Heidelberg Immobilienmakler

As a real estate agent you want to win more listings, close more deals, create more commission, and be successful. Everyone has the same goal, yet the outcome can be evasive. Luck is not a part of success in commercial real estate. Results only come to those that have a plan of action and they stick to it each and every working day.

Clients and prospects are the key to momentum in commercial real estate. You need lots of them. When you focus on the market and serving your clients well, you create repeat business. That is the extra leverage that you want in commercial real estate.

A commercial real estate client falls into one of the following categories:

• A property investor that wants to invest in a stable and growing asset
• A business owner that needs premises to operate from
• A tenant that wants to occupy property for their business
• A solicitor or accountant that has a client that is under property pressure
• A developer that wants to create a new and fresh development in the local area
• A franchise chain that requires premises to spread their business brand

All five of these groups have critical criteria to satisfy in the sale or lease transaction. These are the people that you have to know.

When you make these people the centre of your prospecting and marketing efforts, then listings and opportunity can come your way. Generally these target prospect groups will stay with you as their agent of choice providing you consistently bring them value and property knowledge that they can use. That will be in:

1. Information on local prices and successful transactions
2. Information on rental trends in different types of properties
3. Supply and demand statistics from the region and local area
4. Details of potential new properties coming up for sale or lease that may be of interest to them
5. Details of comparable properties in the area that can compete with the clients property
6. Changes of property use and zoning that can impact the local property market or region
7. Time on market for both sales and leases in different property types and in different locations
8. Methods of sale or lease that shorten the marketing time or cost for the client
9. Marketing systems and channels that get the message to the identified target market that needs property today
10. New property developments in the local area that will change the property demographic or demand.

The best local real estate agent will know these things and should provide them as part of a service to key clients and prospects. In this way they have maximum leverage to create long term business opportunity with the clients that they serve.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by John Highman

The U.S. Veterans Affairs Administration has helped provide home loans for veterans since 1944. The program allows both veterans and active duty service members to get affordable mortgages that the VA guarantees to be repaid to lenders. The program has been expanded to include refinancing these loans, and certain qualifications apply.

Use of VA Loan Eligibility

In order to qualify for a refinance loan through the VA, you must have used your eligibility for the initial home. In other words, it must be a VA loan to VA refinance. A new Certificate of Eligibility is not required. Your previous Certificate of Eligibility serves as proof of the use of your entitlement.

Loan Limits

VA refinance loans are subject to certain loan limits as defined by the program. These limits cap the amount of liability for repayment required by the program. Each county determines the amount of loan limit. Generally, lenders will approve up to four times the basic entitlement amount of $36,000 for a home loan, without a down payment.

Funding Fee

A funding fee is required for all those who apply for loans through the VA Guaranteed Loan Program. Payment of the fee is required at closing on the loan. You can either pay the funding fee in cash or roll it into the financing of the property. Funding fees can range from 0.5 percent to 3.3 percent. Funding fees for the second use of your eligibility are generally higher than the first use. Certain veterans with disabilities and surviving spouses are not required to pay a funding fee.

Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan

The program allows refinancing up to 100 percent of the home’s value. Although credit checks and new appraisals are not required under the program, lenders may impose these requirements under their own rules. Unlike a VA Purchase Loan, you do not have to certify that you will occupy the home. You must only certify that you have previously occupied it. The IRRRL program cannot be used to pay off a second mortgage. Generally, the second mortgage must be approved. Your current mortgage payments must be up to date, with no more than one 30-day late payment within the past year.

Cash-Out Refinance Loan

If you wish to take cash out of your home for medical costs, children’s college or home improvement costs, the VA offers a Cash-Out Refinancing Program that allows you to use your equity to finance these major expenses. The above qualifications apply similarly for these loans. You may also refinance as much as 100 percent of the value of the property. Unlike the IRRL loan, a credit report, income verification and property appraisal are required. You must also certify that you will occupy the home being refinanced.

Certain costs associated with refinancing can increase the cost of the loan to a greater amount than the fair market value of the property. These costs can include state and local taxes, discount points and other closing costs. Applicants for refinancing should always take these additional costs into account when determining if refinancing their VA loan is a favorable idea.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Genie Fletcher

Having a well-designed area to work in the kitchen is essential these days. To that end, new kitchen cabinets are available with built in dividers, sliding trays and organizers and many of these innovations are available as add-ons to older cabinets as well.

