With the meltdown of the real estate market in Phoenix, AZ, many people are seeing signs that advertise Cash For Houses. Are these companies legit? And how does their process work? For many homeowners, the temptation of calling one of these companies is enormous. Home buying companies that offer this program have several strong advantages when homeowners need to sell fast. The first is obvious; they pay with cash. Cash For Houses companies can close in as little as 3 days.

Many of these companies do not charge any realtor fees or commissions. Moreover, closing costs are usually picked up by the company too. Another huge advantage is their ability to buy your home in as is condition. Many realtors will not list a home if it needs substantial work. Homes that are fixer uppers can be a serious liability for many sellers. This is why many homeowners these days are seeing the advantages of using a Cash For Houses company.

The concept Cash For Houses has been around for quite some time. Homevestors, one of the largest national investor companies was started in the 1980’s in Texas. In the early 2000’s the need for a company that buys houses for cash wasn’t as strong. Therefore, there simply wasn’t as many of these companies. But, now with so many homeowners facing foreclosures, or simply don’t have the money to fix up their home, many are utilizing the services of a Cash For Houses company.

There are over 50,000 homes actively listed on the MLS. And this number doesn’t even include all of the new homes being produced by builders. After seeing these statistics, it is easy to understand why there has been an increase in the number of companies that advertise We Buy Homes. Cash For Houses companies will likely continue to be needed for several years to come.

But are the Cash For Homes companies legit? Before signing any paperwork with a company that claims Cash For Houses, make sure you do your homework. This includes asking for references, calling the department of Real Estate and calling the Better Business Bureau. There are many honest and ethical companies that will buy houses for cash. Although problems with Cash For Houses companies have been rare, as with any industry there can be a few dishonest people.

Reed Lattin is real estate investor in Phoenix, AZ.

Reed works for AllHomesAZ.com which buys all homes.

AllHomesAZ.com-member of the Better Business Bureau.

Sell your home fast at http://www.allhomesaz.com

Contact Reed Lattin directly at 480-227-5214.

In the market for a new home in the Seattle, Washington area? For years, homes for sale in Seattle have been popular with buyers looking for a new place to settle down and put down the proverbial roots. Seattle is burgeoning due to its great weather, the area’s diverse population, and the great lifestyle enabled by the region as a whole. Seattle is the quintessential city of the American Northwest - and homes for sale in Seattle continue to draw families of all shapes and sizes looking for a new place to live.

One of the great perks of many homes for sale in Seattle is their proximity to great, reliable public transportation. Seattle has long been at the center of the national green movement, and Seattle residents are, by and large, a fairly environmentally conscious group. This means that Seattle boasts transit options that meet many people’s needs.

One popular form of transportation in the Seattle area is the ferry network. Washington State Ferries is the nation’s largest ferry system, and it effectively connects island communities to the city proper. Homes for sale in Seattle, then, encompass a large geographical area: it is possible to live on an island off the coast and still easily commute into Seattle to access the great amenities of the city.

Early in the area’s history, streetcars were essential for connecting homes in Seattle with schools and workplaces. From 1889 onwards, streetcars connected the downtown area with more far-flung neighborhoods, leading to the development of strong, deeply rooted neighborhoods at the end of each line. While streetcars no longer move Seattle residents from place to place, their legacy lives on in the body of homes for sale in Seattle that form distinct communities away from the city’s actual center.

Today, a public bus system runs a number of routes through the city. Buses connect many main residential and commercial areas, and approximately 20 percent of Seattle’s workforce relies on the public transit system for their commute. Homes for sale in Seattle will also soon benefit from a new light rail service connecting Seattle’s downtown to its airport. Many of Seattle’s suburbs are connected to the city proper by a well developed commuter rail system.

Life in Seattle, Washington, then, offers residents the ability to be part of a thriving Northeastern community that has much to offer. Homes for sale in Seattle are well connected to downtown jobs and cultural opportunities by a well developed public transportation system, allowing the city to live “green” in the 21st century.

