East coast living has been a dream of mine for a lifetime. However, the cost of living is steadily increasing and in order to afford an apartment on my own in New York City, I needed to find the cheapest way to find the perfect one from 650 miles away. As a young adult, moving costs are not easy to accommodate. 

When beginning my search for an apartment, I used the help of the World Wide Web to find an effective website to help in my search process. Because of the living expenses, I wanted to find a service that could help me find the best place for the least amount of money. This included finding a website that didn’t include a broker fee to add to my already soaring moving costs. The accessibility of a website with this feature was very effective for my needs. 

As a new renter, I needed to seek out a resource that helped me to quickly and cost-effectively rent my apartment. In a city as large as New York, I needed a simple way to organize myself in finding a place. A website that made the search simple helped to make the hunt for a place less stressful. It was also helpful that new listings were sent directly to my email and all postings had photos, maps and even directions when I decided to take a look at the place for myself. 

As a native Midwesterner, it was also helpful that detailed neighborhood information was given, seeing as I had no NYC experience within my decision-making process. This unfamiliarity discouraged the process because of my unawareness of the cost of living. A website that effectively described the value within the apartments listed helped me to organize what each place could give me compared to the others in surrounding areas. Variety is also important; a website that offered a range of types of living areas was more encouraging to me because the website had taken the time to present a range for their users. 

The importance of direct correspondence when moving long-distance is vital. This website allowed me to get detailed, personal attention with answers to my questions about neighborhoods, how to deal with landlords, etc. The site effectively helped my difficult move much more of a pleasant experience. With their help, I found the best place I could from out of state and received answers to all the questions I had in order to feel that I had made the best decision with my long-distance move.

What is it about Bulgaria that has attracted thousands of property investors to commit to the country?  

Why does the Bulgarian real estate sector appeal so greatly to so many people?  

And what is causing the continuous flow of new investment into the country?

These are all questions that those external to the unstoppable Bulgarian real estate market need answering!

Well, the reasons for the popularity of Bulgaria’s property market are manifold and this article will guide you to an understanding of the main factors driving the ongoing success of the Bulgarian real estate sector.

Bulgaria is on track for EU accession – that means that it is about to gain full membership of the European Union either in 2007 or 2008.  When the country is a member it will benefit from freer trading rights, it will easily attract more foreign direct investment, more companies will set up offices and bases in the country and as a result employment opportunities will increase and overall the local Bulgarian economy will benefit positively.  

Because Bulgaria is not yet in the EU however, many investors are buying property in Bulgaria now to benefit from the economic improvements that the country will enjoy once it does become a member.  These economic improvements will likely translate into higher property prices in the real estate sector, therefore those who buy now believe that they will benefit from the greatest price gains and make the maximum profits and enjoy the longest period of growth.

Until Bulgaria does join the EU its property ownership laws are not in line with those of other EU countries which means that there is an element of risk to the whole property buying process which artificially keeps real estate prices low – as with any type of investment, the greater the potential risk the greater the potential profit.  Therefore those who are not risk averse can see that the artificially deflated prices present them with even more opportunity for profit over the medium term.

Finally, property prices in Bulgaria may be artificially deflated but they are starting from a low position anyway because the country is just beginning to emerge into a first world country with first world infrastructure – as and when it joins the EU it will most likely make further leaps forward in terms of its development and this will make the country more attractive to more people which will increase the demand for real estate which will push up the prices for property and those who buy before this predicted boom will be able to reap the greatest rewards!  And that is why the appeal of Bulgarian real estate market is so intense with property investors right now.

As our favorite flowers get buried under the snow and the shrubs shed their greenery, it is all too easy for your house and front yard to blend in with all the other white places in your area. But when your house is on the market it is advantageous to have it defined and noticeable, looking like the pick of the bunch.

This is not so difficult to achieve, selling your home in the winter does have some seasonal advantages that can help your home appeal to a prospective buyer. By spending only a few dollars, you can transform your home into a Christmas card scene! 

As your buyer turns into your street, he/she will already be assessing your home strictly from the outside view. For this reason, you will want the exterior of your home to look uncluttered. Remove all kid’s bikes, hockey nets, etc. Be sure that you park your family vehicles in the neighbor’s driveway, (ask first!) or around the corner. This will ensure that the buyer’s first impression of your home will also include your garage doors and driveway. A spacious front yard gives a feeling of more privacy, so strive for this. 

