensions, rents etc.

There Is Catch However

The first catch is you must properly document your deductions.

The second catch is that you must run your business as a business and not as a hobby.

The following are some of the criteria that IRS and the courts look for:

How To Distinguish Between A Business And A Hobby

The IRS seems to love the "loss rule." A person must have a profit two out of five years. In one of my tax law classes, the professor was determined to show that any business that did not show a profit in two out of every five years would lose all of the tax-deductions. I remember distinctively showing that this is only a misconception of the tax rules.

(From IRS Publication 535)

Generally, a hobby is an activity that is carried on for personal pleasure or recreation. It is not an activity entered into with the intention of making a profit. In determining whether you are carrying on an activity for profit, all the facts are taken into account. No one factor alone is decisive. Among the factors to consider are whether:

You carry on the activity in a businesslike manner 

The time and effort you put into the activity indicate you intend to make it profitable 

You depend on income from the activity for your livelihood 

Your losses are due to circumstances beyond your control (or are normal in the startup phase of your type of business) 

You change your methods of operation in an attempt to improve profitability 

You, or your advisors, have the knowledge needed to carry on the activity as a successful business 

You were successful in making a profit in similar activities in the past 

The activity makes a profit in some years, and how much profit it makes 

You can expect to make a future profit from the appreciation of the assets used in the activity 

 

Killer Secret: To qualify as a business, you have to prove your intent to produce a profit.

 We have all heard of Internet companies that have lost millions for years, Amazon.com being the best example we all know. If your goal is to take a loss, you have a hobby. If your intent is to create profit, then you have a business.

 

What You Can Deduct

The Internal Revenue Code allows you to deduct all "ordinary and necessary" expenses of operating your business -- these can vary depending on the type of business. Understanding some of the terminology of the tax code will be crucial and the creating and keeping records related to reducing your tax liability.

President Clinton in one of his famous hearings made the following remark, which many of us deemed to be ridiculous, "It depends upon what the meaning of the word is "is". What you "name" your deduction will often determine whether or not it is deductible. 

(From the IRS Publication 535)

You can deduct business expenses on your income tax return. These are the current operating costs of running your business. To be deductible, a business expense must be both ordinary and necessary. An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted in your field of business, trade, or profession. A necessary expense is one that is helpful and appropriate for your business, trade, or profession. An expense does not have to be indispensable to be considered necessary.

Killer Secret: Find ways to deduct expenses that occur every day for you!

Title: 

Budget for Closing Costs - Loan Origination Fees and PMI

Word Count:

388

Summary:

Once you reach an agreement on the purchase of a home, things start moving quickly. In the chaos, it is important to remember to budget for closing costs.

keywords: #Real_estate_appraiser, #Dallas, #Tarrant, #Johnson, #Dallas, #home_appraiser, #home_appraisal, #Property_appraiser, #home_value, #real_estate_appraisal, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Home_size, #casa, #Arlington_Tx, #Mansfield_Tx, #foreclosure, #property, #Home, #House, #Real_Estate, #Measure, #house_size, #DFW, #square_footage #what_is_my_house_size, #Stage, #staging, #Refinance, #value, #For_sale_By_Owner 

Article Body:

Once you reach an agreement on the purchase of a home, things start moving quickly. In the chaos, it is important to remember to budget for closing costs. 

Budget for Closing Costs ñ Loan Origination Fees and PMI

Closing costs are fees associated with miscellaneous events associated with a home purchase, things such as property inspections. Even if you are purchasing a home for the first time, you are probably aware there are closing costs that have to be paid. Rarely, however, are you aware of just home much and how fast the can accumulate. If you have not budgeted for them, they can put a kink in the closing or even cause you to lose the home. 

A couple of closing costs to keep in mind are origination fees for home loans and private mortgage insurance. The mortgage related costs are only a small part of the overall closing costs you can face, but deserve a closer look.

Origination fees for home loans can be a shock to first time buyers. Few realize they are going to have to pay such things. Origination fees are costs charged by a lender for services used to determine if the lender should give you a loan in the first place. For example, a lender will charge you fees for obtaining a copy of your credit report, having an appraisal done for the property. Infuriatingly, the lender will also charge you fees for processing the loan and preparing the loan documents. You may also have to pay points, which represent a percentage of the total loan, often one or two percent. On a $300,000 loan, the origination fees can quickly add up to thousands of dollars. 

Private mortgage insurance, often called PMI, can also be a nasty little surprise. The magic number when considering PMI is 20 percent. If you make a down payment on the home that is less than this amount, you are almost certainly going to have to pay PMI. PMI is simply insurance that protects the lender should you default on the loan. The cost can add up to hundreds of dollars, so make sure you know what is expected of you. 

Closing costs are aggravating, particularly when you feel like you are being nickel and dimed till death. Budget for them up front, and you will feel less aggravation.

