My Friend's Big Surprise How He Can Buy Real Estate Property

My friend had a big revelation today, he can buy real estate investment property! I visited a friend today. He works in the info media industry, making and editing commercials for local councils and businesses. Wing is his name. He is very smart and switched on in his business. I sat there amazed and astounded at what Wing knows about his job and also computers in general. He was pulling up screens with ads and also video clips that he had just created. I was sitting there thinking ?Boy where did he learn all of this? I was in awe. I asked Wing where he lived. he replied, he lived in Box Hill, which is a very exclusive suburb. I asked if it was far from work, but Wing said it was only fifteen minutes drive. How good is that I thought! We started discussing a recent seminar we had both attended. I asked Wing if he had done anything or acted on any of the strategies from that seminar. He said he was waiting till his work slowed down a little so he could concentrate on one thing at once. My immediate reply was, that will never happen. Wing went on about how he had to finish six projects he was working on at the present time, and how he would have to work through the night to get one done that had been delayed. He had promised that company that he would get it done on time. This meant he would be an extremely busy for that entire period.

I asked Wing what was his fee for that intense amount of effort he would have to produce to achieve that result, all done by himself to I may ad. He said he was making around $120,000 a year working for himself. This included working seventy hours straight when needed. I was stunned he could produce a quality result working those long hours. He assured me he loved working under these conditions and it happened quite regularily. I thought what sort of life is that? Working through the night to get a project completed.

Wing did mention that he had paid over 80% of his mortgage on his own home. My radar went up immediately because he had mentioned that he was interested in buying real investment property to increase his wealth. What really rocked me here was I thought Wing knew everything regarding wealth creation and real estate investment property principles. What I learnt was he knew nothing about property investing. The worst part was he had all that equity in his own property to reinvest in other real estate investment properties. I explained to him how he could draw the equity out of his own home to fund the purchase of his first real estate investment property, and a few more as well. He was amazed. I was more amazed he did not know.

Then I thought to myself, if this does interest him, then he will follow up and learn the principles that you need to master it. I asked Wing for a piece of scrap paper so I could show him in layman?s terms how to buy a real estate investment property with the equity he already had in his?s own property. Wing was shocked at how easy it was to do this strategy. I assured him, people were already doing this, and this was how easy it was. The thing that rocked me was, people don?t understand what recources they have available to them to massively grow their wealth creation strategies.

I am sure Wing is now thinking more about his possibilities where he can grow his real estate investment portfolio. With his income, he will be able to produce some impressive results that will ensure he maintains a steady growth and combined with his increased knowledge base that will ensure his real estate investment property portfolio grows to suit his new found life style. This is how easy it is. If you know the rules, you will succeed at real estate investing. Focus on what you want.You need to be listening on all levels. Establish a peer group of people who are successfully doing what you want to do as well. Most important point is to have a mentor or coach. All the most successful people have a mentor or coach. They do this because they cannot see what they are doing wrong. A coach can what you and correct your mistakes.This ensures you get to and achieve your goals quicker. That will make your real estate property investing or wealth creation journey smoother, more prosperous and enjoyable.

To your investing success Leo Love

PS If any of your family or friends are interested, please pass this on to them www.therealestateinvester.com

http://www.therealestateinvester.com

I am an experienced and passionate investor. I buy typical mum and dad type houses that give me cash flow and capital growth. My website offers helpful tips and ideas for any type of investor to help you with your wealth creation. Using my site will help to prevent you falling into the traps the inexperienced investors do.

Housing Slow Down Means Buying Opportunities

It is fairly clear that the recent blazing hot real estate market has cooled off. If your local market is following this trend, buying opportunities may start to pop up.

Real estate is a funny game. What is good for one party is often bad for the other. In the case of the recent seller?s market, buyers were paying premiums for homes due to massive demand. Now that the market is cooling off, sellers are seeing prices flatten out or drop. While this is bad for sellers, it creates buying opportunities for the savvy buyer.

The recent blazing hot real estate market created a massive amount of wealth for many people. Whether you had owned a home for years or simple purchased three years or so ago, you may very well have doubled the value of your home. In such a case, you are sitting pretty regardless of what the market is doing now. What about people who purchased in the last year or so? Things may not be so rosy.

In the rush to get into the fast appreciating real estate market, many buyers in the last year paid top dollar for homes. To finance the homes, many of these buyers squeezed into unique loans that they can barely make the monthly payments on. As the market cools, many of these same people are finding their equity play has gone bad given the lack or even reduction of appreciation. To top matters off, they are suddenly seeing the interest rates on adjustable loans go up and up as the Federal Reserve raises interest rates to fight inflation. This double whammy is a disaster for such buyers and will further depress the market as more people look to sell out from under their debt.

