The Dos and Don’ts of Upgrades

When it comes to optioning the house, the primary question an investor should be asking themselves upon an acquisition is whether or not the option selected will contribute to the sell-ability of the house, relative to the actual cost. Obviously, there’s a point of diminishing return if one builds a Taj Mahal in a land of tract homes. Despite the urge to go all out and deck the place to the tee, please resist the temptation. Doing so will only cut down on your return. This is particularly important given the fact that since it is an investment, an investment with an unknown value, it isn’t prudent to put some of the potential gain at risk by purchasing unnecessary design upgrades that aren’t critical.

More often than not, homebuilders are aware of this vulnerability. This is more then ever true for investors, for whom they will provide a glut of options and upgrades that are grossly marked up. This type of financial exploitation provides an income stream that is indispensable to many homebuilders, such as KB Home, who are notorious for their exuberant cost upgrades and options. This system is so elaborate that their design department is a whole corporation of its own-which is known as KB Home Studio and rivals that of most high-end design centers. Not only are these stand-alone profit centers, KB Home has a separate business unit with senior vice presidents, AVPs, regional heads, etc., to take care of this organizational monster. The great thing about this apparatus is that it offers a plethora of design upgrades and options that are really top-shelf. The only problem is that you usually have to pay an arm and a leg to get these wonderful amenities.

To relate a story, the first time I went through a KB Home Studio, it was baptism by fire. I spent over eight hours in the design center, split over two days. At $35,000 plus in upgrades, I estimated that it cost me about $4,300 an hour to shop in their design center. You can see why I was happy to get out of there. Keep in mind also, that you may be required to pay a fraction of the upgrade costs in the form of a deposit soon after selection. This is almost a certainty and industry standard. On average, the deposit amount runs 25 percent to 50 percent and are usually nonrefundable. The consequence of this deposit requirement is apparent, in that it makes it more difficult, especially as an investor, to walk away from a transaction.

In spite of the latter, you can see on a pure convenience factor, it’s hard not to like that a homebuilder can offer you lots of options. Having the „convenience factor“ available is all good and well; however, it becomes somewhat of an entrapment issue when the builder offers a plain vanilla box without any or few upgrades. In these cases, sometimes builders will only go to „code“-meaning, only providing what is necessary to have the local housing department or building and safety, at the city or the county level sign off on the property and give it a certificate of occupancy. This for instance, may mean no rain gutters, no landscaping in the front or back, unfinished garages, which typically consist of drywall with a coat of primer, or an unfinished garage consisting of the latter but with exposed 2×4 studs, sheetrock, chicken wire and black installation coversheet. Other more obvious „standards“ include all vinyl flooring and small 4×4 white tile for the kitchen countertops, or cheap laminate for that matter. To top it all off, in terms of complete ugly-fication, you might get the builders‘ special quarter-inch clustered marble countertops in the bathroom.

There’s a reason why even home design centers at Home Depot or Lowe’s highlight these amenities, and that’s because they’re cheap and nobody really wants them. Consequently, many homebuilders offer the standards in order to eek out as much money as possible out of each home they build. As a result, a new homeowner and/or investor is essentially forced into buying options and various upgrades in order to avoid the home looking like a plain Jane. Having too much of a plain Jane can actually hurt a home’s value. As an investor, it’s up to you to define the balance without overspending on a new tract flip. That’s the nature of making a business decision: you have to use your judgment. I’ve seen some homes that were literally destroyed from the inside out given the extreme lack of appeal that permeated the house as a result of no upgrades. As an example, spending an additional $4,000 to $6,000 on upgraded floorways and kitchen countertops is probably well advised. Most carpeting, even if it doesn’t have stain guard, should be adequate for most homes. Don’t be pressured into upgrading into a thicker padding for the carpet. Just go with the standard one-quarter inch, since most builders will try to get an extra $700 to $1,200, if not more, added to the cost of the house just for upgraded padding.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg



Source by D Sidney Potter

Safe Keeping Receipt (SKR) – Collateral For Alternative Financing

Safe Keeping Receipt’s, or SKR’s, are bank instruments that are on the rise as collateral for alternative financing. A SKR is a financial instrument that is issued by a safe keeping facility, bank or storage house. In storage, assets or other valuables are in a safe, secured and protected area. The issuer of the SKR takes the responsibility of being the legally responsible custodian. Check with your institution or safe keeping storage facility as some require fees for these services.

