Tips for Selecting a Great Real Estate Contractor

By Eric Bramlett 

"When you decide to build a home rather than to buy a home or when you make the decision to remodel the home that you already have, you most likely intend to get the job done with the help of contractor. Unfortunately, contractors have earned a somewhat bad reputation as some have failed to live up to their contracts or provide the quality of work homeowners expect when they buy their services. In order to keep yourself from being disappointed by your contractor, it is important that you follow these simple tips.

Tip #1: Ask Your Friends and Family

The single best way to select a contractor is to ask around. If your friends or family members have worked with a contractor that did a good job for them, you should put that contractor high on your list. The more recently the friend or family member hired a contract to work on their real estate the better. After all, if a contractor just did a great job a few months ago, he or she is likely to still be able to provide the same level of service.

Tip #2: Check References

Of course, you may not know anyone that has recently purchased real estate or that did any remodeling to their homes. If this is the case, you won't have much of a starting point when choosing a contractor. Therefore, it is essential that you check the references provided by the contractor. Ideally, you should check into references for jobs that are completed as well as for jobs that are in progress. This way, you can check out the real estate in varying levels of completion in order to determine the quality of the work.

Before you buy the services of a contractor, you should also talk with some of the references. Ask the references important questions, such as:

• How well did the contractor stay on schedule?
• How happy were you with your real estate when the job was completed?
• Did you feel as if the contractor listened to you when you ran into a problem?
• Were your concerns easily resolved?

Talking with past clients is an excellent way to get an idea of the type of work the contractor does as well as his level of commitment to customer satisfaction.

Tip #3: Check the Contractor's License

If you are going to buy the services of a contractor, you certainly want someone that is properly educated in the craft. Before you sign a contract and buy the materials for the job, check with your Contractors State License Board in your state. By checking with the board, you can confirm that the contractor is licensed and you can also find out the areas of specialty in which the contractor is licensed.

When checking on licensing, ask the contractor for his or her pocket license as well as another form of identification. Then, check the license against the other form of identification in order to make sure the names match up. Since it is illegal for a contractor to use another contractor's license, a reputable contractor will have matching identification.

Tip #4: Make Sure the Contractor is Insured

As the buyer, you shouldn't be expected to buy insurance to cover the job. Rather, the contractor should have insurance in place. Check to make sure the contractor is insured against property damage, worker's compensation, and personal liability. Ask for a copy of the certificate of insurance to verify coverage as this will protect you if something goes wrong while on the job.

Deciding to buy real estate in order to build your own home or to remodel your current home is an exciting time in your life. Make sure you do your homework before selecting a contractor in order to prevent your dream from turning into a nightmare."

Eric Bramlett is the Broker and co-owner of One Source Realty in Austin Texas. He has seen considerable success in real estate, and looks forward to many more years in the business. Eric currently invests, renovates, and develops real estate in the Greater Austin Texas Market. He spends his time working with select clients, helps his new agents get started in their real estate careers, helps his experienced agents progress their careers to the next level, & when he has time...he takes his dogs to the lake. Visit Eric's Austin Texas Real Estate Guide & visit his Austin Texas Real Estate company's website. Downtown Austin Condos & Lofts Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Bramlett

The Best Real Estate Purchase in a lifetime of Great Decisions

By Bob Waun 

Harvey and I met on a ski lift last January in Aspen. It was my 5-day ski trip, as I was basking in the sunlight and snowfall, I asked him "where do you live?" He said Aspen was his home. I explained how much I loved his town, and that I could not believe how expense the housing was (last season they crested $2,000 per square in values, one of the most expensive markets in the USA).

Harvey explained to me he had owned and ran a successful business, that he had done well for himself and his family, but he made one financial decision in his life that far out reached all his other decisions. "In 1970 I inherited a little money, and borrowed as much as I could and bought a $300,000 home in Aspen, I saw it as an investment in my family's enjoyment. Never really thought about the money, other than the expense." He went on to explain that today this home was worth over $5 million, and he had long since paid off the original mortgage. That he was financially secure because of this single decision.