For buyers looking for a homes for sale in Seattle, a great place to put down roots in the American Northeast, it’s hard to ignore the many assets of the Seattle, Washington area. Homes for sale in Seattle offer buyers great amenities, great jobs, and a great way of life. One of Seattle’s highlights is its wealth of well developed public transportation options.

The Saint Pete beach, Madeira, or Treasure Island beach communities are a great place to live. There are so many things to do and places to go, it never gets boring.

No matter in which one of these beach little beach towns you live, they are all very easy. Relaxed and laid back. We all have beautiful beaches, gorgeous sunrises and incredible sunsets. What the locals call the “South Beaches” of Pinellas County is everything south of the Clearwater / Sand key bridge to the Skyway Bridge. A bunch of little beach communities like Saint Pete beach and Treasure Island, also Madeira beach and Redington or Indian Rocks.

You can get on Gulf Blvd and drive through all of them within 30 minutes. All of these barrier islands have access to the Intracoastal waterway, Boca Ciega bay and of course the Gulf of Mexico. What I like most about places like Treasure Island and St. Pete beach and Madeira is that their have “naturally grown” and were not invented by a developer on a drawing board. I think this fact make for a lot of the charm we have here in the Saint Petersburg area.

We have single family homes next to condos, next to hotels. In our out of the tourist season, the South beaches manage to balance a nice crowd of people and still preserve the character of our little beach communities. Let me point out some special paces like Sunset beach. It is a very diverse community with lots of old little beach shacks as well as modern new construction condos and resort style rental apartments.

Sunset beach is the ultimate beach living. It has positive energy and artsy feeling. The locals here in Sunset beach are very creative, you will find all kinds of “wild” mailboxes and other things displayed in their front yard. Caddy’s Waterfront restaurant is a unique place in Treasure Island, you have to go there for a drink or something to eat and enjoy the beautiful beach. John’s Pass, another special place here in Pinellas County is a lot of fun for everybody. A lot of little shops, stores and souvenir places, ice-cream parlors, restaurant and bars.

The best thing about John’s Pass is the boardwalk. Make sure you take a stroll along the waterfront and watch the boats go in and out of John’s Pass. If you are in the mood for Parasailing, fishing, jet skiing or rent a boat, John’s Pass is the place to go. Let me not forget to mention Pass a Grille. It is the end of Saint Pete beach south of the Don Cesar hotel. Pass a grille has a lot of history and walking around you can feel and see it. Some nice restaurants in our area are the Black Perl in Pass a Grille, The Wine Cellar in Redington, The Gulf Bistro in Madeira beach, the Perl in Treasure Island.

If you think about buying or selling a house or condo in Saint Petersburg Florida, give me a call. I know the market, I know the neighborhood. Ask me about waterfront homes or condos in St. Pete beach. Treasure Island, Madeira beach, Seminole and other Tampabay areas.

727 409 8706

Check out our blog and learn more about the Tampabay Saint Petersburg area.

http://houses-homes-condos-for-sale-st-petersburg-florida.com

Or go to our website

http://www.SouthBeaches.info

Here you will find a lot of information for buyers and sellers. Helpful tips and tricks and you can also do a property search and see all listings in Pinellas County.

Call or e mail us anytime.

Anne Hensel

Broker, ABR, E- PRO, TRC, ASR, RECS, C-CREC, AHS

South Beaches Real Estate Professionals

Liberty Station homes in Point Loma ranked one of the top six neighborhoods in America to retire in. However, Liberty Station, is great for young professionals as its steps from shopping, the harbor parks and easy to commute in and out of. Liberty Station community is comprised of 170,000 square feet of retail shops, grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops and office space. The community even has its own schools.

Liberty Station homes are comprised of several courtyards connecting to a central and historic promenade. This promenade is adjacent to the waters edge. There are 125 acres of open space in the Liberty Station master planned community. Included in this space is a public golf course and bike trails.

Liberty Station is a short 10 minute commute to downtown. So you can get home quickly, walk the dogs in one of the many parks, walk to the grocery store for fresh food or choose to dine in one of the many restaurants only steps away. Owning a home in Liberty Station empowers you to a great lifestyle in a community where the weather is some of San Diego’s best. With the ocean on one side and the bay on the other, the temperature is more consistent and moderate than most other parts of San Diego.

