Miami Beach Real Estate

Real estate in Miami has seen skyrocketing prices in recent years. Thanks to this popularity, Miami is a haven for real estate investors from across the US, Latin America and Europe.

If you plan to invest in commercial real estate, you can choose income-producing condos, hotels, restaurants, warehouses and other properties, like retail spaces or land lots that are for sale. Recent real estate properties that are popular include condos, houses, lofts and new pre-construction projects. Whatever be the property, real estate in Miami Beach today roughly ranges from anything between $75,000 to over $15 million.

Real estate, however, is a tricky area. While deciding to invest in real estate, you are likely to be confused from the several options available, and you may not be able to make a sound investing decision. It is therefore recommended that you seek the services of real estate agents in Miami for finding a good property within the limits of your budget. While selecting your real estate, take time to research the several real estate agents and services offered. You can also talk to some of your friends and find the best agents who have a long, credible history. You can also seek the services of agents if you plan to sell your property in Miami. Some realtors will offer a country-wide exposure to your property so that you get the best price.

Buying or selling real estate is a nerve-shattering business, largely because of fluctuations in prices. There are times when individuals do not get a fair deal because they tend to do less research. If you want to get the best deal on real estate, you will need to analyze your budget and priorities more strategically. One thing to do is prepare a list of the features that you are looking for. Once the list is ready, all you have to do is scout places in search of your ?dream investment.?

Miami Beach provides detailed information on Miami Beach, Miami Beach Vacations, Miami Beach Real Estate, Miammi Beach Condos and more. Miami Beach is affiliated with Discount Miami Hotels.

Read More

Purchase Property With The TwoNote Technique

The two-note technique is another of the many ways to purchase property with no money down. It not only gets you into real estate with zero down, but it can also get the seller a good chunk of cash at closing. This is especially important if he has to pay off an existing mortgage loan on the property.

First, a definition is in order. What is a note? It is the debt instrument created to finance a real estate purchase. The most common example is a mortgage note. A bank loans you the money to buy a house, and you sign a note promising to repay, and you pledge the property as collateral. Other notes include land contracts, second mortgages, and any legal document obligating someone to repay a certain amount of money under specific terms.

You may be aware that a bank often sells it's mortgage loans to large funds that invest in such notes. Maybe you have had to start making the payments on your own home loan to some other place than the original lender. What you may not have thought of, is that if you someone owes you money on a property, you can sell that debt to an investor. More importantly, if you owe a seller on a real estate purchase, he can sell that note. This is crucial to understanding the two-note technique.

A Creative Way To Purchase Property

This creative way to purchase property may initially sound more complex than it is. Read through the following example a couple times, though, and you'll understand.

Suppose a seller is asking $350,000 for a rental property. He may only expect to get $335,000 in the end, right? Let's also assume he is willing to take payments on the property (much more common with investment properties than with homes). He hopes to make 7% on his equity instead of the 4 or 5% he'll make in the bank. The problem is that he needs to get at least $60,000 out of the deal in cash, to pay closing costs and to pay off the small mortgage balance remaining.

You, on the other hand, have to buy his real estate with no money of your own. You offer him $360,000, in the form of two mortgage notes, one for $280,000, and the other for $80,000. Amortized over 30 years, with 8% interest the payments on the first would be $2,054, and $587 per month on the second. You'll have total payments of $2,641 per month (be sure you still have cash flow).

As part of your offer, you arranged for the sale of the second note at closing for $60,000. Unfortunately that's all a note investor is likely to pay for an unseasoned note. The seller gets that $60,000 at closing though, which is what he needed, and he gets 8% on the other $280,000, which is better than he expected. He effectively got $340,000 for his property, which is also more than the $335,000 he was expecting.

You now make payments to the seller of $2,054 every month for 30 years, or until the balloon is due, if the seller insisted on structuring the loan with one. The note investor gets your other payment of $587 per month. You invested none of your own money. In fact, if the seller had been willing to take $55,000 cash at closing and a note for $280,000, effectively getting him what he expected, you could keep the other $5,000 cash from the sale of the note for yourself. That might cover your closing costs, making this truly no money down.

The numbers and exact structure of the offer will be different in each deal. You might have some cash. The seller may need more cash, so the second note will have to be for a higher amount. Interest rates, balloon payments, and your credit rating all affect what a note buyer will pay for the note as well. In any case, the lesson is that you can create cash out of seller financing, meaning you can purchase property with nothing down, or with less down.

Copyright Steve Gillman. For a Free Real Estate Investing Course, visit: http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

Read More

What is a Market Value Index?

This entry was posted on 02/21/2006 01:37 PM and is filed under Pricing Properties for purchase and resale.