I asked why wouldn't he sell it, and move to a lesser home down the road, pocket the cash - invest it? He explained for the remainder of the ride up Ajax Mountain that he was tempted many times to do just that, but then "he wouldn't get to do this everyday."

This is an expert from a new book: 'Besting - Better Nesting' www.betternesting.com that shares similar stories of boomers who have invested in second homes and new forms of vacation ownership like condo hotel, fractional, private residence clubs and are benefiting from the experience.

Bob Waun is the author of a new book on this trend called: Besting http://www.betternesting.com . He is CEO of Vacation Finance, America's First Second-Home Lender and a leader in the resort and second home industries. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Waun

What Your Real Estate Agent Knows That You Don't

By Eric Bramlett 

"When you make the decision to sell your home, you are under no obligation to hire a real estate agent or broker to help you with the sale. Nonetheless, most people prefer to hire a real estate agent in order to better protect themselves and in order to put themselves in a better position to successfully sell the home in a short amount of time.

When you hire a real estate agent, you gain access to a wealth of knowledge that will help keep you out of trouble and will help provide for a smooth transaction. Here are just a few things that your real estate agent knows that you probably do not.

The Federal Fair Housing Act

According to the Federal Fair Housing Act, you cannot discriminate against someone when selling a home. The act defines seven different classes that are protected against discrimination, these include:

• Race
• Color
• National origin
• Sex
• Religion
• Handicap
• Familial status

If you do not enlist in the help of a real estate agent, you put yourself at risk of violating this act if you refuse to sell your home to an interested buyer. In addition, you might even accidentally violate these laws without realizing it. For example, there are certain words that cannot be included in your advertisements for your home because they are in violation of the Fair Housing Laws. Some of these words include:

• Bachelor apartment
• Children welcome
• Couples
• Gentleman's Farm
• Golden Agers
• Handicapped
• Integrated
• Married
• Mature
• Mother-in-Law quarters
• Professional
• Section 8
• Seniors
• Singles only
• Sports-minded

As you can see, some of these terms seem perfectly innocent. Therefore, it is a good idea to get the help of a real estate agent so you can tap into his or her knowledge and experience in order to stay out of trouble.

State Real Estate Laws

Although there are similarities in real estate laws from one state to the next, each state has its own set of rules that must be followed. If you do not understand these laws or are unaware of these laws, you can inadvertently break the law when selling your home. In addition, by not being fully aware of your seller's rights, you might actually lose out on money during the transaction.

Taking Advantage of Connections

Aside from legal matters, a real estate agent simply has a vast number of connections that makes it possible to sell a home more quickly and for a higher asking price. Similarly, since people come to real estate agents when searching for homes, you are able to tap into a much larger market of interested buyers when you get the help of a real estate agent.

Since a real estate agent has experience with selling homes, he or she can also provide you with tips to help increase the market value of your home and to make the process go by more quickly. For example, small things such as painting a room a different color can go a long way when it comes to increasing the appeal of the home. By taking advantage of the realtor's expertise, you just might have a much more profitable selling experience."

Eric Bramlett is the Broker and co-owner of One Source Realty in Austin Texas. He has seen considerable success in real estate, and looks forward to many more years in the business. Eric currently invests, renovates, and develops real estate in the Greater Austin Texas Market. He spends his time working with select clients, helps his new agents get started in their real estate careers, helps his experienced agents progress their careers to the next level, & when he has time...he takes his dogs to the lake. Visit Eric's Austin Texas Real Estate Guide & visit his Austin Texas Real Estate company's website. Downtown Austin Condos & Lofts. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Bramlett

Common Mistakes of Commercial Real Estate Investors

By Anthony Seruga and Yolly Bishop 

Are you considering getting involved in commercial real estate investing as a career? If so, then there are some things that you are going to want to learn how to avoid. You'll want to try to avoid the common mistakes and you'll also want to be sure that you know the important things to do when you are involved in commercial real estate investing. Sure, more than likely you still may make a few mistakes along the way, but the more you learn about investing, the more likely you will be to avoid all of those common mistakes.

