Real Estate Investing Advice & Information

A recent article by Forbes announced that apartments and homes in the most expensive cities in the United States are lowering, but it is a phenomenon that is happening over the country. The market is ripe for buyers, with housing prices lower than ever.

But with the financial crisis still leaving many with an unsure future looming ahead, it isn’t surprising that most are still choosing to rent. Luckily, the cost of living has lowered, and real estate is going down even for the people who would prefer to be on a lease, rather than a mortgage.

You can find great deals on six or twelve month leases on apartments anywhere, from Miami, to Dallas, to Portland. Special offers are common, with promises of $99 deposits, a month of rent free, referral programs, and many others seen all over the Internet. This gives a special opportunity for anyone who is looking to get out of their current home, and into a new one. continue reading…

With Slovenia’s accession to the EU and its impressive economic performance between 2000 and 2007, its capital Ljubljana has become a vibrant business center in Europe, attracting growing numbers of international investors. Since it is the capital, Ljubljana is also home to foreign diplomats on assignment. Over the last few years, the demand for apartments, houses and offices on rent has led to the development of quality residential and business premises in and around Ljubljana. Most foreigners who do business in Slovenia live in Ljubljana or the nearby cities of Maribor, Celje and Koper.

For someone new to Slovenia, renting real estate in an unfamiliar environment may cause some apprehension initially but that soon wears off when one acquires a preliminary understanding of the market. It is important to use reliable sources in your search for a home or office and to acquaint yourself with the facts and legalities of the deal before you commit to it. A number of real estate agencies assist businessmen and diplomats in identifying a suitable apartment or office and in finalizing the deal. For these services, they charge a commission, which is normally equivalent to two monthly rents. What you need to ensure is that the real estate agent you wish to work with is well-established and has a reputation for efficiency and reliability. Agencies that claim to locate real estate for foreigners were established in mid 90s and are one of the most reputable. Their websites has details of apartment and office rentals. Besides real estate agencies, the Internet and advertisements in the print media can also offer useful information. One of Slovenia’s most well-known property portals has current details of average monthly rents. In general, rents for residential and business premises are highest in Ljubljana, Celje, Maribor and Koper. continue reading…

What constitutes a good deal is determining your exit strategy. This could mean something different every time your property scenario changes. For example, say I buy a property that is in very poor shape and I do not plan on being a landlord. A good deal would be getting this property under contract for about 70% of its as is value and wholesale it to another investor for a fast cash profit. Another example is say I find a 30 unit apartment building for a huge discount of 75%, if my exit strategy is to not be a landlord this is not a good deal because few wholesale buyers want this type of property due to rehab.

A major equation that determines what a good deal is to you is your financial resources. This includes cash and credit you have available. For example, a good deal for someone that has no cash and bad credit would be, finding an owner who will finance you with no money down if you pay one hundred percent of the value of the home. Now this is a good deal if and only if you can still rent this property resulting in a positive cash flow. However I don’t recommend you begin with deals like this one until you take a few landlord training classes. continue reading…

It is highly beneficial to rent out your house to families who are eligible to avail financial assistance in the form of a subsidized rent from the Housing Urban Development (HUD) department of the US government. It is however important to realize as a landlord that not all rental properties can be rented out for Section 8 benefits. Only those properties which adhere to certain guidelines related to quality and rent charged would be qualifying for Section 8 benefits.

Let us understand some important provisions related to section 8. In accordance with the provisions of section 8 of rental housing, the US federal government pays a part of the rent for these low income families to the landlord. There are two mandatory conditions related to quality and Rent of the rental property which the landlord must comply with so that his property can qualify as a Section 8 rental property. Let us look at each of these conditions:

• Quality: Your rental property must adhere to certain minimum quality standard. The standards relate to safety and health aspects. Your property would be inspected to check whether it conforms to the quality conditions prior to being qualified as a Section 8 property. continue reading…

It seems that more and more home owners in the UK have taken heed of the state of the housing industry and are opting to not sell their homes just yet. With house prices still in a slump compared to previous years the letting option is now looking more attractive for a lot of people.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) published a report in August of this year stating that frustrated owners have been letting their properties after not being able to secure sales at the desired valuations. Surprisingly rents have increased which has left the lettings arm of the housing industry as a desirable source of income while house prices recover.

This is only natural as not everyone wants to just sit tight and wait for house prices to improve. Some home owners still need to make some money out of their properties. Letting is a good alternative as it is the only option for pre first time buyers who still can’t afford the price of a house these days. For although prices have taken a battering of late they are still double or even three times what they were ten years ago in my area. continue reading…

So you decided to move in to your new dwelling with one or a few of your friends. The good news is that you can save on your upfront costs by sharing the expense with them. Depending on the number of room mates you’ve decided to live with, it could be an even greater savings. In addition, at least one hopes, your roommate provides good company and can even make you feel more secure if you’re not used to living by yourself. There is no such thing as a perfect living arrangement, so you should expect some sort of give-and-take between you and your roommates. Perhaps the most important thing to consider is the restriction that the landlord may impose on the number of tenants, aka bodies, that are allowed to live in the dwelling.

