Ihr Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

There are several misconceptions about a For Sale by Owner type of transaction in the real estate world. If you are attempting a FSBO, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s discuss some of the myths and facts about this popular method of selling your house. Hopefully, this will address some of the misconceptions and misinformation you have about the process. It can be a positive transaction for all the parties involved, when done correctly.

Myth #1: I have to know a lot about real estate in order to sell my house on my own. I should be licensed as a real estate agent or at least take some classes.

Truth: While it can be extremely helpful to know the laws about real estate in your area, you do not have to know it all. Many times you can hire an experience real estate lawyer for much less than the agent’s commission and you are legally covered. These lawyers can provide you with the necessary contracts so that the sale is legal and binding. You may benefit from real estate classes or some simple online training but you don’t have to be licensed to sell your own property. Legally, any owner can sell their property without having a real estate license.

Myth #2: I need to be great with people to sell my house.

Truth: You shouldn’t be scared of people. There are some people who have a natural aversion to people and would consider themselves a hermit. Most people, however, can talk to other human beings on a one-on-one basis. If you are nervous in crowds, you have the ability to limit showings to one person at a time. You never have to host an open house and you can ask to only speak with the actual buyer, not their entire family. If you work and interact with people on a daily basis, limited or not, you can perform the necessary talking that will sell your house.

Myth #3: I’ll make a larger profit when I do a FSBO.

Truth: While many sellers do report making a larger profit, many experience the benefit of simply not paying money out of their own pocket. In this current housing market, the competition is plentiful and you may need to lower the asking price to compete in the market. You have to be willing to compromise to have a successful sale. When you lower the price, you may not have the leftover money from the sale to pay an agent and concessions. A FSBO will let you skip that part and lower the price enough to sell but you may not make a substantial gain on the house.

Myth #4: People will call and stop by at all hours of the day and night.

Truth: You will get phone calls, emails, and even drive-bys. Don’t think of them as a nuisance, but rather as money in your pocket. These are potential buyers and the faster you can get them to buy, the sooner you can be done with the hassles. It may be a pain to have the showings and distribute the info, but in reality when you use an agent, they don’t clean for you, make the decisions for you, or even create a budget for you. Those are all items you will do on your own so why pay an agent to do that.

Myth #5: It will hurt my neighbors and area to have a FSBO instead of a "real" sale.

Fact: When a house sells, the price is recorded. Depending on where you live it can be public information. Regardless of how it sells, the information is recorded. Even if you sell your own house, your area will not be hurt by it. Would your neighborhood benefit from a new person moving in and buying the house or from the house sitting vacant with the ability for squatters and vandalism? You need to sell your house so why not do it while you are in control?

Taking control of your real estate situation means doing what is best for you and your situation. Don’t allow others to determine or intimidate you into a decision. Real estate gives you the ability to control the future and you can be in complete control of the transaction.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Melissa Gifford

In a difficult real estate market, those attempting to sell their homes need to use every advantage they can to help it move faster. One question many hot tub or spa owners have is whether they should let the hot tub convey with the property. After weighing the options, many home sellers come to the conclusion that it is easier to leave their spa behind. There are several reasons why. These are just a few.

A hot tub raises the property value. When it is properly installed and ready to go, it is considered a luxurious and sophisticated addition to a home. It is a positive selling point, and can be the boost a home seller needs to make the property more appealing than the competition’s home. Most people think it is harder to purchase and install a spa than it really is, so having it ready to go is an advantage for a potential sale over buying a home with a concrete spa pad or empty area to fill. In today’s real estate market, homes that sell faster are those in move-in condition. A spa that is already assembled, installed and in working order fits the bill.

It could be time for an upgrade. Selling the old spa with the property means a new spa is in order with the new home. This gives the owner a chance to buy a newer, nicer model that may have some extra bells and whistles included that were not available when the existing model was manufactured. Many modern hot tubs use more sophisticated hot tub filters, which means they do not need to be changed as often and the water is even cleaner than before. Newer hot tub equipment makes maintenance easier than it used to be, leaving the new spa owner more time for relaxing in it.