As a buyer, the above situation presents you with a unique opportunity. While every local real estate market is different, more than a few will be hemorrhaging homes very soon. A classic example is the San Diego market, which has seen astronomical appreciation rates and new home growth. Nice tract homes have been selling for upwards of $800,000 in some parts of the city. As the market cools, people that financially squeezed into such homes are going to be looking to sell, sell, sell! Many will be selling at deflated prices or being foreclosed on. Indeed, the foreclosure market in many areas is going to be robust in the next few years.

While the slow down of the real estate market is not good for many homeowners, buyers should be in good shape. As the market swings to buyers, buying opportunities should be readily available.

Raynor James is with the site - FSBO America - FSBO homes for sale by owner.

Real Estate Lead Generators Business Building Ideas Are All Around You

When I first got licensed to sell real estate I was about as clueless as they come, but what I lacked in knowledge and ability I made up for in desire to learn and willingness to learn. So, I went to school after finishing real estate school.

No, not a school with a sit down classroom, but school in the sense that I started asking questions of veteran agents and watching what they did and said. I turned off my mouth after a while and opened up my eyes and ears and learned more doing that than I did while getting licensed.

For example, I learned that Real Estate Lead Generators abound, and everyday I was presented with opportunities that had I not been tuned in to pay attention to would have gone overlooked.

Here's a case in point with respect to business cards. I don't remember exactly how many business cards came with my first order, but I vaguely remember it being 500-1,000 cards. A year later I still had most of them. It was the craziest thing that I could have done!

Think about it! Instead of making it a point to give them away as fast as I could I was actually rationing them out like I didn't want to unload them.

Don't make that mistake! Business cards are great real estate lead generators and should be given out as freely as you would a glass of water to a thirsty person. And that's just what real estate prospects are. Thirsty to make real estate transactions with real estate agents sharp enough to recognize the opportunities.

Admittedly, I wasn't too sharp back then, but as I got smarter I realized the value of handing 3-4 business cards to everybody I came in contact with-and I mean everybody; my kids teachers, my doctor, your doctor, the school crossing card, my mechanic, dentist, etc.

And then there were the scores of counter tops that I encountered everyday. Grocery store counters, dry laundry counters, fast food pickup counters, counters where I paid the cable bill, bought computer stuff, book counters, etc.

Oh, and less I forget I must have passed by hundreds of billboards without placing one business card, real estate flyer or anything else on it. My stomach still knots up when I think of all the money those wasted opportunities cost me.

But like I said, I'm a lot smarter now (okay, so maybe I'm just older) and can pass on some pearls of wisdom to you so that you can avoid some of the mistakes I made. For example, some other real estate generating ideas include:

Real Estate Leads from Contractor and Home Builder Shows.

Real Estate Contractor and Home Building shows are becoming extremely popular among folks who are looking to build their home or are considering having one custom-built themselves. Getting Real Estate Leads from them is a great a strategy that's easy to implement.

Real Estate Closing Gifts; Small Gifts That Lead To More Referrals and Sales.

Many Real Estate Agents think of real estate closing gifts as something that should be given to the home buyer by his or her close family and friends. The gift serves as an accolade for the person's accomplishment. You can design them yourself if you're the creative type, or simply go out and buy one from your local shopping mall.

Free Website Content; Using Free Content To Generate Leads.

Everything you need to know to build a realtor web site and generate leads is available on the Internet, much of it free to little cost-including website content! In fact, some of the best real estate information I've read has been free, and although locating quality free content for publication and turning them into HTML to publish on your web site each week involves a great deal of time and effort it can be worth the effort.

I could go on and on, but it all comes back to the notion that real estate lead generating ideas are around us all day, everyday. If you pay attention to them you can work them to your advantage, but if you impose your will with them you can dominate your market like no other agent in your community.

Visit Real Estate Lead Generators for more information about Real Estate Lead Generators.

How to Find a Los Angeles Low Commission Realtor

Are you interested in selling your Los Angeles home? There comes a point in a homeowner?s life when they either need to relocate or they just want a change. If you have reached that point in your life, you have a number of different options.

A large number of Los Angeles residents make the decision to sell their own homes. These homes are often referred to as for sale by owner homes. Unfortunately, a large number of homeowners realize too late that it is often difficult to sell their own home. If given the opportunity to sell their home again, many homeowners would seek assistance from a professional real estate agent.

You may be wondering why an individual who wishes that they had used a real estate agent didn?t in the first place. There are many individuals who mistakenly believe that real estate agents are a waste of money. These individuals are often concerned with the fees associated with using a real estate agent or company to sell their home. If you are considering selling your home, you are encouraged not to make the same mistake.

It is true that selling your home could get expensive, but that is only if you obtain the services of a high costing real estate agent. With a little bit of research, it is possible to find a Los Angeles low commission realtor. A Los Angeles low commission realtor is an individual who offers assistance to homeowners at a discounted price. This discounted price will vary from realtor to realtor.

What you considered a discounted price, another homeowner may not consider discounted. That is why it is important to contact a number of realtors and compare their commission percentages. Once you have collected a number of quotes from multiple realtors, you should be able to decide on the perfect Los Angeles low commission realtor.

