Spouse Objections to Rehabbing Real Estate
I’ve run across a lot of folks who tell me they’d love to do what I do, but their wife is just not comfortable with it. That’s a powerful objection, and sometimes it’s one that cannot be overcome. Most times, I think it can be, if you really want to. All too often, I get the impression the potential investor doesn’t want to jump into rehab real estate bad enough to work through the spouses objections. It’s the old “it’s easier NOT to” mentality!
The issue is usually not that your spouse doesn’t want the financial rewards that accompany the real estate rehab business. The reasons spouses object is usually good ol’ fear. For example:
fear of the unforeseen
fear of financial loss
fear that you don’t yet know what you’re doing (my favorite!)
The latter two are the big leaders. These fears may come from something they’ve heard, or they may be rooted in them not really understanding the transaction or what you’re trying to accomplish.
For my wife, her fears were that something would come up that I hadn’t thought of, or that a house may sit empty for several months thus depleting the bank account.
How to deal with the fears of your spouse regarding rehab real estate
Sit down and discuss their fears. Find out what they really are. You always want to deal with a known entity.
Be sure your spouse understands the importance of rehab real estate in your long term financial goals, and how it fits into your family’s security.
Always encourage your spouse to ask questions!
If your spouse expresses general fear of the whole thing, that may be because of a lack of understanding of the process or they are very intimidated by it.
Encourage questions!
Explain how the transactions will work
Explain how you are minimizing the risk to your family.
Yes, the numbers might be big, but if you aren’t putting a lot of your own money in it, then your risk of loss is minimal.
Go over the worst case scenarios. Explain that worst case, the property could be quickly sold for SOME profit.
Reveal to your spouse the folks you have working with you, such as your mortgage broker, your wholesaler (flipper), appraiser, and anyone else you’ve identified up to that point.
My wife was very distrustful of these folks in the beginning. I had to explain and show her that these folks had EVERYTHING to gain by my first deals going very well, if they wanted to continue making money with me.
If the fear seems to be of the unforeseen
Explain that while this seems complicated, you’ve done your homework and you’ve learned about all you can learn without actually doing a deal for experience. (You reach a point where this is true!)
Explain that you won’t own the property a minute without enough insurance to cover anything that could happen.
If the fear is financial loss
Depending on your personal financial situation, you should focus your spouse on how real estate can and does improve the lives of investors.
If you’ve already identified a property, reveal your worksheet and how much you stand to make off that property.
Agree with your spouse NOT to take on too much risk. Set your boundaries together. I assure you that you’ll easily revisit these the first time you bring home a large check.
Fear that you don’t have the knowledge
Be sure you are well studied! Remember, knowledge comes before the money! Spend the money on a good course, or book. Don’t rely on just one. Get several author’s take on the subject. There are inexpensive ways to do this!
Explain that you have studied this thoroughly. Heck, you’ve got a head full of knowledge that needs to be put into action in order to move forward.
Agree with your spouse. That’s why you are tapping into the knowledge of those real estate professionals around you! Explain who’s on your team, and what they have to gain from you. Remind your spouse that you are tapping into the knowledge of those around you, those that know your area very well.
When your spouse comes around and is resigned that you are going to do this, they may:
Sign on and dig in beside you for the deal and what follows (throw total support behind you).
Flatly say, they don’t agree, but if you must…
Something in between, like “Honey, you do whatever you think is best.”
This last possibility is what I predict will happen to most. This allows your spouse to give you the room you need, but at the same time not completely agree. That’s where my wife went. It was a safe position for her. And, it’s a safe position for you! You’ve got the go-ahead, so go ahead!
I was in that position myself. If was a good feeling to watch her fears fall away as I complete my first couple of projects. Her eyes got nice and big when I refinanced my first two properties at the same time and brought home more money in one day than I’d ever held in my hands before. I also watched her understand the benefits more completely while sitting in my CPA’s office and having him say to her “These properties are saving you big time on your taxes.” I dare not say, I told her so, but I told her so
Sure, there are challenges, but the paydays are great.
So, over time, my bride is my full partner taking on whole aspects of the business freeing me up to do the parts I do best.