Another reason a home seller might wish to convey the appliance with the home is because it is easier to leave it than to take it along. For example, the destination house for the seller may be far away. Rather than attempting to safely transport it or paying extra costs for shipping, it may simply be easier to buy a new one upon arrival in the new location. Another issue may be whether there is enough room in the new home for a hot tub, or whether it already has one.

On the other hand, the seller may not wish to part with the hot tub. People do grow attached to things that are familiar and easy to use. It could be the ideal model, and might be difficult for the homeowner to part with along with everything else.

One downside to letting the spa convey with the rest of the property may lie with the potential homebuyers. They may be unable to afford the added value to the property for sale or may want to haggle over the price. One way to remedy this issue is to simply increase the property value before listing the home, making the spa part of the property before it ever comes into question.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Jeremy P Stanfords

In today’s economy foreclosures seem to happen everyday. By fully understanding the process you can have a better grasp of your situation and help you make the most effective decision possible. If you are facing a Nebraska foreclosure it is important that you understand some basics:

Nebraska has a Non Judicial process under power of sale and deed of trust.

The foreclosing party or bank must record a notice of default at least one month before receiving notice of sale and mail a copy to you with in 10 days. After thirty days expire, notice of sale is then published once a week for 5 consecutive weeks. Notice of sale must be sent to borrower twenty days prior to sale.

You may reinstate by paying the amount due to the lender within a month after redecoration of notice of default.

Deficiency judgments may be obtained by filing a separate lawsuit within 90 days of foreclosure sale.

Now that you’ve read the basics here are some reasons why homeowners may be facing foreclosure: Divorce, death in family, inheritance, job relocation, job loss. There may be many other reasons but these are the main ones.

Nebraska foreclosure starts when homeowners are unable to make mortgage payments. Then the bank sends out a notice that the foreclosure process has began. After the bank begins the process, usually it takes around 60 days, the house is reposed by the lender and sold for the balance that you owed on the property.

There are ways that homeowners are able to avoid the foreclosure but homeowners aren’t always able to steer clear. Once the process has begun there are although it may seem impossible to stop there are several ways for homeowners to stop foreclosure. You can go to the lender and ask the lender for a loan modification. This is simply asking the lender if you are able to pay less money for a shorter amount of time. It is negotiable depending on the lender and circumstances. Also you can pay the balance due within the time frame of the foreclosure sale before the home is repossessed and sold. Also you can pay the entire loan balance before the house is sold.

There are many reasons why homeowners may not want to be foreclosed on, but the main reason are loss of home and damaged credit. Although it seems stressful and impossible it cane be overcome.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by DaMonni Denson

Whether you are buying or selling a property, choosing a real estate agent may be the most important decision you make. Good real estate agents can save you a substantial amount of time and money. They can also ensure that the buying or selling process is an enjoyable and memorable experience. Here are some tips for choosing a real estate agent:

1. Ask Friends/Family for Referrals

Ask family and friends for their advice on local agents. This way you will be sure to find an agent with a good reputation.

2. Consider More than One Agency

There is an array of agents that will kill for your business. That is why you should interview as many agents as you can. Compare agents with regard to their knowledge of the area, experience and qualifications. Also, ask for references from previous clients.

3. Choose an Agent that Knows the Importance of Customer Care

While interviewing different agents you will be able to establish their level of customer care or how far they will go to satisfy the customer. Look at things like their attitude towards returning phone calls and their willingness to meet with you.

4. Choose an Agent that Handles Homes in Your Price Range

When you opt for an agent that deals with homes in your price range, you will be sure to end up with an agent that will give his or her best effort. Some agents deal only with high-end properties and are used to high commissions. They are more likely to attend to these properties first.

5. Choose an Agent that Respects Your Time Schedule

If you will not be able to view properties during office hours, you need to find an agent that is willing to do business after hours or over weekends.

6. Look for an Agent that You Can Communicate With

Communication is vital when buying or selling real estate. Make sure that you choose an agent that understands your needs and that communicates them well. You will be best off if you choose and agent that registers a high level of comfort with you or with whom you are compatible with.

7. Choose an Agent that Provides Multiple Services

It will be a bonus if you can find an agent that can handle the buying/selling process as well as other additional services like arranging property inspections or who can refer you to a trustworthy real estate attorney.

