Michigan Real Estate

Many a home party consultants find it very difficult to realize a profit through their home party business.  As a direct sales home party marketing coach and consultant, these are the obstacles  I continue to hear  that many in direct selling continue to face: *I am not able to sell*My living room, garage and bedrooms have all turned into a product storage warehouse!*My spouse is threatening to cut me off financially if I don’t turn a profit ASAP!*My friends and family avoid me and are tired of my schemes!*My upline keeps calling asking me to take one for the team and double my product volume!*I am tired of buying leads, using the 3-foot rule and talking to dead beat leads!*My no-show rate is so high.  No one attends my home parties.*I have spent 1000′s of $$$ and in 5,6,7 months haven’t enrolled anyone!I can appreciate these frustrations; after all I was there once!All these complaints if you will are tied to the fear of selling and fear of rejection. Of course it is going to be very difficult to realize any home party sales and profits for that matter at this rate!Often during my discussions many people will be quick to tell me that they do not want to sell.  That response begs the question why did you get involved in a direct selling business?  When pushed further, many begin to realise what they are afriad of is coming across like the pushy car salesman.Much of this fear of selling comes of course from the dreaded objections that many people inevitably come up with as to why they simply will not, cannot or choose not to use your services.There are a number of things I would like to highlight:1.    The business you are involved in is direct sales or direct selling.  The avenue for the sales to be made is home parties.  In order to get the white mercedes, the pink cadillac, the big home and huge check, you must produce Volume both Personal Volume (PV) and Customer Volume (CV).  These come from making sales.  Your home party company will calculate your total monies due you through sales made and of course there are nice tidy bonus sums for those that meet and exceed direct sales company exepectations!  You my dear friend are in the business of selling.  Should you find you do not like what you do.  It could very well be you are involved in the wrong industry.

2.    As Jeffery Combs says, no one really objects to what you are selling, what they are telling you is they are incapable of making a decision.  Remember that most people are used to being told what to do when to do it and how to do it.

3.    There really is no such thing as an objection.  An objection is much like the child that is constantly acting out.  Are they really acting out or are they asking for attention?  An objection is merely a crafty way of saying “please give me more information!”

4.    When you get an objection, it means you are that much closer to makinng the sale.  When you receive no objects you can be certain you did not reach your intended target.

5.    As my friend Amanda says in her book Go For No “ A no doesn’t always mean “no”.  It just means not now!

6.    You can’t “overcome” your prospect’s objections – but you can give them information and tools that allow them to make a new decision.

7.    The biggest mistake I find many home business owners making is not asking for the sale.  What is the point of a well attend in home party if after a magnificent home party demo you don’t ask for the sale? Truer words have never been spoken.  Ask and it shall be given unto you!When one is engaged in the task of building a brick wall, when you notice a crack in the wall do you continue to build and then when you are done tear down the wall and start afresh?  Or do you correct the mistake immediately and then proceed?  Which option is cost effective and will bring better returns?

Discover how you can get the odds in your favor, pick up your copy of Home Party Plans QUALIFICATIONS Process : How To Guarantee You Are Not Wasting Your Time With Dead Beat Prospects!Party Plan Pat

Thai condominium market – developers need to consider the law

 

There is some confusion over the law for foreign purchase in Thailand. Most developers and government officials agree that foreigners can buy up to 49% of the units in any one particular condominium building. However, the law used to limit foreign ownership at 40%, and this was increased to 49% on a 5 year basis. This 5 year period has now expired and so legally the limit should revert back to 40%. However, most people are still working on the 49% rule, meaning that many new condominium units perhaps are being sold to foreigners illegally.

 

For the rest of this article, let’s assume that the law is actually  49% (as is the common belief). I recently visited a very nice, luxury condominium in the Sukhumvit area. It is a low rise 8 story building, which is the maximum height that the law allows for given the width of the access road into the premises. Each unit in this deluxe new condominium project has 4 bedrooms and measures 300 sq.m. All I can say is that it is a stunning building, very classy. However, it also commands a very high price tag, with each unit being sold at over 40,000,000 Baht.