Things to Do
When you are involved in commercial real estate investing, there are some things that you will need to remember to do all the time. The following are a few of the things you need to remember to do when you start investing in commercial real estate.

Always Investigate the Deal - Before you close a commercial real estate deal, it is important that you take the time to investigate the deal. This will mean that you have to take the time to do due diligence on any piece of property that you consider investing in. Never think that you can get by without doing your due diligence, or you may end up on the wrong end of a bad deal.

Learn From the Mistakes of Others - No doubt you want to avoid making mistakes yourself when you are involved in commercial real estate investing, so be sure that you learn from the mistakes of other people. When you see another investor do something wrong, remember it and learn from it so you avoid making the same mistake.

Learn from Bad Experiences - If you do make a mistake, which is very possible when you first get started, make sure that you learn from your bad experience so that the experience was not in vain.

Know How Long You Can Wait for a Payout - You will also need to be sure that you know how long you are going to be able to wait before you actually get a payout on the investment you make. Make sure you have a realistic estimate on how long you can really wait, or you may end up having problems.

Common Mistakes to Avoid
Of course while there are many things that you need to remember to do when you get involved in commercial real estate investing, there are also some common mistakes that you will want to learn about so you can avoid them. The following are some of the most common mistakes that commercial real estate investors make. Learn them well so you can avoid making them yourself.

Mistake #1 - Ignoring Market Conditions in Your Area - One of the biggest mistakes that can be made in commercial real estate investing in ignoring the local market conditions. Even if you invest in a great property, if you do it in a bad market, then you can really lose money. However, on the other hand, even a bad property in the right market can really make you money as well.

Mistake #2 - Not Doing Proper Due Diligence - Another common mistake that some people make when they are involved in commercial real estate investing, is not taking the time to do proper due diligence. Usually it is best to hire professionals to help you with this job, since it can end up being more expensive if you try to do it on your own and you do it the wrong way.

Mistake #3 - Borrowing Too Much - If you really want to end up in a disaster, borrowing too much money is a mistake that will definitely lead you right there. You should never borrow too much money unless you are sure you will have the capital to pay it off. Remember that when you invest, you at least need to break even, or you'll lose money. Of course the goal is to be sure that you actually make money on the investment.

Mistake #4 - Not Having Good Exit Strategies - Too many people have found out the hard way that you must have good exit strategies when involved in commercial real estate investing. Be sure that you have strategies for exiting in a variety of different situations. Without multiple exit strategies, you may end up stuck in a deal that you don't really want.

Mistake #5 - Dealing with Bad Partners - While in many cases the deal or the property can be the problem, in other cases, a bad partner can actually be the problem. If you get involved with a bad partner, it can mean disaster for your commercial real estate deal. In some cases you may just want to get out of the partnership as soon as possible.

Mistake #6 - Taking Risks that are Too High - It is actually possible to take a risk that is too high, which is called overreaching. Going for the big deals too soon can also be a huge mistake. Sure, at some point the big deals will probably come to you, be sure that you don't overreach towards them and end up in trouble.

Mistake #7 - Having More Land Than Cash - Many investors have found themselves making the mistake of having more land than they have cash to actually cover. If you have many properties at one time and you're trying to use the gains you get for one to cover what you are losing on another, then you may never get out of this cycle. Get rid of problem properties immediately, even it if seems difficult to do. Then, take your time and focus on the properties that will allow you to make the maximum amount of profit.

All of these mistakes are very common. Hopefully you can learn from them so you avoid making them yourself. However, it is important that you remember that even if you accidentally make a mistake and get involved in a bad investment, there will be ways that you can bounce back and learn from those mistakes in the future.