Comparing commission percentages is one of the best ways to find a Los Angeles low commission realtor. If you do not have the time to contact multiple realtors and then compare prices, you can search for one percent realtors. One percent realtors are realtors who charge a commission of only one percent. One percent is the lowest that most realtors are able to go. In fact, most realtors charge around five or six percent commission.

If you are able to come across a one percent realtor, you may want to request additional information. This information can often be obtained through the mail, over the phone, or online. If you are unsatisfied with the services offered by a one percent realtor, you can keep on searching. You should be able to find a Los Angeles low commission realtor, whether it be a one percent realtor or not.

Obtaining the services of a low commission realtor has an unlimited number of benefits. Perhaps, the most important benefit is the amount of money that you will pocket. The less money that you have to pay your real estate agent, the more money you can retain for your family.

Brad Horn is a writer for 1 percent realtor where you can find a great Los Angeles Low Commission Realtor

REAL ESTATE 101 ? What is Real Estate?

Many people believe that real estate is nothing more than houses, apartment buildings, large office structures. And while that may be true, real estate, by definition is much more.

Once upon a time the powers that be decided to split ?property? into two separate groups. Real and Personal. What?s the difference between these two? In a word, movability. If it moves, it?s considered to be personal with a few exceptions.

Real property consists of three things. Land, things attached or affixed to that land and lastly, appurtenances.

Land is pretty easy. However it?s not just the land you own. You also own sub-terrain rights, depending on your location. This is also true with the airspace above your property. You own up to a certain height, again depending on your location. At some point the government takes over and says, okay that?s it. The rest is ours. We have airways to think of and we?re not going to have every flight file a million easements every time they took off.

Two, items attached to the land. We take this for granted. Your home is considered an attachment. If you look on your deed, I doubt you?ll find any mention of the structure on your land. The house transfers with the sale because of its? attachment to the land.

If there is a question regarding whether an item is Personal or Real, many courts use the MARIA system to decide.

M ? Method of attachment ? How was it attached? Foundation? Nuts and bolts?

A ? Adaptability of the attachment ? How easily does the attachment go with the overall structure? Think solar panels.

R ? Relationship of the parties ? Is this a sale? Is this between family members?

I ? Intent of the parties ? What was the original intent of the party installing the attachment?

A ? Agreement between the parties ? What did they originally agree on?

This issue usually comes up when a property is sold and the seller wants to take an item such as an outdoor barbeque, and the buyer insists that it comes with the sale.

Lastly, appurtenances are considered real property. The official definition is this; A right or privilege that is attached to another property and is conveyed with it.

Suppose Property A had a right (easement) to cross over a part of Property Bs? property to get to the main road. If the owner of A sells his property, the right to cross over Bs? goes with it. This is a type of appurtenance, called an easement appurtenance.

As you can see, ?real estate? is much more than the physical structure that sits on a piece of land. Before buying or selling, make sure you know what is staying and what is going.

Tom Bruner is President of Bruner & Associates, Inc., a full service California commercial property brokerage since 1989. Tom spent four years teaching students Real Estate Principals for Kaplan Schools.

?By spending extra time with each of my clients, I?m able to help that investor buy or sell their income producing property by maximizing that information. Visit me at http://www.brunerandassociates.com?

Miami Real Estate Agents: A Buyer's Ally in Bagging that Dream Property

When on the lookout for a great spot for residential or commercial properties, Miami is definitely a safe bet. With a favorable living environment, this southeastern city in Florida has a lot to offer to its residents. Because of its booming financial and cultural fields, this place is a perfect location for all sorts of businesses. Entrepreneurs who may want to settle down in this exquisite city should look for licensed Miami real estate agents to help them scout for great properties that fit just right in their budget and specifications. Prime lots and structures abound Miami for all those interested to move out and relocate to this city. May it be an elegant condo unit, luxe beachfront rest house, modest apartment, or simple duplex, Miami real estate agents can surely assist potential buyers in bagging that dream property.

The primary thing a buyer should know before canvassing Miami real estate properties is to have a clear picture of what he's looking for. Like the ones mentioned earlier, there are different types of properties depending on one's needs and preferences. If the buyer is shopping for a single detached family house (enough for five members), he can tell the agent up front to avoid getting sidetracked with properties he doesn't intend to buy. It helps in limiting the choices only to single detached family houses. From there, the buyer should present the agent a rundown of what he is specifically looking for. It is much better if details like number of rooms, comfort rooms, garage, and materials used are discussed early on. If there's a potentially good buy that don't exactly match the buyer's specifications, ask the original owners or agents if provisions or improvements can be made. It is also better to make sure if additional features such as swimming pool, patio, or tennis court can be done or is viable in the existing property.