 

The developer had this concept of a deluxe condominium, where all owners are affluent and wealthy individuals. However, the developer has now hit a problem. They have sold 49%, the full foreign quota, to foreign buyers, but they have sold only about 10% of the remaining 51% to Thai Nationals, some of which were associates of the developer. The problem the developer faces now is that they cannot find enough wealthy Thai nationals to buy the remaining units, meaning that they are stuck with them. As a developer, this represents a very large percentage of the profits of this development.

 

Thai law prohibits non-Thai nationals from owning land, so condominiums are the obvious alternative for foreign investors. However, if you are a Thai National, then you could buy a very large house for 40,000,000 Baht, so why would you spend that much on a 300 sq.m. condominium unit?

 

Because of this, there are a number of new condominium buildings in Bangkok targeting the high end market, that have sold-out the foreign quota and now are struggling to sell large and expensive units to Thais.

 

There aren’t that many Thais in Bangkok that could or would choose to buy a 40,000,000 + Baht condominium unit. If you did some research, you would discover that new condominium projects offering small studio, 1 and 2 bedroom units are selling like hot cakes and most of the buyers are Thai Nationals.

 

Here’s a thought, perhaps a developer who wanted to build a luxury Grade A condominium with only large and expensive units should consider building another condominium in an adjacent land plot, with small units, and register both areas as 1 condominium (like Tower 1 and Tower 2, but branded as two separate entities). That way, they could attract more Thais to purchase smaller units and the luxury units sell to wealthy foreign investors. Perhaps they could separate both buildings with a wall and have separate access points too, just a thought.

 

Or perhaps the Government could reconsider the 49% foreign ownership limit. The law has in the past allowed up to 100% foreign ownership of units in any one condominium building, but this was back when the economy was crashing and extra stimulation in the economy was required.

 

So, why 49% now? Well, technically as the owner of a condominium unit, you also own part of the voting rights of the building and part of the land. So, in theory if there was more than 50% foreign ownership in a condominium, there would be more than 50% ownership of the land. So what does this mean, that the foreign owners could collaborate together, outvote the Thai owners and sell the Land? Well no, the Condominium Act 2522 requires unanimous voting of all 100% of co-owners to demolish a condominium building. It also requires 75% co-owner approval to sell common area land of the condominium. So the real question is, should the government reconsider this 49% rule, after all it is really hurting some developers.

 

Author: Neil Simmons, a Director of Ideal Homes Real Estate Co. Ltd. Tel: (02) 714 3832-3 www.property-bangkok.net

 

Here are EnergizedSeller.com’s top seven home selling tips for home sellers who want to stimulate the sale of their home: 

1. Hire a Good Realtor. The national median home price dropped 15 percent in 2008 (National Association of Realtors) and the median days on the market increased to 100 days in January (Altos Research).  A home seller needs to gain every advantage they can in today’s market, and finding a good Realtor that comes highly recommended is important when marketing a home.  

2. Hire a Home Stager. A recent study by HomeGain showed that staging a home for a sale generates a return on investment of 343%.  The average cost, depending on the market and needs, is $403 to $584 and can be as little as $150.  

3. Clean and De-clutter. Cleaning a home isn’t much fun, but a clean home is crucial to a fast sale. A recent EnergizedSeller.com survey found that Realtors around the country picked cleaning as the top task they wanted home sellers to focus on.  Additionally, HomeGain found that an investment in cleaning and de-cluttering generates a staggering 578% return.  Cost: $0 to $500. 

4. Rent a Storage Unit. Savvy sellers remove extra furniture and household items to make their home seem larger. The return on investment is the perceived value of extra square footage. Cost: $100 to $500. 

5. Hire a Handyman. Sellers who paint, repair, install and do whatever else is necessary to make their home move-in-ready will get a great return on their investment. Cost: $200 to $2,000. 

6. Improve Curb Appeal.  For the second year in a row the Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com) showed that exterior remodeling projects return the most money as a percentage of cost. Cost: $200+  

7. Utilize Free Home Selling Tips. There are a lot of free web sites with good home selling tips.  For example, EnergizedSeller.com offers advice on more than 40 different topics related to selling a house and staging a home. Sellers who implement as many of these suggestions as possible can get tremendous returns.  