Market-value weighted index

Definition

A stock index in which each stock affects the index in proportion to its market value. Examples include Nasdaq Composite Index, S&P 500, Wilshire 5000 Equity Index, Hang Seng Index, and EAFE Index. also called capitalization weighted index.

We use the term to find out the value of the property we intend to purchase and resell. It is our formula for purchasing and reselling property. Unlike most of you we do not use the real estate brokers to price out our purchases and do not always rely upon the comparable sales method used by brokers. In fact we see a conflict (tension) between the real estate broker and us as investors that can not be resolved. The broker wants a listing and will try to get you the highest and best price for the property. This may take months to do and may wreak havoc on your cash flow waiting to make a few thousand dollars more. It also is simply not right to use the opinion of somebody who has no skin ($) in the deal.

We instead follow a sales index based upon the history of the street, block, ward or if need be neighborhood to give us a bigger picture of the actual value of the property.

We did not invent the sales index and in fact borrowed the idea from the writings of many economics experts. Two of the most notable are Case and Schiller. They are the economic guru?s who created the repeat sales index that is used by the Government Service Enterprises as well as others. We simply analyzed the writings (ten years ago) and began testing a localized model using a history of all sales on the street from 1985 forward. We then took into consideration the square footage, interest rates and a couple of other items to equalize the properties.

This then gave us the price that the property should sell for (a conservative price) and the price we should purchase the home for based upon our profit requirements, carrying costs and capital costs.

We then added in the mix the cost of a rehabilitation of a home based upon post mortems and we were off to the races. Type in or automatically gather the sales (depends on the county) then you have the value of the home.The second calculation targets the remaining costs based upon prior dealings with the lenders, brokers and rehabilitation to tell you what you can expect as a gross profit.

As a FrontGate client you will learn how to use this index and only ask your broker for a reassuring opinion of value. Never will you feel nervous about making offers.

So do yourself a favor and learn to do a market value index on every property you purchase. Or let us teach you to perform them. www.frontgateconsulting.com

Read More

Poland Real Estate

Poland has painstakingly been rebuilt from the ravages of Communist regime post World War II. Poland's inclusion in the European Union has had an impact on opportunities for livelihood. Better job prospects have resulted in economic boom. This in turn has affected real estate business. Individuals are turning to purchasing property for residential or commercial purposes.

After the Second World War, Poland was completely destroyed and rebuilding took years of time. Today, situation of real estate has improved as a result of its affiliation to European Union. There are a series of changes that have taken place. While Warsaw, the capital of Poland, remains the most influential and expensive city to own property, standards are not up to what they are supposed to be. Cities such as Krakow, Wroclaw, Poznan, Lodz, are now distinguished as the urban cities in Poland.

Cost of the land ranges from $1250 per square meter to almost $50000 to $200000 per square meter in urban areas of Krakow. Subsidized rules, faster loan availability at reasonable rates have pushed up values of real estate investment in Poland. Warsaw alone has several new areas like Wilanow, where more and more properties are up for sale due to easy availability of different currencies. More and more individuals are turning in to realtors and providing competition for real estate deals.

With low taxes, politically stability and expert driven economy, Poland is all set to make a new come back in the real estate market. Property prices are already up and real estate market is looking quite confident and very power driven. This may become a better and faster market for real estate markets in future. Real estate market in Poland looks all set to make a great make over with cities such as Tricity, Lodz, Poznan witnessing an economic growth due to European Union.

Future of real estate in Poland looks very bright and promising. With infrastructure doing well, and war effects being over, real estate in Poland is all positive and forward looking.

Poland provides detailed information on Poland, Poland Travels, Poland Tours, Poland Real Estate and more. Poland is affiliated with Portland Oregon Hotels.

Read More

Protect Your Investment: Real Estate Investing Secrets For A Zero Vacancy Factor

I hate empty rentals - as a landlord, as a neighbor and citizen. As a landlord, yeah I lose lots of money and time, not to mention the extra hassles.

And no matter what, empty rentals bring extra worries and headaches: vandalism, neighborhood kids, landscaping upkeep...

What most property owners don't know or understand is the concept of marketing their rentals. I try to be flexible and treat my renters as partners, because they are. If you don't have tenants, you're left with empty houses and costly real estate investments.

If the property has been vacant for only 1 month, the entire years profit from that property is affected. If it's vacant longer, well, you can do the math.

Here are some investing secrets and strategies that I use to get my units rented faster.

Give the first months rent for free. If a unit is vacant, your renter will many times be ready to move in sometime during the monthly cycle, not necessarily at the beginning of the month.

