Archive for August, 2009

Foreclosure: Opportunities In A Down Market

Saturday, August 29th, 2009


Foreclosure: Types And Opportunities In A Down Market

By: Prudence Wong

If you are not aware of the term foreclosure, here is your chance to know it better. It is a down market situation when the lender takes the possession of your property in case you fail to make your mortgage repayment.

If you are a defaulter of loan, a Notice of Default will be sent to you by your lender.

Now, let us get deeper into the matter.

The process of foreclosure can end up in different ways. The borrower of loan can make his repayment during the state law determined grace period. This situation is termed as pre-foreclosure. It may so happen that the borrower gets his property sold to a third person when his property is in the pre-foreclosure period.

As the borrower gets the property sold, he can make a payment of the loan and save his credit history. During the closing of the pre-foreclosure period, a third party can purchase the real estate at a public auction.

The lender always aims to resell the foreclosed property. He can either enter into an agreement with the owner during the pre-foreclosure situation or purchase back the property at a public auction to take up the ownership of a property. These properties are called REO or bank owned properties.

Foreclosure Opportunities

  • Public Auction: When the owner fails to repay the loan at the closing of the pre-foreclosure period, the process of bidding on the property begins at the public auction. Some public auctions offer the best of bargains.Sometimes the buyer has to carry the entire cash and sometimes only a certain percentage of the bidding amount.
  • Pre-Foreclosure: During pre-foreclosure, purchasing a property in the real estate area calls for making an approach to the owner or borrower for purchasing the property. What the borrower can do is just walking away with the equity to prevent a negative remark on the credit history.
  • Bank-Owned or REO: If possession of a property is taken either during a public auction or during pre-foreclosure by the lender, then the latter will always have the intension to get it sold to make for the unpaid amount of loan. He will make a clearance of the title and do away with the maintenance work.

The discount on the REO homes is mostly lower than that at the property auction and during pre-foreclosure. A bank foreclosure turns into a government foreclosure when the loan is backed by an agency of the government. In such a case, it will be the government agency that has to take up the responsibility of selling.

Author Resource: Prue and her 1-of-a-kind site at www.RealEstateBloom.com helps you to make money in ways you’ve never known. Discover how to be a millionaire making money via real estate investment within days, even in a down market!

Article From RealEstateArticles4U.com

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Wednesday, August 26th, 2009


Why Should One Chose The Foreclosure Business?

By: Ranju Kumar

Foreclosure is a process that is instigated when borrowers are not able to consistently pay back the required mortgage payments to the bank or organization.

As the value of the property is used to as a guarantee against nonpayment of the debt, the said property is sold so that the debt can be repaid. Unfortunately for the owner, you rarely get the full market value for the house when it is sold.

This is because it is priced for a quick sale, plus any would be buyer is likely to be aware that it has been subject to a foreclosure, and so they won’t offer as much as they might otherwise.

Why would you want to be involved in the foreclosure business?

Lets examine all the advantages:

  • Leads: If you are in a Deed of Trust state, foreclosure notices are published in the newspapers.

If you are in a lis pendens state, you have to go to the County Recorders office to research the suits, where you can get new leads every day. They may also be published in newspapers.

  • Equity: You will have equity available on every single deal that you do upfront.
  • No money in the game: After you get a foreclosure, you can sell the contract or assign it, that is, wholesale it to someone else immediately.
  • Credit is not applicable at times, when you need a hard money loan: This type of lender is not looking at your credit scores. They are only interested in the type of deal that you are presenting, that is, how good is the deal and how many cents on the dollar you are going to pay for the property.
  • Low risk and potential for significant profits: With all the foreclosures out there, there is a very good chance, with a good marketing plan, for real estate success; you will reap some substantial profits.

The best way to gain experience in the field is probably to find someone in the industry who is experienced, respected and has been in the same position for a number of years and ask them for a mentor ship, either on a complimentary basis, or splitting profits from the work done, or any other mutually beneficial arrangement.

It will be up to the former foreclosure victims to locate a local company in the area or find one online that specializes in work that provides homeowners with real services. This is how one can learn about foreclosure and make money out of it.