But until recently, accessing these drawers filled with gadgets and gizmos was pretty utilitarian. While cabinet manufacturers began to turn out tons of new designs to match nearly any décor imaginable, hardware manufacturers were lagging a little behind the times, producing lots of lackluster, one-size-fits-all kitchen cabinet handles.

That’s not the case anymore. Today, kitchen cabinet handles have become an extension of a homeowner’s personal tastes and even desire for expression. Not only are new designs arriving daily in home improvement stores across the country, but there has been an explosion of choices online, where display and stocking issues are greatly simplified.

One of the best things about all these new choices is that they not only let you make your kitchen unique to you, but it’s a simple weekend project to do, one that is an instant remodel of sorts.

Not so long ago, you had a very simple choice to make: chrome, brushed metal, shiny metal or satin metal. Today, you can get crazy with kitchen cabinet handles, from ones with suede, leather or jeweled accents to ones that capture the essence of your personal interests or locale – from vegetables and horseshoes to sea horses and lighthouses.

One of the biggest trends is to use handles that utilize reclaimed and recycled materials or have an earthier feel to them. These can be made out of embossed leather, washable suede, or even mixed media, a blend of recycled glass, pewter and rich textures.

Ergonomics are an important consideration these days as well. Kitchen cabinet handles tend to be bigger than they were only a few years ago. Part of this trend is due to the demands of customers, who want to have handles that are more proportional to the cabinets. Gone are the days (at least for now) of Euro-style cabinets with hidden hand grabs – handles and knobs are in and the bigger the better, especially in kitchens with lots of cabinetry or larger than average drawers and doors.

If you don’t want to go bigger, you can always go chic. Polished chrome and even brushed nickel gives the cabinets a sophisticated look. Black is also popular, giving the home an Asian flair. It is a good color for any style of cabinet you own. If you want your handles to be large and a little less heavy in appearance, you can go with an open weave design that instills additional influences of wine country. Think of it as an Asian Wine look for your kitchen cabinet handles.

You definitely want to stick with a single finish throughout, and this includes the other hardware, such as the hinges and drawer slides. If you want to go with color instead of metal, you may want to match a color from your floor or even your appliances, especially if you have a lot of countertop appliances that are in the more trendy colors out there. Just look at Kitchen Aid mixers as an inspiration for colors that are hot right now.

Even though big is in, remember that it’s all about proportion. While older handles erred on the side of being too small, and often even too small to comfortably use with larger hands, you don’t want to go crazy in terms of size. Think scale first, then ergonomics. Larger handles have an added bonus, too. They can make it easier to open drawers, especially those loaded with kitchen gadgets, since they spread the load more evenly than smaller handles.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Jennifer Akre

Real estate investing strategies have undergone major changes in the past four years. Before the banking crisis and economic recession, many investors were generating massive profits through rehabbing distressed properties and engaging in house flipping. Today, investors are using distressed properties to generate rental income or to offer creative financing options.

The first step to achieving real estate investment success is to become educated about the market. Investors should become familiar with the various types of investment properties such as residential, commercial, and vacant land, as well as investing in real estate notes and land contracts.

Residential real estate can be used as rental properties or placed for sale. Many investors are offering creative finance strategies to attract buyers who cannot qualify for bank financing. Popular financing options include lease purchase option agreements and seller carry back mortgages.

Commercial real estate includes a wide mix of properties such as condominium and apartment complexes, retail shops, warehouses, and office buildings. Investors often partner with other investors or investment groups when purchasing commercial property in order to cover the costs and management duties required to maintain investment properties.

Commercial property has the potential to generate substantial profits as long as investors evaluate market conditions. Investors may be entitled to tax incentives when commercial investments bring employment opportunities to the area or when properties are upgraded using energy-efficient technology such as solar panels or other forms of green energy.

Investors often seek out bank owned foreclosure properties because this type of realty is usually priced well below market value. Bank owned realty encompasses all types of properties and can range from mobile homes to swanky high-rise apartments and industrial parks to golf courses.

Locating residential and commercial foreclosures is relatively simple. Using the services of a realtor can expedite the process. Agents can access the multiple listings (MLS) database to quickly locate all types of properties for sale.

Once banks repossess properties they are first placed for sale through public or government auctions. The property is given back to the bank if it goes unsold at auction. Banks then sell foreclosure properties through their loss mitigation division or local realtors.