Examples of asset skr’s that can be monetized:

• Fur SKR

• Collectible Art SKR

• Gold SKR

• Above Ground Assets SKR

• Commercial Property SKR

• Antiques SKR

• Valuable Documents SKR

• Precious Metals or Gems SKR

The issuer of the SKR is not the legal owner and therefore, must return the asset to the owner upon request. Who can obtain an SKR? Individuals, corporations, companies, organizations and trusts to name a few. The owner of an SKR may monetize this instrument much like an SBLC, LC, Bond or BG and use these funds as an alternative funding source for projects. Most issued SKR are capable of SWIFT transfers however, some may require an additional MT 760 simultaneous to the transfer of funds in the transaction.

Monetizing and SKR is the process of converting the financial instrument into a legal tender transaction. Depending upon the monetizing bank, certain additional conditions may apply. For instance, is the asset free and clear, meaning; is the title free and clear listed on the SKR? Aside from the validity of the SKR, free title is the single most important aspect of monetizing. The next important aspect is the capability of a SWIFT MT 760. Once monetized usually for a term of 1 year and 1 day unless otherwise agreed upon, the safe keeping receipt is then completed to the originating issuer.

With these very crucial points in place, monetizing your safe keeping receipt can be a safe transaction because in most circumstances, you don’t move your asset or give up control. Any fees associated with monetizing your SKR should be paid out of proceeds and not upfront. For many reasons, you should never make arrangement to SWIFT or transfer your SKR to any one or company without first having a contract in place or knowing the company you are dealing with. Monetizing your SKR can be a solution to alternative conventional financing.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg



Source by Kelly Willett

Germany Off the Beaten Path: Explore Mannheim and Dortmund

Dortmund is a large city located just north of the Rurh River. An interesting city of contrast, Dortmund is often called a green metropolis, as nearly half the municipal area consists of green spaces, forests, waterways, and spacious parks such as Westfalenpark and the Rombergpark. What is interesting about that, is for nearly 100 years there was extensive coal and steel milling within the city limits. Like many cities in Germany, the Old Town Hall is one of the main sights to see. There is also a moated castle from the 13th century known as the Haus Rodenberg, which is very impressive.

While in Dortmund, it is easy to access many fun and exciting other German cities in the areas, like Cologne, Dusselforf, and Essen, all of which are under an hour away. You may want to explore many of the areas national forests, or head further west to the Netherlands. Wherever you’re planning on going, Dortmund is a charming city that makes for a great home base while on your next vacation in Germany.

Located about 50 miles south of Frankfurt, Mannheim offers visitors many activities and attractions to stay occupied. Sites like the Mannheim Palace, which is also the main building of the University of Mannheim, attract sight seers from all over the region. The Fernmeldeturm is a communications tower with an observation deck and restaurant that sits 120 meters off the ground. Needless to say, it provides beautiful views of the area. Don’t forget to check out the delicious fresh fruits and vegetables at the farmers market every Monday and Wednesday.

After you’ve taken in your fair share of Mannheim, why not use a rental car to explore more of the region? Heidelberg is only a short drive away, and is a very photogenic German city with close to 150,000 people calling it home. Most visitors want to check out Heidelberg Castle, which was constructed over the course of hundreds of years by various rulers of the time. Be sure to check out the „Old Town“ part of Heidelberg. You won’t be disappointed with its local beer, cheer, and overall good times. The region is full of other interesting small cities and towns just waiting for you to explore. What are you waiting for? Plan your next German vacation today!

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg



Source by Hans Ericsson

Talcott Parsons

Talcott Parsons, (born Dec. thirteen, 1902, Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. – died May eight, 1979, Munich, West Germany), American sociologist as well as scholar whose concept of social activity influenced the intellectual bases of many disciplines of contemporary sociology. His job is actually concerned with a common theoretical method for the evaluation of modern society instead of with narrower empirical studies. He’s credited with owning introduced the job of Max Weber and Vilfredo Pareto to American sociology.

After receiving his B.A. from Amherst College in 1924, Parsons studied at the London School of Economics and at the Faculty of Heidelberg, exactly where he got his Ph.D. in 1927. He joined the faculty of Harvard Faculty as a teacher in economics and started educating sociology in 1931. In 1944 he became a complete professor, and also in 1946 he was appointed chairman of the brand new department of interpersonal relations, an article Parsons held until 1956. He remained at Harvard until the retirement of his in 1973. Parsons in addition served as president of the American Sociological Society in 1949.

