Bad Credit? No Credit? No Money? No Problem!
Have you ever walked into a bank or mortgage brokers office to apply for a mortgage loan and was told, Your credit doesnt meet our guidelines? Or even better, you dont have enough money for the down payment. How about, You dont have a long enough credit history for us to tell if you are a viable ... more...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Real Estate Bubble: Fact or Fiction?
The real estate market buzz across the country these days revolves around the anticipated and much feared bubble. The implication is that once burst, prices will spiral downward taking with them the major assets of those foolish enough to buy at a time when disaster looms large. It could happen ... more...

Escrow From a California Homeowner's Perspective
The Escrow ProcessBoth Buyer and Seller deserve the assurance that no funds or property will change hands until all of the instructions in the Purchase Contract have been satisfied. The Realtor submits Buyers and Sellers signed documents and Buyers deposit money to be held by an independent ... more...

I Want to Buy a Home - Now What?
If you were to ask 100 women "What would you like to achieve financially?" Buying a home or apartment is usually one of the answers. Some women think that they can never own a home - which is not true! In fact, there are so many success stories of home buyers who never thought they would get there. ... more...

'We Buy Houses' Scams How to Spot Them and How to Avoid Them
There are many reasons why a home owner would want to sell a house fast. Job change, relocation, debt problems, divorce and inheritance are just a few. Unfortunately, people in need also tend to attract predators who have no problem profiting from someone else's misfortune.If you're looking to sell ... more...

Home Owners In Trouble! The Real Estate Bubble, Rising Interest, and Variable Rate Loans Concern Fed
Hurricane Katrina, floods, earthquakes, rising fuel prices, shrinking pocketbooks, and now, concerns over variable interest rate loans, are discussions heard throughout the nation.With mounting concerns by the Fed over rising inflation, there is a serious push to increase the current rates of ... more...