8. Choose an Agent That Can Negotiate

Negotiating skills is an essential quality of a good real estate agent. Make sure you choose and agent with impeccable and proven negotiating skills.

9. Choose an Agent with Lots of Resources

Ask agents where your property will be advertised. Make sure that the agency uses print advertising (newspaper/magazines) as well as other promotional material such as brochures. Also check if the agency makes use of the Internet for advertising their listings.

10. Follow Your Instinct

Choose an agent that makes you feel comfortable and whom you trust. You level of comfort and satisfaction will let you know if you’ve met the right agent.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Elizabeth Mclachlan

It can be quite exciting and inspiring to buy a home for the first time. However, it can be quite tiring and stressful if you are a first-time buyer. This article will give you a couple of tips that will help you make sure that the process of purchasing a house is enjoyable and stress-free.

1. Set your Budget

Before starting your research, we suggest that you think about financing this purchase. If you cannot pay in cash, you will have to borrow the required money through a mortgage. For a deposit, you will also need a lot of cash. Typically, it is between 5% and 10% of the value of the property you want to purchase.

2. Identify your Needs

Once you have set your budget, your next move is to look for a property that can meet your needs. Now, if you want the property located near a certain workplace, station, or school, you may want to mark them on the map. This will help you identify if the property is near the spot. Apart from this, you may want to prepare a list of all the stuff that you desire in your property.

3. Put your Home on the Property Market

Some buyers want to sell their existing home prior to looking for a new one. According to experts, it’s not a great idea to do so. If you have not put your existing home on the market, you may not be able to secure the deal that comes your way.

4. Start your Property Search

Ideally, you may want to start your research on the internet and the websites of popular real estate agents. Most of the websites allow you to filter the search results by the number of bedrooms, price, and location.

5. Sort the List

It won’t take you more than a couple of hours or days to create a list of properties that might meet your needs. So, what you need to do is create a shortlist list of the ones that can satisfy your criteria. It is not a good idea to look at a lot of houses in a day. The reason is that this will make you forget the details quickly.

6. Make an Offer

Once you have decided on a property that can meet your needs, you may want to decide on the price that you need to pay. It is important to keep in mind that every property comes with an asking price. And there is the price that you will be willing to pay. So, your role is to negotiate with the seller before making payment.

7. Agreeing on the Price

Once you have made an offer, it is up to the seller to accept or reject it. If they say that your offer is too low, you may have to offer a higher amount. Once the negotiation is over, your offer will be accepted and the deal will be done.

Long story short, these are some of the tips that you may want to keep in mind when looking for a home to buy for the first time.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Shalini M

So… You may ask yourself, why should you buy or invest in real estate in the First Place? Because it’s the IDEAL investment! Let’s take a moment to address the reasons why people should have investment real estate in the first place. The easiest answer is a well-known acronym that addresses the key benefits for all investment real estate. Put simply, Investment Real Estate is an IDEAL investment. The IDEAL stands for:

• I – Income

• D – Depreciation

• E – Expenses

• A – Appreciation

• L – Leverage

Real estate is the IDEAL investment compared to all others. I’ll explain each benefit in depth.

The „I“ in IDEAL stands for Income. (a.k.a. positive cash flow) Does it even generate income? Your investment property should be generating income from rents received each month. Of course, there will be months where you may experience a vacancy, but for the most part your investment will be producing an income. Be careful because many times beginning investors exaggerate their assumptions and don’t take into account all potential costs. The investor should know going into the purchase that the property will COST money each month (otherwise known as negative cash flow). This scenario, although not ideal, may be OK, only in specific instances that we will discuss later. It boils down to the risk tolerance and ability for the owner to fund and pay for a negative producing asset. In the boom years of real estate, prices were sky high and the rents didn’t increase proportionately with many residential real estate investment properties. Many naïve investors purchased properties with the assumption that the appreciation in prices would more than compensate for the fact that the high balance mortgage would be a significant negative impact on the funds each month. Be aware of this and do your best to forecast a positive cash flow scenario, so that you can actually realize the INCOME part of the IDEAL equation.

