Michigan Real Estate

Writing down your real estate investment criteria means writing down your needs and wants in a real estate deal. It means outlining what you are looking for in a real estate opportunity. Having written criteria can help you grow as an investor and can make it easier for you to land the best real estate deals.
If you to join the ranks of real estate investors, you might want to have formal written investment criteria set out for yourself. Putting your investment criteria in writing allows you to see at once whether possible investment opportunities do or do not fit your future plans. This allows you to quickly sort through potential opportunities to pinpoint the right ones.
Writing down your investment criteria also hones your focus and ensures that you have an easier time finding the best possible deals. Having written criteria also allows you to share your criteria with other real estate investors, so that you can learn from them. If you haven’t yet outlined exactly what your criteria are for selecting an investment property, now’s the time to put pen to paper.
When developing your written criteria, consider when you do not want to make an investment. What is the bottom line? Do you not want to make an investment at any time if you don’t understand it? Do you want to never make investments that you cannot pay for if everything goes wrong? Do you never want to make an investment where you cannot handle the worst-case scenario? Determine your comfort boundaries and the level of risk you are willing to accept or not accept, and put this in writing.
Next, when developing your written investment criteria, consider what your ideal investment would be like. What do you do to make sure that your investments are the best possible deals for you? Do you do a certain amount of research using specific sources? If so, write this down. Outline on paper the best real estate deal you ever put together. What were the steps you to that in to be an outstanding investor in that situation? What if you applied the same steps to every real estate deal you made? Would you generate more success from other opportunities? If so, outline exactly what you do when you are at your investment best, and add this to your written criteria. This will help ensure that every deal will at least have the opportunity of becoming as successful as your best deal ever.
Write down your money criteria. Where are you willing to go for financing? How much capital are you willing to put at risk? How comfortable do you feel taking risks with your money? What levels of risk are you willing to take? How are you going to secure your deals? Knowing how you will handle money is very important to you as an investor.
Finally, and maybe most importantly, outline the standards by which you wish to live as an investor. What are the ethical boundaries you’re not willing to cross? What you want to stand for as an investor and what sort of person do you want to be as an investor? This may seem abstract and very much up in the air, but it will help you outline exactly the sort of investment opportunities you want to capitalize on. The best real estate investors have a code of conduct, so you should, too.

American Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius)Herb Description:

The American ginseng plant, Panax quinquefolius, is similar in appearance and is in the same botanic genus as Asian ginseng (panax ginseng). First described in the early 18th century in Eastern Canada, P. quinquefolius was primarily harvested for export to China. American ginseng is also referred to as North American, Canadian, or Wisconsin ginseng, referring to primary areas of harvest or cultivation, although it is now grown in many areas of the world. The root is used medicinally. Uses and Benefits

Ginsengs are marketed in the U.S. to boost energy, relieve stress, improve concentration, and enhance physical or cognitive performance. Most ginsengs are believed to act as general restoratives, tonics, or adaptogens, which have nonspecific strengthening properties to restore the body’s balance, enhance stamina, and increase resistance to stress and disease.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Asian and American ginsengs are used to restore vital energy in the body. However, American ginseng is considered to have more cooling or calming qualities, as opposed to Asian ginseng’s more heating or stimulating properties. According to TCM theory, American ginseng is used to calm the ailing respiratory or digestive systems and as therapy for diabetes or “thirsty” syndromes, and may be preferred in warmer climates.

Native Americans traditionally employed American ginseng to help with childbirth and fertility and to strengthen mental powers, and for a variety of ailments such as respiratory disorders, headaches, and fevers.Clinical Trials:

There are few controlled clinical trials using American ginseng products. In one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of eight athletic volunteers, a noncommercial American ginseng extract in a daily dose of 8 – 16 mg/kg for 7 days failed to enhance physical performance as measured by a cycle ergometer. There were no significant differences compared to placebo in any of the outcome measures, which included oxygen uptake, heart rate, time to exhaustion, lactate and glucose concentrations, and rating of perceived exertion.

