Posts Tagged ‘mortgage’

Getting Started As A Real Estate Sales Person And What You Need To Know

Sunday, November 20th, 2011

With an onslaught of foreclosures due on the market in the next couple years it has never been more imperative to understand the HUD 9548 contract. Most licensed agents pass over HUD sales. Many analysts are predicting default rates in the next years that will be higher than all we have ever seen since lending initiated. Why will this alter HUD inventory? Because plenty of loans assembled from 2005-2009 were fha backed, new home buyer loans. Countless of those loans will be foreclosed upon. Subsequently, the value of those homes will now be lower and within the FHA lending range thresholds. So, new home buyers will be possessed to once again attempt to reach for the American Dream. Why does that matter? Read on.

Think about his. When the foreclosure crash initiated in 2005 buyers were running afraid and the “then” current home owners were panicking. What most didn’t consider was that there were anxious, potential home buyers waiting in the wings that had been saving for years to buy a home. And, nationwide, they signed up quickly to get a home…tens of thousands.

Fast forward two years to 07. Market in a downtrend. Home prices descending. Anxious, new buyers securing loans and homes. Then, the Feds enact a first time home buyer tax credit and some states followed suit by offering state tax credits as well that continued on through 2010. Another buying explosion.

Why does this matter now? Because all banks love fha insured lending as their loan, to a certain percentage, is guaranteed against default and, predatory lending was still happening in 07. The government hadn’t clamped down on these clowns. So, since the tax credits were offered, many easily influenced, first time buyers were signing up to get a loan and new home for any price and, no matter what the cost. Many of those loans were 3/1 and 5/1 ARM’s. So, 2007 until 2010 =’s 3 years and then default. Boom! Another crisis is already in sight.

While those buyers were motivated, they bought because of the tax credits offered and minimal down payment. All buyers didn’t consider that home prices were descending and the country was about to come into a deep, multi year recession. They were just in love with the American Dream. Well, many of those buyers lost their jobs in the past couple of years and have now exhausted their saving and are now lagging behind on their loans.

Let’s be honest, in our opinion, FHA borrowers/first time home buyers, for the most part, are cash deficient. With a double dip recession on the horizon most of these fha borrowers have received an NOD and are on the verge of officially defaulting. Tons of excited, new home owners from 2007 are now in a state of panic trying to preserve their home. The proper processes weren’t in place. Another crisis is upon us. We tried to solve a problem with a problem.

So, why is it more important now than ever before to be apprised of hud home sales and how to efficiently close these contracts? It is because FHA/HUD homes are now going to be the norm in the market place. Historically, home prices were inflated tremendously. When getting started as a new real estate agent you need to have knowledge of every dynamic associated with the Housing and Urban Development procedures and also the Federal Housing Administration lending. If you learn these simple processes now and master them you’ll never will have a problem with getting an offer accepted or closed.

Learn more about getting started as a real estate agent. Stop by Len Dietrich’s site where you can find out all about QR codes for realtorsand what they can do for you.

Three Important Tools for Real Estate Agents

Saturday, November 19th, 2011

3 Great Tools for all Real Estate Industry Professionals

Online marketing is difficult for anyone involved with real estate industry. If you are an escrow agent, title agent, transaction coordinator, RE agent, broker, home painting, demolition, lenders, etc, it’s just not easy to get traction in the real estate industry. Learning to improve your page ranking is one thing, but to learn how to create the content that will drive that traffic is different. So what tools should be used to create content, what are the content monitoring tools and what portals are used to syndicate content? In the coming weeks, we will share with you some of the tools that have been useful. And, we recommend that you make sure to check often for updates. V:1