Author Resource: Why operate a Foreclosure Business?

Article From RealEstateArticles4U.com

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How To Deal With Roofing Problems

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009


How To Deal With Roofing Problems

By: Kris Koonar

A leak in the roof of the house could be any homeowner’s worst nightmare.

It is true; no one would like to have a leak in the roof. It is very hard to locate the origin of the leakage as it shows up far away from the place where it originates.

It is a pain at times, to find the leak. A leak in the roof could destroy precious pieces of furniture and ruin the whole look of the house. They could also cause damage to the structural integrity of the house. It could damage the sheathing and the framing of the house.

The life of any type of roofing is not more than 20 years. It is very essential to fix the roofing problem before it gets out of hand. Do not ignore a leak as it will definitely grow and cause more problems.

Various solutions have come up to deal with roofing problems.

If the roof of your house does have a problem do not panic. It is necessary to carry out the procedure calmly. The Internet is a great place to find out solution to roofing problems. You can also find tips, on how to prevent leaks. The Internet is also a good place to look for roofers. You could also enquire about roofers with your neighbors, families or friends.

Select an appropriate roofer and check if he/she is factory-certified. These roofers are trained at a factory and are known well for their work. It is important to carry out a small research before hiring a roofer. It is better to hire a local reputed roofer well known for his quality work. You also need to make sure the worker is well insured with workers’ compensation fund. This way you will not be liable for any accident the worker may have in your house.

While roofing, you have to make sure that the workers abide by certain building codes laid on a national, state or local level. If these codes are not followed, the local building inspector may ask you to tear down the whole thing and then rebuild it. This will increase your expenses to repair.

Another important factor to remember is the ventilation. There has to be enough ventilation in the attic to ensure a long life of the roof. Improper ventilation of the attic can damage the roof and the structure of the house.

Every roofing material has a manufacturer’s warranty for any defects in the material. The conditions of the warranty will differ for products of different manufacturers. Warranty provided by the contractors is different from that provided by the manufacturers.

The contractors will mostly provide guarantee on repairs made by their employees. It is good to have guaranty/warranty from both the manufacturers and the contractor. It is good to carry out financial background check on the manufacturers and the contractor, as they are susceptible to dissolve licensee within 5 years.

Author Resource: Classic Metal Roofs serves Southern New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts Metal Roofing Market.
Article From RealEstateArticles4U.com

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Concrete Floor Sealers

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

How and Why to Buy a Concrete Floor Sealer

By: April Kerr

If you either already have concrete flooring installed or you are thinking of doing so, you should make sure that you seal it so that it will stay looking in top condition. If it isn’t sealed and gets walked over, furniture dragged on etc., your beautiful concrete floors could end up damaged.

This is perhaps not quite so important in your garage but if you have gone to the expense of having the concrete etched in your home then sealing is essential.

Using a concrete floor sealer will make sure that if liquid and chemicals get spilled on it, these substances won’t be absorbed. Everyday life can easily cause your floors to crack and chip but you can prevent this happening if you follow these steps:

For the best results you should aim to have your concrete flooring sealed whilst they are new. If you don’t seal them straight away, they won’t be protected from spills and dirt. When you concrete floor becomes stained it’s very difficult to resolve the problem.

Before you seal your concrete floor, make sure that it is level and there are no cracks. If there are cracks and chips, repair them with a repair compound. Doing this will also help prevent damp setting in which is a major problem in basements.

The concrete should also be level and any cracks, chips or hollows should be filled in with a repair compound. By repairing cracks, not only will your give your concrete floors a much better appearance, you will also prevent damp which is a particular problem in basements. If you have had to use a repair compound, make sure you allow it to dry properly before sealing.

When you go out and buy a concrete sealer you will notice they come in two types: penetrants and film formers.

Penetrating sealers such as silicates, silanes and siloxanes are used to seal exterior concrete which is subject to frost and corrosion. For interior concrete you would use the film-forming sealers. As the name suggests, these sealers create a film over the concrete which gives it a shine.