Title: 

Budget for Closing Costs - Property Taxes, Legal Fees and Such

Word Count:

389

Summary:

You probably spent a good bit of time getting disciplined to save money for your home purchase. You need to carry this financial discipline through the escrow period or you could run into problems.

keywords: #Real_estate_appraiser, #Dallas, #Tarrant, #Johnson, #Dallas, #home_appraiser, #home_appraisal, #Property_appraiser, #home_value, #real_estate_appraisal, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Home_size, #casa, #Arlington_Tx, #Mansfield_Tx, #foreclosure, #property, #Home, #House, #Real_Estate, #Measure, #house_size, #DFW, #square_footage #what_is_my_house_size, #Stage, #staging, #Refinance, #value, #For_sale_By_Owner 

Article Body:

You probably spent a good bit of time getting disciplined to save money for your home purchase. You need to carry this financial discipline through the escrow period or you could run into problems. 

Budget for Closing Costs ñ Property Taxes, Legal Fees and Such

When you decided it was time to purchase a home, you went through a number of steps to get your finances in order. You probably reviewed your credit report, cut down on credit card balances and reigned in your spending. A monthly budget was probably also an item you stuck to, probably with some aggravation. Once you have an offer for a home accepted, it is important that you keep budgeting for the closing costs associated with the purchase. Here are a couple of odd little fees that can show up and drive you nuts if you are not careful. 

Being required to pay property taxes can be a nasty little surprise. After all, you do not even own the home yet! The requirement, however, comes because of the nature of how property taxes are paid. They are not paid every month, so the seller has prepaid the taxes beyond the period they will own the home. They will want that money back! You can negotiate this point as part of the purchase, but you need to be aware it is out there. 

In some states, it is a legal requirement that you have a lawyer represent you in a real estate transaction. This requirement primarily exists in the East. Regardless, attorneys are expensive and you need to have money set aside to pay their fees. In truth, retaining a lawyer is a good idea since they tend to sniff out any questionable issues in the transaction. Fees can run you from a couple hundred bucks to thousands of dollars. 

In addition to the above, there are a lot of small fees associated with closing. They can run from several hundred dollars paid to the escrow company to $20 or so for notary fees and so on. If you do not keep an eye out, they can add up quickly to a few thousand dollars. 

Closing on a home can be aggravating with all the costs you have to pay. It will all be worth it when you walk into your new home the first time.

Title: 

Budget for Closing Costs - Prepaid Loan Interest and Home Insurance Premiums

Word Count:

390

Summary:

Entering into escrow on a home can be both exciting and stressful. The excitement comes from knowing you are close to moving into the new home. The stress comes from issues that will arise.

keywords: #Real_estate_appraiser, #Dallas, #Tarrant, #Johnson, #Dallas, #home_appraiser, #home_appraisal, #Property_appraiser, #home_value, #real_estate_appraisal, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Home_size, #casa, #Arlington_Tx, #Mansfield_Tx, #foreclosure, #property, #Home, #House, #Real_Estate, #Measure, #house_size, #DFW, #square_footage #what_is_my_house_size, #Stage, #staging, #Refinance, #value, #For_sale_By_Owner 

Article Body:

Entering into escrow on a home can be both exciting and stressful. The excitement comes from knowing you are close to moving into the new home. The stress comes from issues that will arise. 

Budget for Closing Costs ñ Prepaid Loan Interest and Home Insurance Premiums

As part of any closing, you need to go through certain steps to make sure you are both getting what you think you have purchased as well as paying for it. Each of these steps has an associated cost, known as closing costs, and you have to pay them before you can take possession of the home. If you do not, the deal will not close and you will lose the home. 

When going through escrow, costs associated with closing can accumulate quickly. Here is a closer look. 

Prepaid loan interest is an ugly little surprise for many first time homebuyers. The lender will often require you to pay the interest that accumulates between the day the loan is funded and the day you are actually scheduled to make your first loan payment. Many people mistakenly believe they have roughly a month before they have to start paying. This is rarely the case, and the sudden requirement to pay a hundreds or thousands of dollars can be a nightmare. If at all possible, you should try to get the lender to fund the loan as close as possible to the actual closing date, even on it. Try to avoid closing the loan on a Monday. The lender will have to fund the loan the previous work week, which means interest will be growing. 

Homeowners insurance is something you are going to need and most people expect as much when buying a home. If you are not informed, however, you will be surprised at closing when you find out you have to pay the full premium for the first year of the policy. Depending on the value of your purchase, this can add a couple hundred dollars to thousands of dollars onto your closing costs. Again, it is important to budget for this cost when putting funds together prior to purchasing a home. 

If you are going to purchase a home, you are going to have to pay these two items at closing. Make sure you budget for them to avoid running into cash flow problems.