Often times, it may require a higher down payment (therefore lesser amount being mortgaged) so that your cash flow is acceptable each month. Ideally, you eventually pay off the mortgage so there is no question that cash flow will be coming in each month, and substantially so. This ought to be a vital component to one’s retirement plan. Do this a few times and you won’t have to worry about money later on down the road, which is the main goal as well as the reward for taking the risk in purchasing investment property in the first place.

The „D“ in IDEAL Stands for Depreciation. With investment real estate, you are able to utilize its depreciation for your own tax benefit. What is depreciation anyway? It’s a non-cost accounting method to take into account the overall financial burden incurred through real estate investment. Look at this another way, when you buy a brand new car, the minute you drive off the lot, that car has depreciated in value. When it comes to your investment real estate property, the IRS allows you to deduct this amount yearly against your taxes. Please note: I am not a tax professional, so this is not meant to be a lesson in taxation policy or to be construed as tax advice.

With that said, the depreciation of a real estate investment property is determined by the overall value of the structure of the property and the length of time (recovery period based on the property type-either residential or commercial). If you have ever gotten a property tax bill, they usually break your property’s assessed value into two categories: one for the value of the land, and the other for the value of the structure. Both of these values added up equals your total „basis“ for property taxation. When it comes to depreciation, you can deduct against your taxes on the original base value of the structure only; the IRS doesn’t allow you to depreciate land value (because land is typically only APPRECIATING). Just like your new car driving off the lot, it’s the structure on the property that is getting less and less valuable every year as its effective age gets older and older. And you can use this to your tax advantage.

The best example of the benefit regarding this concept is through depreciation, you can actually turn a property that creates a positive cash flow into one that shows a loss (on paper) when dealing with taxes and the IRS. And by doing so, that (paper) loss is deductible against your income for tax purposes. Therefore, it’s a great benefit for people that are specifically looking for a „tax-shelter“ of sorts for their real estate investments.

For example, and without getting too technical, assume that you are able to depreciate $15,000 a year from a $500,000 residential investment property that you own. Let’s say that you are cash-flowing $1,000 a month (meaning that after all expenses, you are net-positive $1000 each month), so you have $12,000 total annual income for the year from this property’s rental income. Although you took in $12,000, you can show through your accountancy with the depreciation of the investment real estate that you actually lost $3,000 on paper, which is used against any income taxes that you may owe. From the standpoint of IRS, this property realized a loss of $3,000 after the „expense“ of the $15,000 depreciation amount was taken into account. Not only are there no taxes due on that rental income, you can utilize the paper loss of $3,000 against your other regular taxable income from your day-job. Investment property at higher price points will have proportionally higher tax-shelter qualities. Investors use this to their benefit in being able to deduct as much against their taxable amount owed each year through the benefit of depreciation with their underlying real estate investment.

Although this is a vastly important benefit to owning investment real estate, the subject is not well understood. Because depreciation is a somewhat complicated tax subject, the above explanation was meant to be cursory in nature. When it comes to issues involving taxes and depreciation, make sure you have a tax professional that can advise you appropriately so you know where you stand.

The „E“ in IDEAL is for Expenses – Generally, all expenses incurred relating to the property are deductible when it comes to your investment property. The cost for utilities, the cost for insurance, the mortgage, and the interest and property taxes you pay. If you use a property manager or if you’re repairing or improving the property itself, all of this is deductible. Real estate investment comes with a lot of expenses, duties, and responsibilities to ensure the investment property itself performs to its highest capability. Because of this, contemporary tax law generally allows that all of these related expenses are deductible to the benefit of the investment real estate landowner. If you were to ever take a loss, or purposefully took a loss on a business investment or investment property, that loss (expense) can carry over for multiple years against your income taxes. For some people, this is an aggressive and technical strategy. Yet it’s another potential benefit of investment real estate.

The „A“ in IDEAL is for Appreciation – Appreciation means the growth of value of the underlying investment. It’s one of the main reasons that we invest in the first place, and it’s a powerful way to grow your net worth. Many homes in the city of San Francisco are several million dollars in today’s market, but back in the 1960s, the same property was worth about the cost of the car you are currently driving (probably even less!). Throughout the years, the area became more popular and the demand that ensued caused the real estate prices in the city to grow exponentially compared to where they were a few decades ago. People that were lucky enough to recognize this, or who were just in the right place at the right time and continued to live in their home have realized an investment return in the 1000’s of percent. Now that’s what appreciation is all about. What other investment can make you this kind of return without drastically increased risk? The best part about investment real estate is that someone is paying you to live in your property, paying off your mortgage, and creating an income (positive cash flow) to you each month along the way throughout your course of ownership.