However, it’s not as simple as just going to your local DIY store and asking for a film-forming concrete sealer; there are three main types to choose from:

  • Acrylic sealers can be either water or solvent based and are cheap and easy to use. Normally you would only use them outdoors because they offer a good protection against water and UV light. The major drawback of acrylic sealers is that they aren’t very hard wearing because they are thinner so need to be applied more frequently.
  • Epoxy sealers make the ideal choice for concrete floors as they are hard wearing and last for a good length of time. They come in either clear or tinted finish so think about what appearance you want before you buy.
  • Polyurethane sealers come in water or solvent based forms and are thicker than acrylic which makes them stand up well against chemicals and abrasion. The only problem is that when it comes into contact with water, foaming and bubbling can occur. However if you allow the polyurethane to cure for a couple of days you should be OK.

After you have repaired any cracks and chips in the concrete you can then apply the sealer. Epoxy sealer is said to be the best type for sealing your concrete floor. Make sure you buy enough sealer by calculating the size of your room first before you start to apply the sealer.

Author Resource: April Kerr often writes articles for FinerLiving.net, a DIY site, which has articles relating to acid stained concrete floors and concrete floor sealers.

Article From RealEstateArticles4U.com

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Short Sale vs Foreclosure

Sunday, August 16th, 2009

Riverside Short Sale Realtor
Challenges That Face Real Estate Agents

By: Lance Thorington

The short sale is a way of selling a property facing foreclosure, and although it is not a legislated method, it has become a common business practice.

Essentially it is a way of selling a property when the home owner is experiencing extreme difficulty in paying their mortgage loan repayments and when there is little or no equity in the property.

Many investors are interested in purchasing property in a short sale, this is because they are able to bag themselves a bargain. Lenders allow mortgage holders to sell the property for as close to market value as possible, even if they owe more on the mortgage than the property is valued at.

This is a regular occurrence in the US with the massive amount of foreclosures available pushing the market values of properties even lower. Short sales and REO (Real Estate Owned) are presently making up over 40% of all real estate sales taking place in the US and more than this in exceptionally hard hit areas such as Florida and Southern California.

Both of these states have seen remarkable drops in the market values of properties in the past two years, and this is pushing many home owners out of their homes as they are no longer affordable. There is also no value left in the home for them if they sell it and there will be a shortfall owed to the mortgage lender if they sell. The lender is then able to pursue a default judgment for the home owner to pay any balance left outstanding on the mortgage after the short sale, although this is only applicable in some state.

The short sale has to take place with the permission of the lender, and only after the home owner has proved that they are in extreme circumstances. This is the reason why a realtor who are experienced in this process is required.

A win-win situation has to be created for all the parties involved in the deal and the bank want to get as much as they possibly can out of it.

If the home owner and realtor manage to pull off the short sale, the home owner will be in a far better circumstance than they would be if a foreclosure took place. This prospect’s incentive is for them to sell their distressed property at less than market value. They get out of paying a mortgage loan they can no longer afford and escape with their credit rating in tact.

This is invaluable because there is very little anyone can do in the US with a bad credit rating. It is recommended that a home owner who has undergone foreclosure, wait two years before applying for a bad credit home loan.

There are many challenge which face the short sale realtor, they really have to work hard for their money and it is being referred to in some real estate circles as the “Wild West”. However in the economic recession being experienced, it is necessary for them also to make a living, so they cannot pass up on these opportunities. House sales are down so they have to get whatever they can take

Author Resource:-> No challenge to big or small for Riverside Short Sale Realtor.

Article From RealEstateArticles4U.com

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Tips for Buying Building Insurance

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

Tips To Having Adequate Buildings Insurance

By: Tom Jones

It is very important that your building or for that matter, any property is adequately insured.

The sum insured is the maximum amount that an insurer will pay the policyholder in the event of any loss. But a common mistake people make is that they believe that the sum insured must be the present market value of the property which is actually not the case.

In fact it should be the rebuilding cost that will be required if any loss occurs to the property. This cost can be higher or lower than the market value. The rebuilding cost of properties built years ago in the less popular areas of UK will be much more than their market price.