For safety purposes, buyers should ask reliable friends and acquaintances to refer a credible Miami real estate agent. This assures buyers that they are dealing with trusty agents. If no one can refer an agent, buyers can turn to equally credible free online sites that refer an agent. Potential buyers only need to fill in an application and survey form that gives the company an idea regarding the buyer's specific property purchase in mind. On the other hand, Miami real estate sellers can also benefit from these sites. They can advertise for a certain fee so that buyers, who happen to browse the site, have the chance to notice the ads.

For more valuable information on Miami Real Estate, please visit http://www.miamiforeclosures.com

Tennessee Home Buying

Maybe you?re buying your first home in Tennessee, or perhaps you?re relocating to Tennessee from another state. Either way, it?s important that you educate yourself on Tennessee home loans before shopping for a home and mortgage. This article explains what you?ll need to know before buying a home in Tennessee:

The price of homes in Tennessee varies widely between zip codes. For example, in Nashville, Tennessee, the median price of a home in the summer of 2005 was $209,000; however, the median price of a home in Knoxville, Tennessee, was $175,000. Overall, the median price of a home in Tennessee in between July 2004 and July 2005 was $166,400.

Tennessee has a very active housing market, and home prices in Tennessee appreciate at a rate comparable to the national average. Between July 2004 and July 2005, home prices in Nashville, Tennessee, rose by 9.5% from the previous year. However, the rate of job growth in Tennessee during the same year was only half of the average national job growth rate.

Many Tennessee organizations banded together to create the Tennessee Home of Your Own Program -- a program to help people with disabilities purchase their own home. Through this program, Tennessee residents with disabilities can get technical assistance with the home-buying process and assistance with down payment and closing costs. Additionally, this program offers home-ownership classes to people with disabilities.

Before closing on the purchase or sale of a home in Tennessee, buyers and sellers need to be aware of a Tennessee law that prohibits the use of personal checks in amounts greater than $1000 for costs associated with loan closing. If loan-closing costs are going to be greater than $1000, the buyer or seller will have to pay by a cashier?s check, wire transfer, or cash.

Jessica Elliott recommends that you visit Mortgage Lenders Plus.com for more information about Tennessee Mortgage Rates and Loans.

Connecticut Real Estate Agents

For people who are at all interested in Connecticut real estate, there are Connecticut real estate agents who are willing to assist and lend a hand. It should not be hard to choose the right agent who can help you find the right real estate for your purposes.

Who are these Connecticut real estate agents?

Connecticut real estate agents are also known in the real estate business as real estate brokers. They conduct real estate transactions with regards to any kind of real estate in the said area or location. These agents could be employed by a group or company who handles this kind of business. However, Connecticut real estate agents could also be the owner and the manager of their own agency.

Connecticut real estate agents assist sellers or buyers in marketing or in purchasing pieces of real estate property. There are agents who are mainly focused on helping clients market their properties and there are also agents who specialize in the buying process. However, there also are some agents who could do both. Connecticut real estate agents are required by law to have a license before they practice.

What do Connecticut real estate agents do?

The most basic thing that a Connecticut real estate agent does is to assist their clients in their Connecticut real estate transactions. They should be able to have the capability to let their clients purchase or market their Connecticut real estate property at the best possible price. These Connecticut real estate agents represent their clients during the whole transaction.

Connecticut Real Estate provides detailed information on Connecticut Real Estate, Connecticut Real Estate Agents, Connecticut Commercial Real Estate, Connecticut Real Estate Courses and more. Connecticut Real Estate is affiliated with Raleigh North Carolina Real Estate.

New Hampshire Mortgage What to Expect When Buying a Home in New Hampshire

Maybe you?re buying your first home in New Hampshire, or perhaps you?re relocating to New Hampshire from another state. Either way, it?s important that you educate yourself on New Hampshire home loans before shopping for a home and mortgage. This article explains what you?ll need to know before buying a home in New Hampshire:

The median price of a home in New Hampshire is $133,300. Recently, homes in New Hampshire have been appreciating at rates above to the national average. As a result, income levels in many parts of New Hampshire are too low to purchase a median-priced home with a conventional loan. In fact, homeowners in many New Hampshire cities pay more than the recommended 30% of their incomes toward housing.

Average interest rates in New Hampshire are below the national average, and job growth rates are also below the national average. However, New Hampshire has seen a spike in its population in the last few years. In fact, New Hampshire has had the highest population growth in all of New England.

In New Hampshire, lenders may charge fees and points for services rendered in conjunction with a first mortgage on a primary residence. However, the lender has to issue a written disclosure that states the amount and purpose of all fees and expenses.

Jessica Elliott recommends that you visit Mortgage Lenders Plus.com for more information about New Hampshire Mortgage Rates and Loans .

Patience in Real Estate a Virtue?

Our boys were grown and ready to leave the nest. My wife and I began to think about our next step and we found a new place. Now the pressure was on to sell our old place!

Should be easy right?

We lived in a good location, had an excellent floor plan, upgrades and priced right for the marketplace.