First, video screen capturing software: There are many options online. There are some paid services and some that are free. Jing is a free tool, created by TechSmith. You can easily find it online by Googling it. Jing allows you to make a screen recording of your desktop. Basically, you have a video camera to capture your every move on the screen. Jing is really easy to use, but Jing has limits. The disadvantage is that the free version only allows you to save a total of 5 minutes. Thus, for short presentations or short tutorials to send to associates or subcontractors it works really well. Once you’ve created an account Jing will host your videos and allows you to download content with a URL that is specific to your account. If you want to save more than 5 minutes, then you must upgrade to Jing Pro. When I first started creating content online and attempting to market my brand online I used the free version. But in trying to cover all the information I wanted to cover in a five minute video it became very difficult. I was constantly rushing to complete my message in less than five minutes and I became annoyed. You can, however, upgrade to Jing Pro and it will allow you to record more data. The last time I checked was $ 15 per year. Not a bad choice if you want to create video screen. Another nice feature is that if you have a YouTube channel, it will sync and transfer to your YT channel. But, keep in mind, YouTube will only allow you up to 15 minutes in length for uploads.

2. Camtasia is another good screen capturing software: TechSmith makes Camtasia as well. Brilliant tool, but requires a little more than technical know-how to navigate. Many features of the same features of Jing and I use Camtasia almost every day. If I have to create a video tutorial or if you give a task my virtual assistant (VA), this is by far the best choice.

3. Bitly: The days of building a website and wondering if someone clicks on your links have disappeared. Bitly is a URL Shortener. Just create an account, sign in, enter your URL so that it will give you a shortened URL encoded. You can then customize a link to a URL that is a little more memorable for you and your viewers. Most are not aware of the benefits of URL shorteners. In real estate, we will track our efforts as, at the end of the day, it is about data. With Bitly you can do just that.

In the future we will share more tools the real estate industry can use. What tools do you use?

Quickly write articles with Jiffy Articles. You can watch our Jiffy Articles review on YouTube.

Interesting Gifts To Give At The Close Of Escrow

Saturday, November 19th, 2011

I am not a fan of flying. I was, until recently, scared of heights. I don’t know anything about the dynamics of flying other than it seems a bit unconventional for a human but not birds. I do, in fact, love those that have mastered the skill of navigating the wind.

My father died 6 weeks after I was born and I never knew him. But, when I was growing up my mom, who was my idol, always told me, “Take care of the people around you. Be attentive to what their needs are. That is what you father did with me and, since he isn’t here, I think he would want me to share that with you”. When I was growing up I didn’t realize how that would come in to play in my real estate career.

I had a former client that had been referred to me by a mutual friend that was also my former client. This new potential client had a family and two young children (boy and a girl) and he was a bit down on his luck. I went to his house and met with him to discuss listing his house. He proceeded to tell me how his family had hit hard times and he vowed to his wife and two kids, especially the oldest one (a young girl), that they would be okay. It was a typical meeting that didn’t strike me as being too far off the beaten path of any other listing meeting.

Afterwards, he invited me to stay for a cook out. I obliged and hung out with them for a few hours. I watched as the house filled up with families and children from all over the neighborhood. Me, being a single guy and not being accustomed to being around kids, I was nearly at my whits end but, I stuck around to be respectful. And, boy was I glad that I did.

His oldest (about 9 at the time, a girl) came up to me during the the party and said, ‘ Dad said you are going to save us.’ I didn’t know what to say so I said what any single guy with no kids that was terrified would say, ‘Hey, what’s your name.’ She said, ‘My name is Taylor, and I wanna fly. Watch this’. She spread her arms out and pretended like she was flying in to the pool and dove in. We all laughed hysterically. She was a character.

Later, out of curiosity I asked her why she wanted to fly so much. She told me that her grandfather had been a pilot and that he had flown planes from the ‘cotchpits’ before. I told her that we would see what we could do about ‘getting her up in the air some day’.

While this family didn’t want to leave their home and move away it turned out to be the circumstance that benefited them the most. The home sold, they moved in to another home and got on with their lives. After the close of escrow I scheduled a little surprise for them.

They all arrived, unsuspecting. We got in my car and drove about 5 miles to Temecula, CA. As we rolled up to the launch site the kids went crazy. We, along with the guide, launched in to the atmosphere and had so much fun. The smile on that little girls face was priceless. When we landed and were about to leave the little girl came up to me and said, ‘Thank you. You are my hero.” My mom would have been proud.

This gift cost me less than $500 for all 5 of us. When you close your next deal. Think of something unusual. Think of something that will make a lasting impression. Go beyond the call of duty.

