Posts Tagged ‘Extra Cash’

Thinking of selling your home? Before you place the “For Sale” sign in front of your house, there are a few things you should consider in order to maximize your home value and make the sales process smooth and efficient. Be prepared to discuss the following subjects with your real estate agent when you’re ready to sell your home and you’ll be one step ahead in the market.

1) Best Time of Year to Put Your House on the Market

Conventional wisdom dictates that spring is the best time for selling a home. The weather is getting warmer, the school year is coming to an end, and people who have just received their tax refunds may now have extra cash to use for a down payment on a home. However, since not everyone can sell a home in the spring, here are some other seasonal factors to consider. According to annual home sale data from the National Association of Realtors, the slowest selling months of the year are typically January and February, since fewer deals are made during the holidays. In spite of this, with less competition in the marketplace, you may be able to ask for a higher price for your home, or a quicker closing. Additionally, temperate locations like Florida and California don’t see the seasonal fluctuations in the housing market, where house-hunters are almost always looking. And a late winter or early spring in the Northeast may extend the typical “selling season.” These seasonal variations, as well as a variety of local factors will all influence the housing market in your area. Be sure to talk to your real estate agent regarding the current state of the market and how it will affect the sale of your home.

2) Open House Strategy and How to De-Clutter

At an open house, first impressions count, so you’ll want to enhance your home’s perceived value. Make your home inviting by taking care of bothersome minor repairs, clean bathroom and kitchen counters and clear them of dishes and clutter. Arrange storage areas neatly and put unused items in a closet. If you have pets, consider having a neighbor watch them for the duration of the open house. It’s a good idea for you to be absent during the open house, also. If you must be present, let your agent do the talking.

Decorate your home to sell by arranging the furniture to look as spacious as possible. Add color and fragrance to any room with fresh flowers. Lastly, don’t forget the outside of your home. Put away all gardening equipment and neatly arrange outdoor items like firewood or furniture. Even take a hard look at your mailbox and make sure it reflects the value and character of your home.

3) Features to Accentuate

While you may have long determined which aspects of your home you love, having a fresh set of eyes assess its best features is a smart idea. If you’re considering selling your home, take the time to walk through it methodically with your real estate agent. Together you can point out which features of the home should be accentuated. Does your home have a wonderful view? Make the most of it by sprucing up window treatments and arranging furniture to draw the eye toward the windows. Perhaps the location of your house is truly incredible. Your real estate agent can help accentuate this feature in sales and marketing materials.

4) Desired Price and Bottom Line Price

It’s great to shoot high, but when determining your home value, it’s also important to identify your bottom line. By assessing recent home sale statistics in your area, your real estate agent can recommend an appropriate target price range. Working with your agent, you can set an initial asking price, as well as privately determine the absolute lowest price you would comfortably accept for selling your home. By crunching the numbers and setting parameters early on, you can avoid emotional rollercoasters during the process of receiving, countering and accepting offers.

5) Disclosures

When selling your home, you may be obligated to disclose problems that could affect the property’s value or desirability. In most states, it is illegal to fraudulently conceal major physical defects in your property, such as a basement that floods in heavy rains. And many states now require sellers to take a proactive role by making written disclosures on the condition of the property. Ask your real estate agent for the particular laws of your state.

The staff at Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation http://www.coldwellbanker.com/ writes select articles about important topics related to real estate. For more information about buying a home [http://www.coldwellbanker.com/real_estate/Buy_a_Home] or selling your current property http://www.coldwellbanker.com/real_estate/Sell_a_Home, visit ColdwellBanker.com today.

Author: Alex Fuller
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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If you have some extra cash that you are looking at to invest then you are going to find that there are many options available to you. One of these such options will be investing in various types of property. Chances are you have already been involved in this type of investing if you have owned your own home. Beginners real estate investing adventures are of a much different nature though.

This is now going to be an extension of that type of investment where you are buying a secondary piece of real estate as a means of investment. No doubt if this is a new venture for you there are many things that you are going to need to learn. The tactics needed for this type of investment are not complicated but are necessary.

Step #1
First of all you are going to find that there are many types of real estate venues to invest in and it is going to be a matter of several choices that you are going to be facing.