NOT!

Weeks of gazing prospects, who had nothing better to do on the weekend than evaluate our home as if they were appearing on a television show, plus real estate agents whose communication skills were almost non existent, really put a bad taste in our mouths. We were ready to pull the plug on the whole idea of selling our home.

Six months went by and then one evening someone drove by our house and saw the real estate sign in our window, knocked on our door & Bingo! we had a serious prospect who immediately followed up with a couple of property reviews, a written offer and ontract!

Moral to the story: Be patient! However, before you sign on the bottom line, do some homework, scrutinize your real estate agent?s track record, check references and don?t hesitate in asking questions about their marketing strategy!

Ralph Famiglietta, Jr.
www.findyournewplace.com

Buying a Home? Here Are 8 Important Steps to Follow

Learn eight important steps to take when purchasing a home.

1. Know your financial status When you decide to buy a home, check your credit report. You probably haven't seen it in the last few years and you don't really know how good (or bad) it is right now. It is very probable that you greatly overestimate (or Underestimate) your financial abilities. What's more, your credit report may contain mistakes you will have to correct (as this happens quite often) - and you'd better do it before you start shopping for a mortgage.

2. Choose your loan lender and the type of loan/mortgage When your credit report is accurate, then begin researching Mortgage Brokers and types of mortgages. When shopping for a loan, keep an eye on: 1) the interest rate and the term (the most important factors), 2) additional fees (they can spoil everything), 3) and your likelihood of getting the approved (they are different for different institutions). Generally, it is good to visit at least a few potential creditors and learn to use and understand a financial calculator before making the final decision.

3. Learn what you want and what you can get Only when you know what you can afford can you decide what exactly you want from your new house. How big should it be? How many rooms should it have? How much time/effort/money are you willing to put in the refurbishment/redecoration? Where exactly would you like to live? After you answer these questions, you will be able to narrow your search and make it much faster.

4. Understand who the agents work for Most people imply that the agents work only for them and they expect they will protect their best interest. The point is that's not entirely true, as the agents may work for a buyer, for a seller and for both of them. Learn where the agents loyalties lie before you start to rely on their opinions and confide personal information to them.

5. How to read offers As a rule of thumb, every offer seems to be better than it really is. In order to assess the offer properly, pay attention to such details as the neighborhood, acreage and furniture (if the house is sold with it). All these factors affect attractiveness of the offer just as much as the house itself.

6. Make an offer Only if everything seems to suit you just fine, should you make an offer. However, before the deal is sealed, there is one more thing you have to do: a home inspection.

7. Home Inspection: where to look When the offer seems to be good, make an appointment for another visit to the house in question. In some states you take your real estate agent with you. Now, everything depends on the results of the inspection. While you can do it yourself, the best option is to hire a professional home inspector. Then, you can expect a full report concerning the homes status. If there's anything wrong - from termites and mold to toxic paint on the walls or low quality of water, it will be found during a professional inspection.

8. Signing the contract Before you sign a contract, learn exactly what the fixtures are (i.e. what stays at home). Sometimes you will be given virtually everything, but sometimes you will learn that the previous owners have taken the swimming pool with them. Talk to the previous owners in order to learn what they want to take and what will stay and put it down into the contract!

When the contract is ready, the rest is relatively simple. Your agent or attorney will help you to make out all the payments, and assist with insurance and title transfer details you have to do in order to buy a home.

For more information on real estate buying, visit http://www.1st-real-estate.com

Miami: The Hollow City

A recent European immigrant I know expressed how happy he was in discovering a 9th floor, three-bedroom, 1.5 bath condo in Miami for $500,000.00. After my head stopped shaking and my eyes stopped blinking uncontrollably, I had to wonder if I had been living here too long. No matter how many times you say 500 thousand dollars, it still sounds like half-a-million dollars to me. Maybe where he's from, that's a good deal, but from where I come from, that's a whole lot of money for way too little-- no matter how great this town is. Thanks to the recent Miami Herald article The Price of Paradise, I'm reminded that property taxes on that much money will easily set you back $12,000.00 a year or $230 a week. Add that to your mortgage and insurance costs plus your car payment and it's insurance, and, suddenly, Miami is becoming a city where only the wealthy can afford to live. Like the article suggests, Miami may become a stratified community, where the rich live well, the poor get by, and the middle class get out.

Still, the downtown condos are selling. Downtown Miami is undergoing a building boom that rivals Beijing. I suspect, however, that many of the Miami condos have been bought on speculation with the hopes of making a quick profit on the investment. A small percentage may actually be retirement or second homes for the wealthy but most are beyond affordable for the middle class. Doctors, lawyers, and Indian Chiefs who own casinos might be able to live there, but where will everyone else live? In 2001, the average Miami home cost $158,000.00. Today, the median is $378,000.00. Yikes! No wonder it is nearly impossible to recruit new teachers. They can't find affordable housing in the county and, with the rising costs of gasoline, commuting from the next county is looking like a thing of the past.