They say it takes all kinds to make the world, but I can’t help thinking what a much better world it would be if there were more people like my mom, my client and his family.

Looking to find more unique gifts to give or ecofriendly stationary, then visit www.gettingstartedasarealestateagent.com to see how to outsource real estate tasks efficiently.

Why New Real Estate Agents Should Use Real Estate Marketing Letters

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

Why New Real Estate Agents Should Use Real Estate Marketing Letters

Answer me this; When you started in real estate did you have a mentor to show you the ropes? Did the office you started at offer any type of training? Well, if you are anything like I was my broker didn’t offer any type of training. He basically threw the agents in his office to the wolves. Years later I realize he couldn’t have been dumber. It’s a wonder there were never any lawsuits that arose from some of the transactions that went through that office. I am sure, with all the new agents that were there when I was there that there were a few that dropped the ball on some disclosures or blurred the line with ethics. But, that is another topic.

The fact is, I passed my test with one of the highest grades in the class. However, passing the RE exam didn’t prepare me to understand the everyday common language of a real estate agent. In fact, it was a test and no real life examples. I actually realize now that the test was a little outdated for the time.

One thing is for sure; real estate is a competitive market and few will help you getting started. No one in the office I started at would share a lead and, rarely, would anyone offer any insight to me unless I cut them in on the deal. Which is fine but, there has to be some sort of jump start to give a new agent insight, right? Yes, I know the Keller Williams of the world and Coldwell Bankers offer trainings but what if you were like me in a small office or somewhere in a small town in Utah? What then? Well, you would probably do as I did and buy some books. I bought some Donald Trump, Dean Graziosi and Gary Keller books when I started and they were useful. however what these books didn’t tell me is the basic, every day terminology that is necessary to communicate with other agents, buyers and lenders.

However, one resource that helped me when I started was that I bought some packaged marketing letter tutorials that gave me the types of letters that I would need to send to buyers, lenders and other agents. Really, what I wanted to see was how people corresponded with one another and be able to see, in front of me, how the language/dialog was happening. I bought several packages and all of them were under $75 dollars. The way I look at online tutorials and packages like this is that if I can glean yet one idea from whatever it is that I bought then it was worth the money.

Now I know every state is different and the rules and regulations differ from state to state but one thing remains consistent from state to state; the language that realtors speak to one another is the same and being able to see examples for all types of situations really is beneficial.

There are packages online that offer a full library of pre-drafted letters that will suit any situation that you are in. Check out our site. We offer a lot of free advice and also in-depth reviews on many of the most popular marketing tools for real estate and mortgage marketing letters.

Read more about real estate marketing letters, or the best mortgage marketing letters you can use.

Do We Really Need Long-term Insurance?

Sunday, November 13th, 2011

Many folks Baby Boomers had to look after our elders and have experienced the devastating monetary and emotional effects as they have been compelled to deplete a lifetime of savings and investing to pay for very costly (and obligatory) long-term care costs. Long-term care insurance is a subject that should be examined as you plan for your retirement.

Many people would like to prevent this topic, but Government statistics prove that almost 70 p.c of us past the age of 65 will need some sort of long-term care help. This is a hard fact! The worrying monthly cost of long-term care assistance doesn't make it any easier: Basic assisted living – $1,800 per month. Retirement home – $5,833 per month. And full”time home care – $12,960 every month (source: “Financing Long Term Care for the Elderly,” a congressional budget office paper, April 2004).

Who should invest in long-term care insurance? I would like to suggest that anybody with assets (excluding their home) of a $100,000 or more consider the advantages of a policy. This is mostly best done with your financial counsellor and his/her insurance expert. I would also suggest using information sources like AARP to help you decide if a long term care policy would benefit you in your own situation. Remember, this isn't an one size fits all situation. There are several things to consider such as availability and quantity of liquid and non-liquid assets, health factors (are you able to qualify?) and extremely seriously, can you afford it? In most cases, it's best to research long term care policies between the ages of 50 to 65.