In a series of randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled stud

A report produced by Standard & Poor and Yale University economist Robert Schiller states the Denver Real Estate market is showing early signs of recovery. This is based on results from the study that illustrates how the Denver Real Estate market has seen a 1.3 percent appreciation in home values between May and June 2007 and 0.8 percent between June and July.

According to the study, the Denver Real Estate home appreciations peaked in February of 2001 after a 15% year-over-year appreciation for the past decade. Whereas, several other markets around the country continued to see significant increases in home value appreciations. Since Denver’s rate of home value appreciation stabilized before several other markets around the country, S&P Vice President Maureen Maitland stated “Now, Denver seems to be going in an upward direction.”

Economist Michael Kone, principal of Boulder-based Housingmetrics, said there is still “intense pain” for the lower end of the housing market in the Denver area, with a “huge bump” in foreclosures to come, as sub-prime mortgages adjust upward. Colorado is on pace to see more than 37,000 foreclosures filed this year, a 30 percent increase over the record set last year. Colorado and the Denver area are among the top 10 worst areas in the county for foreclosure rates. Expensive houses, Kone said, are doing much better in the metro area. Also, as always, there are pockets of strength.

Based on analysis that was performed by Bright Rain Solutions between July 2005 through June 2006 and July 2006 through June 2007, there are 30 Denver neighborhoods that have seen between a 10% and 36.6% increase in home prices. However, on the flip side, there are another 30 neighborhoods that have seen between an 11.2% and 57.2% decrease in home values during the same time-frame.

If you are interested in additional information regarding the topics covered in this article or need additional information regarding real estate in the Denver Metro Area, please contact us at info@coloradohousefinders.com.

If you have been looking for property in the last few days, then there are chances that you have come across the most confusing terminologies in the Real Estate directory. A Real Estate broker and a Real Estate agent are two terms that you will hear from time to time. But what exactly is the difference between the two? Well for starters, an agent may be a person who works under a registered broker. Or in certain cases, a broker does not have anyone working under him and he prefers to be the agent as well. In most cases the person that you deal with when finalizing Real Estate deals is a Real Estate agent.

A Real Estate broker is its true sense is the party who acts as an intermediary between sellers and buyers of real estate and attempts to find sellers who wish to sell and buyers who wish to buy. A broker is a person with a lot more experience and a lot more knowledge under his belt.

Credentials

Both these people have licenses but the realtor/broker has more credentials to his name. The training and the experience that one needs in order to be a realtor is much more when compared to a Real Estate agent. Most realtors are members of an organization called the National Association of Realtors. This is an extremely professional organization which has strict code of ethics. These codes are a way of proving to the public that this is a profession that requires a lot of dedication and integrity. Agents are also required to have certain credentials when it comes to acquiring a license but it is far lesser than a realtor. Confidentiality, obeying property rules, giving priority to the interests of the clients, reporting any issues etc, are some of the obligations of the agent. The broker also follows these regulations but he also follows much more stringent regulations under the NAR.

Which one to choose?

When it comes to finding a property or selling your property, both of them can help you. On many occasions the realtor will hire the agent himself. When this happens, the agent’s behavior and his performance is the responsibility of the realtor and you no longer have to worry. The agent will follow the high code of ethics that are set by the more experienced realtor. It is also important to mention that each one has its own pros and cons.

Choosing one

You can look at certain points before choosing a Real Estate agent or a broker. You need to look at whether the broker is licensed or not. All brokers and agents need to be licensed in the US but the rules may vary for other countries. There are separate registrations and license needed by certain states. Look for listing options, services and selling ideas that they may have. When you have this with you, you can always do a comparison between couple of brokers. Ask for the pricing and the fee structure. Ask them to cover all kinds of charges and fees that may be involved in the transaction. At any point of time during the transaction, if you do not feel comfortable about anything make sure that you negotiate it with the chosen party. The commission, the term of the contract etc are some of the things that can be discussed and negotiated openly.

