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Your Questions About Real Estate

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Daniel asks…

What are the differences in living in Dallas vs Temple Texas? Is rural real estate more expensive in Dallas?

The Expert answers:

Obviously, the biggest difference is the population.. Dallas population is 1,240,499. The population of Temple is 58,300. Therefore, you’ll find a huge difference in the amount of traffic, the number of shopping centers, restaurants, churches, types of recreation, employment opportunities, housing, as well as crime. There is no such thing as rural real estate in Dallas. You’d have to go to the surrounding towns of McKinney, Midlothian, Waxahachie, Roanoke, or Sanger, and yes property is expensive all around the Metroplex.

Jenny asks…

What is the best site to visit for Gympie Real Estate and Rural Property?

I am primarily looking for farms for sale in queensland

The Expert answers:

Www.garydunpropertysales.com

Probably the best Gympie Rural Real Estate Agent I have come across.

Lizzie asks…

What are the problems of real estate business in rural areas?

The Expert answers:

There is a glut of houses on the market that no one wants and there has been so many mortgage defaults that it is much harder to qualify for a loan to buy a house, so the best thing anyone can do is rent. If you have a house for sale, the best thing to do is to rent it. I moved and wanted to sell my old house and no one wanted it. However, when I offered to rent OR sell, it rented right away.

Joseph asks…

How much negotiation may take place in rural real estate? Michigan…?

When a MOBILE HOME is old, like 1975 with five or even ten acres, list price at $40,000 in THIS current economy, do they really REALLY expect that price? or is $19,000 cash sufficient?

We are pretty much retired. We live in middle Michigan now, but thinking of moving up north (for whatever reason)….. We like to live near that big patch of 100s of acres of State land near Chain O Lakes, by Baldwin and Ludington. My main question , is,

When a MOBILE HOME is old, like 1975 with five or even ten acres, list price at $40,000 in THIS current economy, do they really REALLY expect that price? or is $19,000 cash sufficient? Please don’t think this is a joke. I’m an idiot. really. I don’t know. Is this a shot in the dark? or do I really have a chance to win this property? Should I even try? Why not go for a real honest to goodness wood/brick HOUSE in Baldwin or Luddington with a sewer (no replacing of $10,000 septics).

Please, could you possibly give me some advice? We have a young child that probably needs to be near a school or park to play with other kids too. but , my Siberian Husky likes to run away in the city. Country life is better for me and the dog… Oh… Yeah, my husband is retired, but I am a stay at home mommy. We would like to walk on State land, as city sidewalks actually hurt my feet, hips, legs, and back. (I’m not even “OLD” yet… really!) I have asthma, I Don’t take very well to city life (car exhaust). However, Baldwin is town of 1,000 people. So, I should be OK? yes? instead of my current city of 75,000.

PS. Also,, um, we do not currently own a car… (of course, we could buy one! We’d need one, in the rural area! ..) but if we lived in the “city” of Baldwin we could walk to the grocery store and such. IT would save our expenses. We do have a little bit of a limited budget. but what’s a budget, vs. happiness in forest? life long dreams achieved??? hmm? we could be poor, but we’d be happy. see? we have issues with depression. FORESTS “Green space”, creates happiness, south facing windows and sunshine helps us!

THaNK YOU for your help. I know, it’s a stupid question. but ten points for best answer! I could really use some advice!

PSS. Know any good realtors up north? lol
PPS. I was born up in Northern Michigan, … My family camps “up north” all the time. We are somewhat familiar with the area. Any where near State forest would be a dream come true.

The Expert answers:

There is no such thing as a stupid offer. It may be rejected out-of-hand, but it doesn’t hurt you to offer it. If you don’t get a counter-offer, then you’ll have to up your offer until you do get one. Give it a try, you have nothing to lose.

Betty asks…

I need pics of rural real estate send them to MAU_010564@nwocawebmail.org?

The Expert answers:

Why do you need pictures of rural real estate?

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Your Questions About Real Estate

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Laura asks…

Can I add real estate listings from local realestate websites to my Classified Ads site i’m starting?

I’m starting a classified ads website and i’m wondering if I can add listings that local real estate companies have listed on there website to my “real estate” portion of my local classified ads website?

I’m planning on putting all the information up on who to contact in regards to the listing.

The Expert answers:

I would think if you had permission from the companies as well as whatever source you are using to obtain the information. Stealing content from another web site would be illegal.

Donald asks…

How to advertise real estate listings online?

I want to know if there is a site or service that I pay one fee that advertises my listings all over the web? I am a real estate agent. Thanks!!
I am also thinking of starting a better website or somehow getting my site all over the web. I already have a domain name for it, any advice?? Thanks!