Parsons united clinical psychology as well as interpersonal anthropology with sociology, a fusion still operating in the social sciences. His job is frequently believed to comprise a whole school of social notion. In the first major book of his, The Structure of Social Action (1937), Parsons drew on components from the works of several European scholars (Weber, Pareto, Alfred Marshall, and Émile Durkheim) to produce a common systematic concept of social activity depending on a voluntaristic principle – i.e., the options between alternate values as well as actions should be at least partly free. Parsons defined the locus of sociological concept as residing not in the inner area of character, as postulated by Weber and sigmund Freud, but in the outside area of the institutional structures produced by society. In the Social System (1951), he turned the analysis of his to the problems and large-scale systems of equilibrium, integration, and social order. He advocated a structural functional studies, a review of the reasons in which the interrelated as well as interacting devices which create the structures of a cultural system add to the growth and maintenance of that method.

Parsons is most popular as a sociologist, nonetheless, he also taught programs and made contributions to various other fields, like economics, race relations, and anthropology.

The majority of his job concentrated on the idea of structural functionalism, and that is the thought of analyzing society through a common theoretical system.

A significant role in developing many important sociological theories were played by Talcott Parsons. For starters, the theory of his of the „sick role“ in healthcare sociology was created in connection with psychoanalysis. The sick function is a principle which concerns the social features of getting sick and the privileges and responsibilities which come with it. Parsons also played a vital role in the improvement of „The Grand Theory,“ that had been an effort to incorporate the various community sciences into a single theoretical framework. The main goal of his was utilizing multiple public science disciplines to write one single common concept of human relationships.

Parsons was usually accused of becoming ethnocentric (the perception that your society is actually much better than the one you’re studying). He was an innovative and bold sociologist for the time of his and is recognized for the contributions of his in neo-evolutionism and functionalism. He released over 150 books and articles during the lifetime of his.

Some other works by Parsons consist of Essays in Sociological Theory (1949; rev. ed. 1954), Society and Economy (1956; with Neil J. Smelser), Process and Structure in Modern Societies (1960), Societies: Comparative and evolutionary Perspectives (1966), Modern Society and sociological Theory (1967), Social Structure and Politics (1969), as well as the American Faculty (1973; with Gerald M. Platt as well as Neil J. Smelser).

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg



Source by Martin Hahn

Crap Nobody Ever Tells You When You Go To College To Get Your Equine Science Degree

I always knew what I wanted to do as a child. I bounced around from several different career choices but all of them revolved around horses. As my senior year went by, I spent countless hours researching equine science degrees at four-year colleges and applying to schools all over the country that had programs that fascinated me. I ended up at Colorado State University, after debating between West Texas A&M, Tarleton State University, and Texas A&M. I graduated from Colorado State University with my degree in equine science and promptly attempted to enter the work force searching for my place in the equine world. What a learning experience!

If you are about to graduate high school or maybe you have a son or daughter who is about to graduate high school and they are determined to go to school for equine science. On one hand, it is an awesome thing that they know what they want to do, especially considering the astounding numbers of undeclared majors in state universities these days. On the other hand, the reality is, equine science is almost a worthless major in the eyes of most employers. It is also a degree that requires a lot of entrepreneur spirit in order to succeed in the equine world. If you are a follower and not a leader, this may not be the correct degree choice to work towards.

This is a tough place as every parent wants to support their children’s dreams. You can make a living at anything if you are truly determined to do it and you love what you do. The problem is after visiting college campuses and having a ton of smoke blown up your butt about how wonderful each school is, there is a lot to an equine science degree that nobody ever tells you until you get into the thick of it all and waste a ton of money on the degree.

Equine science is a popular pre-vet degree. Most four-year schools that offer the degree also have a veterinary program. What this means is, if you are not interested in becoming a vet, you still are going to class with pre-vet students who must get an A in every class. What this means for the average equine science student who is there to further their knowledge of the horse industry is, there are no curve grades, and the competition to get into classes with limited seats is tough. First preferences often times go to the pre vet students leaving the average equine science student to get pushed back anther year before they can take that required class that is only offered in the spring once a year.

