Tax Lien Certificates and the Opportunity to Profit

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Tax lien certificates provide a nice way for anyone interested in real estate investment to get into the game with relatively little capital and an enormous opportunity for profit. The profit can come in one of two ways. Either the owner of the property fails to come up with the back taxes and interest and the house becomes yours to sell, or they do manage to come up with the money, which will in itself net a tidy profit. As the owner of the lien, you have the option of working with the owner or setting hard deadlines-whichever you feel will help you get the most out of your investment.

Tax lien certificates come available because property owners fail to pay the taxes due to the government on their homes or estates. When this happens, the government can and will put a lien on the home.

If the owner fails to pay back the missing taxes in a specified period of time, the government can make the choice to sell off the debt in the form of the lien, or simply foreclose on the house and sell the deed at auction. If they choose the former route, it gives investors the chance to pick up that debt and take over control of the lien.

As an investor, you are typically better off looking for properties that are only behind a single year or so on their taxes. If years of unpaid taxes have already accrued, it will not only make getting any money out of the current property owners nearly impossible, it will drastically reduce the potential profits from purchasing tax lien certificates. This is because it will be much more expensive to win the bidding in the first place. The point of investing in this manner is to keep your capital investment low, something that can be difficult to do when the back taxes are too immense.

If you're interested in investing in tax lien certificates, you need to know when and where the auctions will be held. These auctions are typically advertised publicly, but it helps to have some sort of inside source who can tell you about upcoming listings.

This either means having a personal source inside the government, or turning to websites that make it their business to provide listings for properties around the country. Using the latter method will not only give you access to properties in your area, but will make it possible for you to bid on liens on a broader scale.

Learn more about tax lien certificates from a trusted online source. For more information, visit http://www.civicsource.com

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Making Multiple Offers on REO Houses Is a 2 Edged Sword

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When you first start in this business, you may hear that you need to be submitting at least 100 offers per week on houses that you are trying to flip. After all it is a numbers game right?

I'm here to show you the pros and cons of putting in all those offers.

PROS

You get offers on houses accepted and you make money when you flip a house right? Close multiple deals and build a relationship with an agent and get properties fed to you on a silver platter. The chance to have multiple properties in your pipe line so that if one or two houses dont sell, no biggie. You still have more on the back burner.

to be honest the pros are pretty slim but it can really pay off big with the more offers you get accepted

Now the cons

You could get more homes under contract than you can physically handle. You never know. Sometime the banks accept those super low ball offers You get overwhelmed when some agents are calling you back being nosy wanting to ask about your offer. Imagine getting agent calling you back for properties you dont know the first thing about the offer you submitted? You could look unprofessional if you don't know anything about the house your trying to flip Flipping bank owned houses requires you to put a earnest money deposit (EMD) down. If you get 10 properties accepted and don't already have buyers for them, you've gotta work like heck to find some cash buyers to put the deposits down or lose the properties for not having a deposit in. This is a sure way to get black listed.

The big guns in the biz who submit 100s of offers have assistants and agents that do it for them. Trust and believe they're not sitting at a laptop submitting all these offers. I tried this and after 40, felt over whelmed due to agents calling me back and I wasn't organized the best.

If you want to submit this many offers on houses, have a system in place so that you can stay organized. Not saying don't do it. Just be ready for what ever outcome that my come from submitting so many offers on houses.

Want to get started in real estate with out having too much money? Below is where you need to see.

Don't wait til tomorrow to learn how to flip homes! It's a lot of money to be made in this real estate business and it's not going to wait on you. Go to my Flip a house website and learn everything there is to learn about flipping homes for FREE.... and just so you know, the gurus are charging 1000's for this info but not me...

I'm on Facebook right here Dennis Marshall

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The Real Estate Market and Interpreting Media Headlines

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We are all familiar with the expression: "read between the lines". But what does it mean to read between media headlines as it relates to real estate? The purpose of a media headline is to "hook" the reader or viewer's attention. The headline lure is designed to get the reader to delve deeper into the printed material and the viewer to stay tuned.