So give them the rest of the month for free as an incentive. You'd lose the rest of the month anyway if the renter doesn't move it, but now you have the place rented, and the security that (and since I only do 1 year leases) you have them for a full year - because their full paid year doesn't start until the first month they pay rent.

Reward your tenants. Yeah, we all fall for this tactic. If my tenants keep the unit in great condition, keep the landscaping up, pay on time... sometimes I pay their water bill, or give them a gift certificate for a free dinner or pizza.

It it's a multi-unit, I tell the other tenants about the reward to get the other tenants motivated.

Stage the place. No matter what kind of neighborhood, I always stage my rentals. Many people don't have the vision to see what the place will look like with furniture. Most people are driven by emotions, and if they like what they see, they go with it.

Helping them with the deposit and rental monies. It's about being flexible again, but you have to be careful of course. I meet with them first, check their background, their credit, and other factors, and sometimes I do cut them a break if I feel they need it. There are people who are trying hard to get themselves back on track. And others who aren't. So you need to decide who is up for the extra help and who it won't work with.

Provide an upgrade. Since I know my rentals, I know the things that are targeted for upgrades or replacement. Every so often, I'll take care of one of those. The tenants love it and it keeps the value of my properties up. Another win/win situation.

And last but not least, marketing, marketing and more marketing. Real estate investing is no different than other businesses. You have to keep marketing and keep your leads coming in. Expose your marketing to as many people as you can.

Send postcards in the neighborhood, even to other rental properties. Give them reasons why they should rent from me instead of where they are. Give them the benefits of living with me. I take pictures of my rentals and send them to my prospects so they can see the beautiful places I have.

You have to take care of your tenant's interest first before you own. I've learned that in life, the problems start when we take care of ourselves first before others. When you help other people and take care of their interest first, your own interests will be taken care of automatically.

Raul Luna officially became a millionaire before he turned 21! This successful speaker and educator is turning ordinary people into millionaires. Discover his secrets: http://www.moonvesting.com

Read More

Los Angeles Discount Real Estate: Does It Exist?

Los Angeles is an amazing city to live, work, and visit. It is such a popular city that a large number of individuals and families are making the decision to relocate there. If you are thinking about moving to the Los Angeles area, you may be concerned with the cost of real estate.

Being concerned with the cost of real estate is a normal feeling. There are many individuals and family who are concerned with the cost of buying property, no matter where they are moving to. If you are planning on moving to the Los Angeles area, you are in luck. This luck is due to discount real estate. Los Angeles has a large number of homes and properties that are available for sale, many at a discounted price.

When it comes to discounted real estate, there are many individuals who automatically assume that something is wrong with the property. This assumption often comes from the association between discounted items and cheap items. In many retail stores, a product becomes discounted when something is wrong with it. The same is not necessarily true with discount real estate. Los Angeles discounted homes come in all different conditions.

It is true that you may find a number of discounted properties that need repairs, but it is also possible to find discount real estate that is in perfect condition. There are many individuals who need to quickly sell their home, for one reason or another. These individuals are likely to place their home on the market for a discounted price. A lower price will help the home sell faster.

In addition to offering discounted real estate for a quick sale, there are homeowners who do not necessarily need the money. Homeowners with multiple homes or homes left to an individual from an inheritance are often listed as discount real estate. Los Angeles residents have a number of different reasons for listing their homes at a discounted price.

With a small amount of research, you should be able to find discount real estate. Los Angeles real estate research can be completed in a number of different ways. You can do the research yourself or else you can seek professional assistance. There are a large number of real estate agents and buyer broker agents in the Los Angeles area. These individuals could offer you assistance when trying to find discount real estate.

By understanding that there does not have to be something wrong with a home for it to be purchased at a low price, you can begin to search for discounted real estate. Until you examine the discount real estate listings in Los Angeles, you never really know what you can afford.

Brad Horn is a writer for 1 percent realtor where you can find a great resource for information regarding Los Angeles Discount Real Estate

Read More

Finding The Perfect Retirement Location For You

With more and more people paying attention to their physical fitness, and with vast improvements in health care and technology, retirement is increasingly becoming a time of your life to look forward to, a time when you have fewer obligations and more opportunity to do the things you've always dreamed of doing. How you end up spending your retirement depends in large part on where you choose to retire. Your retirement location determines how much you'll be spending, what services are available to you, and what activities you can engage in.

Of course, there is no one perfect retirement spot for everyone. Finding the perfect retirement spot for you depends on what you want. But here are a few suggestions.

Here's to your health The availability of good health care is a significant consideration for the retired population. Here are twelve cities in the country where you'll find a lot of hospitals.

