RESPA: The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) is a consumer protection statute, first passed in 1974. One of its purposes is to help consumers become better shoppers for settlement services. Another purpose is to eliminate kickbacks and referral fees that increase unnecessarily the costs of ... more...

Making it affordable: Nine tips for first time home buyers
It seems that everyone loves a good real estate story. The media is filled with reports about soaring property values and home owners of modest means becoming instant millionaires when they sell. As a result, many first time home buyers, afraid of missing out, will rush into buying decisions and ... more...

10 Things to Look for in a Home-Equity Line of Credit
If you are a homeowner, you've probably received offers to apply for a home equity line of credit (HELOC). Handled with care, home equity credit lines can be an excellent way to improve financial flexibility, provide readily available cash reserves for emergencies, or pay for large expenses (like ... more...

Investing in Real Estate Profitably: Financing Options for Purchase of Rental Houses, Part 1.
This is not an article about tricks for 100% (no money down) financing. Even if you do take advantage of various no money down strategies from time to time, these strategies are not generally applicable when you begin investing systematically in multiple rental homes with the goal of making ... more...

Online Advertising Versus Traditional Media Advertising
Before I compare today's online advertising with traditional media advertising I will make an analogy.If you've been on the Internet for as long as I have, you probably noticed that things have changed dramatically. About 6, 7 years if you were using online dating sites it was a lot easier to ... more...

What is Tax-Deferred Exchange?
Under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code, owners of real estate held for investment or use in a trade or business can swap their property tax-free for "like-kind" real estate. Exchanges are made for people wanting to stay invested in real estate, increase their leverage and to avoid paying ... more...

Reverse Mortgages A Tax Free Income For Senior Citizens
I fully realize if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is and There Aint No Such Thing As A Free Lunch (TANSTAAFL) immediately jumped into your head when you read the title of this article. However, if you are 62 or over, you may have just found the goose that laid the golden egg.A reverse ... more...

Decision Time: Home Equity Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit?
Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit continue to grow in popularity. According to the Consumer Bankers Association, during 2003 combined home equity line and loan portfolios grew 29%, following a torrid 31% growth rate in 2002. With so many people deciding to cash in on their home's ... more...

11 Steps Away From Buying a Home
There is no doubt that the market for houses has been on fire recently. More and more people are taking advantage of low interest rates and easy mortgage loan terms to go from being renters to being home owners. With so many people entering the market, it is inevitable that questions will arise ... more...

Real Estate Investing Myths That Steal Profits From Your Pocket
One of the things that distresses us about our industry is the amount of wrong or incomplete information available to investors. Some myths block what otherwise would be a great deal, while others would have you believe that a bad deal is actually great. For example, we encourage purchasing homes ... more...

Buying a Home with Bad Credit Own a Piece of the American Dream
Owning a home is the ultimate American dream. It is also the best way to build wealth for yourself and for future generations. Having bad credit should not prevent you from owning a piece of the American dream.If you have poor credit - you are not alone. It is estimated that approximately 30 ... more...