Around 40% of the properties in UK are not insured adequately. This means that in the event of any loss, the insurance companies will not pay the entire amount of the claim. To ensure that your risk is fully covered, the rebuilding cost must be calculated by a professional surveyor.

However, some insurance companies calculate the sum insured based on some decided factors such as age, condition, type, style, improvements done or the area. The rebuilding costs will increase annually based on the index value of that year, the basic requirement is that the cost for the first year is calculated correctly.

You must always remember that there are certain terms and conditions or clauses attached to every buildings insurance policy. Your claim may not be considered if these conditions are violated. Some of these conditions are stated below:

Tenants not permitted by the Insurer:

There are certain categories of tenants who are not permitted by the general insurers and mortgage lenders. Many tenants such as students, tenants on benefits and multiple sharers violate the rules of the buildings insurance policy.

Injury, death to any outsider such as postman, council employee or meter reader etc. are not included in the policy. Damage to the adjacent property is also not covered. But some insurers include these risks with some additional premiums.

Liability Cover:

Generally, the policy does not cover the persons you employ at your property like a painter, a gardener etc. If you want to cover these risks, then some additional premium will have to be paid.

Insured Events:

The main and foremost common factors which cause damage to the property should always be included in the policy terms. Following are the main perils that can cause damage to the property.

  • Smoke
  • Theft
  • Aircraft
  • Explosion
  • Fire
  • Malicious damage
  • Subsidence
  • Storm or flood
  • Impact
  • Burst pipes or leakage of oil
  • Lightening

Some of the insurers also cover a loss caused by the tenants which is a very good option for property owners who have let their properties.

Rent Loss:

You will incur a loss of rent along with losses of the property should some damage happen to the building. Some buildings insurance policies also include the option of covering the loss of rent in case the damage renders the property inhabitable. It is generally 20% of the sum insured but some insurers also offer up to 30%.

Author Resource: If you’re looking for a quote on building insurance visit Swinton.

Article From RealEstateArticles4U.com

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Scam Artists in a Foreclosure

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Beware of Scam Artists in a Foreclosure

By: William Dorich

In every disaster there are those who look for opportunities to take advantage of the vulnerable and the mortgage crisis is no exception, don’t be victimized twice.

When you are facing foreclosure and looking for help to avoid losing your home, you need to be careful.

There are many corrupt individuals just waiting to pounce upon you and take advantage of your misfortune. They advertise themselves as so called foreclosure rescuers or experts. Before you realize it, they will acquire your property without a formal or recorded purchase for a fraction of what it would have brought at sale.

Without recording any change of ownership they will try to rent your property to another unsuspecting person while you remain legally bound to make the mortgage payments. The mortgage company is unaware that anything is wrong and you are left on the hook to pay the mortgage on a house you no longer possess and upon which you do not receive rentals.

Most homeowners lack adequate knowledge about foreclosure, their legal rights, and alternatives to foreclosure. Beware of scammers who promise rescue from foreclosure.
There are mainly three categories of foreclosure rescue scams: The Phantom Help; The Bailout; The Bait and Switch.

  • In Phantom Help: the so called rescuer will charge fees for light-duty phone calls or paperwork you can easily do yourself. None of these phone calls or paperwork actually results in saving your home. It just gives you a false sense of hope and prevents you from seeking qualified help.
  • In a Bailout: the rescuer deceives you into signing over title with the belief that you will be able to remain in the house as a renter and eventually buy it back over time. The actual terms are so onerous that the buy-back becomes impossible, you lose possession and the rescuer walks off with the right to sell and possess without the costs of foreclosure.
  • It is important at this point to stress that you DO NOT SIGN anything without consulting an attorney, no matter what these scammers tell you. If the deal is so good and so beneficial to you it will be just as good in a few days after you have had sufficient time to read the document and seek legal advice.

    Any deal that sounds too good to be true, usually is.

  • In Bait and Switch: under the guise of having you sign documents to bring your mortgage current, the rescuers will cause you to surrender your ownership. The documents appear to be temporary loans. They will do this in a sneaky way so that you will not realize you have been scammed until you are evicted.

How does the scam work?