The „L“ in IDEAL stands for Leverage – A lot of people refer to this as „OPM“ (other people’s money). This is when you are using a small amount of your money to control a much more expensive asset. You are essentially leveraging your down payment and gaining control of an asset that you would normally not be able to purchase without the loan itself. Leverage is much more acceptable in the real estate world and inherently less risky than leverage in the stock world (where this is done through means of options or buying „on Margin“). Leverage is common in real estate. Otherwise, people would only buy property when they had 100% of the cash to do so. Over a third of all purchase transactions are all-cash transactions as our recovery continues. Still, about 2/3 of all purchases are done with some level of financing, so the majority of buyers in the market enjoy the power that leverage can offer when it comes to investment real estate.

For example, if a real estate investor was to buy a house that costs $100,000 with 10% down payment, they are leveraging the remaining 90% through the use of the associated mortgage. Let’s say the local market improves by 20% over the next year, and therefore the actual property is now worth $120,000. When it comes to leverage, from the standpoint of this property, its value increased by 20%. But compared to the investor’s actual down payment (the „skin in the game“) of $10,000- this increase in property value of 20% really means the investor doubled their return on the investment actually made-also known as the „cash on cash“ return. In this case, that is 200%-because the $10,000 is now responsible and entitled to a $20,000 increase in overall value and the overall potential profit.

Although leverage is considered a benefit, like everything else, there can always be too much of a good thing. In 2007, when the real estate market took a turn for the worst, many investors were over-leveraged and fared the worst. They could not weather the storm of a correcting economy. Exercising caution with every investment made will help to ensure that you can purchase, retain, pay-off debt, and grow your wealth from the investment decisions made as opposed to being at the mercy and whim of the overall market fluctuations. Surely there will be future booms and busts as the past would dictate as we continue to move forward. More planning and preparing while building net worth will help prevent getting bruised and battered by the side effects of whatever market we find ourselves in.

Many people think that investment real estate is only about cash flow and appreciation, but it’s so much more than that. As mentioned above, you can realize several benefits through each real estate investment property you purchase. The challenge is to maximize the benefits through every investment.

Furthermore, the IDEAL acronym is not just a reminder of the benefits of investment real estate; it’s also here to serve as a guide for every investment property you will consider purchasing in the future. Any property you purchase should conform to all of the letters that represent the IDEAL acronym. The underlying property should have a good reason for not fitting all the guidelines. And in almost every case, if there is an investment you are considering that doesn’t hit all the guidelines, by most accounts you should probably PASS on it!

Take for example a story of my own, regarding a property that I purchased early on in my real estate career. To this day, it’s the biggest investment mistake that I’ve made, and it’s precisely because I didn’t follow the IDEAL guidelines that you are reading and learning about now. I was naïve and my experience was not yet fully developed. The property I purchased was a vacant lot in a gated community development. The property already had an HOA (a monthly maintenance fee) because of the nice amenity facilities that were built for it, and in anticipation of would-be-built homes. There were high expectations for the future appreciation potential-but then the market turned for the worse as we headed into the great recession that lasted from 2007-2012. Can you see what parts of the IDEAL guidelines I missed on completely?

Let’s start with „I“. The vacant lot made no income! Sometimes this can be acceptable, if the deal is something that cannot be missed. But for the most part this deal was nothing special. In all honesty, I’ve considered selling the trees that are currently on the vacant lot to the local wood mill for some actual income, or putting up a camping spot ad on the local Craigslist; but unfortunately the lumber isn’t worth enough and there are better spots to camp! My expectations and desire for price appreciation blocked the rational and logical questions that needed to be asked. So, when it came to the income aspect of the IDEAL guidelines for a real estate investment, I paid no attention to it. And I paid the price for my hubris. Furthermore, this investment failed to realize the benefit of depreciation as you cannot depreciate land! So, we are zero for two so far, with the IDEAL guideline to real estate investing. All I can do is hope the land appreciates to a point where it can be sold one day. Let’s call it an expensive learning lesson. You too will have these „learning lessons“; just try to have as few of them as possible and you will be better off.