With an estimated 40,000 condo units planned for downtown alone, I suspect Miami is becoming The Hollow City, nothing more than a pretty facade for movies with empty rooms overlooking one of the most beautiful places on earth.

D.C. Copeland is a writer and award-winning artist. When visiting Copeland's personal website and blog http://www.miamivisionblogarama.blogspot.com/, you will discover that Wayne Cochran is the Patron Saint and that many people consider it to be The Rodney Dangerfield of Blogs.

Home Buyers Does Your Agent Work For You?

As a buyer, you may be looking at many properties -- those listed with an agent as well as those sold privately, by owner. Let's say you call a real estate agency regarding a listed property you have found in MLS (multiple listing service), the newspaper, or by driving by. Traditional agencies will offer you 'buyer assistance', meaning that they will show you properties, direct you to mortgage lenders, etc., all without a contract.

The agent you meet who shows you that property will be anxious to show you other properties, of course. You begin to feel that this agent is your agent. NOT TRUE. This agent works for the agency that listed the property, and most likely is working for the seller of the property, not you. Anything you say may be carried back to the seller at any time.

Agents may call themselves many things according to state regulations. In Massachusetts, for example, the listing agent is the agent who obtained the listing from the seller. The selling agent is the agent who actually makes the sale. In order to better understand this concept, bear in mind that a real estate agency makes the most money when one of their listed properties is sold by an agent in house.

Most properties are not shown or sold by the listing agent. Although the homesellers may have spent considerable time with the listing agent discussing the fine points of their home so that they will be knowledgeable when showing it, the property will most likely be shown by agents who are totally unfamiliar with their home. Remember, whether talking about a listing agent or a selling agent, unless you have signed a contract with a buyer's agent, their allegiance is always to the seller.

As if this isn't complicated enough. using Massachusetts regulations as an example, a broker can work for both the buyer and the seller on the same property provided the broker gets the consent of both parties and provides each with a written notice of the relationship. In this case, the broker is considered a disclosed dual agent. This broker owes both the seller and buyer a duty to deal with them fairly and honestly.

In this type of agency relationship, the broker does not represent either the seller or the buyer exclusively, and neither party can expect the broker?s undivided loyalty. Realistically, it's hard to imagine that properties are not discussed over lunch or between agents sitting at the next desk. Undisclosed dual agency by a broker is illegal. The agent must present the buyer with an agency disclosure form upon first meeting to discuss a particular property.

The use of an agent becomes further complicated when the subject of seeing properties offered by owner is brought up. Unless the agent that is showing you properties is a buyer's agent, the only way he/she can get paid is to get the private seller to list the property, something that is not likely to happen. You don't need an agent to see a for sale by owner property and some sellers prefer not to negotiate with anyone but the buyer directly. If you do feel that you need representation, the one agent that has loyalty to you, the buyer, is a buyer's agent.

A buyer's agent (ie. buyer broker) represents you, the buyer, and never the seller. Some buyer brokers are known as exclusive buyer brokers/agents. Exclusive buyer brokers do not list property - period, nor are they housed in an agency that does. The buyer broker's commission, typically 3%, is generally accommodated in the selling price of the property, paid at closing. The National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents (NAEBA - www.naeba.org) is a good resource to locate buyer's agents in your area. Buyers, remember that a buyer broker is able to show you listed properties, foreclosures, new construction, and for sale by owner properties.

A word of caution....make sure you tell the agent that you want to see ALL available properties without regard to who pays the commission. We have often heard of overly aggressive buyer's agents who will not inform their buyers about a property unless the seller agrees up front to pay their commission. This behavior is unwarranted as the buyer has already agreed to pay any commission due.

NOTE: If you are currently working with a buyer broker and you are looking at a for sale by owner property, please let the seller know up front. Don't wait until the negotiations are underway to bring in representation. It could easily kill the deal. Most sellers are very open to showing their property to you and your buyer broker - just don't assume they'll pay your agent's fees.

Liz Provo, is the publisher of Picket Fence Preview For Sale By Owner Magazine, distributed throughout Western Massachusetts and online at www.MA4salebyowner.com

Website: www.MA4salebyowner.com Phone: 413-529-2971 Email: info@ma4salebyowner.com

Permission to use this article is granted as long as the author information and website link is included.

Eleven Ways to Create a Winning Project

Ten + Points for Successful Vertical Fractional Real Estate Development

Everyone seems to have to have a top ten list for this and a top five list for that. And so do I. In fact I have penned numerous articles on fractional real estate ownership, trying to zero in on the very most important components for success in the growing niche of vacation home ownership. As with any recipe, the ingredients vary with the chef. Perhaps one chocolate cake has more sugar, another more layers and some come straight out of a box.