Another feat perhaps more difficult than getting into your required classes when competing with vet students and pre-vet students is getting a job in the field so you can get experience most employers‘ want you to have while you are still in college. Once an employer learns that you are not pre-vet often, times you, get bumped all together from those equine employers employee choices. Best way to avoid this is to inquire if the school’s internship program is actually hands on about placing students with employers, which allows a more fair opportunity for those who are going to school just to get their equine science degree to actually get a job around horses. Most schools that have placement programs do this, as internships are required in order to graduate from their equine science program. Employers will usually choose vet students and pre-vet students for positions within a barn or equine facility because they like the thought of having someone with veterinary knowledge around the horses for a minimal investment. 9 times out of 10, the equine science student will not even be called in for an interview when they are competing with vet students. This is why having a school placement program is crucial for avoiding this problem all together.

One of the other interesting little tidbits you learn while trying to get an equine related job while in college is that the equine industry in notorious for expecting you to work your butt off for free. This means you better be the master of the shovel, willing to work every spare minute you have for little compensation, and do it with a smile and maybe, just maybe you will get the opportunity to ride a horse, or work with an incredible trainer, or get some responsibilities that are not the bottom of the barrel work. I have to admit that the equine employers that think they are doing the educational system a favor by offering these internships are truly looking out for their own best interest and trying to find cheap labor. It surely is not for the students benefit in most cases. They assume every equine science student is a kept pony princess or prince whose bills are paid by their rich parents and that the college credit they are giving you in exchange for your hard work is equal to the compensation they would be paying a non-student. The other problem is most of these jobs, as I mentioned before you are stuck not really learning anything, but doing all the chores and work, that nobody else will do on the farm other than migrant workers. Which guess what, as an intern your even lower than that because they have to pay the migrant workers! It is a pretty sad and discouraging system. I do agree that scooping poop does build character, but there’s a limit to how much character building a college student needs while trying to learn the ropes in the equine industry while in school. There are also a fair share of equine employers who severely abuse this system and only participate to get their free slave college labor.

The reality is once you graduate with your equine science degree, what you do with it is up to you. It’s a degree best suited for those of you who want to start your own equine related business as employers look at it as a worthless degree otherwise. Most equine science graduates end up making their living in an industry outside the horse industry and often times run into roadblocks because of the validity of the degree itself. This is why I would encourage those of you pursuing this degree who are not vet students to minor in a degree or attain a second bachelor’s degree in a field that will help you get employment in the instance you are not working in the equine industry after graduation. I would recommend business, marketing, computer science, legal, or anything related to the energy field. All of these choices will complement your equine science degree and ensure you have plenty of career choices after graduation.

Do not be surprised that the low pay continues after graduation with your equine science degree. Most equine employers think they are being generous by offering you housing along with a huge monthly salary of 1500.00 a month in exchange for 60 hour a week worth of hard labor. This labor almost always includes scooping more crap, yes even after all the experience you gained in your internships doing this equine employers still feel you need more practice at it for little pay! What they usually do not tell you is the housing they are offering is nasty, rat hole, and you will have to share that housing with the other farm help, and you get to pay the utilities. Oh yes, the equine industry is tough. This is why if this is your direction you are choosing I would highly recommend that you minor in business. As the most successful in the equine industry are self employed small business owners that set off and started their own businesses to make a living. You really have no other choice unless earning a $1500 a month salary and living in a rat hole with no free time is your ideal career choice.

If you are lucky enough to find an equine job that is not on a horse ranch, breeding facility, or training facility the pay usually is not great, and you are expected to work hard! My example comes from personal experience. April of my senior year in college I got a position at The Arabian Horse Association as a Member Services Representative. I was so excited to actually get a horse job, I did not mind the 82-mile one-way drive to Denver, or the crappy pay which at the time was less than 10.50/hour. I thought the job was perfect for me as I focused a lot of my effort in learning about equine event management, and was stoked that I might actually get the experience and chance to help the AHA put on their breed shows. It also put my family at bay for not giving me a hard time not working in the horse industry, as up until that point I could not afford to go work for the equine slave drivers in college for free as I was not a pony princess, I had to pay my way through school which meant paying bills not just paying for alcohol. I was responsible for paying for a truck, my housing, my food, and my horse. Spending the time I was not in class working for free was not an option for me. I spent a year and a half working at the AHA, only to discover they kept wanting more data entry work, I rarely got to leave my cubicle hell, and the biggest raises they gave hourly employee’s was.05 an hour and in the year and a half I got one.05 raise. In that same year and half fuel prices increased over.30 a gallon. During that time several salaried higher paying positions came available within the AHA, but what you do not know is that the positions I applied for that were in the breed association development department, they wanted people with marketing, and business degrees, not equine science. The other problem with my job was the long commute. I could not afford to move closer to my job because it was in the middle of the city and I would have to board my horse an hour plus away from where I would be living and spending more money to have a horse, while being able to see my horse less just so I could get an extra hour of sleep, and avoid an 82 mile 1 way drive. I was living on a 5-acre horse property with my horse for less money than what is would have cost me to move closer to my work. Yeah, screw that. I quit and started my own business in the oil and gas industry after a bunch of prodding from my future husband that I was sitting on the road to nowhere. He was right.