When it comes to making the most of your real estate investments, ALWAYS keep the IDEAL guideline in mind to make certain you are making a good decision and a solid investment.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Michael Justin Wolf

Pre-drawn house plans are those that are drawn by architects or home designers and then offered for sale, unlike those that are drawn for an individual, with input from the customer. While this method may be a great idea, there are definite benefits to purchasing pre-drawn house plans. Architects and home designers that do custom home designing also do a lot of their own designs, and it is these plans that are offered for sale

They are adept at making plans that utilize available space to the best possible advantage, and at laying out a floor plan to optimize curb appeal.

Custom designing of your home can take months to be completed and is extremely expensive, often up to ten times the cost of predawn or stock house plans. Using custom drawn plans can delay the construction of your home by many weeks There are dozens of home styles and literally thousands of plans to choose from, so you can be sure to find the home of your dreams.

If you find a house plan that you love, but want to make minor changes, most companies can have their designers do that for you, at an additional fee. It is also possible to have your plans reversed, for instance, if your breakfast nook faces west but the view from the north side of your lot is more attractive, you can reverse it. Many of the sites selling house plans will allow you to see a reversed view, of houses you might want to build.

Another service provided by the companies that design and sell house plans, is one that allows you to estimate the cost for building a particular house in your area of the country. The South is the least expensive area to build in and the West has the highest cost .The national average is somewhere in between.

There are dozens of house plan styles for you to browse and hundreds in each category, from A-Frame to Victorian, , from small to large, you can find the right home for your family. There are magazines, books and web sites galore that you can search

Beach houses, are small one story homes, raised above the ground, and usually have an open floor plan, with a lot of windows, to get a good view of the yard.. A low end Beach house with 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, kitchen and Great room would cost, about $74,000.00 to build, according to the national average, and about $15,000.00 more in the west and $8000.00 less in the south. These little houses make great vacation retreats and are also suitable as a starter home or retirement home for empty nesters.

Bungalows are 1 to 1and ½ story homes, They often incorporate features of the Craftsman style house, such as natural building materials, exposed rafter ends and gables. They also sometimes borrow features from the Country or Victorian look.A two bedroom, one bath bungalow in the mid-range can be built for between $70,000.00 and 95.000.00, depending on what part of the country you live in. A low-end two bedroom one bath can be built for $52,000 to 70,000. These cute homes are great for newlyweds or retirees

Large front porches, dormers and a roofline that lies parallel to the road are the main distinguishing features of Country homes. Farm house and French Country plans can also be included in this category. Open floor plans are not common to this type of house. A small country home, 576 square feet, with one bath and two bedrooms, can be built for under $60,000.00 can be erected on your site for under $60,000.00. A three bedroom, 1 and ½ baths, will average about $84,000.00 to erect on your site. .

Craftsman style homes are characterized by the use of natural materials like wood or stone for exterior walls, and rock foundations that slope out towards the ground. They may also include dormers, exposed beams, and overhanging eaves. A two bedroom one bath house in the craftsman style will cost between $52,000.00 and $62,000.00 to build a two bedroom, two bath, home with a 2 car garage will run about $96.000.00.

Another popular house plan style is the French Country home. They are similar to Country style in that they feature front porches, dormers and roof- lines that run parallel to the road. A two bedroom, two bathroom house with volume vaulted ceilings, walk in closets, walk in pantry covered rear porch and two car garage can be built for approximately$112.000.00 to $133.000.00 depending on where you live.

Log homes make the perfect vacation home since they evoke feelings of comfort and peace. These homes come in various styles and sizes. Wood logs are the main construction material,. A one story, two bedroom, one bath, log home, with a covered front porch, will cost about $90,000.00 to build.

Victorian style houses are generally two stories, with steep roof pitches, dormers, octagonal turrets and of course the trademark gingerbread trim. A two story, three bedroom, three baths home of this style, with an open floor plan, and unfinished basement, can be built on your lot for around $100,000.00.