Be sure to remove all garbage cans and recycle bins from sight. This is critical if you have steps to negotiate when they are put out. Try to minimize any shortfalls that your property may have. 

Another first impression for night viewings will be the light streaming out of your windows, making the home look welcoming – or not. A bright white light and a full view of the interior would not be desirable. 

You do not want them assessing the interior when they should be admiring the exterior. From the outside you want to evoke a warm welcome into the home and a suggestion of coziness can easily be achieved. 

However, first things first, make sure the windows are sparkling clean; this will be especially beneficial for day-time viewings when you want all the natural light to flood in. 

For the evening viewings, place an amber or pink light bulb in at least one of your lamps, to give a warm ambience to your room. Keep the lighting low at first; once the bell rings you can add more lighting.

Another spot for lighting is the front door and this can also be a tinted bulb for a warmer welcome. Make sure that the front door bell works and that the door does not stick! Once something does not work, the buyer wonders what else is wrong with the house. 

As most of the blooms in your yard are gone, it may look a little austere. Do you have any decorative pathways that can be swept to reveal their pattern? Of course the walkways will be shoveled free of snow, but if you actually sweep them with a yard broom, it will reveal the patterning and colors that you may have. 

As you are trying to show your home to its best advantage, you may think about removing the shoveled snow to the back yard. If you want the Christmas card view, you can’t have heaps of dirty snow piled up! Do be ultra sure that there are no slippery spots.

Discuss with your realtor whether or not to add accessories. For instance, would a few large pots of berry bushes look good grouped on the front lawn? Would the front door benefit from a three foot fir tree in a pot on each side of it? 

Your walkways will be further enhanced by lamps placed along it, these are very reasonable and push into the ground in seconds. The snow will reflect the lamp glow and add to the curb appeal of your home.

Once you have gone to all this trouble, just hope that a blizzard does not arrive with the buyers!

The term “Tax Foreclosures” is a legal procedure or process that is expected to occur if a buyer defaults on a loan or the taxes applicable on the property, which he lends for mortgage. The lender or lending institution takes back the hold of the property because of irresponsibility of the borrower in paying off dues and applicable taxes or loan applied on mortgaged property for whatsoever reasons. Therefore it is in the best interest of the borrower to pay off all the dues and applicable taxes prior to agreed period of time so as to make sure that no legal action, such as auction of his/her property in public, is taken against him/her. The most notable thing for a borrower is to that he/she must keep all the documents with him/her meeting all the terms and conditions to avoid any Tax Foreclosures in dealing with other parties in future. 

Tax foreclosure property procedures are different in every state. Many states follow an easy and simple tax foreclosure, whereby you only have to appeal the county court or maybe through processes of applications to obtain the deed to the property. Mean while, in other states, to go through the tax foreclosure property, you will have to spend most of your time in dealing with an attorney, which will consume lot of your time and waste your money. 

In the United States, there are two sorts of property foreclosure in most common law states. Using a “deed in lieu of foreclosure,” the bank claims the title and possession of the property back in full satisfaction of a debt, usually on contract. In the proceeding simply known as foreclosure (or, perhaps, distinguished as “judicial foreclosure”), the property is exposed to auction by the county sheriff or some other officer of the court. 

Other states have adopted non-judicial foreclosure procedures, in which the mortgagee, or more commonly the mortgagee’s attorney or designated agent, gives the debtor a notice of default and the mortgagee’s intent to sell the immovable property in a form prescribed by state statute. This type of property foreclosure is commonly referred to as “statutory” or “non-judicial” foreclosure.

The schedules for auctions of the tax foreclosures properties can be obtain by approaching the office of the Clerk of the District of the area in which the mortgager owns the property. However information on such listings can also be obtained from the courthouse.

Putting your Las Vegas home on the market is one thing, but adequately preparing it for buyers is a whole different matter. Home staging is the term used by real estate professionals to help prepare your house so that it will look its absolute best. Realtors will tell you that buyers usually make a decision about a home within the first ten seconds of their visit. Therefore, a wonderful first impression is imperative if you are to sell your home quickly. Should you stage your Las Vegas home? If so, what exactly is involved with home staging?