Prices of Liberty Station townhomes and single family homes generally range from $500,000 to $1.0 million. Square footages range from approximately 1,000 to 3,000. Because Liberty Station is such a popular community the available inventory has always been very low and is expected to remain tight. Available inventory levels usually run about 2% of the total homes at any given time are for sale.

If you would like to learn more about Liberty Station homes from a Realtor that has been selling the community since its beginning, please call me or visit me at one of my weekly open houses there. Call me for a list of available homes in Liberty Station. Donna Seals RE/MAX Realtor and Certified Relocation Specialist (619) 921-3333.

If you want to search the MLS on your own to see what is available for sale click on Liberty Station homes then click on “Search all of San Diego” menu button. Once in the MLS, select the Point Loma neighborhood. Remember, as a expert and insider at Liberty Station, I know of homes coming up for sale before they hit the MLS, call me if you want to be the first to learn about these opportunities.

Even with the housing marketing as crappy as it is, converting for sale by owners (FSBOs or also known as “fizzbos”) into referral sources is still an effective marketing strategy. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you are only going for the opportunity to help that fizzbo get a purchase loan for his new home. The real goal is to develop a relationship with the homeowner so that you prequalify all of the potential buyer prospects interested in their home that’s for sale. Using a phone script will make this even easier.

Drive around your area and search for all the homes being sold “For Sale by Owner.” And if your area is like mine, there should be plenty of them. When you find one, write down the address, phone number, and sales price if it’s available (if they have a flyer, even better).

Once you have collected several addresses and phone numbers, it’s time to make the phone calls. Because FSBOs are heavily targeted by real estate agents, the homeowner will probably be very resistant to your phone call. You have to break through that resistance as soon as possible. And the best way to do this is to tell them early that you are not trying to get their money. Once they know that none of their money is at risk, they’ll be much more open to talking to you. Here’s the script to use:

FSBO: Hello?

You: Hi. Are you selling the beautiful home on 15 Oak Street?

FSBO: Yes I am. Who am I speaking to?

You: My name is Ken Johnson from ABC Mortgage and I was wondering what your sales price is on the home? Oh, and what’s your name by the way?

At this point, the fizzbo will be a little taken aback. His resistance is still high because he knows you are from a mortgage company, but you haven’t said anything yet to make him hang up on you.

FSBO: Well, my name is Bob and I’m wanting to get $200,000 for it. Now, why are you calling me?

You: Bob, I can hear the agitation in your voice, and I can probably guess why its there. Since you placed that for sale sign in your yard, you are most likely getting bombarded with calls from real estate agents wanting you to list your home with them. I can promise you that I’m not calling about that.

FSBO: Really? Then why are you calling?

You: I want to create a win-win partnership with you. One in that you sell your home quicker and with much less stress, and you don’t have to pay me a single penny.

FSBO: Well, I could use any help selling this house faster. But what’s in it for you?

You: Typically, during the time a house is listed for sale, it gets interest from dozens of potential buyers. Almost all of the prospects will not buy that particular home. But they still want to buy a home and probably need financing to make it happen. It is those buyer prospects that I want to get business from.

FSBO: Ok, I see. But how will you help me then?

You: I’m glad you asked that. Did you know that when it comes to selling a home “fore sale by owner”, most of the transactions never get completed? Were you aware of that?

FSBO: No, I wasn’t. Why is that?

You: The number one reason that those transactions never get to the closing table is because the financing was not properly established by the buyers. So they will go look at homes that they just can’t afford (because they haven’t been prequalified by a mortgage professional) and then go making offers. This results in a lot of wasted time (and plenty of stress) for the homeowner.

FSBO: So you’ll help me by prequalifying the buyers interested in my home?

You: Exactly! By allowing me to prequalify them (at absolutely no cost to you), you will only have to deal with those prospects who are financially able to purchase your home. Besides weeding out all of those buyers who can’t buy your home anyway, the process of prequalifying eliminates those prospects who are just “lookers.” You know, the ones who are always driving around looking at houses for sale, but never intend to buy them.