Luxury homes are huge house with at least 3000.sq. ft of living space, they are characterized by large master bedroom suites.1 walk in closets, and extra rooms which can be used as a library, music room, media center or home office to name a few. A three bedroom, two and ½ bath, luxury home with a two car garage with storage space, breakfast nook, and covered front porch .will cost you between $ 180,000.00 and 240,000.

There are dozens of other house plan style categories, such as A-Frames, Mission, Contemporary, Southwest, and Tudor to name just a few. A web search for house plans yields a mind blowing number of searchable sites. Most of these allow you to search for house plans, by style, number of bedrooms, baths, with or without a garage, or by sq. ft. of living space.

Keep in mind that the estimate price to build, doesn’t include the price of the plans, any changes you make to the plans or building permit fees. Despite these fees,

Building your new home from pre-drawn plans will be cheaper and probably faster than having your home plans custom drawn.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Martin Smith

It’s no secret that a property closing is a potentially stressful situation, no matter where you stand in the transaction process. Buyers and sellers everywhere have found that navigating through the often complicated property sale process can quickly prove challenging. However, purchasing or selling a property from out of state instantly adds another level of complexity (aka inconvenience!) to an already trying situation. Without being local to the property itself, everything seems to take longer and move more slowly.

A Witness Courtesy Closing Streamlines The Process

Fortunately, the long distance process of selling a property doesn’t have to be inconvenient or stressful. Sellers and buyers navigating through an out-of-state transaction find that utilizing the benefits of witness courtesy closings can instantly help alleviate unnecessary and potentially daunting situations regarding their closing. By definition, witness courtesy closings are legal services offered to title, escrow and mortgage companies and created specifically to ensure that long distance property buying and selling is as seamless and straightforward as possible by managing the many necessities the transaction requires. Not sure if witness courtesy closings are for you? Understanding what to expect when partnering with a firm that specializes in these transactions can help you determine if it’s the right move for your move.

Understanding The Many Benefits Witness Courtesy Closings Offers

By enlisting the help of a specialized firm for help with out of state transactions, buyers and sellers instantly eliminate the need for troublesome and potentially expensive travel back and forth to where the property is located for the sale. This third party provider receives all necessary documentation from the lending institution and delivers it to an agreed upon location for signature and notarization. While typical purchases often take place at the local lender’s or real estate agent’s office, a witness courtesy closing can occur at virtually any location deemed convenient for either party. From community spaces to the current home of the buyer or seller, these transactions deliver the ultimate exercise in accessibility for long distance parties. Once all the paperwork has been appropriately signed and notarized, the third party provider will then take all the necessary steps to ensure that it is properly processed. The partnering firm will utilize their own equipment and resources to fax, scan and forward all that is needed to continue the transaction on the correct path.

When sourcing a provider for a witness courtesy closing, it’s important to remember to get quotes from various providers. Quote comparisons for services are the best way to ensure that you’re getting the best deal possible. Also it’s highly recommended to partner with a third party provider that has an onsite notary as part of their service offerings. This type of one stop transaction solution will further eliminate stress and inconvenience and help guarantee that your property selling experience remains an enjoyable one.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Chris A. Harmen

Personal Loan or Home Improvement Loan? That is the question.

We love decorating our houses.

And there are phases in our lives when maybe we’ve spent too much time watching Food Food or TLC and thus have built castles in the air of visions of turning our kitchen into a chef’s paradise. Or perhaps our master bath is just one shower away from a disaster. For we really do love Italian tiles on our bathrooms.

And if so, then cheers, you’re not alone. Recently, the Joint Center of Housing Studies for Harvard University has investigated and reported that the home improvement industry should continue post record-level spending in 2016. For many people, this means borrowing money to pay for the well planned home improvements and home decorating schemes.

Now, one is ought to face a tough and difficult and perhaps hypothetical question.

So, which home improvement loan is right for you?

Many homeowners and homemakers look to tap the equity in their homes. But home equity loans or home equity lines of credit may not be possible or very practical for some borrowers. In that case, one should consider using a personal loan.

While it is known that one can use a personal loan for a variety of reasons, there are a few reasons why a personal loan can have advantages over home equity loans when it comes to a renovation loan, to be specific.