Whatever the mixture, opinions differ on just the right measurements. The latest identifiers for success come from Dave and Emille Ellingson owners of the Meriwether Ranch, a working Cattle Ranch in Southwest Montana which offers rolling lots for single family vacation ranches. The offering will soon include vertical fractionals: vertical? meaning that it fits specific parameters.

Just what are these ?rules? for success in a vertical fractional market?

1.It is located in a superb area for the primary activity. Ski resorts should have the finest slopes; diving resorts, the finest seas; golf properties, the ultimate in links; fly-fishing resorts the ultimate in clear streams.

2.The vertical fractional should then be in the primo location within that general area. If you want to experience the finest wines, a fractional property in the Napa Valley makes sense. If you are an art lover, perhaps an urban property is the way to go. If diving is your passion, Nevis is a pristine environment.

3.Go with a credible developer. You want to make sure they are in it for the long haul, have had previous success and are sensitive to the environment around them.

4.Goods and services should be reasonably available. Of course it is quite fine to be in a remote locale, but you shouldn?t have to drive forever and a day to get supplies in and/or out.

5.Fractionals are primarily purchased are convenience and value. The area should literally teem with expensive luxurious properties and the quality of the fractional property should match or exceed those around it.

6.The season for the primary activity should not be brief. A window of excellent weather on a north country lake or two weeks of cool ocean breezes in a jungle do not lend themselves to a successful venture or investment in this particular market.

7.Don?t get in on the tail end of the market. To win in the fractional world be the first ?on your block? or close to it.

8.Marketing is of prime importance so have access to past and repeat customers. Those who already have an affinity with the area are your best bet to talk with.

9.If you do not have proximity to a commercial airport, make sure you have a decent jet approve private strip available. Your owners will undoubtedly be busy people who will not want to waste their precious relaxation time coming and going to their property.

10.Another terrific attribute is to have a wonderful, rich history to tell or a story to relate. Did Hollywood movie stars come to escape the pace of stardom? Do football heroes return for their golf vacations year after year? Did pirates lose pieces of eight among the reefs?

11.Finally?because this list needed more than ten items to clearly make its statement, make sure you create a plausible use plan that matches the owners? utilization of the Club component of the property. If they cannot use their purchase they will never be happy. And they will let others know of their disappointment. This 11th guideline is perhaps the most important for a vertical niche fractional property.

If you are thinking of getting involved in this exciting segment of real estate, do your research and ask yourself if your property will pass the 11 point test!

Carl G. Berry RRP is co-Chairman of Star Resort Group. He has more than 30 years of resort and urban development experience. Founded in 1978 Carl's company, California Resorts, Inc. (dba Resort Development & Advisors), is the market leader in urban share projects such as The Manhattan Club in NYC, San Francisco Suites and Powell Place City Shares in San Francisco. Mr. Berry is a co-founder of The World?s Finest Resorts (now part of RCI?s Registry Collection). He has served as Chairman of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) and and is a member of the Red Flight, Recreational Development Council of ULI. http://www.carlgberry.com

California Mortgage What to Expect When Buying a Home in California

Maybe you are buying your first home in California, or perhaps you?re relocating to California from another state. Either way, it?s important that you educate yourself on California home loans before shopping for a home and mortgage. This article explains what you will need to know before buying a home in California:

The median price of a home in California is $211,500. Recently, homes in California have been appreciating at rates well above the national average. As a result, income levels in many parts of California are too low to purchase a median-priced home with a conventional loan. Although average interest rates in California are below the national average, California has one of the lowest levels of home affordability in the nation.

California?s Civil Code Provision of the Real Estate Act regulates the issuance of variable interest rates for the purchase of real estate. Therefore, borrowers who are issued large mortgage amounts are guaranteed a fixed rate mortgage. California law also prohibits the charging of interest more than one day prior to the recording of the mortgage even if the borrower received the loan prior to that time.

Jessica Elliott recommends that you visit Mortgage Lenders Plus.com for more information about California Mortgage Rates and Loans.