Investing in commercial property is a great way to invest your money. There are many alternatives to investing in commercial property which makes it good for every type of investor to get involved.

So what are the options available for those interested in commercial property?

Some of the options you may already know exist, lets look at some,

Listed property trust is the simplest way to invest in commercial property, all you have to do is open an account with a stockbroker, deposit some money and then place an order. Listed property trust can be found on the stock -market, they invest in a wide range of commercial property i.e main office buildings, shopping centres, as well as industrial and leisure properties.

The trust manager chooses properties and is responsible for the maintenance, renovation, and for collecting rentals.

Property securities are managed funds which invest in a list of property trusts. This option is very good for somebody who is unsure which trust is appropriate. Purchase is through a prospectus.

Another simple way to invest is public property syndicates , with application via a prospectus. The downfall is they require a large minimum outlay and you are locked into the investment for the duration of syndicate unless you can find someone to buy the investment from you.

If you have research the market and have some acquired knowledge then direct property investment could be for you. You can also buy direct property through a private property syndicate.

Mortgage funds are managed funds that lend money over property. The investor will be offered security and returns that are a little higher than a bank term deposit but there are no capital gains.

Commercial property is thought of as office, retail and industrial but as an investor you need to be aware of the many options available to you. Health care, child care and retirement properties are great examples, also parking lots , storage facilities.

An article read “Americans regard self storage as an absolute blue chip investment and is considered the safest real estate based investment in the United States”

So when is the right time to invest in commercial property?

If you are a participant in the share market you would be aware of the “investment clock”, which its purpose is to show how the economic cycle works.

An overheating economy is followed by higher interest rates and falling share prices, when the economy declines so does interest rates and shares begin to raise again.

Here is a guide to the way commercial property could fit with the economy;

The economy starts to slow. Direct properties stop raising and may even decline. The authorities inject liquidity into the economy. The stock market and listed property trusts rise. The economy begins to rise. Direct property begins to rise Inflation may also rise and interest rates rise The stock market and listed property trusts fall.

American research has identified four phases based on economic and supply and demand.

Phase One is when the market is generally in a condition of oversupply, due to a weak economy and too much construction from when the economy was strong. This is the bottom of the cycle.Vacancy rates will be high and rents would be falling. During this period new construction will cease, while demand slowly starts to grow again.

During phase two new spaces will continue to grow, there will be very little construction and rents rise sometimes sharply. This will cause developers once again initiating the construction of new buildings until there is an equilibrium between supply and demand.

In phase three demand continues to grow and supply grows faster. Rental growth could slow down.

The final phase brings the market to a point of oversupply, due to over – building, with the condition aggravated by the economy weakening.

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We have websites designed for real estate investors , motivated sellers and private lenders

We buy motivated seller homes and flip the homes to our real estate investor list.

We also have informative articles to all three websites and products to help wealth building ,tax etc.

Even if you owned a home before – you can still jump on the bandwagon of the government tax credit for buying a home – even a houseboat. Amazingly enough, this home does not have to be a single-family detached run of the mill type home to receive government assistance.The Government will help you to buy a houseboat – or a condo or a modular or a town home or a single family detached home. While you must not have owned a home for the last three years before the purchase of this next one, you do not have to be a first time buyer to benefit from this. The home must be purchased before July 1st 2009 (i.e. the closing date must be before June 30th 2009). This tax credit incentive is part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 and gives current purchasers who have been renting for three years the chance to claim a tax credit of up to $7,500. Your income should not exceed $95,000 per annum (single) and married couples must fall under the modified adjusted gross income level of $170,000. This is the income limit to receive the maximum $7,500 tax credit. You may still be able to qualify for a partial tax credit if you earn more, but beware – everyone only qualifies for up to ten per cent of the purchase price to a maximum of $7,500. This means if you purchase a home that is $75,000 you will qualify for the full ten per cent as it is also the maximum limit – $7,500.If you buy a home that is $100,000 you will not qualify for ten per cent (which is $10,000) as this is over the maximum allowable of $7,500, so you will get the maximum of $7,500. Under the same rules if you buy a home that is $50,000 (dream on!) then you will only qualify for the maximum ten per cent tax credit. On a $50,000 house, this is $5,000.As for the rules regarding the duration of the tax credit, remember these tax credits are like a loan, you do not have to ‘return’ them at all for two years, then you may do so at $500 per year. You have 15 years to repay them, so wait until you are settled into your new home, and on your first pay raise – use it all up by repaying your tax credits.It is easy to claim the tax credit as it can be claimed for on your federal income tax return. If you know that you qualify for the tax credit you can even access the money quicker than by filling in your Federal tax return. IRS Publication 919 contains rules and guidelines for this quick access and you can record this through the W-4 via your employer or as an adjustment through your quarterly estimated tax payment. This will give you up to an extra $7500 that is tax free and can be used as part of your down payment. If you make use of this advantage, you could save a significant amount of money that you can use for improvements or to knock off a chunk of your mortgage, if it allows for payments on the premium. There’s a lot you can do with that much in savings – use it wisely.