Prices of bank owned properties are generally higher than properties sold through auction. However, banks remove liens and judgments in order to sell the real estate with a clean title. Buyers are able to take quick possession and can move forward with preparing the property for sale or rent.

Many investors are buying residential properties through Fannie Mae’s Homepath Mortgage program. In addition to selling homes at deeply discounted prices, Homepath Mortgage offers low down payment requirements and special financing options to both individual buyers and real estate investors.

Many Fannie Mae properties qualify for grant money offered through HUDs Neighborhood Stabilization Program. NSP grants are offered to improve properties located in areas with high rate of foreclosure. Qualified investors can obtain up to five NSP grants.

Investors who invest in commercial real estate must become educated about federal, state, and county property laws. Commercial buildings must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and be zoned for commercial use.

Although the real estate market continues to head in a downward spiral, there are still plenty of solid investment opportunities. Investors must stay abreast of market conditions and be capable of changing strategies when needed. Otherwise, they will quickly become another real estate statistic.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Simon Volkov

The Beginning Of The Real Estate Rebate: Society as a whole has been significantly impacted by the emergence of the Internet. It has made the world a smaller place and has intern changed the way we communicate and conduct business. It has helped companies target their clients through avenues such as Google & Yahoo, and has subsequently put the products and information that consumers looking for, at their finger tips. Social Networks such as Myspace and Facebook have made it possible to stay in contact with friends and family around the world via the Internet. As time passes these changes and effects will become more wide spread and alarmingly self evident. One such industry that stands to be dramatically affected is Real Estate.

For decades, the real estate industry has been defined by traditional representation in which an agent charges the seller a commission to market and sell their home or represents buyers through the entire home buying process. In the past, the traditional model was the staple of the real estate profession and it faced little to no opposition. This has begun to change. With the dependency that society and has developed on Internet, creative minds have begun to develop new models that cater to every type of consumer. As a result, consumers no longer have to settle for the „One Size Fits All“ traditional model, but have a choice in choosing the type of service that fits their real estate needs.

New Models: Consumers may now choose between a variety of real estate products and services. These services are characterized by enabling buyers or sellers to seek specific real estate assistance as opposed to the whole package. In the case of sellers, real estate agents will charge a fee only for the services they provide. For example, a seller may only want to list their home on MLS (Multiple Listing Service Used By Real Estate Professionals around the Country) for the added exposure, and require some assistance drafting a purchase and sale agreement. Listing a home and receiving assistance with a P&S will cost you hundreds of dollars as opposed to paying a 5%-6% commission that would cost thousands of dollars. Buyers who are interested in finding a home on their own or willing to participate in the initial house hunting work, can receive a rebate at closing. This model gives buyers the professional assistance of a realtor and rewards them for their efforts with a portion of the commission at closing. One company that gives buyers a rebate is SharpBuyers. They are a national real estate rebate company based out of Boston Massachusetts. They have agents all throughout the country that will help buyers find a home and give them a rebate at closing. Another emerging model is real estate consultants. These are licensed real estate professionals that exclusively charge flat fee’s for specific services.

The brokerages that offer these innovative real estate services are referred to as Discount Brokers, Rebate Agents, and Real Estate Consultants. It can clearly be seen, that all of these new models engage the buyers and sellers in the home buying or selling process. Subsequently, these models are ideal for the home buyers of tomorrow, generation X and Y. These are tech-savvy home buyers and they are not afraid to delve into the process if it means they will save thousands of dollars. Ten years from now, generation X will collectively be in their early and mid 30’s. Many will use the traditional method to buy their first home, while others will seek out innovative brokers. How will the market share shake out in 2017? Only time will tell. It is anticipated that many traditional brokerages will be forced to adapt to a mixed service model, meaning they will offer both traditional and discount services to buyers, rather than one or the other. This may prove to be a necessary strategy if traditional brokerages would like to remain competitive after 2020. The new real estate business models enable consumers to have the best of both worlds, professional assistance and more money in their pockets.

