Getting The Best Deal When Buying Real Estate

You're ready to buy a house or maybe you're just considering it. There is a good chance you're wondering if the decline in housing prices has bottomed or perhaps has a little more ways to go. Industry analysts are predicting that in most of the country we will see an uptrend within the real estate market this upcoming spring. What does that mean as a buyer? It means your time is limited.

The deals available today will not last much longer. That information comes right from the experts. These experts include analysts and season professionals that consistently monitor the real estate market. The burst of the housing bubble is on its last leg and the market is due for a solid return. Whether you're interested in profiting or investing, you are running short on time. Fortunately the internet has come a long way and can assist you in making sure you are getting the best possible deal. By this I don't simply mean the information contained in this article. I mean the information this article will lead you to.

Everyone knows that you always get the best price on something when it is auctioned. People only pay what they believe is a fair value and that value is limited to what available buyers offer. When shopping for your new home wouldn't you like to bid on it rather than simply pay what someone is asking? The internet will allow you as well as anyone else interested the ability to bid freely on the open market without any fees attached. Online auctions have become so popular for most everything else and homes are now finding their way to the auction world. <

Many people and banks have enormous amounts of properties they need to get rid of and quickly. When this happens they need to auction them off even if it means taking a hefty loss. In order to reach a sizable enough crowds they are now turning to the internet in attempt to improve their ability to reach a slightly higher selling price than if sold locally.

These properties cost you nothing to view, bid on, and many even pay your closing costs to improve their selling value. Real estate is being sold for fractions of what it is worth right now all over the internet. It really wont hurt to look for yourself. Don't miss out on such a great opportunity that can only take a couple minutes of your time.
Visit USA Property Auctions for auction style listings of real estate. Article written and distributed by Steve Cancel at Secure Link - Michigan Web Marketing. www.sunbrave.com for a common sense approach to mastering real estate investing FREE DVD

Flipping Real Estate: Calculating Costs

If you been in the real estate investing business, or more specifically been flipping real estate, for more than a few days, you've inevitably gotten an email that reads something like this:

"Investor's Dream. This property will go QUICK.

- Property Address: 1234 Main Street
- Asking Price: $100,000 (Add or subtract zeros!)
- After Repair Value: $150,000
- Repairs: $15,000
- Profit: $35,000
- Details: Needs paint, carpet, tile, new kitchen, update bathroom, some roof damage.
- Tenant occupied. Need to evict!"

STOP! Before you read on… Take a guess at what you think the "real" profit's going to be on this real estate investment…

If you haven't ever gotten an email or fax broadcast like this, then rest assured, you will! I'm about to probably tick off all of the late night infomercials and pitchmen out there! Sure, I understand that when you've got 30 minutes (or 90 minutes, for that matter), that you've to sell what's sexy… not what's real!

Now it's my turn to expose the real deal on real estate investing! This goes for flipping real estate itself (i.e. properties) or simply flipping the contract (also known as assigning the contract). When you're flipping real estate, you need to be able to calculate the "real" bottom line and if your assigning the contract, you need to know your numbers so you don't get blacklisted from investors! This one piece of information will keep you from getting into trouble because of any "real estate bubble"!

Purchase Costs
Here goes… Have you EVER purchased and sold a piece of real estate for FREE? If you're not sure what the answer is… It's an emphatic NO... You are going to have costs to buy, costs to hold and costs to sell. This holds true even if you are buying a property for all cash. (Think title fees, attorney's fees, recording fees, etc.)

If you're not getting a mortgage, your purchase costs are obviously much lower, but nonetheless, there are costs associated with any real estate transaction. Plus, more than likely, if you're relatively new, you're probably not paying all cash for property anyways. You're probably going to be using a hard money investor for your initial real estate investing financing! <

For a quick calculation, you can estimate anywhere between 3% - 5% for closing costs to just acquire the property. That's 3%-5% of the purchase price.

Holding Costs
How much is it going to cost you each and every day to own this piece of real estate? See, if you're making money in real estate, you'd better believe that there are a lot of other people that are going to expect to get paid and they get paid in the form of mortgage interest, property taxes, utilities, property insurance, etc. Each of these is an expense each and every day that you own the property. Here's an example… A hard money loan on a bread and butter type piece of real estate might run you 15%. Let's say you got the property for $100,000. Every month, you are paying $1250 in interest alone. Let's say that taxes and insurance are another $200/month and then utilities at $100. Right there, the property is costing you $1550/month – or roughly $50/day. See, why it's important to know your not only your holding costs on a real estate investment, but also how long it's going to be on the market before you can flip the property.

Selling Costs
Here's the third part of the real estate investing puzzle. When you want to turn around and sell this piece of real estate, it's going to cost you yet again! Are you going to use a real estate agent and pay a commission or 3-4-5% or even more? On $150,000, that's anywhere from $4500 to $7500 chopped of the top. Then, you can figure 1-2% in closing fees.

If you can remember this… and apply what you've just learned to each and every real estate deal that you do, you'll be safe flipping real estate in any market. You see, if it's a hot market, you can calculate less time for holding cost. But, in a slower market, make your offer based on 6 months or 9 months of holding costs. It's really simple math! And real estate really is a numbers game…

How Much Is My House Worth?

Are you wondering "how much is my house worth?" I have two answers for you. First, if you don't really need to move, it is worth whatever you say it is. If you think, "I wouldn't sell this house for less than $300,000," then it is worth that much to you. If you need to sell it, though, what it is worth to you is irrelevant.

Market value is the only relevant value once you are ready to sell. This is the value according to all the home buyers out there. They don't care what you spent renovating the house, or what you originally paid. Spend $50,000 adding a pool, and they may only pay $20,000 more for the home. Real estate is worth what the market says it is worth.