Todd Proa Reveals Some Common Blunders Made by “First-time” Real Estate Investors Todd Proa says (so does everyone else for that matter! ) that blunders often result in failure and heavy losses. None of the initial starters in any business, be it a real estate business or writing business, can know everything about it and hence are prone to making mistakes. Todd Proa, a researcher of the real estate industry from Upstate New York, says “to avoid committing blunders, dig facts before committing yourself to the cause! One can avoid a mistake only if he/she knows what the mistake is!!!” It is suggested by Todd Proa that if you want to avoid blunders/mistakes then you must search for a good mentor or take guidance from someone who is a good real estate agent so that your mistakes do not get converted into blunders. Todd Proa cites some of the common blunders that initial real estate investors are prone to commit, often leading them to heavy losses, are:
Becoming over-confident and covering every market: Todd Proa is of the view that, typically, new real estate investors’ sign up for all sorts of lists and receive emails about real estate deals all over the country. Todd Proa, as researcher of the real estate industry, suggests that ideally a real estate investor, who is new, must keep his focus on his own local market first. After attaining good understanding about one’s local market, one should think about venturing into buying properties in other market areas. Todd Proa suggests that a new real estate investor, having a strong and reliable partner or guide who can help him fully, should make a couple of deals in his own area and only then think of venturing in other market areas.
Wrong estimate of the amount of work it takes: Often, it has been seen that seminars and boot camps misguide new real estate investors that they can make easy and fast money by becoming a real estate investor. The truth according to Todd Proa, a real estate industry researcher from Upstate New York, about real estate investments is that like other businesses real estate investment also takes loads of time and effort to climb up the stairs of success. It is important to understand that no deal is going to fall in your lap overnight just by attending seminars and meetings! Be patient. Todd Proa says that real estate investment requires persistent marketing, building good relationships with those who are already in field like realtors, attorneys, appraisers, mortgage brokers etc. and be aggressive at going after the deals.
Lack of planning – Todd Proa believes that lack of planning and not planning in advance is the biggest mistake that often turns up into a blunder. A real estate investor must find a house after making a proper investment strategy rather than looking a house to fit the plan. Majority of new real estate investors purchase a property just because they are getting a good deal and after that they try to fit it into their plan. Todd Proa suggests that the investors should ideally concentrate on the number and try to make offers on multiple properties. This will help them to ensure a good property that will not only match their investment model but will also work out well with the numbers they had planned for.