Real Estate and The Internet Today: In today’s world, the effect that the Internet has had on the real estate profession is extremely apparent. As the popularity of the Internet initially grew, many agents were concerned that consumers would cut them right out of the deal. To date, this has not been the case. The real estate industry has come to embrace the Internet and all of the great marketing tools that it has given birth to. It has also helped real estate professionals have better access to listing information, recent sales history and various statistical data reports. Leonard Nomura of Bentley Real Estate Group says he could not imagine life as a broker without the Internet. The numbers are astounding. According to the National Association of Realtors, 77% of home buyers used the Internet to find their homes in 2005. This has steadily grown from 2% of buyers using the Internet to find their homes in 1995 and is speculated to be over 85% today. According to clickz.com, 50% of all consumers who surf the web, do so with the intent to purchase consumer goods and services. This includes Real Estate, automobiles, clothing, music and anything else imaginable.

As a result of the emerging mixed service models, consumers can now choose from a range of real estate services that did not previously exist. It is believed that many real estate professionals see these new models as a threat because of their ability to significantly impact the traditional real estate brokerage’s market share. According to Real Trends an industry newsletter, alternative Real Estate Models currently make up 2% of the market, but could grow to 12% by 2010. The transformation of the real estate industry has only just begun. Time will tell the true story of how the market will shake out, but the bottom line is this; alternative real estate models are putting money back into consumer’s pockets and you will always put a smile on someone’s face when you show them how to save thousands of dollars.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Robert Nichols

Demanding consumers

„Internet buyers tend to be better informed on market conditions and better prepared to act on the home they want when they start working with a realtor. Luckily for realtors, these changes don’t necessarily hurt, as long as they are able to adjust to the new relationship and realize that the new-style buyers value speed and efficiency over guidance when finding a home.“

– E-marketer, Internet Home Buyers Changing the House Rules

Thanks to the Internet and other technological innovations, more real estate information is freely available than ever before. As a result, consumers are demanding new choices, improved services, faster transactions and lower prices. According to a recent NAR survey, the number of sellers stating that they didn’t want to pay a sales commission fee rose from 46 percent in 2003 to 61 percent in 2004. In 2004, 23 percent of Florida home sellers opted to sell independently without an agent, up from 14 percent in 2003 and nearly double the 14 percent national average, according to Planet Realtor.

And Web-enabled consumers are demanding a high digital IQ when working with real estate professionals. In addition to being well-versed on their own industry-specific technology, real estate professionals now are expected to utilize laptops, mobile phones, digital cameras, personal digital assistants and global positioning systems to keep pace with Internet buyers and sellers.

Downward pressure

„If consumers are going to do their own home-shopping online, they expect to save some money, just as they would for using the self-service lane. That’s why they are susceptible to online discount brokers and the new affinity companies that are promoting lower commissions if only the consumers will use their agents. These business models promote the idea to consumers that they ought to be paying less money in commissions.“

Realty Times Columnist Blanche Evans

Traditional real estate commissions, typically around six percent of a home’s selling price, are facing downward pressure from consumers and competition. Some consumers claim traditional real estate commissions don’t reflect:

– Today’s home prices. Years ago, when median-priced homes sold for $25,000, real estate commissions were typically five percent, or $1,250. Today, with South Florida median home prices around $300,000, the cost of a six percent full-service real estate commission becomes $18,000. Some brokers even charge additional fees to cover administrative costs. When you consider that today’s average homeowner sells a home every five to seven years, real estate commissions can dramatically impact your personal savings and net worth.

– Owner equity. When selling properties, most homeowners calculate the cost of selling as a portion of sales price, though the commissions are paid out of owner equity. (Equity is the difference between the value of your property and amount of mortgages owed.) Consider this example: You decide to sell a property for $250,000 in which you hold 10 percent equity, or $25,000. After paying a six percent commission of $15,000, you are left with $10,000 before any applicable closing costs. In this example, the $15,000 commission is six percent of the selling price, but 60 percent of the $25,000 equity.

– Services performed. Under today’s commission structure, selling a $100,000 house at six percent typically costs $6,000, while selling a $500,000 house costs $30,000. Does selling the more expensive home really require five times more effort? Your cost is the same whether the agent spends one hour or 100 hours marketing your home. This is one reason many real estate consumers find fee-for-service real estate so appealing.

Developing alternatives

„Consumers want what they want, when they want it and will gravitate to the most cost-effective source to obtain it. Why? Because our „one-size-fits-all“ approach to working with sellers and buyers is archaic and won’t allow consumers to access various segments of help they need in a timely fashion. That’s why .com Web start-ups are finding a receptive audience in real estate consumers and why for-sale-by-owners are burgeoning.“

Julie Garton-Good, Author of „Real Estate a la Carte: Selecting the Services You Need, Paying What They’re Worth“

Until recently, you have had few practical alternatives to the traditional full-service, full-commission real estate transaction with a broker. Most sellers paid a single commission fee for a full range of real estate services, whether they needed them or not. Now traditional real estate agencies face the challenge of identifying new services that have value to today’s sophisticated online and empowered consumers.