The Expert answers:

You should atleast have a website to promote your stuff.
If you’re in a hurry or low budget, try to use BLOGGER.It’s free. So add up the contents with what you want to say and promote it.
There are plenty of ways to promote your site.
1)Article Marketing
Really a powerful method in getting audience. Write a good article based on your niche topic and submit it in article directories. Just go to google or yahoo and search for “free article directories”. It will suggest you a host of directories that you can easily submit your writings. When people surf in that certain directory, they might stumble into your article and you got all the fame needed to be successful in Internet Marketing.

2)Blogging
This method is just like the article writing. You write what you want but good contents for your audience in blogs. The better you got, the more audience you get. You can also submit the same contents that you wrote in blogs in article directories. You get instant viewers if your article is in top 10 within your niche

3)Offer free stuffs
It’s always good to get free stuffs. Everyone likes it.So offer some free stuffs such as e-books or software for your audience. You will get a good, loyal and repeating audience. If you are looking for FREE e-books to market it in your site, check out this link.
Www.abc-netmarketing.blogspot…. Provides a host of e-books on internet marketing. The e-books will be updated weekly. So hurry up and get your best one soon.

4)E-mail Marketing
It’s as easy as ABC. Just promote your site to all your online contacts using e-mail.Write a good email that will attract your audience. If you got the contents right and able to convince your contacts , you are on your way to success.

5)SEO-Search Engine Optimization
Check out
www.ezinerticles.com for HOT tips on SEO

6)You Tube Videos
Use free videos from you tube and paste the links in your site. People like video tutorials better than articles or e-books.

7)Google Adsense
I strongly suggest you to visit www.abc-netmarketing.blogspot…. And learn about google adsense.If it’s not the best, atleast one of the best income generator for your websites. Visit the link and watch the video tutorials for FREE.

Chris asks…

I am looking for cool new ways to advertise my real estate listings. Got any ideas for me?

I have about 15 active listings on the market right now. As a real estate agent I am always looking for new ways to advertise them. I need to bring some buyers to my listings!!

The Expert answers:

Classfied ADs

Robert asks…

Why do US real estate listings not show floor plans?

Why do US real estate listings not show floor plans? In there country where I live now they are ALWAYS included.
It would be interesting to know how they are generated in my country, but I don’t know.

Wouldn’t it make sense for the seller to have an appraiser draw up a plan — that would make it easier to sell a home, wouldn’t it? In the country where I live potential buyers would feel very uncomfortable not being able to see the floor plan. Every real estate guide (printed or online) shows the plan for every home, or a survey for a lot.
The answers received so far still leave me confused. It would seem to me that creating the floor plans before each new sale, despite the cost of doing so, would make a sale much easier. So far I am hearing either that it is too expensive, or simply hearing a reconfirmation of the status quo.

There must be some cultural or historical background which led to this status quo in the first place. I still wonder what it is.

The Expert answers:

The floor plans are usually available for new homes, but not previously owned. You cna get an idea from pictures, but we usually see them for ourselves.

David asks…

What is a good yet inexpensive virtual tour service I can use for my real estate listings?

I’m in real estate and need a really good virtual tour service to use for my listings. I have used Justsnopping in the past but now that I have left Keller Williams I no longer get that service for free. Anybody have some ideas?

The Expert answers:

We use VirtualTour.com

You take your own photos then their software morphs them into panoramics. You then upload them to their site, enter property data & then they provide you with the links for branded & non-branded (for MLS) tours.

They also submit the property to a bunch of real estate classified sites.

I think we pay a flat fee of less than $30 a month for unlimited tours. It’s not as nice as the professional Ipix virtual tours but most of our listings are new construction and it’s common for us to have 30 or more listings at one time.

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Home Selling Checklist

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It’s Not An Easy Job Selling A House

Selling any home is a complex process. You just don’t publish an advertisement for your house, meet a buyer, negotiate and sell it; there is a checklist to sell your house sale. The home selling checklists include some procedures you must do in the process of selling any home.

