Texaplex asked:

With national headlines looking down see why Texas is looking up

collins realestate

Claudia B asked:


I am asking this question because of a friend
and she is trying to become an agent in Real Estate in North Carolina. Will she have to seal her records in order to do it.

up realestate

Joe Cline - Austin Real Estate Broker asked:


Decide to Sell

Deciding to sell your home is a big decision. The first step in this process should be to understand your motivations, expectations, financial considerations, goals and what you plan to do upon the sale of your home. Many people begin the sale process with unrealistic expectations or unclear goals. It then becomes difficult to meet their goals because these goals have never been clearly defined. You must begin to view your house, no longer as your home, but as an investment property that you want to market.

Setting the Price

Of course one of your most difficult questions is the listing price of your house. What price should you ask? This is an important part of the sales process. If you set the asking price too high, you may scare away buyers. Agents who feel that your house would not be a good investment may not even show the house. After the house sits on the market for a while, people begin to feel that there is something wrong with it because it hasn’t sold. Even if you could sell your house for an inflated price, many times a lender won’t approve a loan on a house that doesn’t appraise for that amount and the sale might fall through at the last minute. If you under price the home, you won’t realize the maximum potential of your investment.

Marketing Plan

Decide on incentives that to be offered to buyers, determine the best places to advertise, and determine how to show the home. Remember that that goal is to sell the home for the highest price, in the least time, with the fewest hassles.

Prepare the Home for Showing

There are two important ways that you can have an impact in making your house attractive to buyers: property condition and listing price. After deciding on a listing price, setup an appointment with a decorating company. They will give you some suggestions for making your house look its best. This process is called “staging.” The suggestions might be simple such as clearing cluttered counter tops. Or they might be more involved such as painting front doors or repairing obvious defects.

The staging company will look at your house from room to room and will offer advice on how to make each room show great. They will also look at the exterior street appeal, backyard and garage. They have a lot of tips that can make your house shine. After this meeting, you will have a list of what you should do to prepare your house for sale. Following these suggestions in a timely manner will ensure your home shows at its best.

Remember that “staging” addresses the appearance of the house and not necessarily other problems, which might become evident during an inspection. An inspection will uncover most defects that eventually may have to be repaired. In this way you can have the repairs done before a potential buyer’s inspection uncovers a defect that might cause a buyer to either change his mind or to want a substantial repair allowance deducted from the price. It is a signal to buyers that you are a responsible, reputable seller. It also allows you to have plenty of time to schedule any work that might need to be done.

Offer a residential service contract to buyers. This guarantees the major appliances in your home as well as other systems and structures. You can also include coverage for your house while it is on the market so you don’t have to pay for any unexpected repairs.

Marketing the Home

Now the fun begins. Here are some ideas that can be used to promote your home.

It is important for you to keep your house in perfect condition everyday because buyers or agents might come by at any time. Keep the kitchen clean, make your bed every morning and keep clutter out of sight. It is especially important to keep pets and pet odors under control. Some wonderful added touches are fresh flowers and potpourri or freshly baked cookies.

As agents and potential buyers begin visiting your home either virtually on the Internet or in person, try to obtain feedback from the buyers. Make changes to the showing state, condition, and price as feedback deems necessary.

The Offer and Negotiation

You have an offer, now what? Sometimes the buyer will offer you the asking price and have no special requests. In this case, you sign that you accept the offer. Sometimes, the buyer’s offer is a lower price and might have other requests. You should consider what is best for you and make a counter offer. Consider carefully your response because if you counter offer, there is no guarantee that the buyer will respond again. Also remember that, once agreed upon and signed by all parties, an offer becomes a legally binding contract. Never get involved in oral offers and negotiation. If you verbally accept an offer, a buyer has no legal obligation to buy the house and may want to continue to bargain with you to see how low a price you will accept.

No matter how well you have prepared your house and how fairly you have priced it, there is always the possibility of receiving a low offer. It could be a limit to the buyer’s ability to purchase. Don’t take it personally and react angrily. This is business, it’s not personal. You can either reject the offer or make a counter-offer. Try to find out as much as you can as to why the offer was low. Certainly if other offers come in very low or if your home is not being shown or not receiving any offers consider adjusting the pricing.

Once the buyer and seller agree on the terms, the buyer will have the home inspected. If there are any problems that are found during this time period then the buyer can withdraw from the contract. The buyer might request that you complete certain repairs before closing or that you contribute a certain sum of money at closing to cover these repairs. If this happens, try not to let contract fall through. After the limited time period is up, the buyer is legally bound to buy your house unless they are denied financing. In the event of cancellation, the buyer would lose any earnest money. One exception to this is in the case of the buyer not receiving funding from the lenders. In that case then the buyer is not held responsible. For this reason, always ask the buyer’s agent for a letter showing that the potential buyer has been prequalified for a loan and, once a contract is signed, ask the buyer’s agent to keep you informed of the buyer’s loan application progress.