Premiums will go up based on your present age and health history. Most of us develop health issues as we grow and many of these non-life threatening issues that won't disqualify us for a life insurance policy will disqualify us for a long-term care policy. Some of the main advantages of long-term care insurance are that you spend cash now to look after potential costs at a later date. The buck spent today will buy multiple bucks of coverage when the requirement turns up.

The amount of these leveraged dollars depends on various factors like your age, current health condition, and the policy features and riders. As an example, a healthy 65-year-old female who pre-pays a policy with a $100,000 one time premium payment would have up to $500,000 of coverage should the requirement appear (coverage will vary depending on companies and categorical policy features). Additional features on some policies are a death benefit or a return of premiums paid should the policy holder decide they no longer want the policy (various policy conditions may exist).

If you choose to research the benefits of a long term care policy and you and your money/insurance counsels decide that this is the best course of action, there are still many decisions to be attended to such as: what's the simplest way to pay for the policy (single premium, standard payments etc) and where if the cash come from or what are the sources of funds? One of the systems that's currently being looked at by some seniors is employing some of the equity in their homes to buy a long-term care policy. For instance, if you are 62 years of age or older, own your house and have acceptable equity, a reverse mortgage might be a viable alternative. In this case, money can be accessed from the reverse mortgage (money that does not have to be paid back as long as the borrower lives in his/her home) which will enable the borrower to pay for his/her long term care policy and not have to pull money out of the present household budget.

I suggest a full enquiry of the benefits and disadvantages of reverse mortgages. Remember, everyone's situation is dissimilar and this might or might not be the right way for you. Another option is to reposition existing assets. For example, if you've got a $100,000 Certificate of Deposit that is being held for emergencies such as a long term care need, you might use that CD to pre-pay a long term care policy. That $100,000 may purchase many times this amount in long-term care benefits. Again, these examples should be debated with your financial advisor.

If you have sufficient assets to guard, there are only two kinds of insurance. One, you self insure and you pay for everything until you spend down the majority of your liquid assets – then you may be fit for Medical. 2, you buy long-term care insurance. These are only some of the many. Eventualities and you should usually check with your financial consultants before buying insurance or making long term financial choices.

Steve Goldmann is a finacial health expert who avoids jack3d side effects by employing Neuro Linguistic Programming.

Home Equity Loans And Their Uses

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

Home equity loans are among the highly preferred financing options for consumers or house purchasers who are in serious need of a bigger amount of cash. The distinction that it creates in the financing industry is that it is the smartest choice you may take particularly if you are struggling with a poor credit.

This sort of loan basically allows the customer to lend the money they need through their residence as the guarantee of the loan. As a result, with this form of setup, creditors or mortgage suppliers are also in a safer place. Collecting the guarantee is really easy because you practically cannot turn tail with your home or hide the secured property in case you fail to repay on your house loan. This gives creditors the added certainty of approving the bank loan even if you are truly having liable files in your credit profile.

It is crucial to note that residence equity loan is totally different from residence equity personal credit line. Personal credit line is really good for people who have excellent credit ranking and it offers them a more accommodating agreement of borrowing the total amount they need. Additionally, you also get the option to make use of your loan when you need more money to use. Nonetheless, the common benefit of both options is that you will use your residence as guarantee for the loan.

With regards to a residence equity loan, you can find common purposes which this option may definitely help. As an example, you can opt to employ it to finance several of the larger costs you need to manage such as major residence remodeling or reconstruction. It is likewise a good financial source for college education expenses of your youngsters, consolidate debts which involve high interests to repay and to pay for the investment or asset you plan to own in the future.

An increasing number of borrowers are seriously getting fascinated with this kind of arrangement because of the countless attractive features it presents. For example, you are not required to maintain a good credit ranking in order to get recognized or to meet the requirements. This loan option likewise has a a typically lower cost interest.

The monthly payment you are needed to comply with is also tax deductible and most significantly, you have the option to get a big amount of funds for your obligations.

There are numerous ways to assist you to get the best dwelling equity loans which can certainly save you in your countless financial troubles.

If you want to know how do Home Loans work, then visit www.yourloan.ca for some excellent financial advice.

Dawsonville GA Real Estate Agents: Ask Them!