The Dirty Little Secret About The Do Not Call List

The Do Not Call List has changed the way real estate agents can and will do business forever. After all, 76% of US adults have added their name to the list. The dirty little secret...it does not matter! The Do Not Call List does not mean that you can't still get solid qualified leads. There are a lot of real estate trainers out there claiming to have the answers, a sure fire way to beat The List and the next be all, end all real estate marketing program to have people beating down your doors to do business with you. The ads for these programs usually include a lot of hype and testimonials by agents who have increased their business by 200% and then at the end hit you with the big price tag. But where are the real numbers and hard facts behind the hype? Who really knows if those programs are going to lead you to the path of success? I certainly don't. But here is what I do know.The biggest obstacle to a real estate agents next commission, and their long term success, is finding qualified leads. You know that if you could just get the leads, you could close the deals. But most agents are at a loss once they exhaust their list of family, friends and sphere of influence. And with 3 out of 4 prospects off limits, cold calling becomes more like walking a mine field than trying to drum up business. That is why the turn-over rate for new agents in real estate is over 50% per year So how do the successful 50% find qualified leads? Well for one thing they do not passively look for leads, they actively generate them. Many successful agents have turned to toll free number call capture technology to generate leads without the risk of an $11,000 fine. When you look at the numbers, it is easy to see why it works.83% Of Americans Want Recorded InformationAccording to a Gallup Poll, 83% of Americans would rather call for recorded information before speaking to a salesperson. Give the public what they want. A toll free number call capture system allows real estate agents to offer free recorded information about properties, free reports for buyers and sellers or any other information they would like to make available to their prospects. Once the potential clients call in, their name, address and phone number are captured for the agent to follow up on. Since the prospect called into the toll free number to request information, the agent is free to call them back for up to 3 months (unless the consumer requests not to be called.)32.7% Will Buy or List Within 30-60 DaysA survey of over 25,000 prospects who called for recorded information showed 32.7% of them bought or listed a property within 30-60 days after calling. An additional 42.1% acted within twelve months. I have not heard of any other form of marketing that can tout those kinds of numbers of quality leads. A toll free number call capture system generates quality, actionable leads. And the best part? They called you. Agents who have these kinds of quality leads, calling them 24/7, could care less about the Do Not Call List.74% Will Do Business With YOU.According to NAR, 74% of the people that complete a real estate transaction do so with the FIRST agent they talked to. That being the case, it is in an agent's best interest to make sure they are the first ones to reach the prospect. A call capture system makes this easy to do. Once the potential client calls in, all the information is available to the agent; name, address, phone number, and in the better systems, even what information extension they called in on. With that kind of information at their fingertips, an agent is empowered with everything that they need to get back to the consumer in a timely fashion and with confidence.Everyone in the real estate industry knows that the Do Not Call List has completely changed the way agents do business. But some have found that by using call capture technology, they can generate even more quality leads than they ever did with cold calling. The technology gives consumers what they want by allowing them to call in for free recorded information and generates quality, actionable leads that agents can follow up on quickly and with confidence. And in spite of the Do Not Call List, agents are finding it actually easier to do business using call capture. If you want to know how that is possible, just look at the numbers and then check out call capture technology for yourself.

Brandi Cummings is a leading telecommunications consultant specializing in 800 number call capture technology for real estate professionals. Learn more secrets and tips on how to make a call capture system work for you at www.realtyone800.com.

Drum Beat Of Realty Downturn Off Key

One thing is for sure, real estate bubble headlines sell newspapers, not houses. Bubble this and bubble that, is your market one of the top over-priced ones? Comparisons to the dot-com crash, what's a home buyer to think? Exactly that, think, research and make educated decisions. Here is a reality check for those considering a home purchase.

-Residential real estate is moving away from being a speculative investment back to it's tried and true roots: shelter.

-The real estate market is not a centralized one like the stock market. The real estate market is made up of many thousands of micro or sub-markets. Each micro market performs differently and uniquely and does not always mirror national or regional trends.

-Ten states posted solid sales gains in the second quarter of 2006 versus 2005, reported the National Association of Realtors(R). The gains ranged from an impressive 48% in Alaska to a low of 5.3 percent in Georgia. The other eight states included Arkansas, Texas, North and South Carolina, Vermont, Tennessee, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

-Interest rates have been on the up-tick in 2006, ask any homeowner from the 1980's if they consider a 6 % mortgage too high, and they'll laugh you out of the room. From a historical perspective interest rates remain a bargain.

-Home buyers who read and believe the headlines and sound-bytes today and write a low-ball offer on a home are not buying houses. Homes that are well priced based on comparable's from the last six months and have updated kitchens and baths still sell the old-fashioned way; quickly.

-Agents from around the country report some homes are selling with multiple offers, over-full-price offers and in a matter of days. Upper-bracket properties are moving too. Though the frenzy of the last couple of years is not present in today's market.

-The market today in most areas is a balanced one, with the pendulum swinging back towards center. But Texas, Idaho, the Carolinas and other micro markets can still be sellers markets.

-Buyers need to realize that while they have more clout in many markets, they are still not driving the real estate market bus.

-Concessions by home sellers are signs of excess inventory. Concessions in new construction homes are more typical and shouldn't be arbitrarily carried over into resale home markets. Resale sellers though are now aware that they might have to offer repairs on home inspection items or help with closing costs to close a negotiation.

Mark Nash is the author of Fundamentals of Marketing for the Real Estate Professional, Starting & Succeeding in Real Estate, Reaching Out: The Financial Power of Niche Marketing, and 1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home. Mark is a contributing writer for: Realtor (R) Magazine Online, Broker Agent News, Real Estate Executive Magazine, Principal Broker, and Realty Times. He contributes residential real estate analysis to Business Week, CBS The Early Show, CNN, HGTVpro.com, The New York Times, The Today Show, and USA Today. View his books at http://www.1001RealEstateTips.com.