April 9th, 2009 B. Slade
The government has released billions into the housing industry and the pockets of homeowners to finance their mortgages and have even offered rate cuts and tax discounts which seems to work, for sometime that is. Till they fail to pay their mortgages and once again face defaulting their mortgages as the cash run’s out. Most of the measures the government has been pursuing are band-aid measures aimed to help people keep their homes yet foreclosures are still on the rise. Read the rest of this entry »
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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 »
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February 25th, 2009 editor
One of the most looked out for bargains on real estate are short sales. When a piece of property is being sold for less than the amount the mortgage owner owes for the loan secured on the property, then that is a short sale. A short sale also means that who ever is selling the property, whether a bank or mortgage owner, the buyer gets a discount on the loan balance.
Why are short sales done? Short sales a usually done to prevent a home from foreclosing – and banks especially, prefer losses to a short sale compared to the massive losses they would suffer if a property was to be foreclosed. One of the things you must check before committing to a short sale would be to check the condition of the house, as well as the reputation of the real estate agent selling the property.
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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.
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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.
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November 26th, 2008 B. Slade
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In the real estate investment industry, you need to be overflowing with self-confidence to succeed.
When a person is about to do something life changing, he/she is typically infested with the voice of two things: reason – which is actually common sense and doubts – which includes your experiences in life. It is easier to enumerate all the reasons why you can not do or even try doing something. Everyone has had sad – even tragic moments in our life. We have to go beyond the past, take to heart the lessons it left and retain what is good. People with a solid character rise from the ashes so to speak, become stronger and charge on and realize their dreams. Real property investment is a business which needs people with a positive outlook in life and strong character.
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November 20th, 2008 B. Slade
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確かに 不動産投資業界では、下調べや調査を行うことはあなたやチームの皆になくてはならない重要な技量です。 優れた調査をする三つの段階があります。 第一段階はとても基本的なことです。 インターネットで、あなたの地域の各主要都市の経済史、新聞、広報などに目を通して下さい。 インターネット上のあらゆる情報に通じて下さい。 計画を評価するに値する事実や数字に注意して下さい。 そうすれば、オフィスから出なくても、見込みのある地域に足を踏み入れる前に、役に立つ情報を直ちに入手することが出来ます。 またその地域を思い描く機会にもなります。 第二段階は、市の職員や業界関係者から、資産管理者、認可不動産業者、また営利的貸主に至るまで、あらゆる関連者と出会いの場を作って下さい。 彼らはあなたがご自分の将来的需要について行った想定や、二次的需要としての決断を確かなものにしてくれる最適の人達です。 第三段階は、その地域で初めて出会う人達に紹介された人達を訪ねることです。 彼らは、何処でどのように多種の交流、ウエブサイト、新聞、産業開発事務所、また各々の地域での不動産購入の目的を果たす手助けをしてくれるかもしれない業界の関係者を見つければよいか、教えてくれるかもしれません。 さらに、他の「有力情報」を指摘してくれる人達となりうる可能性もあります。 幅広い可能性を考えてください。 これはあなたの面白いネットワークを作り上げ豊かにする、最高の手段でもあるのです。
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October 8th, 2008 B. Slade
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Admittedly, in the business of real estate investment, doing your homework or research is a very important skill that you or your team should have. There are three simple steps to a good research. The first step is very basic. Look at all the business journals, newspapers, newsletters in every major city in your area thru the internet. Follow every interesting lead that may appear online. Take note of all facts and figures that may be relevant to evaluate the project. This will provide you with a mine of useful information in no time at all without even leaving your office and even before setting foot on the prospective site. This is also when you form an initial picture of the area. The second step is setting up meetings with all possible concerned people from city officials and business people to property managers, licensed real estate brokers and commercial lenders. They are the best people to confirm the assumptions you have made about your prospective market and determining your submarket. The third step is calling all the referrals provided by the people you have initially met with in the area. Chances are, they will tell you where and how to find various contacts, web sites, newsletters, economic development offices and other business people who can help you achieve your goal of purchasing a property in their area. Furthermore, they could very well be the same people who will point you to the direction of other “hot leads”. Just think of the infinite possibilities. This is also a great way to establish or enrich your existing network.
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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.
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August 13th, 2008 B. Slade
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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.
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