1. One of the biggest questions that will rise is what type of investment are you going to become involved in.

2. You can do something as simple as buy a home where you can rent out a basement apartment as a form of investment or you can even purchase a second house that you are simply going to rent out or you can run it as a boarding house for example

3. Then you always have the option of buying a small apartment building to begin with where you have a few apartments and tenants care for.

4. You can venture into the commercial properties for example where you can rent out perhaps a store on one level and an apartment on another.

As you can see there are many options available for you when it comes to property investing.

Step #2
But before you venture into property investing into any of these opportunities that we have outline you really need to do your homework and start from the beginning to learn what real estate investing is all about.

1. You need to know just how much money you are going to have to invest in and if it is going to be enough that you won’t need to acquire extra funds.

2. You need to be able to do a full study of the investment that you are thinking of entering into as far as your property investment goals. Is it going to give you a good return?

These are just the starting factors to begin with to even think about real estate investing. So your very first decision is making the one that you want to go ahead and do this and then start looking at all the different options as far as the pros and cons of the different type of investments you can do. These are the first steps in beginners real estate investing.

I invite you to learn more about Real Estate Investing and become a member of our FREE weekly tele-seminar class where we teach tips and strategy on how to grow your real estate investing business and how to raise Private Money by going to http://www.realestatewealthtoday.com/TuesdayTipsSignUp.html.

Mike Lautensack is a full-time real estate entrepreneur, coach and mentor in Philadelphia, PA and creator of the Private Lending Presentation Kit. This powerful done-for-you kit is loaded with tools and techniques to attract and develop a consistent stream of private investors into your real estate business. To learn more about this kit and receive your FREE eBook go to Real Estate Investing Blog.

Author: Mike Lautensack
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Let’s say I need money and I want to sell my real estate notes. There are several advantages to cashing in on my debt contract – I can avoid inflation, access my funds anytime, and get rid of the hassle of monthly collections. When you need extra cash flow, selling debt instruments is far more convenient than taking out a loan.

The first step in selling any debt note is finding a note buyer. The note buyer will assess the note based on the balance, interest rate, the payer’s stability, and other factors that contribute to the risk it poses. Because the buyer takes on the risk of the agreement, you can’t expect to get the full value of the note. For example, when I sell my real estate note worth $80,000, I might get about $75,000 in cash. The $5,000 is the cost of the risk I transfer to the buyer – the risk of inflation, of rising interest rates, or the payor defaulting or going bankrupt.

Most people simply sell the whole contract, but it’s also possible to sell just some of the payments. This can be a good option if you don’t need a large lump sum, or if you want to keep getting monthly payments. Or if I like the current interest rate on the contract, I can sell my real estate note partially and keep earning the same interest.
Another alternative is to sell my real estate notes in full, get part of the lump sum, and receive the rest in monthly installments. There are many other ways to structure the sale, and your note buyer should discuss all of them with you.

There are lots of note buyers willing to buy out contracts, but they don’t all offer the same rates. I wouldn’t sell my real estate notes to the first buyer who comes along; it’s best to consult different buyers and compare their quotes before settling on a deal. Most buyers will give you a quote for free, although they may charge for the appraisal and title policy. If they charge any other fees, just find another buyer – chances are they’re not stable enough to offer free consultation services.

There should also be no closing costs, points, or other associated fees throughout the transaction. Any fees involved are supposed to be paid at the time I sell my real estate note, and not midway or after the deal.

Also watch out for the “bait and switch” buyers who force you into a cheap deal after you’ve sold the contract. Basically, I sell my real estate notes for a decent price, but the buyer lowers the price later on because my property buyer allegedly had low credit. This is a highly unethical practice – the buyer is supposed to review your payor’s credit upfront.

Lastly, make sure to document the whole deal. It’s very risky to sell my real estate notes without a written purchase agreement to back it up. Put down in writing every detail of the sale, and be sure to understand all the terms and conditions.

Selling your real estate contract is a great way to raise money without the hassle of bank loans. As long as you find a good buyer, cashing in can prove much more profitable than waiting for monthly payments. Besides, you can do a lot more with cash than you can with a contract.

Jamie has been working in the finance industry for many years and is a contributing editor to http://www.selling-your-note.com. If you’re wondering how to sell my real estate note you can find out on our site.

Author: Jamie Sherman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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