This Is The Checklist You Must Pay Attention To When Selling Your House:

  1. Decide whether you pay an agent to sell your house or do you just try selling it by yourself. Paying a real estate agent means little effort will be required from you to sell your house. An agent will carry out all of business in regards to your home selling checklist. You just hire the real estate agent and pay him their percentage. But this will cost you some equity from the sale of course. So, it’s up to you to make a decision about how much effort you are prepared to put into the home sale.
  2. Be a communicative and informed seller; it is connected with your promotion strategy. You can use media to promote your home, such as newspaper, pamphlets, DVD’s, or online real estate websites. Don’t forget to place a sensible and suitable price for your house.
  3. Get your house ready to sell by doing some preparations on your house exterior, the interior, and clean up your appliances – make them sparkle.
  4. Decide whether you pay a professional home inspector to do pre-listing house inspection or not. This can be used as a tool to close potential buyers if you have it on hand.
  5. Get rid of any unnecessary furniture or appliances that are cluttering your rooms.
  6. Get familiar with mortgage financing terms, such as vendor-take-back financing (fixed, adjustable, transferrable mortgages, assumable loans), pre-qualified, pre-approved, mortgage commitments etc.
  7. Get familiar with sales closing negotiations and the finer points, such as contract, offer, deal, etc. You should always have a trusted real estate lawyer assist you with the legal transaction process.
  8. Know about what you can improve or not inside your house, what you can perk up on the interior, exterior and what you can not improve upon – such as location, style, etc., and have counter points to potential objections.
  9. Decide whether you will put a home warranty on your house or not if available.
  10. Find some help locating a new house while you are trying to sell your old one.
  11. Decide upon suitable closing and settlement terms with a buyer.
  12. Begin making your moving plans.

The home selling checklist above shows us that there are some challenges involved when selling a house. You should pay attention to your home selling checklist and follow the steps properly as stated. But if you decide to pay a real estate agent to organize your home selling process, just let them follow through with the points above and their own marketing plan. Doing so will eliminate your involvement for the most part in the home selling process.

Being A Good Landlord Is Harder Than It May Appear

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When buying a house or apartment with the intention of letting it out to tenants, you may well have in mind one thing only – that day every month when the money transfers into your account and, for the privilege of letting people live in a property you own, you make a profit. However, if you are the landlord of a rented property, life is very rarely that simple. It is not necessarily a bad life at all, but it pays to be realistic at these times. If you are prepared for what you will face, it is always much better.

Often, you will go for months without hearing from or about your tenants. The principle of “no news is good news” is one that many people subscribe to. There is good reason for this. Mostly, people just want a quiet life and will go about their business in a way which does not infringe upon anyone’s time. However, if there is a problem which could threaten the liveability of the property you are renting out, then it can end up costing you money and ruining the living conditions of the people living there. It is essential to keep in contact with tenants.

Having a good relationship with your tenants is something that will pay off. You don’t need to send them a Christmas card every year or attend their kids’ ball games, but being prepared to meet them halfway on certain matters will benefit you in the long run, as they are prepared to continue paying the rent, and will leave it in a good condition when they vacate

Buying To Rent – How To Make Sure It Works

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One of the most popular ways of making money in the past few decades has been the boom in buying houses in order to then let them to tenants. Some investors do this by purchasing a house and then redeveloping it into apartments. Others simply buy the house and then let it exactly as it is or with minor renovations. Either way, it is something that a lot of people have chosen to do, and it can be profitable.

Think about it this way – when you look at the amount that is charged for rent on a property, it is almost invariably a lot higher than you would be paying monthly on a mortgage if you had taken one out and bought the property. Therefore, there is a potential profit margin in doing the latter and letting other people do the former. Just bear in mind that the mortgage is not the only cost you will be paying as a landlord.

If you are looking to buy to let, then it is essential that you scrupulously check the property for any necessary repairs, and that you allow money for those repairs should they be needed. You will also potentially have a higher level of tax to pay on income from rent, and you may also be expected to pay maintenance costs on the property depending on the level of rent you are charging. However, if you can get the costs to stack up in your favor, there are always people willing to rent so it can be a big money maker for you.

The Dos and Don’ts Of Renovation

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It is important when renovating a house to bear in mind that there is a big difference between a loose plan and a final certainty. You may have ideas about what the house is going to look like and how much money it is going to make you, but those ideas can only become reality with a lot of work. Don’t get carried away by the seemingly foolproof nature of your plans.

You should always make sure that you “comparison shop” every decision you make. You may need to pay builders and other workmen to do the renovation work. You should consult as many different companies as you can before contracting one to do the work – check them for references and price. Do the same for materials and for any other service that will be required.

It can be tempting to walk away from a development, even temporarily, because you have just reached a point where every decision is difficult and you are second-guessing yourself on everything. You may just want to give up. At these times, you need to show steely reserve and keep in mind that time is very nearly equal to money.