Spouse objections can be show-stoppers, but these suggestions will hopefully help you deal carefully with them. It’s not enough to merely brush them aside and charge ahead. I recommend a loving, cautious approach because in good time and bad, your spouse is your greatest ally. Keep them close!
Showing posts with label lis pendens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lis pendens. Show all posts
Friday, December 28, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Investor Apprentice Program
There is a famous old story about a company that had a
problem, and they called out a repairman to fix it.
The entire company was on the verge of shutting down production because
no one at the company had been able to identify this problem,
let alone fix it.
The repairman soon arrived, checked out the situation, went over
to one of the many miles of pipes running through the building,
and started banging on one particular pipe. He banged for about a minute.
He then ordered the crew chief to restart the machinery. Production
was restored and everyone was happy.
A few days later, the company received the bill for the repair.
The company manager was shocked to see that the amount due for the
repair was $10,000. The manager called the repairman and shouted
in the phone, "This repair bill is for ten thousand dollars! Where
do you get off charging me $10,000 for what amounted to banging on
a pipe for all of about 1 minute?!"
The repairman calmly replied "Oh, I only charged you $50 for banging
on the pipe. The other $9950 was for knowing precisely what pipe
to bang on."
And so the moral of this story is...experience is everything.
The fact is there are major investing opportunities all around you,
but can you see them? Do you know how to read the fundamentals of
your market to help you develop a strategic advantage? Do you worry
that your deals might not be profitable?
Are you an agent or broker who is wondering how to cope with a
down market, searching for ways to stabilize or increase income?
Would you like to discover how to go from killing yourself for a lousy
$5000 commission, to making a $100,000 commission for the same amount
of work with less hassle?
You may not know it, but there is a world of big opportunity out there
if you only know where to look and what to do when you find it.
You don't have to be licensed to break into high dollar real estate.
But if you are, it is even better. You can make a few thousand bucks
a year or you can make a few HUNDRED thousand bucks a year. It's all
in the choices you make.
Would you like to implement multiple income strategies that are
synergistic with your existing business model, and enable yourself
to make money all the time in any market?
If you are serious about your real estate career and your financial
future, and you have some resources for real estate investing and
business growth, you may be a candidate for our Investor Apprenticeship
Program.
If accepted, you'll be working one-on-one with Donna Robinson and
Peter Vekselman; two experienced real estate investors with more than
1000 transactions and years of on the street know-how and insight.
If you are wondering how to take advantage of the current housing
market, and drive your investing business or real estate brokerage
business to the next level, keep reading...
The fact is that todays housing market crisis is largely the result
of inexperienced investors who used bad loans to finance good properties
and today they are going down the financial drain by the thousands.
Many well meaning, honest investors are in financial ruins today
simply because they did not know what they were doing, and failed to get
advice from experienced experts who could have easily identified their
mistakes BEFORE they were made. This one simple step could have
saved them years of turmoil, financial hardship and bad credit.
It is a fact that some of our apprenticeship clients come to us
for damage control. They have already made severe, costly mistakes.
Mistakes that will affect their lives for years to come. Some went from
having perfect credit to credit that has been ruined, due to bad
investing decisions. If only they'd gotten professional advice from
us first.
The most common mistake new investors make is to try and
cut costs by neglecting things like professional advice that can insure
that they know what to do to be profitable and avoid life changing
mistakes.
This investor apprenticeship is a real bargain when compared to the
price thousands of investors are now paying for their failure to
get independent, professional advice from someone who has "been there
and done that".
Todays market is developing into some of the best buying opportunities
in 20 years. But there are also some of the worst opportunities in
20 years. Can you tell the difference? If you want to discover how
to really be profitable in any market while avoiding common and costly
mistakes, you need solid professional advice with over 20 collective
years of experience.
One of our current clients is learning how to take his brokerage
business to new levels by focusing on market opportunities in his
area that he thought were beyond his reach and expertise.
Another investor client is learning how to increase his volume from
struggling to do 1 or 2 deals a month, to building a business that
will allow him to double his volume with the same or even less work
than he is doing now. He was focusing on the wrong market. In just
one session we changed the way he looked at his business and corrected
several mistakes he was making but did not even realize.