About EnergizedSeller. EnergizedSeller, www.energizedseller.com, is a social networking community website for home sellers, Realtors, home stagers, home improvement contractors and other professionals who are involved in home sales. The website addresses the tremendous need that home sellers have for common sense information that will help them get their home ready for sale. The website offers practical advice and specific answers to home sellers’ questions on how to improve their home to maximize their home property value and sell it as quickly as possible.

Condominiums are not for everybody. There are rules and if you don’t like rules don’t buy a condominium.

No dogs, no bicycles, no glass in pool areas. These are all valid rules which the courts can and will enforce by way of a court order. At Landy Marr LLP we have acted for both condominium corporations and unit owners, in many such disputes. Every condominium is governed by its own unique rules, regulations and by-laws. These are necessary to ensure that condominiums are properly operated and maintained, and to define the rights and obligations of the individual owners.

Some rules regarding the individual owners, condominiums may have restrictions regarding the number of occupants per unit, the age of occupants, pets, noise, and parking and when certain amenities such as the swimming pool, tennis court, etc. may be used.

As well many condominiums have strict rules concerning the alteration of the unit space or its appearance. Additionally, you may have to get the permission from the condominium’s Board of Directors before you do the following: change exterior fixtures, install a satellite dish, put up new colored drapes, install an conditioning unit in one of the windows, and in particular make changes that may affect the premise’s structure or safety.

As an individual condominium owner you may be obliged to attend condominium meetings or serve on condominium boards and committees. Additionally on top of your mortgage condominiums have requirements for the payment of monthly condominium fees. There will also be mandatory charges for a reserve fund in addition to the maintenance fee for unforeseen major repairs to the condominium common elements.

In Ontario every condominium has a Declaration registered on title. Additionally each condominium corporation has by-laws and rules. Before you enter into an agreement to buy a new condominium unit read these documents over. If it is a resale unit and you read them after you sign, it will be too late to change your mind. To avoid disappointment and future problems you should have a lawyer carefully review and consider all rules and obligations when you are considering the purchase of a condominium. They should be available from the unit’s seller / vendor or from the condominium Corporation. The rules will be clearly outlined in the governing documents, and you should become familiar with them prior to purchasing a particular condominium unit.

Legal firms have frequently and successfully gone to Court on behalf of condominium corporations to obtain Court orders against individuals who had pets, who had brought bicycles into the elevators and into their units, who brought a glass into a jacuzzi, and who were tossing their Christmas trees over their balcony.

A condominium is not the same thing as owning a single family home where you are the “king of your castle”. A condominium is in many ways like living in a commune or a kibbutz, where the rights of the individual must be subordinate to the rules governing the building. Individual liberty is not supreme, and unit owners must obey the rules for the collective.

Before you buy make sure you know what you’re buying by reading the Declaration, by-laws and rules. Go see your real estate lawyer before you sign the Agreement of Purchase and Sale. Don’t wait until after you sign, by then it will be too late.

How many home owners know when it comes to selling their home what it is really worth in the market of today! Unless you are an active realtor or appraiser yourself chances are you know what you need to get to buy your next home. You probably know what you would like to make on having invested in this home and paid the mortgage all these years. You certainly know all that has happened in your life and the lives of all your family members while living in this house and most likely value all these memories highly. However you probably can not step back from your own needs, your own nostalgia and your own vested interest and properly evaluate your property as an appraiser would – not based on what you would like it to be worth but what homes of the same type in your area are selling for and what a prospective purchaser would most likely pay.

If you don’t list your home at close to the market price you will simply be wasting time and putting your life plans on hold. If you really don’t care if you sell and are only testing the market this might not matter as you may not really have any plans. However if you have a home under offer that you want to buy contingent upon selling this home then you might just be throwing away your dream home if you price your current home too high.

This is where a home appraiser comes in! Appraisers are trained to know the value of your home. They can look at any home and create a Comparative Market Analysis taking into consideration the area, the condition, the features and comparing these with other homes that have sold. In this way they define the value of your property.