FSBO: Wow. So you’ll do that prequalifying for me, and I don’t have to pay you anything?

You: Nope. Not a single cent. I will make my commission from the buyers side. Does this win-win situation sound like a good idea to you?

FSBO: Yes it does. What’s the next step?

Once you have the FSBO onboard, everything else will be cake. Each FSBO relationship that you establish should be able to provide you with several buyer prospects. Having a few FSBO partnerships will generate a steady stream of purchase mortgage leads. And because the time to maintain them is minimal (its basically just prequalifying prospects once you have your partnership created), you can have a number of ongoing partnerships going on simultaneously. Just remember to come across as not wanting to get any of their money, and they will be much more willing to work with you.

Want to get more strategies about turning FSBOs into mortgage leads without breaking your budget?

Go to http://www.loanmakergold.com to learn about seven marketing strategies that you can put to immediate use to generate more completed loan appilcations.

This article can be reprinted by newsletter/ezine owners and webmasters as long as the links are kept active and none of the content is altered.

Today I am still perplexed at how easily real estate flippers got away with false appraisals on overvalued land.

Step1
The banks loaned too much based on the true value of the underlying collateral and the seller’s walked with the excess cash (often repeating the process as buyer then seller in the next cycle).

Step2
In the simple case the lending bank has a strong interest in checking the accuracy of the appraisal (or hiring its own reliable appraiser) before loaning money on a land purchase and taking back a mortgage. Some argue that structured finance dilutes everyone’s incentive to check for fraud. The argument notes that the bank sells the paper to a special purpose vehicle (SPV) and the SPV sell securities to investors.

Step3
The risk of fraud is borne by the investors who do not or cannot check on the validity of any appraisals. The investors rely on rating agencies to rate the default risk and the rating agencies are operating under conflicts because they are paid by the SPV and get consulting fees from the SPV. The bank (and the originating broker) and the SPV no longer care because they take fees and pass on the risk.

Step4
The investors end up holding the bag. The argument seems overly simplistic. Most SPVs sell tranches and the lowest tranche, the so-called equity tranche, is not rated and very risky. Those who buy the equity, usually hedge funds, have an increased risk of loan defaults and should therefore have an increased incentive to monitor the quality of the loans.

Indeed, one could argue that the equity buyers and a stronger incentive than a bank that does not sell the paper to check on the default risk in the loans because the hedge funds took more risk with each default. There were long time rumors in the market of real estate flipping. Why did the hedge funds not check out the rumors, or at least price the equity to account for the rumors? Moreover, many of the same banks that passed on the risk to the SPV then bought SPV securities in their own hedge funds (and those funds are now in distress). Why did the banks not have the proper incentive, when purchasing back the paper, to make sure the paper that went to the SPVs they invested in was sound? In short, I continue to be baffled by stories of easy money (made even by gangs of thugs) on real estate flipping that overvalued land in the appraisals.

Information for Your Life

Click to find more about Real Estate Flipping

Albert wanted to sell a house that he owned, but the residential real estate market was making it difficult for him. He decided to rent the home, giving the tenant the option to buy it. Known as Rent-To-Sell, Albert intended to keep the house on the market and sell it as an owner-occupied property to another investor. But then Albert realized the challenges of finding a suitable tenant that would eventually purchase the house. His busy career as a physician left him little time to find a good tenant, maintain the property and take care of the other responsibilities of managing it.

Albert’s experience is common among new or inexperienced investors that try to go it alone without proper planning and guidance. For a more positive Rent-To-Sell experience, you should seek the assistance of a qualified real estate agent and a reputable property manager. Here are some tips that will help you to find appropriate professional help.

Call at least three real estate companies. If you don’t already have a relationship with a real estate agent with experience working with investors, then call at least three local real estate companies and ask for someone who is knowledgeable about selling investment properties. Interview agents until you find someone with whom you are comfortable and you trust. Be open and upfront about what you are trying to accomplish through the Rent-To-Sell process and ask them specifically about their experience with rent-to-own transactions. Questions may include:

• Have you ever executed a rent-to-own contract? If so, how many?
• Is it an issue if I hire a property manager to market the home as well? What would their commission be under this scenario if the property manager filled the property and not them?
• Can you recommend a property manager that is familiar with rent-to-own?
• Do you work with investors that are looking to buy homes with tenants in them?