I was regretful that I did not spend more time learning more about business and marketing in while I was in school. It is hard to even think about going to school since I went for 5 years paying out of state tuition only to discover the degree was worthless. Every successful equine business owner I know will tell you that they know dozens of people with my degree that do not use it. Therefore, my advice to those of you still determined to do this:

  • You had better be thick skinned and prepared for a lot of rejection. Competition with vet students is cut throat.
  • You will need to make a living until you can find a job, so find other talents that you have that will allow you to make a living until you can secure that dream job in the horse world.
  • Be prepared for the equine scum employers, it will never matter how much crap you scoop, many of these positions are dead end and they are just out to look for cheap labor. They have absolutely no interest in giving you what you want, they will work you until you quit or give up for as little money as possible.
  • Do not take any more than one job in your college career that entails scooping horse crap, seriously, it is not doing you any good and you will be wasting your time. You will learn more by getting work from other businesses that can help you become a successful business owner in the future. I worked one tax season for an accountant, it was one of the best experiences I ever had in college, and it taught me so much about being a business owner the experience was incredible!
  • If you have a truck, do not let an equine employer talk you into using your personal vehicle for their benefit unless they intend on fairly compensating you for it. I had one job in college at an Andalusion farm where the owner seemed to think that not paying me very much included free use of my truck to haul hay was included.
  • Narrow down you career choices while you are in school than contact future potential employers to find out what they are looking for when they hire for those positions. Why, because you don’t want to find yourself in an entry level job in the horse industry to only find out that the better jobs they offer require a completely different degree like I found out at The Arabian Horse Association. This will allow you to be working towards the best degree for your chosen career path, and not end up with a worthless, useless degree that will make it more difficult for you to attain employment with in the future.
  • 2 year degree programs are good for getting a lot of hands on experience but they do not allow you to get participate in a backup major such as business.
  • 2-year programs typically are better suited for those looking to go into horse training, riding instruction, and coaching. These programs are also cheaper, and typically, they are a much easier degree academically to complete. Just remember many careers require a 4-year degree unless you are in a job that is primarily a technical position such as an electrician, plumber, or other specialized career that requires special training.
  • 4 year University Equine Science programs typically will have programs in equine reproduction, where you can learn the art of Artificial Insemination and semen collecting, as well as the skills required to work in a reproduction lab or breeding facility.
  • 4-year equine science degrees typically are less hands on than a two-year equine science degree. You spend a solid 2 years at least working on core requirements that every major the school offers requires students to take. These include classes such as algebra, speech, English, statistics, chemistry, biology, foreign language, and public speaking. Of course, most of these classes are completely useless and will not make or break you in the real world.
  • There are some 4-year equine science programs out there where you never even handle a horse. Be cautious of this, after all there really is not much point to getting an equine science degree if you never handle a horse. If all you want to do is handle & work directly with horses a 2-year program may be the better choice.

Personally, I can attest to the fact that I regret getting my degree in equine science. I also wish that the career advisors at my school had been more honest with me. I paid a lot of money for that degree only to find out after graduation its true value. Your best defense in this world if you want to work in the horse industry is to be prepared to start your own business as that’s really the best way for you to make a decent living. It is a tough world and if you graduate with that degree and are expecting to get a high paying job, you are going to be searching for a long time because very few of them exist. In fact, there are very few equine science positions that even pay $35,000 a year. Many higher paying positions in the equine world also have other degree preferences for their job candidates that are not equine science degrees and only require that you have hands on knowledge of the equine world, not an equine science degree.