Here's how you can find out if an Investor Apprenticeship is right
for you...
Donna Robinson and Peter Vekselman are planning a live teleconference
on Monday, December 10th, at 1 PM Eastern Time.
To register for the call please click the link below and a
confirmation will be emailed to you very quickly with complete
details on how to dial in.
http://www.reiuonline.com/coaching/freecoachingcall.htm
We will be discussing true stories of things that happen to real investors
and some actual case histories of Apprenticeship clients and how they
are using our strategies to increase income, build new income streams
and avoid big mistakes along the way.
If you are serious about growing your real estate business, this may be
just what you need to put the pieces all together and drive
your business into high gear.
problem, and they called out a repairman to fix it.
The entire company was on the verge of shutting down production because
no one at the company had been able to identify this problem,
let alone fix it.
The repairman soon arrived, checked out the situation, went over
to one of the many miles of pipes running through the building,
and started banging on one particular pipe. He banged for about a minute.
He then ordered the crew chief to restart the machinery. Production
was restored and everyone was happy.
A few days later, the company received the bill for the repair.
The company manager was shocked to see that the amount due for the
repair was $10,000. The manager called the repairman and shouted
in the phone, "This repair bill is for ten thousand dollars! Where
do you get off charging me $10,000 for what amounted to banging on
a pipe for all of about 1 minute?!"
The repairman calmly replied "Oh, I only charged you $50 for banging
on the pipe. The other $9950 was for knowing precisely what pipe
to bang on."
And so the moral of this story is...experience is everything.
The fact is there are major investing opportunities all around you,
but can you see them? Do you know how to read the fundamentals of
your market to help you develop a strategic advantage? Do you worry
that your deals might not be profitable?
Are you an agent or broker who is wondering how to cope with a
down market, searching for ways to stabilize or increase income?
Would you like to discover how to go from killing yourself for a lousy
$5000 commission, to making a $100,000 commission for the same amount
of work with less hassle?
You may not know it, but there is a world of big opportunity out there
if you only know where to look and what to do when you find it.
You don't have to be licensed to break into high dollar real estate.
But if you are, it is even better. You can make a few thousand bucks
a year or you can make a few HUNDRED thousand bucks a year. It's all
in the choices you make.
Would you like to implement multiple income strategies that are
synergistic with your existing business model, and enable yourself
to make money all the time in any market?
If you are serious about your real estate career and your financial
future, and you have some resources for real estate investing and
business growth, you may be a candidate for our Investor Apprenticeship
Program.
If accepted, you'll be working one-on-one with Donna Robinson and
Peter Vekselman; two experienced real estate investors with more than
1000 transactions and years of on the street know-how and insight.
If you are wondering how to take advantage of the current housing
market, and drive your investing business or real estate brokerage
business to the next level, keep reading...
The fact is that todays housing market crisis is largely the result
of inexperienced investors who used bad loans to finance good properties
and today they are going down the financial drain by the thousands.
Many well meaning, honest investors are in financial ruins today
simply because they did not know what they were doing, and failed to get
advice from experienced experts who could have easily identified their
mistakes BEFORE they were made. This one simple step could have
saved them years of turmoil, financial hardship and bad credit.
It is a fact that some of our apprenticeship clients come to us
for damage control. They have already made severe, costly mistakes.
Mistakes that will affect their lives for years to come. Some went from
having perfect credit to credit that has been ruined, due to bad
investing decisions. If only they'd gotten professional advice from
us first.
The most common mistake new investors make is to try and
cut costs by neglecting things like professional advice that can insure
that they know what to do to be profitable and avoid life changing
mistakes.
This investor apprenticeship is a real bargain when compared to the
price thousands of investors are now paying for their failure to
get independent, professional advice from someone who has "been there
and done that".
Todays market is developing into some of the best buying opportunities
in 20 years. But there are also some of the worst opportunities in
20 years. Can you tell the difference? If you want to discover how
to really be profitable in any market while avoiding common and costly
mistakes, you need solid professional advice with over 20 collective
years of experience.
