Reinventing Real Estate, Part 1: Online and Empowered Consumers Are Taking Charge and Paying Less
For decades, the real estate world turned in a predictable manner. The roles of buyers, sellers and real estate professionals were fairly well defined and transactions followed a predictable path of yard signs, newspaper ads, open houses and miles of paperwork.Recently, online and empowered ... more...

China's New Currency Regime
The base unit for the renminbi is the yuan, which is how the Chinese currency is most commonly referred to. The official ISO abbreviation for the yuan is CNY, but it is also commonly abbreviated in the forex industry as RMB.The yuan had been pegged at 8.28 to the dollar since 1994. While China ... more...

Heating and Cooling Your Log Home
Needless to say, our forefathers didn't worry too much about heating their log cabins. Big fireplaces had no problem warming up the one or two rooms they lived in. Of course now that log homes are family-sized, people often have the impression that there is something different about how they are ... more...

Buying a Vacation & Retirement Home
Buying a vacation home that doubles as a future retirement home requires forethought and thorough investigation. Conventional wisdom tells us to first settle on a desired location and then look for the least expensive house in the best possible neighborhood. This is of course true, but buying a ... more...

Money Does Talk!
When buying something, you can buy in one of two markets. The first is buying on terms in the retail market and the second is buying in the wholesale cash market. This can be illustrated by referring to the biggest purchase we all make in our lifetime - Real Estate.In recent years, when you are ... more...

Home Buyer's Hidden Costs
Home buyer's who purchase a home without a real estate agent (or sometimes purchase through an inexperienced agent) can find out too late they don't have enough money to close and move.Top 10 Costs Home Buyers Miss:1.) Property Taxes and AssessmentsHome buyers often need to set up an escrow account ... more...

Getting Started in Real Estate Foreclosure Investing
Decide to Invest in Real Estate Foreclosure InvestingWith the increase in Real Estate property appreciation rates across America, a prospective foreclosure buyer may want to fix up a property to improve its value to live in, to rent out or to resell. The strategy a buyer pursues will determine ... more...

14 Common Credit Mistakes
Establishing credit and wisely managing your credit becomes easier when you know how. You'll feel empowered by taking knowledgeable steps towards good credit, and you'll be on your way to purchasing real estate and greater financial freedom.If you plan to finance real estate, either as a home buyer ... more...

Should You Use a Lease/Purchase (Rent to Own) Approach to Sell or Rent Your Home?
Have you ever dealt with bad renters? Late payments? Stains on the carpet? Calls late at night about a stopped toilet? Sometimes being a Landlord is not a fun game, especially when you have a nice home and bad tenants.Have you taken advantage of the recent low interest rates and refinanced your ... more...

Tips For Getting A Low Downpayment
There's also a lot of personal satisfaction in living in a home that you own. Real estate is still considered a valued investment which can have many financial advantages and tax benefits. The amount of interest you pay on a home loan and the real estate taxes you pay on your home are among the few ... more...

10 Tips to Sell Your House Faster!
Here are some Handy wee Tips to help you Sell Your House Faster. These are all 'tried and true' tips we've gathered over years of Buying and Selling Houses, so I know for sure that they work!1. Clean your house -- no kidding...the cleaner your house is, the easier it is to sell.2. Fix any glaring ... more...

Buy FHA HUD Homes
FHA HUD homes are those dwellings that have been acquired by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The HUD oversees the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which offers federal insurance on home mortgages. When a home owner fails to meet the payments of a HUD ... more...

Renting Back After Your Home Is Sold
Sometimes its helpful to sell your home before you really want to move. This often happens when you are having a new home built, but arent sure of the completion date. Is there any way you can sell your home so youre sure of the funds available for the new purchase, but continue to live in your old ... more...

How to Buy Your First Condo Without Getting Burned
Well, here I am buying my first condo and boy am I learning alot.First I learned to pick a real estate agent I know or at least one who has been recommended. There are so many behind the scenes deals going on, with some of these realtors, that you can't tell whether they actually care if you get a ... more...