Finally, if you are looking for any job to just pay your bills, often time’s equine science degrees will not count, thus making it more difficult to attain employment outside the equine world. Your best defense in this world is to round out your education, do not get tunnel vision thinking horses and only horses. Attain a second bachelors, or get a minor in a degree program that can not only help your equine career but help you secure a job outside the equine industry if need be at a later time. Most importantly, do not let your college baffle you with bullshit, they only want your money and truly do not care what happens to you after graduation. Supporting yourself after graduation falls on you not the school, you graduated from, and there is no degree that has a guarantee you will be able to find employment after graduation, especially in today’s job market.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg



Source by Jennifer Hampson

What You Can Expect To Pay A Playa Del Carmen Realtor

Paying someone else for a job, even if they have done a good job, is never something to look forward too. The same is true with Playa del Carmen Realtors. Some consider real estate agent fees to be a necessary evil. Some simply cannot spare the time and resource to sell their home, or buy their home on their own. Most Realtors work hard for their commission; still it is difficult to see thousands of dollars leave your hands and enter the pockets of your Realtor.

Most real estate agents are paid through a commission plan that most often ends up being a percentage of the selling/purchase price of the home. Percentages for the commission rate will vary from real estate agency to real estate agency, but most neighboring agents will have comparable rates. A common Realtor fee is 5-7% of the selling price.

Once you do the math you will realize that 5-7% is a lot of money (enough in fact to drive people to do their own buying and selling despite the difficulty). However, it may console you to know that the Realtor is not the recipient of the entire commission amount. After you pay your Playa del Carmen Realtor the agreed upon percentage, the Realtor must then split their earnings with the agency they work for. If there were other brokers involved in the purchase or sale than these brokers will also get a cut of the sale. The agency that the broker splits his commission with (usually paying out 50%) is compensated for the real estate agent’s work space, marketing, support and other resources needed to help in the sale.

Although it is possible to find fees that are lower than 5% in Playa del Carmen, it may be difficult especially in markets with a lot of real estate business and little competition between agencies (no competition means little incentive to be priced competitively). Some agencies are open to negotiating prices. Below are two suggestions for lowering your Realtor fees.

1. Agents who do not have to give as much money to the agencies that they work for have more flexibility in negotiating price with you. When a Realtor works for a company that requires 50% of the commission it puts the Realtor in a difficult position to have to compromise the small percentage that she is actually going to end up with. Some real estate agents are only required to pay 15% to their agencies. These are the types of Realtors that are more likely to give you some kind of discounted price.

2. There are Realtor services that you can opt out of in order to save money. Marketing methods such as newspaper advertisements are rarely what ends up selling a house. Telling your agent that you are not interested in such low yield expenses saves the agency money that they can then pass on to you.

If you are still unhappy with what you can expect to pay a Playa del Carmen Realtor consider all of the costs that you would be incurring had you chosen not to employ a Realtor. Remember that when you sell your home on your own you are responsible for paying for all forms of advertising, you pay to get your home listed with a service, you pay for legal council, you pay for copies, office supplies and documentation. You sacrifice money and time that could be saved had you not needed to spend so much time selling your property or looking for a new property. Consider the time lost working and the time lost with family and friends because you are responsible for being present at open houses, meeting with potential buyers, inspector reviews, etc. If you do not follow all of the laws and file the appropriate documents you could also be facing having to pay a great deal of money in a lawsuit. All of the costs add up fast.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg



Source by John Strake

What You Need to Know About Buying House in Summer 2018

The sunniest time of the year when sun is shining brightly is surely a great time for exploring new neighborhoods and visualizing future patio parties during viewings. If you are planning to buy home this summer then it is important to understand the housing market prior starting any serious shopping. You must have to know what housing market is like for buyers now and what you can do to end up the best home with best price that fits right in your budget.

Owning a home is an investment in your future and with that in mind you wants to make sure that you are making educated decisions so that you could get the best possible deal. Housing market in 2018 should be just as strong this summer as it’s been all spring. List prices and existing home sales have risen this year but there are perks to house hunting right now, too. We present you some of the facts and tips to help you get the most out of this year’s summer housing market.

SUMMER MARKET FACTS

DURING THE SUMMER PRICES DROP: Although summer is busy home-buying season but still it is not crazy as prices drop from May through October. Anyhow if you hang out until late August then you could find a really great deal-that is when nearly 14 % of listings get a price cut.