Hire a property manager. Once you have hired a real estate agent that meets your criteria and with whom you are comfortable, then it is time to hire a property manager. The purpose of hiring a qualified property manager is to get the market rent for your home, advice about properly showing your house to get it rented quickly, and to take advantage of the property manager’s marketing of your house for rent and rent-to-own. The following process for finding the right property manager is similar to hiring a real estate agent.

Call at least two local property management companies and set an appointment to meet with each property manager at their offices. Be open and upfront about what you are trying to accomplish and ask them about their experience with rent-to-own properties. Questions may include:

• Have you ever executed at rent-to-own contract? If so, how many?
• Is it an issue if I hire a real estate agent to market the home as well? What would their commission be under this scenario if the real estate agent filled the property and not them?
• Can you recommend a real estate agent who is familiar with rent-to-own?
• Do you work with investors that are looking to buy homes with tenants in them?

Your property manager and your real estate agent should work as a team whenever possible. Your real estate agent should ensure that your home is listed through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and your property management company should market your home for rent and rent-to-own on its Web site and other online listings. Your real estate agent should put a lockbox on your door and your property manager should have the ability to enter the house using that lockbox. They should cooperate on signage in your yard indicating the house is available for sale, for rent and rent-to-own. And they should both offer guidance on how to make your house look good for showings to buyers and tenants.

Concurrently marketing to buyers, tenants and investors in this way will maximize your efforts in today’s real estate market.

Brett Furniss, ABR® is the author of “Rent-To-Sell Your Own Home” and president of Rent-To-Sell Realty, a division of BDF Realty Inc. BDF Realty is licensed in North and South Carolina and specializes in Residential Realty Services. Visit http://www.renttosell.com or 704-370-6419 for more information.

Buying and selling your home isn’t always as easy as everyone thinks it should be. Just when offers have been made and accepted, tentative removal dates discussed and everything seems to be going along fine, quite often something goes wrong. This can lead to a quarter of sales falling through, with time and money wasted on both sides.

In an effort to put a stop to this, for the last nine years the Government has been working on a plan and the decision was made to introduce the Home Information Pack (HIP). Designed to remove many of the problems faced by buyers and sellers, the whole proposals were well publicized throughout the early part of 2006 and many would-be inspectors had started the training needed to carry out the Home Condition Report, which was seen to be an important part of the package. Surprisingly, however, the decision to drop this part of the whole package has been dropped “for the time being” as it was realised that the time-scale for training had been badly misjudged. This took the industry by surprise and disappointed many buyers.

The pack has been the subject of many alterations and is now looking sylph-like compared to the original version. The proposal is that HIPs will come into force in June 2007. Already a slimmed-down version of what was first proposed, due to the removal of the above mentioned Home Condition Report, the Government has now decided packs will no longer have to include local building and planning searches. This was announced after it was discovered that councils in trial areas were taking on average more than four weeks to supply the information.

What will be needed, however, is evidence of title, copies of planning, listed building or building regulation consents. Guarantees for any work carried out on the property and an energy performance certificate. The Energy Performance Certificate is very much like the labels which are issued with new household appliances. It will offer suggestions on ways to improve the energy performance of the property alongside appraisals of what has already been achieved. In this way buyers will be able to assess the cost of any energy improvements and take this into account when considering the valuation.

If sellers decide to include a Home Condition report with their package, there is nothing to stop them. This should speed things along somewhat as the seller will already put part of the necessary paperwork into action by gathering information and arranging the energy performance certificate. If he then has to wait for a potential buyer to arrange a survey, the whole procedure will be lengthened and no one is going to be any better off.

The cost of an energy performance survey and certificate is likely to be around £300. It appears that the cost of a survey on a mid-price home should be in the region of £350 but if the two could be combined then it is likely that a considerable saving could be made.