Anthony Seruga and Yolly Bishop of Maverick Real Estate Investments, Inc. work with builders, developers and other players in the commercial real estate industry to acquire and develop properties. They use progressive investment strategies that have proved extremely profitable. In addition to their own deals, they teach both seasoned and inexperienced investors how to be big players in the game. Visit the website for more info. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Seruga

Use, Location And Market Timing

By Luigi Frascati 

At minimum, a Realtor always must ensure that the Client has an understanding of whatever interest he/she wants in a real estate asset and the character that particular interest might include in the wide range of real estate asset types. Real estate transactions range from simple purchases of single-family dwellings to more elaborate types of transactions, such as leasing of office, retail or warehousing space to acquisition of real estate assets in liquidation.

The value any talented real estate agent can add goes well beyond the standard of care Clients are entitled to expect, which is the knowledge or competency element of such transactions. Real "value add" derives from the structural elements that flow from experience and counselling. A good agent does not simply warn a client on what he cannot do; the key is how to deal with problems and still fulfill the Client's objectives. Take negotiating an offer, for instance: only rarely are problems insurmountable, especially in a world like real estate where flexibility almost always provides more than one approach.

A good beginning in a Realtor-Client relationship, once the issue of agency has been defined and explained, is always to ask questions and listen to the answers carefully. All experienced Realtors realize that Clients may not frame a deal in particular terms, may not reveal immediately - whether unwillingly or otherwise - exactly what is that they are looking for, may not even know, in fact, what is that they want. Therefore sorting out the various elements such as prices, rent, type of real property asset, selling, leasing, financing and many similar details may not be provided in any particular sequence, or at all. Many good agents are quite talented at the "extraction" of information early on in a clear and useful manner.

One major determination is the purpose of the Client's representation. For instance, it is very different to act on behalf of a corporation seeking to lease space in an office building as compared to a developer with a vision for building value, and how to realize it in a fairly short time horizon. But no matter what, the three old elements of value in real estate - use, location and market timing - apply to almost every transaction.

To appreciate the importance of these three elements one must first realize that real estate is the single most fundamental asset of value worldwide, and it has always been. Land and its potential uses as a resource - for agriculture, grazing, actual occupancy, access to minerals for extraction, access to water, transportation and so forth - has been fought over since Biblical times.

The real value tied up in land is inherent to its use, location and market timing, not merely its existence.

Economics is very concerned with real immovable property and rules like the one regarding its valuation and disposition, and obligations accrueing to its owners. In economic terms, real property consists of some natural capital (land per se) and infrastructural capital (buildings and improvements). Land use and land management practices have a major impact on natural resources including water, soil, nutrients, plants and animals. Land use information can be used to develop solutions for natural resource management issues such as salinity and water quality. For instance, water bodies in a region that has been deforested or having erosion will have different water quality than those in areas that are forested.

According to a report by FAO, land degradation has been exacerbated where there has been an absence of any land use planning, or of its orderly execution, or the existence of financial or legal incentives that have led to the wrong land use decisions, or one-sided central planning leading to over-utilization of the land resources - for instance for immediate production at all costs. As a consequence the result has often been misery for large segments of the local population and destruction of valuable ecosystems.

Such narrow approaches should be replaced by a technique for the planning and management of land resources that is integrated and holistic and where land users are central. This will ensure the long-term quality of the land for human use, the prevention or resolution of social conflicts related to land use, and the conservation of ecosystems of high biodiversity value.

Luigi Frascati is a Real Estate Agent based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics and maintains a weblog entitled the Real Estate Chronicle where you can find the full collection of his articles on Real Estate Economics and Finance. Luigi is associated with the Sutton Group, the largest real estate organization in Canada, and is based with Sutton-Centre Realty in Burnaby, BC. Luigi is very proud to be an EzineArticles Platinum Expert Author. Your rating at the footer of this Article is very much appreciated. Thank you. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Luigi_Frascati

Alpharetta Real Estate - The Premiere Atlanta Suburb

By R. Ward 

The City of Alpharetta, which is located about 20 miles to the north of Downtown Atlanta continues be the premiere suburb for Atlanta real estate. Alpharetta has long been favored for the fantastic public schools and conscientious use of public space for parks and beautification projects. Now Alpharetta has broken the mold of the typical suburb again with projects in the works that will make it feel like its own cultural and shopping center destinations, continuing its independence from Atlanta. Part of the success and popularity realized also lies in its ability to maintain a small town charm and combining it with the sophistication of larger metropolitan areas. Alpharetta real estate benefits from these projects as well as the excellent schools, low crime and numerous parks.