Private Mortgage Insurance Is GETTING MORE Reliable: PMI or Private Mortgage Insurance getting cheaper after PMI lenders MGIC and Radian lowered their rates this spring; it is great financing news for homebuyers. That’s going to cause most of these PMI companies to be competitive with each other which in result going to bring them all down. Less than 20 % of down payment makes the home buyers to get PMI. It means it will be cheaper for some buyers to get into homes sooner.

HOMEBUYING TIPS FOR SUMMER 2018

DON’T DISCOUNT OLDER LISTINGS: At the times when homes are flying off the market within days due to strong competition, it is easy to think a listing that’s a week or so old is a red flag. But keep in mind that it is not always the case. It is often because buyer got cold feet and pulled out of a deal on a perfectly good house. But thanks to the assumptions home buyers make about older listings in busy markets, the delay can cause the price to come down.

There are just more of these in market. The number of homes in market is shrinking but still there are 8.3 % more fixer-upper among them than there were six years ago. If you are dead-set against a fixer-upper to be prepared to move quickly then there is only ever going to be a couple of options at a time. And when new listings come up it’s going to be pretty ferocious.

GET TO KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD: The plus point of competitive market it gives you temptation to make an offer on any available property that fits your criteria but if it’s in the wrong neighborhood, you may never want to purchase the house. It is better to take some time and do community scouting before making an offer. You can even find out what your future neighbors have to say about the area by communicating with them.

MAKE THE STRONGEST OFFER: To stay in the market make the strongest offer, even your offer is not the highest because now is not the time for low ball-offer. No doubt, coming up with cash offer could be tough for many home buyers but there are some ways to make a strong offer that don’t require gobs of money. Substantial eventualities like a shorter closing or inspection period and writing a great offer letter can help make your offer stand out.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg



Source by Edmund Schoen

A First-Time Homeowner’s Guide to Building a Duplex Home

A duplex home is a beautiful asset. Many people dream of having a duplex home but only a lucky few get the chance to actually have it. Those who are looking to build a home for the first time can consider a duplex house. But since they are new in home builder hunting, they have a high chance of coming across professionals who are not really scrupulous. Such professionals look for the opportunity to work with a first-time homeowner because first-time homeowners usually don’t have clear ideas about what it really takes to build a good duplex house.

If you are planning to own such a house, do not plan big at the beginning. Keep in mind that there will be problems in the masonry, plumbing or wiring. No matter how well-built the house is, there will be these problems. So, aim for a small duplex property.

However, if you compare the pros and cons of a duplex house, the pros will outweigh the cons. The good things about duplex houses are more in number than the bad things about them. But you need the right builders to reap the benefit of all the good things. Many reputable builders are there who specialize in duplex buildings. They usually erect duplex buildings in upscale areas of the town. You can hire them to build your duplex home, regardless of the place. If you can build a rapport with the builders, you can avail their services at reduced rates.

Before hiring the builder, you should do some research on their earlier works. Check their credentials and licenses. Make sure that they are who they say are. Bear in mind that efficient and reliable duplex house builders are not really easy to find.

Good planning is very important for a good duplex home. The architect has to chalk out a thorough plan that would suit your interest as well as get all the necessary permits from your local councils. Australia is a place where people are always on the lookout for a good duplex house. You need to find an efficient planner who can draw a fine floor plan for you. A skilled architect can maximize space in your home’s floor plan. They can make best use of the land and even leave room for landscaping, gardening or a patio.

As you may know, several structural limits are there that you have to abide by. For instance, you have to build your home in such a way that makes good use of space and does not encroach on your neighbors‘ properties. The planning should not have any negative impact on the environment. Therefore, it is just as important to find an experienced architect as it is to find a reputable duplex home builder. Many people are building duplex homes today to enjoy two different homes on one block of land. The biggest benefit of this is that you can sell one of the homes and live in the other. That’s a remarkable monetary benefit. Not only does it cover your construction costs and brings in more money than what you had invested, it also lets you live on the land that you own. But to impress today’s home buyers, you need more than just quality home joinery services.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg



Source by Avishek Bhattacharjee

Best Way to Find Foreclosures – 5 Tips for Finding Foreclosures

Are you looking for foreclosures in your area? Conditions in various seller’s markets may be different but there are still ways in which you can easily find foreclosed homes for your ownership.

