Sep
30
How To Use Foreclosure Lists To Your Advantage
Posted By: Ramon Rivas on September 30, 2010 at 5:53 pmBy: Joseph B. Smith
Of course, finding the best property that will work for you as an investment is always challenging and can be tricky at most times. Using foreclosure lists can immensely solve this dilemma especially if you know how to properly use them. It takes some level of competence, knowledge and skill to make these lists work to your advantage.
Source It From The Best
The first and foremost thing that you should remember when choosing a foreclosure list to use is to find the best source for them. The cardinal rule is that the quality of foreclosures that you get depends on the quality of your foreclosure lists. It follows, therefore, that you should also ensure that your lists are sourced from only the best. This means that you should only rely on lists providers who can deliver their promises, know how to handle data, and appreciate the value of accurate and updated foreclosure information.
A good foreclosure listings provider is backed by a team of highly-competent individuals who know where to get the best data and handle them for the optimum use of their client. These people ensure that you get the right information at the right time. Avoid providers that exhibit haphazard presentation of foreclosure lists and are constantly late in their updates.
Wield It Like A Pro
When using foreclosure listings, try to see beyond what are merely written on the list. Observe the prices and locations of the foreclosed properties and try to examine if there is some sort of pattern which you can use to either identify good deals or avoid hidden pitfalls. For example, if you see a list of too many foreclosed properties that are contained in a single location or neighborhood, you may want to think hard whether you want to buy a property amid a whole lot others that are all vacant and foreclosed. This information can also give you a hint to research more about the area and why many homeowners there have defaulted. If you can develop an analytical mind when browsing through these lists, you can definitely gain foresight on which properties present the best deals.
About the Author
Joseph B. Smith has been educating buyers on the finer points of foreclosure lists at ForeclosureListingsNationWide.com for over five years. Contact Joseph B. Smith through ForeclosureListingsNationWide.com if you need help finding information about foreclosure lists.
(ArticlesBase SC #3379458)
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – How To Use Foreclosure Lists To Your Advantage
| Filed Under: Articles , Foreclosures Tagged with Advantage, Amazon, B Smith, Cardinal Rule, Competence, Competent Individuals, Dilemma, Foreclosure Information, Foreclosure List, Foreclosure Listings, Foreclosure Lists, Foreclosures, Good Deals, Hidden Pitfalls, Neighborhood, Optimum, Presentation, Promises, Right Time, Whole Lot, Work Source |
Aug
13Create a Commercial Real Estate Empire by Specializing in One of These Commercial Properties
Posted By: Ramon Rivas on August 13, 2010 at 10:22 amThere are many types of commercial properties available to those who work in the commercial real estate industry. Many people like to work in a specific area by working with only one or two types of commercial properties. They do this because they have expertise with that specific type of property.
Commercial properties differ more than in just their appearance and use. How you purchase, sell, operate, manage, evaluate, and price each property can be very different. Although there are some similarities, being an expert in one or two properties can greatly increase your ability to analyze good deals and maximize your profit potential. When you know the inside and out of the processes that take place with a certain type of property, know what hidden things to look for, and what mistakes to avoid, you are less likely to run into problems, and will generate positive, long lasting results.
The first are office buildings, or office parks. The term office can be used to refer to floors, parts of floors, an entire building, or an entire office park with multiple buildings positioned in a community type setting. Office space is used for a variety of reasons. It can be used for actual offices for companies, or it can be used for places of business operations, or to meet a tenant’s specific functional and technical needs. An example of this would be an office building for medical purposes.
Office buildings can be segmented into three basic levels. The first is low rise, which has fewer than 7 stories above ground. A mid-rise has between 7 and 25 stories above ground. A high-rise has more than 25 stories above ground. These buildings are often rented by the square foot according to the total usable square feet available to the tenant.
The next type of commercial property is retail property. These are places of business where products and services are provided. There are many types of retail properties which include big boxes, outlet centers, strip centers, regional centers and power centers. Each of these has distinct characteristics that differentiate one from another. Business owners can better choose where they want to lease by identifying their product position, where the best location is, and the type of retail center that will best sell their products and services.
A big box is a large, free-standing building that is often much like a huge warehouse. They can often be found near major shopping centers and along major corridors. Companies such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Target are all example of big boxes.
Outlet centers are usually located in tourist or rural locations, and the businesses there offer their products and services at a discount. Strip centers are consecutive narrow parcels that have a variety of stores. They are often found along main roads and commercial corridors.
Regional centers are characterized by an enclosed, inward orientation of the stores. A walkway or common area connects the stores that offer a variety of products and services. There is usually a large, common parking lot found along the perimeter of the regional center.