Title: 

Understanding Title Insurance

Word Count:

463

Summary:

Title to a property is a record detailing the owners of the property and rights associated with the ownership. Title typically shows a progression of ownership from the first owner to the current one. Title is a fairly simple concept, but when it goes wrong it is a nightmare. That is where title insurance comes in.

keywords: #Real_estate_appraiser, #Dallas, #Tarrant, #Johnson, #Dallas, #home_appraiser, #home_appraisal, #Property_appraiser, #home_value, #real_estate_appraisal, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Home_size, #casa, #Arlington_Tx, #Mansfield_Tx, #foreclosure, #property, #Home, #House, #Real_Estate, #Measure, #house_size, #DFW, #square_footage #what_is_my_house_size, #Stage, #staging, #Refinance, #value, #For_sale_By_Owner 

Article Body:

Title to a property is a record detailing the owners of the property and rights associated with the ownership. Title typically shows a progression of ownership from the first owner to the current one. Title is a fairly simple concept, but when it goes wrong it is a nightmare. That is where title insurance comes in.

Title Insurance

Title insurance guarantees that the title on a property is marketable when you purchase the home, condo, land, etc. You should always pay for title insurance. It typically costs a few hundred dollars and will save you a bundle if problems arise.

When you buy title insurance, a title insurance company researches the title for the property. The insurance company will look to see if the title is clear. ìClearî simply means that the seller is truly transferring title to you and no other person can claim ownership. While this sounds fairly simple, rest assured that title problems arise all of the time.

Title Problems

You might be wondering how you could possibly have title problems. Here are a few examples:

1. Divorcing Couples - Divorce is unpleasant and sometime very ugly. In particularly nasty situations, one spouse may attempt to sell a home without telling the other. To gain clear title, you need both spouses to sign off on the sale. If you do not, you are going to become a party of the divorce proceedings. Now, would not that be fun?

2. Estate Sales - If you are purchasing a house as part of an estate sale, there can be real problems. The heirs may not be getting along and in an effort to ‘get what’s mine’, may try to sell the residence without including all the heirs in the transaction. If you buy this home, you could end up involved in a lawsuit filed by an heir left out of the transaction.

3. Ingress and Egress Issues - Title to a property can have technical issues related to egress and ingress. Occasionally, one finds title to a property that is so messed up that the owner does not have the right to enter or leave the land because to do so would require crossing another person’s property. In short, the property is landlocked and something must be worked out with the neighbors. Typically, a solution comes in the form of hard, cold cash - lots of it.

These are just a few issues that can arise with title. With real estate, unique issues can arise all the time.

If you buy title insurance, you do not have to worry about problems with title. If a problem arises, you calmly pick up the phone and call the title insurance company. The insurance company will come up with a solution, even if it means paying you for bad title.

Title: 

Understanding Queen Anne Architecture

Word Count:

356

Summary:

Queen Anne style homes are often easy to spot, but hard to define. It's partially that exclusivity combined with distinctness that makes the style so attractive to buyers and preservationists across the nation.

keywords: #Real_estate_appraiser, #Dallas, #Tarrant, #Johnson, #Dallas, #home_appraiser, #home_appraisal, #Property_appraiser, #home_value, #real_estate_appraisal, #Appraisal, #Appraiser, #Home_size, #casa, #Arlington_Tx, #Mansfield_Tx, #foreclosure, #property, #Home, #House, #Real_Estate, #Measure, #house_size, #DFW, #square_footage #what_is_my_house_size, #Stage, #staging, #Refinance, #value, #For_sale_By_Owner 

Article Body:

Queen Anne style homes are often easy to spot, but hard to define. It's partially that exclusivity combined with distinctness that makes the style so attractive to buyers and preservationists across the nation. Queen Anne homes are often referred to as the most ornate buildings of the Victorian era, and combine a variety of aesthetics and building methods from the late 1800s and early 1900s. 

One of the reasons Queen Anne architecture looks so different from other styles is that it was generally only used on houses. While other styles like Gothic Revival and Federal were being adapted for commercial buildings, churches, and public institutions, Queen Anne architecture was specifically made for upscale houses and mansions, using the latest materials and methods of the machine age. Another developmental difference between Queen Anne and other styles is that it didn't tend to draw on past eras, but instead produced a new building school that helped set the stage for 20th century homes.

The defining characteristics of the Queen Anne style are many and not always consistent, but there are a few key elements. In general, Queen Anne homes use high-pitched, irregular roofs, spindles and lookouts, decorative structure elements such as columns, and covered balconies. Many Queen Anne homes also employ stained glass, turrets, half timbering in the gables similar to the Tudor style, and patterned masonry. Different sub-styles of the Queen Anne movement include Spindled, Free Classic, Half-Timbered, and Patterned Masonry.

While generally very attractive, Queen Anne homes are often derided as being excessive, or "ginger-bread" like. It's true that Queen Anne architecture was the product of a rapidly changing era, and many of the homes included features never seen before, so the criticism holds some weight. 

The name for the Queen Anne style is often attributed to an 1852 novel by William Makepeace Thackeray entitled "The History of Henry Esmond, Esq., A Colonel in the Service of Her Majesty Queen Anne," which was popular for decades in the English speaking world. By contrast, stylish and modern furnishings from the historical reign of England's Queen Anne, came to be classified in a style known as "William and Mary."