1. Union City, NJ - 736 hospitals within a 30-mile radius
2. Jersey City, NJ - 732
3. North Bergen, NJ - 728
4. New York, NY - 727
5. Passaic, NJ - 720
6. Clifton, NJ - 709
7. Mount Vernon, NY - 706
8. New Rochelle, NY - 704
9. Yonkers, NY - 704
10. Paterson, NJ - 698
11. Bayonne, NJ - 696
12. Newark, NJ - 693

A home of your own

If you want a good bargain on a retirement home (and who doesn't?), check these cities out. They offer the lowest median home sale prices in the country.

1. Reading, PA - $42,850 median home sale price
2. Buffalo, NY - $45,000
3. Niagara Falls, NY - $47,000
4. Camden, NJ - $55,000
5. Youngstown, OH - $55,000
6. Utica, NY - $55,000
7. Flint, MI - $59,000
8. Rochester, NY - $60,000
9. Saginaw, MI - $62,000
10. Dayton, OH - $63,000
11. Pittsburgh, PA - $64,500
12. Syracuse, NY - $64,650

The people in your neighborhood

Cities with a large population of older adults offer retired persons the greatest opportunities for socialization and activity. These twelve cities have a high percentage of residents over 50 years of age.

1. Tamarac, FL - 50.84% of residents are over 50 years old
2. Lake Havasu City, AZ - 47.13%
3. Port Charlotte, FL - 46.97%
4. Prescott, AZ - 46.85%
5. Palm Desert, CA - 46.06%
6. Largo, FL - 45.96%
7. St. Simons Island, GA - 45.88%
8. Spring Hill, FL - 44.67%
9. Surprise, AZ - 44.53%
10. Walnut Creek, CA - 44.22%
11. Port Orange, FL - 42.91%
12. Deerfield Beach, FL - 42.91%

Perfect to a tee

If you love golf and couldn't get enough of it during all those years you were working, you might want to retire in one of these twelve golf-playing cities.

1. Coconut Creek, FL - residents play golf 1.41 times the national average
2. Palm Harbor, CA - 1.39 times
3. Palm Desert, CA - 1.34 times
4. Lake Havasu City, AZ - 1.33 times
5. Woodbury, MN - 1.33 times
6. Yorba Linda, CA - 1.32 times
7. Boca Raton, FL - 1.31 times
8. Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - 1.30 times
9. Greenville, NC - 1.30 times
10. Diamond Bar, CA - 1.29 times
11. Cape Coral, FL - 1.29 times
12. Burke, VA - 1.29 times

Game, set, love

If it's tennis you prefer, here are twelve cities where residents play a lot of the game you love.

1. Bethesda, MD - residents play tennis 1.63 times the national average
2. Greenwich, CT - 1.61 times
3. Davis, CA - 1.61 times
4. Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - 1.61 times
5. Newport Beach, CA - 1.60 times
6. Williamsburg, VA - 1.59 times
7. Laguna Niguel, CA - 1.58 times
8. West Bloomfield Township, MI - 1.57 times
9. McKinney, TX - 1.57 times
10. Asheville, NC - 1.56 times
11. Mission Viejo, CA - 1.55 times
12. Sandy Springs, GA - 1.55 times

Welcome to the club

If you like the idea of belonging to a country club, you might want to retire in one of these twelve cities, where country-club members make up a relatively high percentage of the population.

1. Palm Desert, CA - 2.0% of households belong to a country club
2. Bethesda, MD - 2.0%
3. Greenwich, CT - 1.8%
4. West Bloomfield Township, MI - 1.8%
5. Lower Merion, PA - 1.7%
6. Lake Havasu City, AZ - 1.7%
7. Newport Beach, CA - 1.7%
8. Palo Alto, CA - 1.7%
9. Spring Hill, FL - 1.6%
10. Carmel, IN - 1.6%
11. Burke, VA - 1.6%
12. Prescott, AZ - 1.6%

The groves of academe

Does the idea of well-educated neighbors appeal to you? These cities have a high percentage of residents with graduate degrees.

1. Arlington, VA - 35.7% of residents have graduate degrees
2. Davis, CA - 34.6%
3. Brookline, MA - 32.5%
4. Evanston, IL - 31.2%
5. Bloomington, IN - 31.2%
6. Towson, MD - 31.2%
7. Oak Park, IL - 29.1%
8. Bethesda, MD - 29.1%
9. Alexandria, VA - 29.0%
10. West Hartford, CT - 28.9%
11. College Station, TX - 27.7%
12. Ames, IA - 27.5%
13. Columbia, MO - 27.5%

The key to finding the perfect retirement spot for you is knowing what you want, then learning where you can find it. So check out your options and prepare to have the time of your life.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://retirement.biz-review.com where you can learn more about how to retire in style.

Read More