Closing

The exciting day is finally here! Verify in advance that all of the paperwork is in order. Request a copy of the HUD1 statement sheet so that you can read over it before closing. Feel free to ask any questions either before the closing or during the closing itself. Typically this is when you relinquish possession of the house so take the keys to give to the new owner.



newyork realestate

talacey2000 asked:


how do you become a real estate agent for Sotheby’s International Realty? Do you already have to have a real estate license? I am trying to become an agent what do I need to do?

downtown realestate

Joe Cline - Austin Real Estate Broker asked:


Which Builder Is The Best?

When clients come to their agent for advice it’s not uncommon for the client to ask the agent which builder is best or which builder builds the best homes and the like. Any agent who gives the name of a builder as the answer to this question is taking the easy way out to answering a difficult question. As for qualifying a builder to enter the running there are a number of items to address.



Is the builder financially stable? How would you like to end up with a half finished house and a bankrupt builder?

Does the builder have reference clients? Ask for references from several subdivisions and ages of homes. You don’t want to have a zillion problems 2 years after you move into the home.

What does the builder do in-house versus subcontracting? Who manages the home construction? Who does the actual work. You’ll want to know who the subcontractors are because they will be the ones building the house for the most part.

How does the builder ensure quality construction? The answers to this vary widely and anything that sounds made up or contrived should set off every alarm in the prospective buyer.



Take copious notes on the answers. Any misleading or untruthful statements here may be important to your cause later and could even trigger Texas’ Deceptive Trade Practices statues should you need to play hardball later. So long as you get satisfactory answers to the questions above you can begin to focus on ensuring the builder you selected is building a safe and quality home for you and your family.

You Are The Quality Control

As you may have already figured out there is no best builder. The process of taking a parcel of raw land and creating a family’s home is long and can be complicated. As with all projects communication is key. As new build clients you should feel comfortable contacting your on site sales representative and Realtor as often as you like. The on-site agent and your agent are there to help and make sure your purchase is smooth. Don’t be afraid to engage them.



Set a time for a weekly update call with the builder and your agent. Even if your call is 2 minutes on Monday morning and consists of a “Nothing has changed. We’re still waiting on the permits from the city.”, you’ll know the latest and greatest.

Get the building schedule and hold the builder to the schedule if time is important to you. You may give here to get other places if timing is not critical in your situation.

Visit the site often and take photos. If you see anything that looks odd or is not what you expected tkae a photo, document the question in email, and contact the builder and your agent IMMEDIATELY. Waiting to see why the builder is clearing a section of the lot that you thought was going to be your treed hideaway may turn out poorly.

Hire an independent inspector to conduct phase inspections. The builder should be notified before your inspector arrives. Ideally, the builder will notify the inspector a few days before each phase is ready to be reviewed. The inspector typically will come after the slab is poured, after framing is complete, after plumbing and electrical is installed, and after the home is completed.

Be detailed, but not unreasonable. If you notice something that is just plain sloppy or that will cause you issues later, bring it up with the builder. A lot of times the agent or superintendent may not have noticed what the subcontractor is doing or maybe a change order was missed and you are the first to find out. You are buying a new home, NOT a perfect home. No home is perfect, but a new home should be of high quality and to your specifications.



Be Dilligent

As you’ve discovered, your involvement in the building process can make all the difference. Stay on top of the ball and 9 out of 10 builders will meet your needs and build you a quality home. Sometimes you’ll even run across a builder that will build you a great home, nearly perfectly without your involvement, but why take the chance?

Happy building!



eagle realestate

Gary Boomershine asked:


The credit crunch is fueling the popular belief that investing in today’s real estate markets is a strategy reserved exclusively for wealthy entrepreneurs. This is absolutely false: You don’t need any cash or credit to make a killing.

Generate Cash Flow with Common Sense & Solid Strategies

There are some especially high-performing strategies that are geared for today’s market conditions that require no cash or credit and will maximize your investment returns (ROI). All that is required is a keen eye for uncovering the high-equity real estate deals that spark business growth and the sound strategies that will fill your pipeline with the leads you need to keep the deals flowing.

Why? Because by definition, high-equity properties carry low — or no — mortgage debt. As a result, there are fewer complications and hazards that can slow your deals down and clog your business pipeline. It’s no secret: In this business, delays can cost investors valuable time and money.

Credit Crunch Strikes High-Equity Homeowners

Even among the 24 million homeowners who bear no mortgages on their properties, one-third of them are soon likely to find themselves underwater in these properties. There are many social and economic factors currently at play to imperil homeowner equity, among them are:



Heavy blows to retirement savings accounts in the recent Wall Street debacle,

Rising health care costs,

Spikes in grocery, fuel, education and credit costs,

Inflation, and

Unemployment or underemployment.



The Truth about the Credit Crunch in Today’s Markets

Due to the credit crunch, many high-equity homeowners are likely to encounter new challenges in getting the credit lines they need to help them through the rough spots. This is likely to intensify as overall U.S. economic conditions worsen.

Investing in properties that have minimal mortgage burden is a great hedge to protect investors from inflation. This concept is appealing to a growing number of entrepreneurs who’ve been watching the U.S. economy lately.