Some recent print headlines that grabbed my attention are:

Washington Post, December 29, 2010: "D.C. area skirts home-price slump: Yearly Gain Leads Nation" by Dina ElBoghdady

Wall Street Journal, December 30, 2010: "Home Prices Are Still Too High: The Worst is Yet to Come" by Peter D. Schiff

Washington Post, January 1, 2011: "Stumbling along: National jobless count, higher interest rates may undermine D.C. area's gains" by Dina ElBoghady

Note that the first and third articles are by the same author. The first and second author are actually discussing the same document produced by the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price report issued in the press release from New York dated December 28, 2010. How is someone to "read between the lines" and interpret these headlines? I liken it to headlines about losing weight: bottom line the message is: eat less and move more. The bottom line message for real estate headlines is: all real estate is local. It matters where the real estate is!

The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices follow 20 metropolitan areas that established the baseline value of 100 in January of 2000. Clearly some metropolitan market areas are further along in recovery then are others, specifically Los Angeles, New York and Washington DC have retained most of the price appreciation that occurred in the mid-2000 decade. According to the recent press release: "Each of these markets is more than 70% above their January 2000 levels." That sounds pretty hopeful to me, and yet the headline proclaimed that the worst is yet to come!

Interpreting the January 1st article in the Washington Post too requires deeper investigation, which primarily has to do with understanding the location of the real estate in question. The market area in which the Huckaby Briscoe Group primarily works sustained price recovery in 2010 of an average of 8.48% (2010 average sales price of $385,000 up from 2009 average sales price of $354,900), even though the actual number of transactions was down 5.7%. So it matters whether the headline is speaking of price or of number of transactions. Sales are down but prices are up, if you are a buyer or seller, which are you more concerned about?

The best source of understanding the local real estate market is an experienced and knowledgeable Realtor.

Karen Briscoe with the Huckaby Briscoe Group would be delighted to be of assistance. Please contact via the means most convenient for you: http://www.HuckabyBriscoe.com, 703-734-0192, Homes

Golf Property - Larnaca, Cyprus

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Could this be the Eighth wonder of the world? Sufficiently nestled within the hills is the charming and scenic town of Tersefanou, Larnaca, Cyprus. This is where the BRAND NEW Larnaka Golf resort is being built.

In November 2010, when the announcement came through that the creation of this classic hideaway could go ahead in January 2011, several new developments have sprung up around Tersefanou and the area of the golf course. This has also had an effect on other villages in the vicinity, such as Kiti, Mazatos and Pavolia, which are all noticing an increase in the building of villas and apartments to support the expected influx of golfers and holiday makers to Cyprus so this is an prime investment opportunity. Tersefanou Holiday resort is one of the newest locations for inevitable construction in Larnaca. This region offers flawless conditions for a life of harmony with nature. In this area of Larnaca the coastline is almost entirely lined with long clean beaches and boasts a backdrop of rolling hills and agricultural terra firma as far as the eye can see. The village of Tersefanou has retained much of its tradition and culture although the intended golf course in the area will add a sophisticated feel to the region and is now tempting buyers from all over Europe,

The Tersefanou Golf Course is critical for the Larnaca ward seeing as the other three courses in Cyprus are placed in the Paphos and Limassol areas, the development of this complex provides a much demanded opportunity to the tedious trip currently required to reach the courses at Secret Valley, Aphrodite Hills and Tsada and thereby a substantial boost to the region's infrastructure.

This first-class 6 Star boutique resort offers all of the following and more:

1. Exquisite Golf Clubhouse with PGA Management Pro-Shop,
2. 18 hole PGA Championship Golf course
3. Thalassotherapy spa
4. Cigar Room,
5. Library,
6. Spike Bar,
7. Restaurants,
8. Members Private Area Facilities,
9. Buggy Valet service etc.
10. 40 suite luxury 6 star resort facilities
11. Helipad
12. State of the art spa facilities
13. Soccer School
14. Tennis Courts
15. Equestrian Centre and much much more

So to all those enthusiastic golfers, property investors or just the average nature admiring person who maybe interested in acquiring a piece of greatness then I strongly suggest you spend a bit of time looking at this desirable speculation opportunity in Cyprus.

You be mad to miss Golf Property in Cyprus

Check out the New Larnaca Golf Course, Golf Property Cyprus

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Bills Will Preserve Affordable Housing for Seniors and Disabled

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Two separate pieces of legislation passed Congress and will head to President Obama's desk for signatures, putting in place standards that will preserve affordable housing for seniors and the disabled around the country.