The application process for a personal loan is usually quite simple and quite straightforward. Your own financial situation-for example, your credit history and earning power; this is often the main deciding factor for whether or not you will be able to get a loan, for how much, and if so, at what interest rate. Some personal loans even boast of having no origination fees.

However, home equity loans or home improvement loans on the other hand, are akin to applying for a mortgage (in fact, home equity loans are sometimes called second mortgages). How much you can borrow depends on several factors, including the value of your home. Because you can only borrow against the equity you already have (i.e. the difference between your home’s value and your mortgage), you may have to arrange – and pay for – a home appraisal.

Let’s now see this case in the case of a home improvement loan. With a home equity loan or a home improvement loan, you can only borrow against the equity you have – which, as a new homeowner, is probably not much. You maybe have not had enough time to chip away at your mortgage and the market has not yet elevated your home’s price. A personal loan lets you start home improvements regardless of how much equity you have. So, that is one benefit of availing a Home Improvement Loan.

With a home equity loan, you use your home as collateral, which means an inability to repay could result in your home going into foreclosure. While failing to pay your personal loan carries its own risks (like ruining your credit and credit score), it is not tied directly to the roof over your head,like a gun on your head. Therefore, it is better and safer to avail of a personal loan.

So, if we were to decide, which one is better and safer and more suitable?

Personal loans may not be right for every borrower looking for a home improvement loan. For example, if you have significant equity in your home and are looking to borrow a large amount, you might be able to save money with lower interest rates on a home equity loan. Also, interest payments on home equity loans and lines of credit can be tax deductible under certain circumstances; but that is clearly not the case with personal loans.

On the other hand, personal loans can make sense for these types of customers:-

• Recent home purchasers.

• Smaller home improvement loans (e.g., bathroom or kitchen as opposed to full remodel)

• Borrowers in lower home value markets (if your home value has barely budged since you moved in, you may not have much equity to draw on for a home equity loan).

• For those who value ease and speed.

• Borrowers with great credit and cash flow.

While home equity loans and lines of credit are a good source of home improvement money if you have already built up equity in your home, a personal loan may be a better alternative if you are, say, a new homeowner and need to take care of a few updates to make your new home, just right and perfect.

Concluding, we conclude that a personal loan is a better option than a home improvement loan,anytime.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Vishal Verma

Understanding the role of promotion and event marketing within any campaign requires a clear knowledge of the function of promotion and it’s impact on achieving marketing goals.

By design, individual or short-lived promotions drive immediate response, while long-term, repeat campaigns are designed to build consumer loyalty to a specific product or service.

Keep It Simple!

It’s important to remember that promotions need to be simple – for the product and the consumer. The product can be anything from radio stations to a can of coffee. The goal is always to get the product into the consumer’s hand. You can achieve that goal by promotion or by event, but they have different elements that make up start to finish. Promotions are (at the shortest) two weeks long and can continue for a couple of months. Events are generally from one day to a week and serve multiple goals for the client.

Promotion and event marketing are often seen as one entity, but both require clear, precise goals that are measurable by attendance, participation and/or sales. Both are an important part of strengthening customer/company relationships. Over the course of many years working in promotions, you gain experience. Experience is what you need to keep promotions successful.

Success Strategies

Here are two examples of successful promotions that were developed for clients, such as; Jack-in-the-Box, McBride Homes, Seven Up, Wehrenberg Theaters, Chads Coalition for Mental Health…all have generated response, sales and revenue for the organizations. Here’s a brief explanation of how some of them worked and the results:

Jack-in-the-Box was participating in a Mid-West event. We developed a promotion that brought the participation to the local stores by handing out coupons for kid’s meals that were specifically designed for the big event. Jack-in-the-Box created a way to stand apart from the hundreds of other companies by making themselves kid and parent friendly. They also offered value to potential customers and to a consumer market they had not cornered up to that time. Sales increased over the first weekend by 160%.

CHADS Coalition for Mental Health was looking to develop a signature event to drive fundraising and bring awareness to their organization. We developed Kids Walking for Kids focused on youth participation and increasing awareness of death by teen suicide via teens themselves. The first year, we raised over $150,000! We took an event and added a fundraising promotion element and they have steadily grown over the past 5 years.

The examples shown are just two of many successful and sustaining promotions developed for clients to meet specific goals.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Alice J Ross