Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
Rampant foreclosures over the last three years have ravaged real-estate markets nationwide, dragging down housing prices and shredding the value of local tax rolls. But even blights have their bright sides, and this one favors investors with the insight and tenacity to spot bargains.
In December 2010 alone, about one in every 500 U.S. homeowners received a foreclosure notice, the first step in what can be a drawn-out legal process that in many cases ends with a lender taking possession. In January, the total number of bank-owned homes in the United States exceeded 1 million for the first time, reported RealtyTrac, a research firm that also offers a detailed checklist for how buyers should approach the foreclosure market. (more…)
Tags: bank-owned real estate, buyer's market, foreclosure, home mortgage, REAL ESTATE, short sale
Posted in
REAL ESTATE |
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Wednesday, March 16th, 2011
China’s transformation from closed-door communist society to quasi-capitalist global powerhouse has created a huge investment opportunity. But many outsiders are reluctant to put their capital in a nation that is vexingly difficult to understand.
On one hand, investors are drooling over the opportunities that China’s dynamic economic growth represents—reflected by double-digit increases in industrial production and retail sales year over year in several months of 2010. On the other, investors are wary of investing in companies that don’t report financial results, take orders from the government or may soon be subject to a floating currency.
In a nutshell, the Chinese economic landscape is riddled with minefields. (more…)
Tags: China, Chinese economy, Chinese growth, dollar, Hang Seng, INVESTING, REAL ESTATE, renminbi, stocks
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INVESTING |
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Friday, November 19th, 2010
Dear Dave: What are the advantages of using a real estate agent versus going the for-sale-by-owner route when it comes to selling a home? –Seth
Dear Seth: I’ve had a real estate license for 30 years. If I were to put my personal residence on the market today, I’d use an active real estate agent who really knows his or her stuff in the marketplace. I’d gladly pay their commission, too.
Now, why would I do that if I could just sell it myself and save the commission cost? (more…)
Tags: car loan, Dave Ramsey, long-term care, REAL ESTATE, small business
Posted in
PERSONAL FINANCE |
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Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
New York’s Stuyvesant Town in default, massive General Growth Properties succumbing to bankruptcy, Las Vegas’ mega-project CityCenter barely back from the brink. High-profile commercial real-estate blowups just kept coming.
Even playing host to a high-profile PGA Tour event and to Tiger Woods’ televised mea culpa in February couldn’t keep the owner of the Sawgrass Marriott Resort in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., from filing for bankruptcy protection a month later.
And for each multibillion-dollar failure, there have been hundreds of smaller commercial defaults on hotels, offices, shops and apartment complexes that didn’t make the national news. (more…)
Tags: business growth, commercial property, debt, default, interest rates, landlord, mortgage, REAL ESTATE
Posted in
REAL ESTATE |
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Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
To live the rich life expresses a goal for most of us, but unfortunately it has become an elusive dream for many modern-day retirees.
Today’s retirement living involves more than just leaving a job; it’s the beginning of a new chapter of life. Many baby boomers have hit their retirement target age and are eager to say goodbye to the employment ball and chain and hello to leisurely pursuits of travel and recreation. Others have been forced into early retirement by business restructuring and budget cuts but are none too optimistic about reemployment prospects. (more…)
Tags: debt, entrepreneur, expatriate, financial freedom, foreign destinations, foreign visa, health, lifestyle redesign, mortgage, REAL ESTATE, RETIREMENT, retirement planning, savings, wealth
Posted in
RETIREMENT |
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Friday, January 8th, 2010
In today’s real estate market, trying to flip short sales can be problematic.
First, the seller’s lender must approve the contract of sale, which includes approving the buyer. If the lender smells a flip, the contract will not go through.
Second, the end-buyer’s lender likewise will not allow it. The new lender requires a “seasoned” title. In other words, the property deed must already be in the investor’s name and recorded at the County land records for a period of time before the lender will loan the money.
If the investor has not yet gone to settlement with the seller, how can he satisfy this requirement? A land trust may be the solution. (more…)
Tags: advanced strategy, flip, land trusts, lender, mortgage, REAL ESTATE, short sales
Posted in
ARCHIVES |
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Friday, January 8th, 2010
In today’s volatile real estate market, should REITs be part of your portfolio? In order to answer that question, you first need to know what REITs are all about.
A Real Estate Investment Trust (commonly referred to by its acronym) is a trust company that gathers a sum of money through an initial public offering, or IPO, then uses that money to manage, develop, buy or sell real estate. (more…)
Tags: property, REAL ESTATE, REIT
Posted in
ARCHIVES, REAL ESTATE |
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Friday, January 8th, 2010
“Foreclosures are at an all-time high.”
“Banks are out of money to lend.”
“Commercial retail properties are closing up shop.”
With daily U.S. news reports full of doom-and-gloom about property values and the credit markets, what’s a real-estate investor to do now?
Reinvent yourself. (more…)
Tags: credit, mindset, REAL ESTATE, reinvent
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ARCHIVES |
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Friday, January 8th, 2010
John D. Rockefeller, considered the wealthiest man in modern history (with an estimated wealth equal to $318 billion in 2007 U.S. dollars, according to Forbes), once said, “Buy straw hats in winter.”
The point Rockefeller was making is simple—buy when others are selling, and sell when others are buying. But that’s a whole lot easier said than done, right? Only the confident and courageous move against the herd. (more…)
Tags: interest rates, Larry Loftis, mortgage, REAL ESTATE
Posted in
ARCHIVES, REAL ESTATE |
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Thursday, January 8th, 2009
Statistics show that the average landlord lasts only three to five years. This means there always will be a huge number of landlords wanting to sell their property. This large turnover can mean money in your pocket if you know the ropes!
Many landlords are amateurs and have little idea what they’re doing. They buy their first rental property as dollar signs dance through their head. They quickly realize they need to treat the rental as a real business. (more…)
Tags: absentee owner, direct mail, landlord, list services, REAL ESTATE, rental
Posted in
ARCHIVES |
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