Sponsored by New York Senator Charles Schumer, New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez and Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns, the bills will make it easier for property owners renting to low-income seniors and the disabled to refinance their apartment buildings, preserving the quality and maintaining the low cost of the affordable apartments. Schumer said each bill protects a vital need for affordable housing from both communities.

"This is a common sense way to help property owners refinance elderly housing in order to preserve affordable housing for needy seniors and individuals with disabilities," Schumer said. "We have an obligation to make sure our seniors and disabled citizens can live with dignity."

The legislation will be a boon for the Section 202 housing program, which provides roughly 300,000 cheap apartments nationwide and supportive services for low-income senior citizens, said Schumer. With the nation's senior citizen population growing and the waiting list for Section 202 housing getting longer, the senator said every possible tool should be given to landlords and property owners to ensure that the stock of affordable housing for seniors remains robust and well-maintained.

Additionally, the new law will increase the number of cheap apartments built each year and designated as Section 811 housing - subsidized units set aside for low-income residents with disabilities. Unit production averages about 800 to 1,000 new units each year, and Schumer said the law will increase that figure to the 3,000- and 4,000-per-year range.

Dozens of senior and disabled housing advocates around the country voiced their support for the bill, including the National Council on Aging and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities. Representatives Christopher Murray of Connecticut and Judy Biggert of Illinois also sponsored the legislation.

Affordable housing continues to be an important concern for families in the United States and across the globe. A new Gallup poll showed that in the United States, a median 11 percent of adults say they did not have the money to provide adequate housing for themselves or their families. The issue was even greater abroad - a median 19 percent of adults worldwide said they lacked adequate affordable housing.

Jim Sarone is a writer for My Cheap Apartments specializing in cheap apartments and the affordable housing markets.

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Home Sales Rise at End of the Year

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Like most housing data in November, the most recent New Home Sales report showed sales volume increasing last month, and home supplies falling.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, sales of new, single-family homes increased to 290,000 in November on an annual basis, a figure equal to the New Home Sales 6-month rolling average, and a 6 percent improvement from October.

At the current pace of sales, the national supply of new homes for sale will be exhausted in 8.2 months - a strong 0.6-month improvement from October.

This data is consistent with the most recent Existing Home Sales report. It showed sales volume rising 6 percent, too, and a similarly-strong inventory drop.

For the housing market in El Dorado, Sacramento, and Placer Counties. All in all, it's another step in the right direction. Since May's post-tax credit plunge, home prices have stabilized and a foundation for growth has been built. Home builder confidence data highlights this point.

Also interesting in the November New Home Sales report is the volume breakdown by price point. Less expensive homes powered the market:

Timeshare Value - What's My Timeshare Worth?

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During the course of timeshare ownership the question about your timeshare's value will undoubtedly arise sooner or later. Whether its to correctly price your timeshare for resale or appraise your timeshare property for legal reasons such as bankruptcy, divorce settlements or foreclosure. Or maybe you're just asking yourself, what's my timeshare worth?

When looking for a timeshare value its important to remember that timeshares do not appreciate in value.

A timeshare marketing analysis which in essence means comparing prices of similar units can become vary confusing very quickly. Internet is full of both overpriced and underpriced timeshares, you'll find identical properties priced very differently. If you go this route make sure you are using reputable listing services that remove listings once properties are sold and do not over-inflate prices just to sell more listings.

Online timeshare appraisal tools can be especially helpful in setting a realistic price. These tools can be found on sites that get their data from government agencies that register timeshare transfer paperwork. They generally have years of factual resale numbers. It is important to look for an independent service that is not affiliated with any resort, developer or reseller. Getting a timeshare appraisal using one of these services is easy - you provide information about the timeshare, the service will compare your timeshare to others just like it and return a value range based on market conditions. You'll get a written confirmation of the estimate in a form of an appraisal certificate by e-mail which includes any potential tax savings from selling, renting or trading your timeshare.

Timeshare Value Calculator

Adam Schultz heads Timeshare Magazine as Editor-in-chief, overseeing the creative and editorial content for site and the publication.

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