In addition to an appraiser ask realtors with whom you are considering listing the same question. They should come in with prices in the same general area as the appraiser. Any realtor who is too far out is suspect. Those valuing too low are most likely just trying for a quick sale at your expense – those too high may either simply not know or they are trying to get you to list thinking that they can get you a higher price and then a few weeks in they will ask you to drop your price to what the home is really worth after they have you tied up in a listing contract.

When consulting with a PEI real estate realtor ask them to explain in detail how they plan to market your home. Gone are the days when putting a sign on your lawn and an ad in the paper was sufficient. Find out all the websites that will be carrying your listing and they should have access to more than just the realtor.ca, the MLS site. They should have a corporate site, company office site and their own site. Ask if their company system syndicates your listing over the personal sites of other realtors in their office.

Finally you should get a PEI real estate home inspection! Normally the buyer will have a home inspection done but you want to know what any inspector will find. This gives you a chance to re-consider your price or to do the work now to fix anything that the buyers inspector will find. If the market is strong at the time and in the area you are selling you might not have to make repairs or upgrades. If the market is weak you probably should “take care of business”. Sometimes though, if you want a quick sale, doing renos is not practical  as this will slow your property getting on the market. In this case you might take your lumps on the price and just get it sold.

The use of these professionals will however give you the knowledge to make informed decisions when it comes to the marketing of your property and are well worth the money they will charge.

Arizona homes have always been a hot commodity. Many people love the dry desert climate of the Southwest, and others come just for the communities and the sense of neighborliness between different areas of the community. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking specifically for Phoenix homes for sale, or just for homes for sale Arizona. There are many different options to choose from for your Arizona homes needs, so you need to be sure to know what you want before you get into anything. If you don’t, you might run the risk of buying a home that doesn’t meet your needs or a home that isn’t what you wanted. Arizona homes are plentiful, and have a great variety of options to choose from. By knowing what you want, you’ll be better able to narrow down your search and get what you want in Arizona homes, including Phoenix homes for sale and homes for sale Arizona-wide.
You should check out different real estate agents and find one that can help you with your Arizona homes search. This will allow you to be better prepared and informed for the process of buying Arizona homes, and might give you better information on the areas, including Phoenix homes for sale and other homes for sale Arizona. When you’re not from the area, it can be especially difficult to know what you’re getting into and learning the different neighborhoods. That’s where hiring a real estate agent for Arizona homes comes in handy. There is so much that they can help you with, including finding foreclosures and homes that you might not have otherwise realized were available.
Many people will tell you that you shouldn’t buy Arizona homes right now. There are many valid reasons for this type of thinking, but you can actually get better deals on Arizona homes right now than ever before. You also need to realize that there will be a difference depending on whether you’re looking for Phoenix homes for sale or homes for sale Arizona. By focusing your search on just one city, you’ll be better poised to find the home that you want, rather than looking for homes all over Arizona and spending weeks and weeks searching for no reason. Arizona homes come in all shapes and sizes, and more people are selling than buying, which will give you the upper hand in getting the exact home that you want when it comes to buying Arizona homes.
Ultimately, buying Arizona homes comes down to being prepared and informed for the home buying process. Without the knowledge, you will spend much more time searching and trying to figure out the Arizona homes buying process than if you had taken the time to educate yourself before you began looking for Phoenix homes for sale or homes for sale Arizona. Arizona homes aren’t hard to find, and usually have something to offer every budget that’s out there. By taking the home buying process seriously and taking your time, you’ll have a much better chance at buying Arizona homes than you might have otherwise.

Dubai is a city built on free trade, openness to foreign investment and good business practice. This is nothing new.

In 1901 Sheikh Maktoum bin Hasher Al Maktoum established Dubai as a free port, abolished all tariffs and began a programme to persuade merchants from the Iranian city of Lingah to relocate to the Dubai Creek.

A natural harbour the Creek was critical to the early development of Dubai. But even by the Second World War Dubai was still a small town with a population of around 20,000.

Dubai’s real economic development began in the 1950s when the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum dredged the Dubai Creek, significantly expanding its capacity and rapidly repaying a loan from the Emir of Kuwait. Sheikh Rashid also founded the Dubai airport and established the first hotel in Dubai in 1959.