Tap the services of real estate agents. Real estate agents are given access to a system which is known as MLS or Multiple Listing Service. It is through this system that the agents are able to find foreclosed homes in a specific area. Thus, tapping such professional is one way to find a foreclosure.

Scout for real estate yard signs. Banks are still into the practice of putting yard signs into properties that have come back to their stables of possessions. There are variations of these signs but aside from foreclosure, included among the most common signs are bank-owned, bank repossessed, and bank repo. Typically, the real estate agent’s name is reflected on the sign. Take the opportunity to call whoever is written on the sign. with advanced thinking, you can already ask about forthcoming foreclosures in your area.

Join social media groups geared towards foreclosure buy and sell. Social media has become habitat to a variety of groups with different purposes and goals. Foreclosure groups are no different. They have thrived and lived on social media. If you are savvy enough, you will be lucky to find some groups over Facebook. Join them. You’ll not only find foreclosures in your area. You will also be up for learning from the experiences, tips, and suggestions that will be shared by other members.

Visit real estate websites. Apart from the real estate agents themselves, a lot of real estate firms maintain official websites. There are firms which concentrate on foreclosures. There are also those which offer the buying and selling of mixed properties along with foreclosures. Either kind, you can browse through their listings and filter those properties that are already foreclosed or those that are nearing repossession.

Make your own ads. Digital marketing, aside from being free, is powerful in terms of the number of reach it can have. A single post can reach multiple sellers. Utilize your social media accounts for free posts that you are looking for a foreclosed property to buy. Just patiently wait for responses, and you’ll be more than happy to see that there are indeed a number of persons who are willing to negotiate for their foreclosed homes.

Foreclosed properties are just near your place. By finding them and giving good offers, you are not only taking a step towards buying a dream house or an investment property. You are also making someone benefit from the amount that will be granted when deal is closed.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg



Source by Desare A Kohn-Laski

Billings, Montana Flat Fee MLS

Montana’s largest city by population, Billings is a major center of commerce, finance, medicine, education and culture in the state. Billings is also the first place in the State of Montana that flat fee MLS listing programs were successfully introduced to homeowners. Just as being situated on the Yellowstone River made Billings a commercial center, the right mix of growth, inflow of people from other areas, and overall real estate appreciation has made Billings a leading place for sellers to look for alternatives to the steep listing commissions existing brokers charged. While these programs are now available in other areas, the initial success homeowners in the Billings area have had with them is a big factor in their overall popularity and growth of flat fee MLS and other discount programs in the state.

Understanding these programs is important for any Montana home seller. Many are familiar with the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) database; it lists homes for sale in and around Billings, as well as homes under contract and comparable sales information. Besides the actual City of Billings, the database includes other nearby cities such as Laurel, Park City, Roundup, Nye, Lockwood, Huntley, Ballantine, Absarokee and others. People are familiar with the MLS because they either used it directly by working with a Realtor® in the purchase of their home, they used it indirectly by searching one of thousands of websites that receives MLS data, or they previously listed with an agent that placed their home on the MLS in order to attract buyers and other Realtors®. The idea with a flat fee MLS program is to attract the same buyers and Realtors® without paying a listing commission. Instead of paying this commission, the seller pays a small, upfront flat fee to the broker, thus the name „flat fee MLS.“ It is important to note that the seller can continue to offer a selling commission to a Realtor® who brings a buyer; however, this is a fraction of the total commission. It is also important to note that if a buyer finds the property (through the Internet, the yard sign or some other means) and ultimately purchases the home without using an agent, then the seller could truly avoid paying any commissions whatsoever at closing.

Billings, „The Magic City,“ continues to be one of the faster-growing cities of its size anywhere in the United States. Many people will continue to seek out quality properties, regardless of temporary downturns in the marketplace. People will, in general, move more frequently than past generations due to job transfers, more mobility, longer lifespan and many other factors. As such, the typical Billings homeowner may want to consider alternatives to the „business as usual“ approach when it comes to the marketing and sale of their home. There is no doubt that if these flat fee MLS programs continue to be successful in Billings, the word will spread to other parts of the regional 500 mile radius that Billings anchors, including the rest of Montana, Wyoming, portions of Idaho, the Dakotas, and south central Canada.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg



Source by Donald Plunkett

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