Although your real estate agent or broker is knowledgeable and skilled on how to market your Las Vegas home, they may not be particularly adept at interior design. That is where a home staging professional comes in. If you use one, they will work toward helping you eliminate clutter, rearrange furniture, and improve your home’s curb appeal. This may involve moving a painting from one wall to another, removing a bulky chair out of a crowded room, trimming the front yard shrubbery, etc.  In some cases a Las Vegas home staging professional may recommend that you bring in additional furniture, but you must realize that there is an extra cost involved if you choose that option. 

Your real estate agent should be able to refer a home staging professional to you. Most Las Vegas home staging professionals will offer a free written estimate of their recommendations and services. Ask for references from the home staging professional and call them to verify their work.

If you choose a professional who truly excels at home staging, you could recoup the costs of this service through a higher selling price.

You hear it everywhere. The baby boomers are starting to retire. The stock market and real estate market will suffer as money is pulled out. This hardly seems true for real estate. 

Thoughts on the Future of the Real Estate Market

Baby boomers are those individuals born during the period from roughly 1945 to 1964. Following World War II, peace and economic prosperity occurred for roughly twenty years. Along with this came an explosion in the birth rates in the United States. This increase in birth rates created a bulge in the overall population, to wit, the baby boomer generation.  

As economists and pundits look to the future, they worry about what will happen when baby boomers move out of the job market. Who will replace them? What happens to their money? Will the drain on the stock market from 401k distributions wipe out the stock market? What about real estate where baby boomers are starting to pass their peak earning years? Is everything going to crash? No. 

The first reason the real estate market will not die is the boomers. They do not just disappear when they retire. Most are continuing to invest in real estate as they start receiving retirement distributions. In 2004, this fact was evidenced by the fact that of all home sales, 35 percent were for second homes. Clearly, the boomers will remain active for some time.   

There is also a new generation starting to be introduced to the real estate market. While it is true that baby boomers are the largest population bulge we have seen, one has to keep in mind that the boomers had their own offspring. The second largest population bulge we have seen are these children. They are now entering there twenties and thirties, which means they are entering the real estate market as buyers – often borrowing from their parents for down payments. 

Immigration is a controversial subject. Regardless of your view, the undisputed evidence shows a large number of legal immigrants coming into the country since 1970. Obviously, these individuals and families represent another pool of buyers. 

Despite the wailing of so-called experts, the real estate market should continue to purr along as it always has. Real estate is still one of the best investments. Yes, there will be fluctuations, but the prophecies of doom and gloom are unsupported by the facts.

With property prices seemingly on the rise and rising quickly in Tampa, there is a lot of talk about a real estate bubble in the US and dire predictions that the so-called bubble could burst, leading to a lack of confidence on the part of investors and people seeking a second home. But while this talk of a bubble may be true in some parts of America, it isn’t justified in Florida, particularly in the Tampa Bay and Clearwater areas.  

Florida as a whole is enjoying a rise in property prices which promises to be a long term trend. There are many reasons for this.

Demand for real estate in Florida is increasing.  Homes are being bought for various reasons. Both American and European holiday makers view Florida as a premier summer holiday location and flock there each summer and historical evidence suggests that this figure is rising sharply and is having a major economic impact on the region according to VISIT FLORIDA research. 

Historic Visitor Numbers (in Millions) 

• 1999    58.9
• 2000    72.8
• 2001    69.5
• 2002    73.9
• 2003    74.6
• 2004    79.7 

Historic Economic Impact

Total Tourism Spending 1999-2004:

• 1999 – $44.6 billion
• 2000 – $48.5 billion
• 2001 – $48.6 billion
• 2002 – $49.5 billion
• 2003 – $51.5 billion
• 2004 – $57.0 billion

Total State Sales Tax Revenues from Tourism 1999-2004:

• 1999 – $2.7 billion
• 2000 – $2.9 billion
• 2001 – $2.9 billion
• 2002 – $3.0 billion
• 2003 – $3.0 billion
• 2004 – $3.4 billion

Number of Persons Directly Employed by Tourism Industry 1999-2004:

• 1999 – 826,200
• 2000 – 842,900
• 2001 – 864,500
• 2002 – 862,900
• 2003 – 871,000
• 2004 – 912,700

This growth in visitors is due to Florida’s many attractions, many of which are near to Tampa Bay. The superb beaches, the night life opportunities, golf and other sporting opportunities whether playing or being a spectator, the theme parks and adventure worlds, Disney, of course – and the many areas of unspoiled beauty.  And, if anything, this annual visitation is set to increase again as the Super Bowl comes to Tampa in 2009.  This will be the fourth Super Bowl to be held in Tampa.  This has a dramatic effect on our area’s prosperity.