This is a thumbnail ‘who’s who’ and ‘what’s what’ in the fast-paced World of the Dubai property sector.
A: Amlak Finance, leading mortgage provider.
B: Better Homes, along with Asteco, the top local estate agents.
C: Cluttons joins FPD Savills as major UK agencies in Dubai.
D: Damac Properties, largest privately-owned developer.
E: Emaar Properties, major property developer, 30% owned by Dubai Government, listed on Dubai Financial Market.
F: Fbi Property Development Company, a Dubai property development company.
G: Goldcrest, building towers in the Jumeirah Islands.
H: Hotels & Resorts IFA is a major investor in Palm Island real estate.
I: International City, tens of thousands of apartments in a themed complex behind Dubai International Airport.
J: Jumeirah Beach Residence, development of more than 40 towers on the Dubai Marina beachfront, 100% Dubai Government owned.
K: Kinnarps of Sweden, leading office fit-out specialists.
L: Landmark Properties, another local agent.
M: General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Dubai real estate sector’s visionary leader.
N: Nakheel, 100% Dubai Government-owned, developer of The Palm Islands and The World.
O: Oryx, one of a new breed of Dubai property agencies.
P: The Palm Islands, one off Jumeirah and the second off the coast at Jebel Ali, massive man-made islands shaped like palm trees.
Q: Quick construction, fast-track building with minimal planning delays and no red-tape.
R: Rakbank, along with HSBC and Mashreqbank, providers of mortgage finance.
S: Springs, 4,000 town houses behind the exclusive Emirates Hills and Meadows executive homes.
T: Tamweel, home finance company, a joint venture between Nakheel and Dubai Islamic Bank, both Dubai Government entities.
U: Union Properties, the second largest listed Dubai property firm, Emirates Bank International has a controlling stake.
V: V-Kool, a Dubai firm supplying sun-reflecting window film that dramatically cuts energy bills.
W. The World, a man-made archipelago of islands in the form of a map of the world, off the Dubai coast.
X: Extremely good value-for-money property.
Y: Yachts in the Dubai Marina, a 1.8km long artificial harbour, central focus of a development of 100+ high rise towers.
Z: His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan

One of the disadvantages of seeking a career as a real estate broker is that your chances of getting sued are quite high, due to the various forms of legal liability to which you will be exposed. Among these are:
(1) Contract Liability
The listing agreement between a real estate broker and a seller of real estate typically requires the broker to exercise her “best efforts” to find a “ready, willing and able” buyer for the seller. However, the term “best efforts” is notoriously ambiguous, and if the seller believes that a busy broker has not actually exercised her “best efforts” to locate a suitable buyer, she may be looking at a lawsuit seeking damages for the delay in selling the real estate that is attributable to her failure to exercise her best efforts. Even if she wins the lawsuit she may end up having to pay legal fees, and the time and worry investment alone could distract her from using her “best efforts” on deals with other clients.
(2) Licensing Regulations
As is the case with attorneys, real estate brokers are subject to certain professional standards of conduct, breach of which could subject the broker to liability. Many of these standards are imposed by statute (instead of rules made by, say, a real estate broker‘s association) and thus have the force of law. The critical difference between an association rule and a public statute is that if you violate a private rule you are often liable only to have your licensed revoked, while if you violate a statute you can be sued for damages suffered by a seller. Of course most of these standards are common sense obligations such as honesty, fair dealing, etc.
(3) Tort Liability: Negligence and Fraud
Anyone can be held liable for negligence in just about anything they do that involves a risk – for example, if you drive carelessly and cause an accident you could be sued for committing a “tort”. But the critical difference in tort liability between laypersons and professionals is the “standard of care”. As an ordinary driver you will be held to an ordinary (not perfect) standard of care, breach of which will subject you to liability for any damages caused by your carelessness. But real estate brokers are held to a particularly high standard of care (ordinary care is not enough) when it comes to their professional activities, and can be sued for malpractice if they fail to meet this standard.
Real estate agents can also be held liable under agency principles, but that is beyond the scope of this article.
DISCLAIMER: The foregoing is intended for reference purposes only and not as legal advice.

