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Real Estate Information

Do You Need to Download a Landlord Inventory On-Line Today?


Do you need to download a Landlord Inventory on-line now? Why is it so important to have a Landlord Inventory?

Searching for CLUEs: What Homebuyers & Sellers Need to Know About Homeowners Insurance


Homebuyers and sellers should be aware about issues involving homeowners insurance and the C.L.U.E. database. C.L.U.E. stands for Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange and is a collection of homeowners insurance claim history enabling insurance companies to access five years worth of prior claim information to evaluate risks. The database is maintained by Choice Point Inc., a private Georgia firm, and contains over 40 million claims records on houses in all 50 states. Over 90 percent of insurers providing homeowners coverage provide data to the CLUE system.

Buy FHA HUD Homes


FHA HUD homes are those dwellings that have been acquired by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The HUD oversees the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which offers federal insurance on home mortgages. When a home owner fails to meet the payments of a HUD insured mortgage, it results in the home being foreclosed by the mortgage lender. Ownership of the house is then transferred to HUD and the mortgage lender collects the money owed. FHA HUD homes are then put for sale at the current market rate with the aim of selling it off quickly and recovering the money. It, in fact, offers an inexpensive option for those looking to buy FHA HUD homes.

Golf and Waterfront Living: Live, Play, Relax


With today?s planned lifestyle communities, golf and boating enthusiasts have an opportunity to purchase the home of their dreams just a chip shot away from the green or stone?s throw from the marina.  In addition to an ideal home setting, golf and waterfront community residents enjoy an active and diversified lifestyle experience complete with first-class golf courses, marinas, beaches, spas, clubhouses, recreation areas, fine dining and countless other amenities. Out of the 10,000 master planned communities across the United States, over 2,500 are built around golf courses and pristine waterfront property.  Making sense of all the options can be mind boggling.  If you are thinking about relocating to one of these golf and waterfront communities, it is imperative to be able to distinguish one community from the next and more importantly, know what to look for before you buy.  In the past, golf and waterfront master planned communities catered to distinct segments of the housing market, namely middle to upper income empty nesters and retirees. Things have changed. Today, golf course and waterfront developments are designed to accommodate budgets of all levels and generally fall into one of two categories: multi-generational and age restricted. The construction of multi-generational communities represents a recent trend in planned community home building. The underlying idea is to attract a diverse population of families including retirees and young professionals of varying income levels and backgrounds in order to establish a robust and vibrant community. After decades of building age restricted communities, builders and developers have recognized that the traditional elements of planned community living such as security, on-site amenities and low maintenance housing appeal to home buyers of all ages. Most new communities are multi-generational developments. Vistancia situated in the beautiful Sonoran desert outside of Peoria, Arizona is a recently opened golf community attracting individuals and families of all ages. Since home sales began in March 2004, almost 500 families have moved into this scenic development with 1,700 total acres of open space and a 900-acre mountain preserve. Conversely, age restricted planned communities are developed for the +55 home owner with amenities and facilities for today?s discerning empty nester and retiree. Typically, the age restriction requires one household resident to be at least 55 in order to qualify for home ownership. Over the last decade, an evolution has occurred with the age restricted community model of yesteryear making way for contemporary activity based developments complete with lavish amenities and world-class recreation areas, not to mention the conventional facilities required by the +55 demographic. The undisputed leader in age restricted master planned community development is Del Webb. Since the 1960s, Del Webb has constructed numerous age restricted golf and waterfront communities across the United States. Del Webb?s Sun City developments are arguably the most recognizable line of age restricted communities stretching from coast to coast with Sun City Hilton Head in North Carolina and Sun City Lincoln Hill in California. The most important criterion in selecting a traditional home is location and the same is true when deciding on a golf and waterfront community. The old adage ?location, location, location? aside, one has to consider whether the new property will serve as a primary residence, second home getaway or retirement abode. The final location decision is generally based on three primary factors: home use, surrounding area and local weather. For most of us working folk, our primary residence is located within an hour or so of a major metropolitan center. Don?t fret, there are hundreds of golf and waterfront communities centrally located within driving distance from most major metropolitan areas. If by chance you live near Dallas, you have several options to choose from including Stonebridge Ranch in north Dallas and Black Horse Ranch which is only 25 minutes from downtown. Washington D.C. commuters are also in luck with conveniently located golf and waterfront communities in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Belmont Country Club, a Toll Brothers property, is a mere 40 minutes from Washington D.C. in Ashburn, Virginia. These examples represent only a fraction of the actual number of suburban golf and waterfront developments. The location decision is a bit more complicated and not as clear cut when one considers purchasing a second home retreat or retirement residence. In this situation, other factors come in to play such as the activity and cultural richness of the immediate area and of course, local weather. If you are looking for a second home, would you like to be nestled in the woods away from the hustle and bustle of the city, located in a more suburban area or some in between? Climate is also an integral factor to take into consideration when purchasing a home particularly if you are feeling abused by recent harsh winters. This may clearly point to a direction that takes you out of your home state or even to another part of the country. Conversely, the summer?s never ending heat may drive you to consider the cooler climates up north. Fortunately, there are 2,500 golf and waterfront communities spread out across the United States from Minnesota to Texas and California to Massachusetts. What is clear in the case of retirement homes is that good local health care and transportation facilities are a must. For most retirees, living over 60 miles away from the closest hospital or airport is just not an option. In the end, it comes down to striking a balance between modern necessities and the beauty of the great outdoors. Once you have settled on a geographic location, the next area to focus on is amenities. These can vary greatly from one golf and waterfront development to the next. Typically, these expanded ?goodies? fall into two categories: conveniences and lifestyle enhancements. Conveniences include such things as security services, home maintenance, gardening services, concierge service, on-site retail and office space, cable television and high-speed internet. Lifestyle enhancements relate to recreation activities and rest and relaxation befitting an enhanced life of leisure. One can find a mix of facilities at planned communities which support numerous activities like tennis, hunting, boating, skiing, and hiking. To balance the rigors of recreation, planned communities provide residents with rest and relaxation amenities such as spas, clubhouses, wilderness preserves, pools, beaches and fine dining. With real estate opportunities for every budget, isn?t it about time you looked into moving to a golf and waterfront community that offers unbelievable vistas, year round activities, low maintenance living and first-class amenities?