Understand that once you sign the lease you are in essence agreeing to rent for a specified amount of time, and you have a legal obligation to do so. You can’t just walk away one day and say I’ve had enough of this place and I’m looking for another one. So before you commit to a lease with a bunch of your friends, make sure you know enough about them so that you’re comfortable living with them for an extended period of time.

Once you sign a lease, you’re locked into that place and all the bodies that are living in it. If your potential roommates smoke, make sure you consider that before you go in with them into the lease. If they love to party into the wee hours of the morning and you’re not into that kind of thing you may want to rethink rooming with them. Seriously, a signed lease is a legal obligation which means you will be held financially responsible for your portion of the expenses. Once that is in place, it will be very difficult for you to back out. So once again make sure you know what you are getting into. continue reading…

The lease purchase is an arrangement in real estate circles, where a property owner and a lessee get into what is otherwise an ‘ordinary’ lease agreement, but the option for the lessee purchasing the property upon the end of the lease. It is one of the property market transactions that have become rather popular in recent days, as the real estate market goes through one of the roughest stretches it has had to go through in recent times.

To underpin the lessee’s commitment to purchase the property in question, there is usually a system incorporated, where the lessee pays some extra money, on top of their rent for the property. That extra money is not wasted though: it goes into the payment of a deposit for the property in question.

The lease purchase works well in a number of ways for both the parties to it, that is, the property owner and the lessee.

One way in which the lease purchase can work for you, as a lessee is by giving you the opportunity to purchase a property you love at a lower price. Here is how this comes to be. Let’s say you identify a property somewhere and develop a liking for it. Unfortunately, it happens that by virtue of your current credit outlook, if you were to immediately get a mortgage to purchase the property, you would end up paying a very high interest on the mortgage. You also take cognizance of the fact that the higher interest you would have to pay on the mortgage would essentially be extra price you pay for the property. continue reading…

One of the most common housing choices is to rent a unit. For those who move around frequently, live alone or with a roommate, or who don’t want the financial burden of a house, renting offers the ideal housing solution. The city of Buffalo, NY provides an urban environment rich with culture and history. A worldwide attraction of Buffalo is Niagara Falls, one of the seven wonders of the natural world. With so much to offer in one city, it’s no wonder there are more than enough property management companies ready to service your housing needs.

When first deciding where to live, determine what type of property will best suit your lifestyle. Options range from a single-unit house, a multi-unit home, or a large multi-unit property. Once you’ve narrowed down your options, next look at the services offered by the property management company. General services could include 24-hour emergency response, management of property maintenance and repair, and management of capital improvements, renovations, and remodeling. continue reading…

Contemporary options for several individuals are influenced by the current economic condition and other factors affecting decisions on home purchase and ownership. Due to crisis in the financial sector, many are finding refuge in the idea of renting a residence or home instead of buying one. For home owners, who want to maximize their available resources such as their properties, opting for rental or leasing their houses is one reliable notion of generating extra income. Hence, it is important to know what are converted and included in a standard lease contract to have a smooth and productive landlord-tenant relationship.

The lease contract especially intended for residential rental agreement is essentially important in creating a binding contract between the tenant and landlord as regards to leasing and renting an apartment unit or a single-family home. It is primary requirement in the beginning of every transaction in order to secure the welfare and interests of both parties. The leaser or landlord is the one to provide the lease contract and clearly explains its contents and the terms and conditions to his prospective tenant. Hence, it is imperative to provide a clear account of everything you want to include in your agreement to avoid any misunderstandings in the future.

The standard lease contract contains several components salient in the process of renting the property. It actually depends on the home owner and landlord how many pages the document would be as long as the full terms and conditions are all stated in the document. It also depends on his discretion whatever important terms he would like to include in the agreement. However, some of the basic elements that are commonly found in all standard lease contracts are observed. continue reading…

Finding an apartment in Boston and Cambridge should seem easy enough that there wouldn’t be a need for an article written about it. With hundreds of websites and brokers in town, there is no shortage of places to search to find apartments. What most of websites won’t tell you, is when you should be looking in order to get the best deal possible.

Rentals are especially seasonal in Boston and Cambridge because of the number of students that live there. With school starting right around September, the peak rental season usually ends just after September 1st. In simple economic terms, this means that while supply is up for late Summer and early Fall rentals, so is the demand, which generally leads to higher prices and less in terms of concessions. Some luxury apartment buildings, like Dexter Park in Brookline, do offer students up to 1 month free rent if they get on a waiting list as early as February for a September move in. However, in general the most concessions and the lowest rents will show up in off peak times. Think October, November, December, or February if you want a chance to lower that sticker price. Should you decide to heed this advice, you will notice that there are obviously fewer listings available, but these might have been on the market for a while and the landlord or management company is likely to either be flexible with the rent or offer you some sort of concession like a free month. Buildings like the Atrium in Packard’s Corner (BU West), Mezzo Design Lofts in Charlestown, the Watermark in Kendall Square, and the Archstone Avenir in the North End all tend to offer significant discounts (some are currently offering 2 months free rent!) to renters that move in around these times. Individual landlords tend to accept lower offers for their rentals as well; scared that their property will remain vacant through the Winter. continue reading…