Dubai today is flashy, fun and slightly surreal. Renowned for its sand, sun and shopping, it was once a tranquil town of coral-and-gypsum courtyard houses built by Persian traders and palm-frond huts housing Bedouin fisherman and pearl divers. Today shiny new skyscrapers reflect the mosques and wind towers of Old Dubai.

Having expanded along both banks of the Creek, Dubai is divided into two parts – Deira on the northern side and Bur Dubai to the south. Each has its share of fine mosques and busy souks, of public buildings, shopping malls, hotels, office towers, banks, hospitals, schools, apartments and villas. Dubai is blessed with golden sunshine and silvery beaches, world-class golf facilities and an upcoming Sports City.

Dubai has year round sunshine, an attraction that cannot be underestimated. Quality of life in the city is at a high level and Dubai property is benefiting from this.

Dubai is an overseas property investment heaven. Investors have flocked from worldwide to buy Dubai property, to take a piece of the potential that the city has.

The increasing demand of Dubai property can be explained to some extent by the advantages that you are likely to enjoy as an owner. You can get a Residence Visa if you buy Dubai property. The cost of the property is relatively low here.

You will only be required to pay the registry fee and are no legal fee or stamp duty otherwise. If you are a foreigner you can get mortgages to buy real estate. The quality of the completed Dubai property is very good.

If you buy property or rent it you will not be expected to pay any capital gains tax or income tax. An ownership of Dubai property can be further desirable, as it is a nice city where there is hardly any crime.

While the cost of Dubai property has been increasing, it is to be noted that compared to international standards the costs are still relatively low. This means that any investment in Dubai property is a chance to rapidly increase capital appreciation by a big margin. Considering the bullish state of the real estate market, any investment in Dubai property over the next few months or years will yield excellent results.

Despite predictions that there has been an oversupply of property on the market in Dubai, the opposite has been true, there is higher demand for Dubai property than the amount of property that is being built. As the city prospers, a greater number of people move to the city in search of work, driving the demand for housing. The fact that there is strong demand for one bedroom apartments has a lot to do with the fact that expatriate workers have been moving to Dubai in ever increasing numbers as more foreign businesses move to the city due to tax incentives and quality of life.

The government of Dubai is very much in favor of using the property market to attract wealth and a booming economy in Dubai, the government has invested heavily in the city and the infrastructure, attracting wealthy investors and always looking to be one step ahead of the competition. The world’s only 7 star hotel in the city is a testament to the government’s desire to attract the super rich and create a heaven in the middle of the desert.

A real estate broker performs a variety of functions to facilitate the consummation of a real estate sales transaction between a buyer and a seller. A real estate broker usually works for the seller, not the buyer. Perhaps the most important among her functions is to locate a potential buyer for the seller and solicit that buyer to make an offer to buy the property. A real estate broker does not “make an offer” to sell the property on behalf of the seller and is not entitled to enter into real estate sales contracts with a buyer as the seller’s agent. Real estate brokers earn commissions by introducing potential buyers to sellers of real estate. If the buyer makes a purchase offer, the real estate broker earns a commission whether or not the seller accepts the offer.
There are two contracts typically used in real estate sales transactions – the contract between the seller and the real estate broker setting forth the terms on which the broker will earn a commission (the “listing agreement”), and the contract between the seller and the buyer for the sale of the real estate.
Real estate brokers are subject to a number of legal obligations:
(1) They may not discriminate against protected classes of people (minorities, for example) in providing services or in advertising, they may not attempt to direct potential buyers to particular areas based on their race, and they may not attempt to trigger “panic sales” by spreading rumors in a particular neighborhood that people of the “wrong” color are moving in. Federal and state civil rights statutes govern these obligations.
(2) They may not practice law (unless they are licensed attorneys). Statutes prohibiting the unauthorized practice of law govern here. Generally, that means they may not draft contracts, mortgages, deeds, etc. In many states, however, they may fill out standard legal forms that are related to their services. Traditionally, the presence of a licensed attorney was required at every real estate closing, but now some states are allowing closings to be performed without the presence of a lawyer.
(3) They may not engage in price fixing or other anti-competitive behavior that violates antitrust law.
DISCLAIMER: The following is intended for reference purposes only and not as legal advice.