The increasing economic prosperity also makes Florida in general and Tampa Bay in particular a good place to find a job or start a business. In 2004, Florida was ranked #2 as one of the best places in America for start-ups. More and more companies are also relocating their headquarters to Tampa, as well.  Tampa is now being called the “Gateway to the Florida High Tech Corridor”, because companies are being offered a matching grant program that has generated more than $120 million in applied research.  225 companies have already taken advantage of this.

The area has relatively low real estate prices and a lower cost of living and higher employment statistics compared to the rest of Florida and to other states in America, despite recent increases. The median value for a home in Florida was $189,500 last year, significantly less than similar homes in California where the median home value was $474,370. (Source: www.investmentu.com/IUEL/2004/20040927.html ).   In Tampa Bay, it was less again.  

Florida, including Tampa, also enjoys the advantage of having slightly more favorable property taxes compared with other parts of the US, no state income tax and better car insurance rates. The education system has undergone considerable improvement over the past number of years. And the Tampa area also has some of the best commute to work times in the country. 

Tampa Bay is perhaps the ideal place not just for the baby boomer buying a second house or holiday home, nor just for the property investor seeking to increase their footprint in the holiday rental market, but also for people starting out in life or those seeking a retirement home.  

There have been several new developments in Tampa Bay Florida real estate and Clearwater Beach real estate holdings; the plans for developing downtown Tampa, especially the Rivergate area, are potentially very exciting indeed, according to recent articles in the Tampa Bay Business Journal. 

In short, Florida as an area for either relocation, investment or a second home is currently one of the most attractive in America and likely to remain so for some time.  Due to the recent economic pressure on the US as a whole there might be a slight slow down in terms of escalating appreciation but Florida remains a great place to come and a great place to invest, especially Tampa Bay real estate and Clearwater Bay real estate, which are right in the heart of the potential growth areas.  

No bubbles bursting here, just opportunities galore!

When talking to people who are trying to sell their house I’m often asked the question, “Why should I sell my house to you?”

That’s a great question. Today’s house seller has lots of options: they can list their house with a real estate agent, they can try to sell the house themselves or they can sell their house to a real estate investor. None of these choices is necessarily better than the others: they each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Here is what I say when asked why someone should sell their house to me:

I’m fast.

In many cases, sellers are in a rush to get their house sold. Maybe they’re facing foreclosure or they’re settling a divorce. Sometimes the seller has moved because of a job and needs to sell the house quickly to avoid two mortgage payments. Or someone might inherit a house and they don’t want the hassle of dealing with the repairs and marketing necessary to sell the house.

Most people who try selling their house themselves or through a real estate agent find that it is anything but a “fast” process in most cases.  Unless you are willing to sell your house at a significantly reduced price, in many markets you could find yourself waiting one to three months before you accept an offer.

On the other hand, because I’m an independent investor with private funds I can often close a house purchase in 7 days or less.

My offers are flexible

I make my offer fit the seller’s needs. If the seller wants to close quickly, that can be arranged.  If the seller wants cash all at once or a monthly cash flow, I can do those, too.  I can also make up past payments and take over current payments to immediately relieve money burdens on the seller.

I can be a lot more flexible with my offers than the “traditional” offers sellers typically receive. That’s because I’m independent and not part of a bank bureaucracy which has to follow lots of rules.  I’m also aware of possible creative solutions to meet sellers’ needs that your average home buyer wouldn’t think of. 

I’m open-minded.

I might buy someone’s house when no one else will.  In many cases I buy houses that have fire damage, termites, mold, foundation problems, roof problems or need major repairs.  Houses with these conditions scare most buyers and real estate agents hate listing them because they know such houses are hard to sell.

I actually enjoy talking to sellers with houses like these because I can see the house’s potential value after all the repairs are made.  I’m also not worried about extensive repairs as long as the after-repaired-value of the house justifies the expenses.

In conclusion, I encourage sellers to investigate all avenues of getting their house sold in the way that best meets their needs.  If they decide that working with me to buy their house makes the most sense, then I’m more than happy to help.