Power centers are areas of business where large retailers, including large discount centers lease out the buildings. Category killers can also be found here. These are companies that offer a large selection at low prices. Ross, Mervyns, and Kohl’s can all be found in power centers. Think of the one stop place to shop retail center, and you have a power center.
Any of these types of retail centers can be chosen areas of specialization for an investor, developer or builder. This gives them a competitive advantage in the commercial real estate industry because it is the only thing in which they concentrate their efforts. You can bet there is not one thing that can pass by these people when it comes to retail centers, and they know exactly how to maximize their resources.
Industrial and warehouse properties are the next category of commercial property where you will find freestanding properties, research and development, large manufacturing, as well as industrial park properties.
Freestanding industrial properties can vary greatly in construction type, design, and overall function. They stand alone, and are usually occupied by an end user, so the building is specific to a special purpose.
A research and development property is characterized by having office space and manufacturing on the premises. You can find them most often near universities, and close to other locations of professionals.
Industrial parks are large, planned developments that can be used for special scientific and technological use, or sophisticated communications uses. They have many buildings for mixed-purpose or a single purpose that are scattered in an often functional way.
Industrial buildings and warehouses are crucial to a city’s economic development, and cities often provide tax incentives when jobs are provided and new companies are brought to a city, especially to one experiencing rapid growth.
Multi-family property is another type of commercial property in which you can specialize. They offer huge opportunities to create value. A multi-family property is not considered a commercial property unless it is greater than 5 units. Duplexes and fourplexes are not considered commercial properties, though they can be a great investment. The larger the apartment complex, for example more than 100 units, the more money you will be able to return on investment. These multi-family units have living space, appliances and amenities. Multi-family units can range from low-end to luxury type units.
The last type of commercial property is raw land. Raw land is characterized by untouched land with no improvements such as utilities and roads. It can be the most difficult property to involve yourself with; however, it can return the greatest results.
Whichever property you decide to specialize in, only begin a new project in a new area with a person who has lots of experience. You can learn a lot from someone by using this strategy. It will give you a solid foundation to do the next project on your own. This partner or associate will help you to gain the experience and insight that may otherwise take you years to learn.
| Filed Under: Articles Tagged with Appearance, Business Operations, Commercial Real Estate, Estate Empire, Expert, Good Deals, Google, Investments, Low Rise, Many People, Medical Purposes, Mid Rise, Office Buildings, Office Space, property, Real Estate, Real People, Square Feet, Square Foot, Usable Square Feet, Variety |
Aug
04Commercial Real Estate – Hard, Hard, Hard Money Loans
Posted By: Ramon Rivas on August 4, 2010 at 7:20 pmFinancing for commercial real estate is a completely different game when compared to residential mortgage loans. It moves much faster and is much more flexible.
Commercial Real Estate – Hard, Hard, Hard Money Loans
Hard money loans for commercial real estate are often a matter of last resort. They aren’t good deals, but they can save a financing situation that has gone critical. Most hard money loans come with significant upfront costs and astronomical interest rates. When you are facing the prospect of losing a commercial property, however, they can be a godsend because they also are granted very quickly.
Hard money loans are considered very risky and are issued by private financing groups, not banks or lenders. The loans tend to be only available as the primary loan on the property, which isn’t that rare a situation in commercial property.
Unlike home loans, hard money loans are all about the potential sales price of a piece of commercial real estate. The party considering lending you money is not going to look at the appraised value of the property. They are going to look at the probably sales price if the commercial real estate has to be sold a few months after making the loan. Depending on the condition of the property, this figure will typically be between 50 and 75 percent of the appraised valued of the commercial property.
Put another way, a hard money loan is a short-term loan designed to get you past an immediate problem. It is undeniably a loan of last resort and is not an ultimate solution to a financing problem with a commercial property. It does nothing other than buy you time, and at a fairly hefty cost. If you are in a tight spot and can resolve the problem with a few extra months time, a hard money loan may be the answer.
auction companies are the ones gaining the most in this widespread use of foreclosure auction. They became busier than ever. When lenders and homebuilders are ready with foreclosed homes, they hire auction firms to find buyers. These thousands of foreclosure filings made each month have attracted large numbers of investors in foreclosure auctions due to the good deals embedded with each foreclosed property. This increased the opportunities of the auction companies to a great extent.
Due to the popularity gained by foreclosure auctions, new players started to enter into the auction business. The large numbers of ready-for-auction foreclosed homes led some real estate companies to taste the success of the aforementioned auction business too. These real estate companies also started an auctioning division to compete with the traditional auction firms. Since the number of foreclosed homes is incrementing on a continuous basis, the auction business proves to be one of the most profitable investments that will run for a long time.