Are Condo Hotels What the Orlando Real Estate Investor Has Been Looking For?


Earlier this year the Hawthorn suites in Lake Buena Vista quietly sold out all of their units in less than a month. These 540 sq. ft. units were an investor's dream, with a price tag in the mid $100's and an area average occupancy of over 84% these properties to quote one of our investors "make perfect sense".

Equity


Equity is the value of your home minus what you owe on your mortgage. For example, If Joe's home is worth $200,000 and Joe still owes $170,000, then Joe's Equity is $30,000.

Checklist for Buying a Home


I had a client who called saying that his bath tub just fallen through the floor in his new home (new to him). Mold had eaten away the floor from the crawlspace up. The seller had placed a few 4x4s under the floor to hold everything up long enough to sell the house and get out of town.

Home Warranties: Are They Too Good To Be True?


What is a ?Home Warranty??

Selling A Home ? What Attachments Stay or Go?


The home selling and buying process can be confusing. This is especially true when it is a FSBO (for sale by owner) operation. It?s even tougher when neither the seller nor the buyer is in the real estate business. This article sorts through what stays in the house or condo when it?s sold.

Selling a Home ? What Personal Property Stays?


The home selling and buying process can be confusing, particularly when it comes to figuring out what items stay with the home. This is especially true when it is a FSBO (for sale by owner) operation. It?s even tougher when neither the seller nor the buyer is in the real estate business. This article sorts out what personal property stays with the home when it is sold.

Should You Use a Property Management Company or Manage Your Real Estate Investment in Florida?


When considering investment properties, first of all, it must be determined that it is profitable and a good idea to purchase rental properties. Let?s talk about this aspect. Owning rental property produces rental income which, if after expenses are deducted produces a profit, would be viewed as a good investment. Add to this the possibility that property has the potential to increase in value over time and you have some solid reasons to purchase investment properties.

Invest In Real Estate - But Where?


Where should you invest in real estate? If you know an area well, and have enough experience investing in real estate, you can make money almost anywhere. However, there are always places that are better or worse for real estate investments - places that have a better demand/supply ratio. Use the questions below to find them.

From Foreclosure to Forbearance - The Art of Negotiation


As an active real estate investor you probably already know that the most important phase of your investment is when you buy the property. Most of us are getting the bargains in the foreclosure market. You will agree with me that the best time to buy is before the actual foreclosure. This is commonly known as pre-foreclosure.

Real Estate Investing In Bulgaria


As Bulgaria readies for joining the European Economic Community in 2007, many investors are looking to see if there are real estate bargains to be had there.

Real Estate Investing In Belize


Any trip to Belize starts fantasies of owning a beach villa, or a jungle resort. There are a lot of North Americans in this English speaking, former English colony.

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