Scammers approach homeowners in many ways including a straightforward phone call, or flyers and brochures being left at the door, and even a knock on the door. Some of the scammers are well organized and advertise in the local newspaper classified section. Some even have their own websites.

When you are faced with foreclosure, you do not have much time to react. This can lead you to make hasty decisions without consulting others. Scammers almost always highlight the lack of time and insist that you make quick decisions. They then pressure you for a quick signature on documents that you have not been given adequate time to read.

The initial contact typically revolves around a simple message and frequently contains a time is of the essence theme, adding a note of urgency to what is already a stressful and possibly desperate situation.

Once you fall for the trap and decide to move forward with the rescuer, you will be promised a fresh start at the initial meeting and they may also provide you with testimonials of other homeowners they claim to have rescued. They will then instruct you to cease all contact with your lender and allow them to take over. Any time you cease all contact with your lender, it is dangerous. It cuts off access to your options and you can quickly run out of time to prevent foreclosure. By the time you realize what is happening, it’s too late and you have been conned.

Scammers will do everything to cut off a home owner to access correct information. They win over the homeowner trust and warn them to stay away from attorneys and counseling agencies, ironically on the grounds that the attorney or agencies are out to make money from the misfortune of the homeowner.

Once it is too late to save your home, you will have been drained by substantial heavy fees and other charges. If a deed was signed on fraudulent promises, you, the homeowner, will then be evicted by the alleged rescuer from the property you once owned.

Author Resource: William Dorich is author of 7 books. His two newest are: Defeat Foreclosure and The Nursing Home Crisis. See: Defeat Foreclosure

Article From RealEstateArticles4U.com

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Controlling Your Home Water Quality

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

Be In Control Of Your Home Water Quality

By: Art Stanley

The truth is many of us don’t spend much time thinking about the quality of our drinking water. Often we are lulled into a false sense of security that our water quality is top-notch, while in reality there may be alarming amounts of contaminants in our residential water supply.

For home owners with a well, the issue of water quality is more prevalent than those supplied by municipal water. Well owners are generally more aware of the need for some vigilance in monitoring water quality, especially those located near potential sources of run-off including agricultural run-off. Well owners should be testing their water on a regular basis (at least 4 times a year) and they must take special care to have the water tested for micro-biological contamination (bacterial and viral pathogens) regularly too.

Micro-biological contamination, most commonly bacterial pathogens such as e.coli and coliform can be a major cause for concern as these pathogens can do great harm to your health. The presence of either of these pathogens simply must not be tolerated and you must take action to ensure your water is free of contamination by killing these organisms before they get a chance to infect your family.

Traditional disinfection has been done by adding chlorine (usually chlorine bleach) to the well and waiting for a period of time while the bacteria is killed in the well. This process is cumbersome and in addition must be done on a regular basis as new pathogens are introduced into the well water. The other draw back of this method is that chemical disinfection can create harmful byproducts which in themselves can be harmful to your health.

Those supplied with municipal water should not think that they are necessarily immune from water quality problems. A quick search of stories related to boil water orders alone issued by municipalities will convince you that the ultimate responsibility to ensure your own water quality rests in the end with you.

The chemical-free way to ensure that your water is completely safe is to use Ultra Violet light (UV) to kill all bacterial and viral pathogens in real time (as you use the water) and around the clock. UV is a time-tested technology, completely safe, absolutely effective and environmentally sound. There is no better way to ensure safe drinking water, and no more cost effective method per unit volume.

UV systems are available in a wide range of sizes to suite the smallest residence to the largest. Maintenance is minimal (change a lamp once a year) and the system is ready to work for you all year, without the hassle of buying, storing and using harsh chemical treatments.

UV is the environmentally superior option as no byproducts are produced and there is never any risk of chemical overdosing in water treatment. UV is the future of safe, sustainable water purification and this is proven by the number of municipalities now installing UV as a primary disinfection technology to serve their customers.

Author Resource: Ready to tap into safe drinking water at home? Visit UVshack.com to see some of our best selling systems. For a limited time we are offering FREE shipping too!

Article From RealEstateArticles4U.com

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