Buyers became increasingly interested in bidding at a foreclosure auction because of the great bargains involved. First time buyers and real estate investors are attracted by the ever decreasing prices of houses as well as the comparably cheap amount of mortgage. The deals will rarely be disappointing in foreclosure auctions because the sellers are mostly government bodies who are least concerned about making profits. Furthermore, the prices of foreclosed homes are much lesser as compared to those available in the real estate markets. Many of the buyers also enjoy the environment of bidding in an auction rather than dealing with a seller face-to-face. These are some of the reasons why buyers have been pulled towards home auction.
Before the event starts, buyers are required to register in order to receive a bid card for the auction proper. Bidders must also bring with them the required amount of cash or cashier’s check, which all depends on the properties being auctioned by the auction company. Upon winning the bid on a property, the winning bidder must pay a percentage of the price as well as the amount of commission to the auction company. In some instances, bulk buyers are required to pay more and the required financial arrangements have to be made the same day.
The areas which are prone to foreclosure auctions are mostly the locations where the developers have overbuilt properties. They have either overlooked the economic downslide or the slow moving real estate business in those areas. Some buyers in foreclosure auctions are either looking for a place to settle down in or simply looking for a cheap home property to develop and sell in the future.
Most of the auction companies appoint their own bidders, otherwise known as shills, to conjure a bidding competition in order to tempt the “real” bidders to bid higher, thus increasing the selling price of the auctioned property. This must be disclosed before the auction begins so that the actual bidder knows whether he is bidding against an actual buyer or a shill. This practice is prohibited all over the Unites States; however, there is a lack of monitoring bodies to facilitate a fair auction. Sadly, this is mainly used by the auction companies to increase their commission amount. It is wise to be on the look out for such bidders that you may have seen working before the auction began.
A buyer should always be cautious when deciding to attend an auction. Only go to licensed auction companies or real estate brokers who can give you a clearer view on the properties being auctioned as well as provide the pros and cons of each property. It is better to go for absolute auctions rather than reserve auction. You should be certain that the auction companies allow you to represent your own attorney. Always remember to collect all the required information before attending an auction, so as to avoid surprises in the long run.
E-commerce has gained a huge amount of popularity in the last few years that it has become unavoidable not only for businesses but also for personal needs. The main reason for its widespread acceptance is its ease of use. The whole transaction of buy and pay are at your fingertips wherever you need it. These days we see large amount of discounts and offers associated with online shopping which is also a major contribution in making this concept attractive. Not just online shopping but online auctioning has also started to gain popularity among investors.
Similarly, online auctions of foreclosed homes are also available these days. Most people still prefer to bid directly at the county courthouse because it is a place where money is involved and usually people need assured security in such cases. But there’s much to like about online auctions too. Due to some reasons numerous people prefer doing online auctions. Let’s try and list out some of them here.
> Benefits for the bidder
From a bidder’s point of view, it is the extreme convenience and the feeling of being in control offered by an online auction that attracts them. foreclosure auctions may span from a few days to several weeks and the bidder is free to bid at anytime from anywhere in the world. Any person with decent computer knowledge would prefer bidding at an online auction in an environment he likes the most rather than standing on the steps of a local courthouse in sleet storm or amidst the craziness and inconvenience of a jammed hotel ballroom.
Online auctions give you a wider choice of foreclosed homes not only in a particular county or state but in whichever location one prefers. Numerous undervalued properties and good deals can be obtained simply by browsing through the internet for foreclosed properties. This results in an ongoing income asset for investors.
Many websites are rich in variety offering numerous features. Some give the complete description of the property, its environment, its proximity to important places like malls, airports, railway stations, etc. The bidders even get a chance to compare features of different properties before making the final decision. Some sites even have links that lead to direct communication with the seller. Leading websites for online auction even make management of settlement available online. All these can be done by just sitting in the comfort of your home rather than spending days or weeks in the local courthouse.
> Benefits for the Seller
Foreclosing lenders who are usually banks or government agencies will be in a hurry to sell the property somehow and recover their losses. For them the best option is to go for an online auction because the overall procedure takes less than a month for completion. Once the details of the property are posted on the website, the bidding starts within two weeks and will come to an end within the following two weeks. Speed of the process is the USP that attracts the sellers.
Moreover the charges involved in online auctions are much less when compared to the on-ground auction. The seller has to pay the charge, in the form of commission, to the website only after the sale of the property. This is of great advantage when there is a recession in the sale of property but there is abundant supply. An online auction is a no-risk method to move property quickly. Online auctions attract more investors, from all around the world ensuring a global involvement.
Managers of good auction sites often work in cooperation with the sellers. If the home gets a final bid less than that of the reserved price then the customer service manager of the website arranges a negotiation meeting with the buyer and seller so as to meet the reserved price. Usually these talks will end in a satisfactory note to both the buyer and the seller. Thus auction websites act as the marketplace for the buyers and sellers with their ultimate aim being the satisfaction of both parties.