Mine for High-Equity Deals with Premium Real Estate Marketing Tools

Even in the Information Age, it is easy for investors to get lost in the challenge of generating the leads they need to advance business growth. In this arena, the proven method of real estate marketing via direct mail emerges as a time-efficient and cost-effective option for getting laser-targeted leads on a consistent basis.

Combined with the relative ease of buying houses with equity, real estate marketing via direct mail emerges as a winning strategy for investors. And, because of limited competition and broad reach, this strategy finds the solid high-equity opportunities wherever there is a property that’s worth more than the seller owes in mortgage debt.

With high-equity real estate deals, investors can offer sellers attractive options and also benefit from greater flexibility in how transactions are structured. For example, investors can offer sellers fast cash in exchange for a reduced price, pay for the property over time with a note, or even delay payment until the property is refinanced or sold in the future.

Max-Out Your ROI: Deploy Direct Mail Marketing in High-Equity Markets

There are five major real estate market segments that offer investors the greatest opportunities to access equity. Use sound marketing strategies, such as direct mail marketing, to tap these markets and boost your bottom line.

In many cases, investors can build their own mailing lists based on information housed in public records. Because this information often changes and quickly becomes outdated, many investors choose to outsource their real estate marketing to save time and money on postage.

Using direct mail allows you to systemize and automate your lead generation. This can save you valuable time and money in the investment trenches. There are other benefits to outsourcing your real estate marketing, which we’ll explore later in this article.

The Cream of the Crop: Five High-Equity Markets for Hungry Investors

1. Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) with Equity:

Homeowners in this segment typically had an ARM for three years or more before the date of sale. If they owe less than 70 percent on the loan relative to the house’s value, these homeowners with equity may be looking to escape their loan commitments before the mortgage resets.

Direct Mail Real Estate Marketing Prescription: Send an optimized, monthly mailing starting with an optimized real estate marketing letter, and then mail three real estate postcards. Repeat the process for desired results.

2. Free and Clear:

To boost profits in this segment, target homeowners with 40 percent to 100 percent equity. U.S. Census Bureau data reveal that property owners in this arena currently control one-third of all single-family homes. Often, they’re near or at retirement age, are empty nesters and are looking to downsize.

Direct Mail Real Estate Marketing Prescription: Once you’ve got this list, mail cost-effective real estate marketing postcards every 90 days.

3. Multi-Family with Equity:

Zero in on sellers with 2 or more units with a maximum loan-to-value of 70 percent or less to buy, hold or flip income properties. High-equity property owners often are motivated to by tenant management and maintenance headaches. They also may like the idea of financing the investor’s purchase if they also can benefit by deferring capital gains taxes and generate cash flow through a note rather than through rent.

Direct Mail Real Estate Marketing Prescription: Mail an optimized real estate marketing letter every 90 days. Afterwards, send 3 real estate postcards and repeat the process until desired results are achieved.

4. Absentee Owners:

Also known as out-of-area owners, this segment of homeowners has a mailing address on public record that differs from the property address. It includes weary and stressed-out landlords with single-family homes and multi-unit properties.

Direct Mail Real Estate Marketing Prescription: Get this list from pouring through county records or from real estate marketing professionals. Send real estate postcards every 90 days and update your list after each subsequent mailing. Revisit your list after a year or more has passed to evaluate the data and your real estate marketing campaign’s success.

5. Wholesale Properties:

These properties are typically about 20-years-old and tend to have deferred maintenance issues and cosmetic challenges. In this category, homes with loans that come in at about 70 of a property’s value can be prime targets for savvy real estate investors.

Direct Mail Real Estate Marketing Prescription: Send an optimized, monthly real estate marketing postcard for 6 months. Afterwards, deploy a 90-day drip campaign.

To Outsource, or not to Outsource?

Not only is effective marketing a mystery for many investors, it is costly, tedious, time-consuming and for many — it is a shot in the dark. Many investors choose to outsource their real estate marketing to minimize these problems — and to benefit from the professional experience and expertise that only a first-rate company that specializes in direct mail real estate marketing can provide.

What to Look for when you Outsource

If you do decide to outsource your marketing, look for a reputable company that specializes in direct mail real estate marketing. In most cases, the workload reduction, superior leads, optimized results and overall headache reduction more than covers the costs. But selecting the right company for the job is critical to your success in the high-equity — or any real estate investing arena.

A great real estate marketing company should have the best lists for any given market segment. The firm should be familiar with what type of mailing (such as postcards or letters) should be used and how often each mailing should be sent to attract your desired response. From experience, they also should be able to tell you how to optimize your mailings to attract the best, most qualified leads.

When you outsource your direct mail real estate marketing, you should receive quantifiable results in your ROI. This includes real-time reporting on the effectiveness of your mailings. In addition, your lists should be regularly “scrubbed” of obsolete and outdated addresses to save you money on postage.

If the marketing company leverages its high-volume business to secure discounts on mailings for investors, you’ll likely know you’ve likely got a good candidate on the line to handle your business marketing needs.



walker realestate