Monday, November 7th, 2011

When you experience an issue in trying to find Dawsonville real estate homes and properties, why don’t you try getting help from experts? Professionals like Dawsonville GA real estate agents who definitely are always there to help you at times you do not know very well what you are particularly searching for.

Discover Dawsonville GA Real Estate Representatives to Assist You!

Purchasing houses isn’t an easy thing. You must look deeper into the whereabouts of a particular home you would want to purchase. You have to look at the number of rooms, the place exactly where the property stands, and home details which you need to take into consideration. All of these can be very tedious on your part especially to those first time home buyers. Which is why, Dawsonville GA real estate agents are actually the most effective people to hire for the house hunting task. Why? For they know the entire place just like the back of their palms.

They know which house you should be purchasing and which you shouldn’t. However , you must also do your own personal study for possible Dawsonville houses. It’s nice to have people help you during your search but you can’t be too lax in selecting and purchasing the said house property. A little bit of knowledge isn’t a bad idea. At least you will know that these people are not swindling you.

Seek for Legit Dawsonville GA Real Estate Agents

In the real estate business, there are always those individuals who would attempt to trick you and earn money by acting all expert like but in fact they are only scammers. Scammers who will do everything in their power to have your money without even really helping you. They’ll just going to make you believed that you’d benefit from them but in fact it is the other way around, they’d benefit you and that’s really not a good idea.

Therefore , whenever you are choosing for Dawsonville GA real estate agents make sure that you hire those people who are legit and reputable. You wouldn’t want all those hard earned money to suddenly go to complete waste, right? Search for these real estate agencies online or scan through the yellow pages. I’m certain that you will spot these legit agencies in no time.

When you’re in a complete bind of buying a Dawsonville property, look for help! Dawsonville GA Real Estate agents are always ready to assist you in home purchasing situations!

Homeowners Insurance and Loan Process

Monday, October 24th, 2011

Homeowner’s insurance also known as home hazard insurance, and has been around since the late 1950′s. It can cover anything from theft, damages from natural disasters, fires and injuries. A home is after all the most valuable investment a person or family can make. Like a car, a home is also prone to damage and various other mishaps, that can prove to be quite costly. The solution for this is getting homeowners insurance.

Well, that all depends on where the house is located. But on the whole it is always better to have some sort of insurance. If your home is located in an area where natural disasters are virtually non-existent and the neighborhood is very safe, then you may not need homeowners insurance. At the same time there are many different types of homeowner’s insurance policies. Therefore, getting at least basic coverage will be an added peace of mind. After all, nobody can predict when and where disaster will strike.

As mentioned before, there are several different types of homeowner’s insurance policies. Choosing on one will depend on several factors. However, the following is a list of the most used homeowner’s insurance policies. Basic form homeowner policy or HO1: As the name shows this is a basic coverage. It covers fire, vandalism, hail and windstorms, theft, damages from vehicles, volcanic eruption, smoke, broken glass as well as personal liability. However, earthquake related damage and floods will usually not be covered.

HO2 or broad form policy: This one is a more advanced policy of HO1 and will give coverage for specific types of situations. HO3 or Special form policy: HO3 gives coverage for single family homes, and like HO1 gives all types of coverage except earthquake and flood related damage. HO4 Renters insurance policy: This one is given to renters and it is basically a combination of HO2 and HO3 insurance policies. HO5 Premier Policy: HO5 is a similar to HO3 except that it will give more coverage, such as earthquake and flood damage. However, it will give coverage if loss has happened after specifying the exclusion of the cause. At the same time, claim will not be covered with this policy.

HO6 or older house coverage policies: The name says it all, and it is done with older, antique type houses. Obviously the older the house is the more expensive it will be to insure it. Often times an older house will be worth more than the property it is sitting on. HO6 is further divided into building and content insurance. Building insurance will cover garage, sheds plumbing and various fixtures. Content insurance covers any content that needs replacing.

Find homeowners insurance and car insurance comparisons

PMI Mortgage Insurance: How Does it Work?