One result is an „unbundling“ of traditional one-size-fits-all real estate services for consumers who want more control over real estate transactions and their associated costs. If you’re willing to take on some tasks traditionally performed by agents and brokers, you could receive lower transaction costs. You might benefit from the following emerging alternatives:

Fee-for-services

„Consumers want assistance from real estate professionals, but don’t want to pay for it in the form of traditional commissions,“ says a la Carte real estate Pioneer Julie Garton-Good. Garton-Good has been preaching the fee-for-services gospel for more than 20 years. As the name implies, you can choose which tasks you feel comfortable performing and hire qualified real estate professionals to do the rest. Many traditional real estate brokerages are beginning to offer a more menu-based service plan. For example, you may not mind listing your home and holding open houses, but you may want assistance with contracts and closings.

One-stop shopping

In response to dwindling margins and the rising costs of technology and lead generation, some real estate companies are attempting to combine traditional and Web-based services to provide consumers a single source for all their real estate needs. One-stop shopping sites generally provide or partner with lenders, insurers, title companies, real estate attorneys and others to facilitate all aspects of buying and selling. In addition, some sites are adding home-improvement and related services to stay in touch with consumers between buying and selling transactions.

Web-based discounters

Although many Web-based real estate companies flamed out in the dotcom era, scores of new companies have emerged to take their place. By offering targeted services such as flat-fee MLS listings, buyer rebates and AVM tools, these sites are appealing to independent buyers and sellers who prefer to take a more active role in transactions. In addition to listings, some sites also offer how-to articles and advice for those who choose to go it alone.

Tradition + technology + turbulence = opportunities

So, given the trends, changes and ongoing industry evolution, what can independent buyers, sellers and investors expect in this new era of real estate?

o The Web and other technologies will continue to evolve and transform the $1.3 trillion real-estate industry. Technology will continue to reduce the time, expense and complexity of manual processes, and increasingly sophisticated search and valuation tools will play a more strategic role.

o Free and low-cost real estate resources will continue to be available and even multiply on the Web. In real estate, knowledge truly is power. Consumers will try to use their power to gain more control of the real estate process and subsequently expect to be compensated in the form of reduced and fee-for-service commissions.

o The role of traditional real estate brokerages will evolve as Web-enabled consumers become more knowledgeable. This likely will trigger some restructuring and consolidation of traditional brokerages, but will also drive the development of innovative new practices targeting online and empowered consumers. Real estate professionals will focus more on promoting their local knowledge and industry expertise, while consumers will perform some buying and selling tasks on their own.

o Traditional real estate commissions and profitability levels will continue to face downward pressure from various sources. The future will be profitable for brokerages that are able to extend their core expertise of neighborhood and industry knowledge into flexible new consumer-centric offerings.

o The traditional high-touch, full-service real estate agency is evolving, not disappearing. Real estate professionals who provide exceptional service and value to their customers will always be in demand.

You now can find more real estate knowledge, tools and resources on the Web than ever before, enabling you to buy and sell with increased confidence. For real estate professionals, reinventing the industry means making hard decisions, changing processes and managing new opportunities. But for consumers, reinvention in real estate is a winner, hands-down.

Learn more at http://www.homekeys.net

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Charles Warnock

You may have been looking at the real estate market for some indication as to whether you should buy or sell a home. What should you be looking for? Recent reports are pretty gloomy. Sales are dropping, rates are rising and the market is slowing down. What does that mean to you?

If you are a seller, it could be that you will have a harder time selling your home. If you are a buyer, you could have more to choose from, but a higher interest rate on your mortgage. If you are in the industry, you could be looking at a potential loss of income due to fewer sales.

If you are smart, you’ll forget the market and look at the area you are looking to purchase or sell in.

Many parts of the U.S. are cooling off. Others are still experiencing booming sales. The market is a never-ending up and down. Your area could be a seller’s market or a buyer’s market.

If you are looking to sell, you can be sure that things aren’t the same as they were when you bought your house. Real estate values have gone up, hopefully. Your neighbors could also have their homes on sale, which means that you aren’t a rare find in housing.