The exciting new projects include a revitalized downtown district with a new mixed use development known as The Alpharetta City Center. This development will combine retail stores and condominium living, embracing the same lifestyle found in another area of Atlanta at Atlantic Station. From a cultural perspective, Alpharetta is in the process of developing Encore Park, an outdoor amphitheater similar to the one located at Chastain Park which will be run by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and will play host to a summer pop concert series as well as events performed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Finally, Milton Park, another mixed use development, will combine single family homes, condos and townhomes with the high end Stanbury Residences along with numerous high end shops rivaling anything offered in other areas of Atlanta's shopping districts. Parks and recreation have always been very high on the list of priorities for homeowners and Alpharetta does not fail its residents here. Alpharetta is recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City and parks such as the Big Park Greenway and Wills park, which is complete with an equestrian center and city pool, along with new park projects and numerous smaller parks offer residents something to do all year around.

These new developments, along with the parks and recreation department will make Alpharetta real estate the premiere suburb of Atlanta for years to come. Combined with a responsive city government with a AAA bond rating, nationally recognized emergency service which allow for lower homeowners insurance, conscientious and liberal use of public space as parks and excellent public education and you have all of the ingredients that make Alpharetta a great place to call home.

Ryan Ward of the Ryan Ward Real Estate Team is a member of the national, state and local REALTOR associations, and resident of Alpharetta, Georgia who specializes in listing and selling real estate in Atlanta. For more information about Ryan Ward and Alpharetta homes, visit his Alpharetta Real Estate website or call 404-630-3187. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R._Ward

Real Estate Transactions Without All The Paperwork

By Christian Jacobsen 

Going paperless is a dream for many busy real estate agents, but until recently it was an intimidating prospect. However, new digital laws and creative real estate technology companies are helping make the switch less intimidating, and Realtors who've been ready for years can now leave paper behind, affordable. Without stacks of documents to move from place to place, real estate transactions are much faster and more economical. Many agents and investors working without paper can close more deals simply because they have more time - that kind of progress bodes well for the industry as a whole.

The road to a paperless real estate industry in the U.S. began in 2000, with the legalization of electronic signatures. While most real estate agencies, government branches, and investors lacked the technology to sign things digitally at that point, it was important legal hurdle that enabled many industries to look at paperless transaction methods. By the end of 2005, more than 60 counties (the primary storage point for real estate records) across the nation had developed electronic records management systems and that number has continued to increase steadily. Other government steps toward paperless real estate have included the Uniform Real Property Electronic Act, the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, and the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act.

Mortgage companies have also played a role in the switch to paperless real estate. In recent years the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization has implemented many standards for electronic mortgages, which have been followed by lenders across the nation

With those two cornerstones in place the paperless real estate industry has been able to grow freely. Real estate title companies that have existed for decades are now offering paperless transaction closing services attracting thousands of new clients each year. All a Realtor has to do to get a paperless transaction started is fax or scan an original document and send it to the paperless transaction company. Once the paper has been digitized (usually to a secure website), paperless management companies enable both agents and investors to access the document and make changes as the closing draws near.

It may be easier than you think to liberate yourself from paper, and free up more time for your real estate business.

Utahpropertyfinder.com has a variety of resources to help you buy and sell Salt Lake City Utah homes for sale. The site includes area information, details on buying and selling services, a custom property search, so you can compare prices on Salt Lake City real estate. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christian_Jacobsen