July 10th, 2010 B. Slade
Real property like land, buildings and land improvements that are utilized by businesses to produce income are considered real estate. Real property in contrast to personal property is held for the purpose of investments. Typically, the increasing value of real estate exceeds the inflation rate but real estate uses an inflation hedge which differs in each locality.
In real estate, there is also leverage because of the high percentage of the investment which can be made with the use of debt funds with down payments usually less than 25 percent. Real estate also provides for capital appreciation and depreciation however, with a large capital investment.
Posted in General | No Comments »
July 11th, 2009 B. Slade
People have been waiting for a sign of recovery so they could sell their homes and with all the waiting comes a lot of false hope. This time round, industry experts are seeing that home prices have stabilized to their lowest levels, rising ever so slightly enough to get people selling. They are still quite low for not much improvement has been seen in the industry as a whole but they have improved a lot compared to the price drops they have seen during the developing recession. People have also been taking notice of the low mortgage rates, taking advantage, they refinance their mortgages in hopes of staving off foreclosure but be forewarned that the new predictions for the end of this crisis are placing it at 2012, a long way off so be sure you keep updated with current economic data to make wise decisions on your real estate.
Posted in Facts, General, Guide, Information, News | No Comments »
June 11th, 2009 B. Slade
Tis’ the time when fraudsters take advantage of people who are capable of spending, using the identity of others to leach out as much cash they can before abandoning talks resulting in a case of fraud that seems to be on the rise as people get more and more desperate for more cash. Jobs are being lost and the very people who have lost jobs in the housing market who know the system yet have not been able to ride the storm through are turning into crooks. The FBI has already caught and persecuted many of them yet for every one caught, several others get away and people are reeling from their activities who end up not knowing who to trust anymore. Caution is advised when engaging in shady deals for if they sound too good to be true, they probably are.
Posted in Facts, General, Guide, Information, News | No Comments »
May 9th, 2009 B. Slade
Green power is growing trend being sen on many fronts of the economy, from small homes to bigger companies who are opting to take advantage of the perks being given by the government for such who adopt them early. This is in support of the new Green Revolution which is aimed to lower our dependence on oil and reduce the pollution that comes from its use. From solar power, heat and wind turbines, they all promise free and clean energy for the home and business as we strive to make the earth last a bit longer for our children and many more generations. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Facts, General, Guide, Information, News | No Comments »
March 9th, 2009 B. Slade
There have been a rash of recent high-profile cases on the headlines, one of which is the “Metro Dream Home Program” which was found to have defrauded over a thousand people over several years worth $70 million dollars. The four people convicted of the fraudulent activities took on investors who gave in their hard-earned cash in return for investment opportunities and homes which their investments were to finance. They instead went into their pockets, fueling their lavish lifestyles, covering their tracks with donations to charity that seemed to throw off suspicions during the prime of their activities. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Facts, General, Information, News | No Comments »
January 30th, 2009 B. Slade
Many people hail the bailout as a welcome sight but experts are warning that it serves to condone the activities of those who were responsible for the whole mess in the first place. Companies that offered zero-collateralHousing loans to homeowners made millions but crashed at the slightest instability of the financial market. These same firms are the ones who got billion dollar bailout funds and are again set to get more in what has been called the bailout of the bailouts. These events have some conspiracy theorists on their heels as they try to find the links that connects all the dots.
The very companies who were responsible for the mess should have been penalized and the assets of their top executives who master-minded the market products that required no collateral sent to jail. As homeowners cry out for help, they should be afraid, very afraid at the back-lash of such funds should they fail to attain their goal of pumping some life into the whole economy.
Posted in General, News | No Comments »
December 30th, 2008 editor
Everybody knew and heard of the ambitious developments projects in Dubai UAE and in China where governments spent billions to promote and construct some of the biggest man-made structures on earth. They even went on to defy mother nature by building their own islands out of the sea, as a play ground for the ultra-rich and their whims for greatness. All of them have now fallen victim to the recession as the regular Joe, with prices going rock-bottom and ambitious plans grinding to a halt.
All these mega-development projects suffered one fault, too much hype. The overspending is based on ill thinking that the money will never run out. Imagine, Beijing’s famed Bird’s Nest Stadium, it’s gonna be converted partly into a mall. After billions of dollars of investment to rush it for one single event. Poor planning you might say or victim of the global slowdown, you be the judge.
Posted in Facts, General, Information | No Comments »
September 29th, 2008 B. Slade
With the rising costs of fuel and gas prices, and the incredible advances made in building materials green building is beginning to make a buzz in the construction industry today. Green building is the practice of creating structures and using practices that are environmentally friendly and resource efficient. It is not only an environmental initiative, but a smart economic move as well. Although green building practices tend to increase up-front construction costs, they often provide long-term benefits that may offset these increases. In fact, energy efficiency improvements can provide approximately 30 percent less energy than standard homes and can save homeowners approximately $200 to $400 per year. Green building standards are: building with materials that incorporate sustainable resources or utilize recycled materials, low energy consumption, minimal site disturbance, water conservation, solar orientation, water and energy efficiency, and healthful indoor-air quality. These standards include the Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design (LEED) rating system, which is a nationally accepted standard developed and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Posted in Facts, General, Information, News | No Comments »
August 13th, 2008 B. Slade
Image source:www.treehugger.com
Many Agents today are working longer hours to keep on the treadmill of life. They are delaying, or scrapping, long-range focus in the marketing and prospecting business system arenas. They often are neglecting their time investments for their health, families, and self-development areas of their life. They are spending a tremendous amount of time working on their business. They are truly an employee of their real estate business, rather than the owner, CEO, and visionary of their multi-million dollar sales company. If we are to continue to learn and grow, we need to be continual learners. We must become master-students of ourselves. We need to study our strengths and weaknesses. We must clarify our desires and passion for our life. Then create the plan to seize opportunities. The true key to success is through action and implementation. Think about where you are going and if you are fully equipped to get there. Do you have the tools ready to put into action? If you don’t have the tools of implementation, but you do have the desire for improvement and success, you are a candidate for a coach. Don’t sit back on your past success. Grab for the brass ring.
Posted in Facts, General, Guide, Information, News | No Comments »
June 6th, 2008 B. Slade
Real estate is an investment. As an investment, it is expected to bring you returns either in the form of revenues or to increase its market value. In looking at the return of investment, it is important that you understand the characteristic of the real estate property you invested in.
Knowing what type of property you purchased would give you a better picture of how it would perform in the future for you. It will help you to understand the potential of your property to increase in market value. Here are the typical types of real estate on the market:
1. Income and Non-Income Producing
2. Office Spaces
3. Retail Property
4. Industrial Property
5. Multi-family Residential
Posted in General | No Comments »