At present then, if you find the home of your dreams, rather than the promised information pack showing the condition of the property, proof of ownership, planning consents and guarantees on work carried out, local building and planning searches and the energy performance assessment, what you will be presented with is something which saves neither time nor money. Many people may think the whole thing should be abandoned until there is some consistency and until the HIP can become a valuable tool.

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Property booms are a real shot in the arm for those already nearing the top of the housing ladder. They’ve seen their property prices rise higher than they’d have dared to hope. The cost of borrowing has been low and house values wonderfully high. Life is not so good for first time buyers, desperate to make a start on their home-owning career, or for those needing to trade up to a larger home.

It depends on what you read, or who you believe, as to which way you think the property market may go in the future. Looking at housing history of the past few years may make people desperate to get in on the act and youngsters may think it’s now or never. They may well be right - or not!

One of the main spurs to the superb growth in the property market is the benevolence of the building societies. By relaxing their lending rules and encouraging people to “go for it” they have fuelled the rises. Historically, a buyer was limited to a mortgage of three and half times their income, or in the case of a couple, two and a half times their joint income. Now we have a new fast-track mortgage where as long as you can put down a 25% deposit, and are not a first time buyer, you can have a fast decision without providing actual proof of earnings.

This is similar to the self-certification mortgages, which are designed for the self-employed, but this time it’s on a mainstream mortgage basis. The company offering this innovative product is Alliance and Leicester. They say that they still credit score their customers and limit the loan to 75% of the value of the property and that by fast-tracking the mortgage, customers get the benefit of a very early decision, enabling them to clinch the deal.

With estate agents reporting rapid offers on properties, often by more than one prospective buyer, which may go on to sealed bids, the ability to have an almost immediate decision on their mortgage gives buyers the best possible chance of closing a successful deal. Buyers are racing to exchange contracts and seal the transaction. Demand is reported to be so great in some areas that gazumping is reappearing, something common in the 80’s property bubble.

Conversely there are those who fear that this bubble may level out, rather than burst, and expect a slowing of the house price growth. Some economists have been giving this warning with monotonous regularity and have been surprised by the continuing strength of the market.

Another aspect of the property market is the buy-to-let sector. Banks and building societies are relaxing their rules regarding rental income cover. Where they used to reckon you needed a monthly 125% or more of the mortgage interest to cover unexpected expenditure or periods where the property stands empty, they will now accept 100%. All well and good when things go right, but it only takes an interest rate rise or two to throw all the figures out and the 25% “buffer” was a useful tool.

You can only use your own judgment, but we feel that some degree of caution may be sensible. When applying for a mortgage, be totally honest with your answers regarding your income and outgoings. Don’t take on more than you can handle and try to build in some margin of safety.

For help and advice, an internet mortgage broker will be aware of all the best and latest deals. It’s a fast changing market, but they’ll trawl through the maze of mortgages and come up with some great deals, tailored to suit your individual needs.

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A Resilient Housing Market

The recent economic downturn and subsequent depreciation in property values has recently resulted in a brighter spotlight being shown on Hubert and other towns and communities in the greater Onslow County area. The reason being, is the resilience that property values have demonstrated while other real estate markets around the country have been left staggering.

A Thriving Renters Market

Also, like other communities in the area, Hubert is also a great place to rent as well. Once again, its the very low average age of its citizenry due to the marine base that is the main reason for this. So for both renters and buyers, the secret is now out regarding Hubert NC.

A New Type of Client

While they certainly haven’t been doing the business that they were two years ago when the economy was booming, realtors in Hubert North Carolina none the less still manage to do a steady business. One new client that is beginning to appear on the scene is the retiring baby boomer.
Several Positive Factors

Its several factors that are attracting them to Hubert, including a generally lower than average cost of living compared to other parts of the country. However; there is much more to it then that, including the ample recreational opportunities that Hubert holds due to its close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and North Carolinas forest regions.

Article authored by Terrie Krumwald. Now you can learn all you wanted about Realtors in Hubert North Carolina and even Camp LeJeune Real Estate.