Saturday, October 1st, 2011

Are you thinking about buying a home? It is a buyer’s market, because there are a plethora of homes for sale at great prices, and interest rates are still relatively low. Of course, when buying a home, there’s a lot more to think about than just securing a loan and making house payments. You need to be cautious about the area where the home you buy is located, because even if the home is valued quite low when you buy it, when we finally get out of this recession, home prices will go back up, and you need to be sure that you can afford the property taxes you will be assessed. Another expense might be carrying PMI mortgage insurance if it’s required.

With home prices climbing, many people have difficulty getting the 20% down payment; and studies have shown that buyers who put down less than 20% are more likely to default on the loan. Thus the PMI is useful to the lender in securing the loan, and buyers can buy sooner because they don’t have to wait for years while they accumulate an acceptable down payment.

Lender-paid Mortgage Insurance (MI)- Another method of buying a house with less than 20% down is Lender-paid MI. With this MI program the lender pays for the MI premium while the borrower in turn often receives a slightly higher interest rate, usually a quarter-percent. While this slightly higher-interest rate is for the life of the loan, it often results in a lower monthly payment than taking out two loans (piggy back loans, described below), and reduces the costs of closing two loans. The interest paid on this slightly higher rate loan would be tax deductible. Lender-paid MI cannot be cancelled.

Once the loan is paid down to 80% of the property value, most lenders would drop PMI coverage if buyers had a good payment history and requested to drop it. However, most consumers were not aware of this possibility and had to keep track of their loan balances. People often failed to request the change, and they paid unnecessary insurance payments for years. New laws passed in 1998 have made lenders and buyers equally responsible for how long the PMI is carried on a loan so that this situation is no longer a problem. When a loan is paid down to 78% of the value and if the buyer is current on the loan, the lender must automatically terminate the PMI.

Every case is different, though, so you will want to discuss your options with both your real estate agent and your lender to see if you will qualify for a loan without having to pay extra for PMI.

Learn more about Obama Mortgage Relief Plan Qualifications.

Simple Tips On Buying Investment Property

Friday, September 30th, 2011

Property around the world is becoming very scarce. There are many countries that are becoming very overpopulated. By purchasing an investment property will allow you to expand your wealth creation. Property usually grows in value over time but be careful to choose the right one for you.

Do extensive research on property markets when deciding what to purchase. There are many factors to look out for. They include interest rate and repayment terms. If you are unsure of what to look out for consult your local real estate agent for more information.

One type of property is commercial buildings. There can range from storage facilities to office blocks. These building are usually governed by rules and regulations set by government. The return of investment is relatively high but is also expensive to purchase.

If the purpose of your investment is for people to live in then look for residential properties. You could look for apartment blocks or a single flat depending on your finances. There are not as many rules and regulations but have a lower return on investments.

Buying a property is a long term commitment. You may not see profits for years but your property will slowly grow in value. Check your interest rates regularly to avoid any unforeseen expenses that you will not be able to afford. Be patient with your investment and you will see the returns.

When buying a property you can look at two possibilities. One is to apply for a bank loan. There are certain documents that the bank will require from you to process your application. The other way is to pay for it with cash. By doing this you will save money on interest that you do not need to pay the bank.

Buying syndicates are put together by individuals and companies. People put funds together in order to make bigger purchases. Each person or company owns a certain percentage of the building and profits are shared accordingly. There are certain rules to starting a syndicate so find out what they are.

Good tenants are critical to the success of an investment property. They should be screened and interviewed correctly. If you do this there is less chance of you getting a tenant who does not pay on time. This will also allow all the investors to feel more relaxed with the tenants.

Property maintenance is very important. Rain and hail can cause major problems to the look of the property. Make sure that you check it often as to avoid these problems. Have a budget in place to fix any problems that do arise.

Insurance is always necessary when purchasing a building. Insure it for fire, water and weather. Theft and malicious damage to property should also be covered and is recommended for all people purchasing property. Consult your insurance broker for more information.

When investing around the world it is advised that you find out about their policies on purchasing land. Some countries no not allow you to purchase a property. You are only allowed to lease t for a certain number of years. So do all the research you can if you are purchasing abroad.

Interested in investment property? Have you ever heard of Nabers? We would love to show you about NABERS accreditation and see if it is something you want.