Or you could be in an area where your house will be the most desirable property in town. You never know.

That’s how real estate is. The conditions that make a market good for one party can change overnight. All it takes is a few more houses on the market or less sellers to change a market.

Watch for what is going on in your neighborhood, or the area you want to buy in. Are new families moving in? Are homes selling quickly? Are there only a couple of homes for sale? Are improvements being made? Do you see many people looking at the homes for sale?

If so, then you could have a good chance at selling your home.

No matter what the market is like, there will be a buyer for a home. It just depends on time and price. If you are in a depressed market, you can find that by making your home attractive, you have better chances of selling it. In a hot market, you house sells itself.

If you are looking to buy, you should look at your own finances before you look at the market. Determine how much you can afford to spend on a home. Look at what your budget allows, not to what you can stretch into. In a hot market, you won’t have much bargaining room on the prime homes. In a slow market, you may find that you have increased negotiating power.

No matter what interest rates are, there will be a point in which you can not afford to buy a home. Yes, they are up now, but not so much that buying a home right now is unreasonable. They are still very low when compared to rates from a decade or more ago. They are expected to go up, so don’t think that they will necessarily come back down soon. Whether you are looking to buy or sell a home, there are many factors to consider. The overall market is interesting, but really won’t impact your home as much as the neighborhood and area market.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Martin Lukac

Miami real estate is on a summer vacation, as more listings are flooding the market this July. Prices have been falling, and contrary to the popular belief of some sellers, they won’t be climbing again anywhere in the foreseeable future.

Hardest hit is the condo market, with more and more apartments appearing on the market for sale each month, and fewer selling. Many buyers, who invested in pre-construction projects, have either been unable to close on condos they purchased, or have had to take losses in order to remain financially solvent.

Most investors have long abandoned the fantasy of buying up condos and flipping them for a quick profit. Those days are gone, and unlikely to return for sometime to come. All of this is not a bad thing, however, because a correction was necessary, albeit few real estate experts thought that it would last as long as it has.

Real estate in Miami is still some of the most desirable real estate in the world, and buying Miami real estate now is a great idea, if you are buying a home or condo to live in, or if you are looking for a long-term investment. Buyers in the Miami area are in the very best position they have been in for many years, to buy property at reasonable prices, and to make offers well below asking prices, and subsequently close deals on properties they would never have been able to buy just a couple of years ago.

To see how things have changed, one needs only to look at the statistics. According to data supplied by the Coral Gables, Homestead-South Dade, Kendall-Perrine, and Northwestern Association of Realtors or their MLS.

In March 2006, there were 7,703 single-family homes for sale in Dade County, which includes Miami, and 1,116 homes sold. According to the latest available statistics.

In May 2007, there were 13,403 Dade County single-family homes for sale, and 612 homes sold. The condo market was similar.

In March of last year, there were 14,761 Dade condos for sale, and 1,371 sold. In May of this year, there were 24,417 condos/town-homes for sale in Dade, with only 785 apartments sold. Foreclosures in Miami-Dade County are high, with 987 residential auctions in the first quarter of this year.

That translates into 127 foreclosures per 1,000 households. The good news is that Miami real estate is becoming more affordable, and with the dollar being so low against the Euro, and other currencies, foreigners who flock to Miami for vacation, will still find both homes and condos to be a great long-term investment. For more information, go to www.alexshay.com

Miami real estate

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Alex Shay

So, you want to sell your own home! Well, before making that final decision, you should consider reasons why you might want to change your mind.

Sure, everyone knows you can save that all-too-vilified 6% commission, but seriously, in the long run, if you don’t truly understand exactly what you’re doing, you probably end up saving nothing. Even worse, you spend more than you would have saved!

Selling a home isn’t easy. There are reasons why states regulate the industry along with the agents and brokers – it’s to protect the consumer from blatant fraud, stupidity, and ignorance on the part of the sellers. It’s difficult enough to do this with licensed agents and brokers, but it’s virtually impossible to monitor what’s happening when a consumer is dealing with a FSBO (a house that is For Sale by Owner).

Selling anything entails a marketing plan, a financial goal, and experience in the field. Whether you are selling car batteries, homemade brownies, or real estate, you need to completely understand who your target market is, where they are, and how to reach them. You must absolutely be able to establish a financial plan based on exactly what your house is worth, how quickly you need to sell, and what happens if you don’t.