Finally, you should always be ready to take the opinions of others on board. By going with your own gut on every decision you make it is possible to develop tunnel vision. You don’t have to run every decision by someone and agree with all of their points, but it can be useful to ensure that you are looking at the plan from a more detached angle – as this is what potential purchasers will be doing

Time Doesn’t Stop When You’re Renovating

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When you buy a house for the purposes of renovating it, there may well be a simple equation in your head. Money spent on buying house + money spent renovating = total spend. Resale price – total spend = profit. Simple! Isn’t it? Well, maybe not. You see, on top of this you do need to consider what else is going on while you are renovating. Renovating a house is not something you can do in “dead time”, so you also have to look at how you live in the mean time.

After all, if you need to be present for the work – because you are helping to do it or because you need to monitor the project – then this cuts into time that you would ordinarily spend working and making money. If you have sold your house to buy the new one, then you will also need to take care of resettlement costs, whether you are renting or have found another solution. It is hard to live in a house which is in the middle of renovations, as anyone who has done it will tell you.

You may need to work into your budget an amount which will cover the costs of your time spent on site and your temporary accommodation. If you have borrowed in order to buy the house, you will need to at least service the mortgage on it, too. Therefore it is essential that you have a plan, and that that plan is realistic. Many people get carried away thinking of the profit that they will make, but it is important to think about the difference between gross and net profit

Pouring Your Money Into A Black Hole

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The “fixer-upper” is a grand tradition of real estate. Many houses go on the market needing some work before they are truly habitable. Whether your intention is to live in the house or to fix it up and sell it on for a profit, you will need to do some work one way or the other – and because of the work involved, often these houses are available for a bargain price. However, it should be noted that not every house that is available for a low price is a bargain. Sometimes, people only find this out after doing a lot of work.

A “money pit” is a house which looks like a bargain when you initially buy it, but when you come to realize the extent of the renovations that need to be done before it is even habitable you realize that you will have to spend a ludicrous amount of money. If you are selling, you may not make a profit. If you plan to live there, you’d have been better moving in to an already suitable house and paying the extra money up front. Of course, by the time you have found this out, it’s already a little late.

Before buying a house which requires work, it is always advisable to have a survey carried out on the property to find the extent of work that needs to be done. You may be pleasantly surprised, or you may get a warning that you should not proceed with the purchase. Although it costs money to have a survey done, it is still immensely preferable to buying rashly and then spending time and money putting that decision to rights

One Man’s Misfortune Is Another Man’s Opportunity

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If you were offered a deal that sounded as though it was unbeatable, and it turned out that there was no risk involved for you, you’d surely take it, wouldn’t you? Most of us, if not all, would. But then throw this variable into the equation: You can only have this deal by taking advantage of the fact that a couple with three children are divorcing after one of the parents lost their job. They will sell for just over half of what they paid for the property because the bottom fell out of the market and the repayments are crippling them.

How do you feel now? Still thinking of popping open a bottle of champagne and toasting your good fortune? Well, you may well be. The fact is that there will always be misfortune in this world, and if you feel that it is excessively unkind to profit from someone else’s misfortune then there will be countless other people out there who are not at all bothered about taking that step. Obviously you would be well advised not to celebrate your good fortune in front of the family who are losing their home, but they need to sell it, and you will not be helping them by opting out of the decision.

This is how many people make their first step on the real estate ladder. Equally, others will buy houses from seized-property auctions without considering that the work that went into those homes may have been funded by drug dealing, and buying from a repossession auction is also a way of profiting from another’s misfortune if you wish to take that view of things. It’s all relative, and you are not the bad guy

The Wrong Side Of The Tracks

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Most of us have heard someone – often our parents, but probably more often a character in a TV show – describing another individual as being “from the wrong side of the tracks”. It is one we hear, and repeat, without necessarily giving any thought to what it means. We as humans, have a tendency to do that – but what does it mean?

Well, to make a long story short, it was realised some time ago that people who could afford to choose where they lived would pay for a house in a location that was peaceful, clean and sedate. Too much through traffic means a lot of pollution, and can also cause structural faults, and also an increased number of strangers – something we were always taught to dread.

Poorer neighborhoods, with higher crime rates and naturally a “less desirable” kind of person living there, as a result, were often positioned close to public transport links such as railways and (in larger cities) airports. Anyone living in that area would be considered bad news by the richer families who intended to maintain a spotless reputation – and if the son or daughter of a rich was seen to be consorting with someone from those areas, that could mean social suicide.

This kind of reputation still persists for many people. However, there are also advantages to living and buying in what might be considered a poorer, grottier neighborhood. Prices are lower, but sound investment does mean that you can still make a decent profit. After all, proximity to public transport links also has its benefits.