The year 2008 saw many grief stricken property owners pulling out their hair in disbelief as the world markets came crashing down around them. The UK, USA, Europe and China were worst affected with inflation pushing many people’s income to stretch further than ever before, especially to cope with debt repayment and the loss of value of fixed assets.South Africa did not escape unscathed and the population has definitely felt the sting of increasing food prices and inflation. Inflation grew to 11.5%, a major increase for a time frame as short as a year. The property market was reported as having ‘crashed’, leading to a major drop in property prices. Nominal returns on property values dropped far below the 27.5% which 2007 yielded and were the lowest recorded since 2002. Equities and property equities suffered a defeating -23.2% loss in 2008 whilst the JSE PLS Index returned -2.3% and the JSE PUT Index returned -9.7%.These statistics may seem unsettling but South African property did perform somewhat in 2008, especially in comparison to other countries’ real estate markets. Despite the comparatively low yields on investments, the commercial property market has surprised many with far greater nominal returns than in other countries. Property developers and financial consultants warn that while the yields of 2008 are far less than 2007, the returns made have been satisfactory, especially considering the global financial crisis.The Sapoa/IPD Property Index has revealed that investments in South Africa’s commercial property market produced a nominal return of 13%. This double digit figure is the highest in world commercial property for 2008. Despite the inflation rate taking this percentage to only a 1.3% increase from 13%, the return is a positive reflection of the greater financial stability of South africa and especially its property markets when measured against other countries in Europe, Asia and the USA.The UK and Ireland were heavily affected by the recession in 2008 with property values dropping due to yield rises across all sectors. The UK experienced nominal returns of -22.1% and Ireland -34.2%, a staggering loss in comparison with the 13% increase of South African commercial property. Continental Europe achieved varied returns from commercial property in 2008 whilst Asia suffered a staggering loss in comparison to last year’s returns. South Korea saw a drop from 26.7% in 2007 to 4.0% in 2008. North America achieved returns of 3.7% and Australia 1.3%.Offices and industrial spaces achieved returns of 9%, whereas retail property made returns of 7.8% producing an average income return of 8.3% for all property. The cause of the positive returns has been linked to the pricing structure and financial markets in South Africa remaining somewhat stable. Even though the inflation rate of 11.5% has caused prices to soar, the effects were not felt nearly as heavily as in the UK, USA and Asia. Robust and capital income growth was positive throughout 2008 and whilst consumer confidence was a little threatened, commercial property investment was made to a far greater level than in other countries.The positive returns on commercial property investments during 2008 in South africa are a clear indicator that the property market in South Africa has a greater stability than elsewhere in the world. Despite the comparative drop to last year’s property returns, and the influence the recession has had on world property markets, South Africa’s commercial property marketing has emerged successfully. Buying commercial property at this time is a lucrative investment as prices are lower than average but the return is still positive and fixed assets are not depreciating in value.

The year 2008 saw many grief stricken property owners pulling out their hair in disbelief as the world markets came crashing down around them. The UK, USA, Europe and China were worst affected with inflation pushing many people’s income to stretch further than ever before, especially to cope with debt repayment and the loss of value of fixed assets.

Less than a decade ago, the most popular way to search for houses on the market was through classified ads in the newspaper. Now that the popular search medium has changed over to the Internet, real estate professionals need to relearn marketing methods that will increase their sales. The best way to reach a large audience looking for real estate is through interactive and social media.

How Technology Can Influence Your Real Estate Marketing

Nowadays, when people want to find out information, they turn to the Internet to search for it. Potential clients are out there, but you need to figure out how to draw them in to your website.

Firstly, you need to update your website, since you may have outdated information. This not only adds to your professionalism, but it also keeps you from presenting false information regarding houses on the market. Once you have a site up and running, start researching and educating yourself on ways to market your products on the Internet through social media.

Interactive And Social Media In Real Estate Marketing

Social media refers to profiles, social networks like MySpace and Facebook, wikis and other ways to connect to people via the Internet.

In terms of marketing, you need to determine the kind of clients you deal with. What kind of consumers will be interested in buying the property? An apartment in a hip area might require a social networking page, or list a suburban home on your website and promote it with a blog or tools that allow visitors to refer it to a friend.

Interactive media is using content such as video, blogs and chatting to network with interested buyers and sellers. Use video instead of still photos so visitors to your web page can get a more complete view of the home. Combining video with textual content like blogging ensures that your site provides valuable real estate information in a creative and easy-to-use way.