Putting your own home on the market means more than putting that for sale sign on the front lawn and waiting for your phone to ring! Your chances of reaching a qualified buyer from drive-by traffic is almost nill. Without a comprehensive marketing plan and sales strategy already in place, you are doomed for failure.

Top Reasons to Use a Broker:

• Houses are priced to include that 6% broker commission. Buyers looking at FSBOs are well aware you aren’t paying that commission so they automatically deduct that money from their offer! Right off the bat, you aren’t saving anything.

• Do you know what your home is worth? Probably not! Checking Zillow.com is not the answer. Without access to a system that shows „comps“, and an understanding of how the prices of these comps were determined, there’s a good chance your home is not priced correctly. And by the time you figure this out, your perfect buyer bought another property down the street.

• Experienced real estate agents have qualified buyers actually waiting to see your home! Do you?

• Brokers have proven, established marketing plans for your home style and neighborhood – and they pay for all this advertising! (A good portion of that agency commission actually pays for this marketing.)

• They will be able to advise you on any improvements that should be done to add value and let you know what repairs absolutely must be done in order to expect a close to full price offer. You might think you want to sell „as is“ but that doesn’t mean the house will sell without lots of contingencies that include the repairs and upgrades the broker would have pointed out.

• They are experts in negotiating the offers! If you have never negotiated anything other than getting a free oil change with a new car purchase, this is best left to an experienced broker. Many FSBOs unwittingly kill a deal because they don’t understand the nuances between a good offer and one that probably wouldn’t even get a bank approval.

• Your home needs personal showings and exposure. An experienced agent will prepare the perfect open house for buyers, and one for other brokers. There is no way a FSBO can create this type of response.

• FSBOs are notorious for having poor people skills. After all, you have people walking around your beloved home making comments that frequently aren’t too complimentary. („Oh, wow, look at that ugly tub!“ or „This has to be the dirtiest carpeting we’ve seen so far!“) Sure, these are certainly insults to say the least, but a qualified agent knows exactly how to turn these negative comments and perceptions into a more positive experience. Home owners aren’t usually the best choices to do private showings for this reason – they don’t handle rejection or negativity well, and certainly not without confrontation which will typically not end well.

In the end, let the professionals do their job. They have the training, the experience, and the tools necessary to make sure your home gets the best possible exposure in order to get the best possible price. Don’t make an expensive mistake you’ll never recover from!

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Marie Duffoo

If you were looking at real estate ads and saw one that stated „green homes for sale“, you may at first wonder why anyone would a listing stating the color of their home. This is not what this type of ad means. It is just stating that the homes for sale are earth friendly and energy efficient. Green homes for sale are being built in an effort to less the carbon footprints we leave behind.

When you purchase a green home they will contains all or some of the following features that are earth friendly.

• Fiber cement siding

• Alternative power system like wind and solar

• Recycled building insulation

• No VOC stains and paints, which stands for volatile organic compound. It is any compound that is carbon-based and will vaporize at standard room temperatures. Some of the more prevalent ones are formaldehyde, acetone, and methane.

• Solar powered hot water heating

Even if you do not live in a green home, there are things that you can do to increase your energy conservation. It will even help contribute to saving our environment. Making your home a green home can help to reduce global warning and save the homeowner money. It will significantly better the environment and require little effort for the homeowner.

Making a green home

• Instead of using the standard incandescent light bulbs start to use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). When you switch to the CFL’s you can save per year over a hundred dollars. You can find these lights in the same aisle as your regular bulbs but they are little more expensive. In the United States, if every house switches the type of light bulbs they were using to CFL’s there would be a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of one trillion pounds.

• Install a thermostat that is programmable-with this type of thermostat the homeowner can program the thermostat so that the air conditioner or heater is off when homeowners are not at home. The programmable thermostat can be programmed so that it will cool or heat your home shortly before the homeowner arrives home. This change could save the homeowner ten percent or more on cooling and heating costs

• Plug air leaks-this will help the homeowner save money and practice conservation. You can do this by installing weather stripping, keep the temperature in your home from rapidly fluctuating, and caulk windows correctly to stop air drafts.

• Energy Star® rated appliances-these reduce the amount of electricity that is needed to operate them so they have less of an impact on the environment. They will also save on your energy bill.

If you are buying a home, choose energy efficient green homes for sale.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Lora Davis