How Much Is My House Worth - Part One
To estimate the market value of your home, use "comparables." This is how appraisers do it. Find at least three similar homes nearby that have sold within the last six or maybe twelve months (these are your comparables). This information is in county records (sometimes online now), or ask a real estate agent with access to the multiple listing service. Get the sales prices, terms of sale, description of the property, and other information.

Take your first comparable, write down the selling price, and review the description item by item. Add to the sales price of the comparable for each thing it doesn't have that your subject home has, and subtract for each thing it has that your subject home does have. This sounds confusing, but it will make sense once you try it a couple times.

For example, if your home has a second bathroom, and the comparable doesn't, add the value of the bathroom to the sales price of the comparable. If the comparable home has a blacktop driveway, and your's doesn't, take the value away. You'll have to estimate what these things are worth, or ask for professional help.

You are rectifying differences, to see what the comparable home WOULD have sold for if it was just like yours. If a comparable sold for $242,000, with one less bathroom than your home, and a bathroom is worth $15,000 in your area (ask a real estate agent for help with these figures), then you ADD $15,000 for the bathroom it doesn't have. Subtract, say $5,000, for the paved driveway it does have, that your home doesn't have. $242,000 plus $15,000, minus $5,000 gives you a comparable sales price of $252,000.

Do this with each comparable, then average the three comparable prices. If, for example, the three comparables now have adjusted sales prices of $252,000, $262,000, and $249,000, add the three figures and divide by three. The indicated value of your home is $254,300. This is about what it should sell for.

How Much Is My House Worth - Part Two
Appraisal is an inexact science. If you can only find houses sold over a year ago, you should probably estimate appreciation in the area, and add that. If one sold with seller financing, you have to adjust for how this affected the price. These complications make it tough to appraise your own home, so what if you need help?

There are other ways to find out what your house is worth. You can pay for a professional appraisal. This way you will also have something to show to prospective buyers who doubt the value. Be sure to tell the appraiser about anything she might miss, like a newer roof, or specially imported tiles.

What about online services that tell you what your house is worth? They don't have enough access to sold prices of homes around the country to have a program figure the value of your house. Instead, they usually just take your basic information, e-mail address, and phone number, and sell this "lead" to a real estate agent that will contact you.

It is better to find a real estate agent on your own, and ask "How much is my house worth?" Find one who has sold homes in your area, and ask if she can do a "market analysis" of your house value. Normally this is free, with the agent hoping to impress you and get your business. Often, if the agent has experience and has worked in your neighborhood, they'll do a better job than an appraiser, and the price is right.

Best Investment Real Estate Locations

Where are the best investment real estate locations? If you have enough experience investing in real estate, you can make money almost anywhere, but there are always places that are better or worse for real estate investments. For maximum profits, you want places that have a better demand/supply ratio. You can use the questions below to find them.

Real Estate Demand
1. Does the area have decent job growth? Ask local authorities and use census information. Ideally, you want to see job growth equal to or exceeding population growth. You also want areas with professional jobs moving in. It is estimated that for every professional job created, there are four service jobs created, and all those employees need a place to live.

2. Is the population growing? You can check the US Census figures online, or ask the local government if they have the statistics. Stay away from areas that have little growth.

3. Is there a decent quality of life? It's subjective, but important. Are there theaters and bookstores? Count coffee shops and cafes. Trendy areas usually have increasing demand for housing. It's also a good indication of a high quality-of-life if people are willing to take lower-paying jobs just to live there.

4. Is there wealth in the area? It's a good sign when there is some degree of wealth in a town. Look for nice homes. Wealth means everything doesn't die when the economy slows.

Real Estate Supply
1. Number of homes for sale? Lower supply of homes for sale means upward pressure on prices. This indirectly drives up rents as well, which makes for better investing.

2. New construction? Census figures can tell you what's happened over the last ten years. Check with the local authorities to see if the the number of housing units they've issued permits for is more or less than the expected population growth.

3. Rent and vacancy levels? Rents have to be high enough, and vacancies low enough to justify investing. When we first came to Tucson, every building had vacancies We saw a man holding a sign that read, "Apartment - $250 Per Month." A great place for renters, but not so great for landlords.

4. The available land that is buildable? Of course, less available land is better for future appreciation. When the land runs out, the prices start accelerating upwards.

When you use these questions to compare various towns and cities, you'll see the differences more clearly. You'll have an idea about how housing demand compares to supply in each. This will help you pinpoint the best investment real estate locations.

Finding The Perfect Home in Nashville

Looking for that perfect spot to relocate to? Nashville is a spot that requires some consideration. As one of the most dynamic real estate markets in the U.S. Nashville has emerged as one of the nations premier spots to live. It's hard to imagine a more lively location with more things to do. Nashville is known to be the country music capital of the world and is also one of the country's premier live music stages. This is a tradition that is synonymous with the Grand Ole Opry which has staged some of the most famous acts of all time.

Southern hospitality is alive and kicking in Nashville, as this is one of the most welcoming and friendly cities you will ever find! From the amazing culture to the historic homes and properties Nashville is a city of prosperity and opportunity. The business sector in Nashville is strong and supported by an educated and driven work force that has helped to shape the financial future of both the city and the state. Education also plays a strong role in Nashville with excellent public schools and great post secondary options such as Tennessee State and Vanderbilt Universities.

However, the most attractive aspect of Nashville is the booming real estate industry. For many years the environment for home purchases has been steadily increasing and gaining momentum, and within the last few years has become one of the most stable investment areas in the country. A great variety of housing options is one of the strong points of Nashville real estate, with new construction homes and condos adding to an already impressive core of homes and historical properties. This is a fantastic time to get into a new home in Nashville.