One of our current clients is learning how to take his brokerage
business to new levels by focusing on market opportunities in his
area that he thought were beyond his reach and expertise.
Another investor client is learning how to increase his volume from
struggling to do 1 or 2 deals a month, to building a business that
will allow him to double his volume with the same or even less work
than he is doing now. He was focusing on the wrong market. In just
one session we changed the way he looked at his business and corrected
several mistakes he was making but did not even realize.
Here's how you can find out if an Investor Apprenticeship is right
for you...
Donna Robinson and Peter Vekselman are planning a live teleconference
on Monday, December 10th, at 1 PM Eastern Time.
To register for the call please click the link below and a
confirmation will be emailed to you very quickly with complete
details on how to dial in.
http://www.reiuonline.com/coaching/freecoachingcall.htm
We will be discussing true stories of things that happen to real investors
and some actual case histories of Apprenticeship clients and how they
are using our strategies to increase income, build new income streams
and avoid big mistakes along the way.
If you are serious about growing your real estate business, this may be
just what you need to put the pieces all together and drive
your business into high gear.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Is Flipping houses a lucrative investment?
Flipping houses is one of the most lucrative investment strategies you can make. I stress that statement with one caveat, though: You absolutely must do your due diligence and your homework before you invest. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the hardest part about flipping houses is not the financing. (That's actually the easy part, because you don't even need to use your own credit or your own money.) The hardest part is not even doing the actual rehab work to fix up the foreclosure property and getting it back on the market. The hardest part is not even the negotiation or the bidding process. If you've done your homework, negotiation is really a matter of having the interpersonal communications skills to convey to the seller that you want to help them out.
The hardest part about flipping houses is doing the research and making the determination whether or not a particular property is worth investing in. Once you make the decision to either pass on a particular house or to go forward with the negotiation process, it becomes a matter of statistical numbers, salesmanship, and a bit of luck.
Many a time have foreclosure real estate investors been burned by neglecting to do their homework before investing in a particular parcel of real estate. Novice investors have a tendency to get emotionally attached to particular deals for some reason. Perhaps they like the house. Perhaps they think this house is a guaranteed home run and will net them with a nice decent five- or even six-figure profit. But when they actually sign the paperwork and handover the money to do the deal, the nightmare begins.
The house may need far more repairs than originally anticipated, and the investor had not bothered to do a visual walk-through of the house, or did not buy the house with a low enough loan-to-value (LTV) margin to leave room for repairs before flipping it. Or, the house is in a neighborhood or market where homes are sitting for upwards of six months at a stretch before being sold, and the investor ends up making monthly payments on the house that eat into his or her profits, and ends up having to rent out the place for less than the monthly payments on the mortgage are.
The house may have had an encumbrance on it such as a judgment lien or a second or third mortgage, and the investor didn't bother to conduct a title search to ensure clean title.
Or quite simply, the homeowner just didn't do a CMA (comparative market analysis) properly and didn't buy the house at a low enough percentage below market value in order to make the deal profitable.
You may have heard the expression from various foreclosure gurus that you make your money on an investment when you buy it, not when you sell it. In other words, what that means is that you should only be buying assets that have equity that can be realized.
Research is one of the single most important aspects of the foreclosure investing business. When done properly, you will find riches beyond your wildest dreams. When done improperly, you are digging a deeper hole for yourself financially. I know from personal experience, having done foreclosure investing, the sad reality of this fact. As a rookie investor, my first couple of deals I barely made a few pennies on. I was lucky that I didn't end up losing my shirt. I walked away with a few bucks. This was because I hadn't done the math right in my calculations because more was owed on the house than I previously thought. On another deal, I ended up paying more in repairs than I had anticipated, because I had never been inside the house before the homeowner deeded the house over to me. But then on my next deals, because I had done my homework properly (having learned from my mistakes with my previous deals), I was able to get into deals with a much healthier profit margin. A healthy profit margin is very important to maintain when doing your calculations. You can almost always expect that, due to factors beyond your control, you have the potential to make less on a deal than the numbers tell you that you will on paper. If you think you will net $20,000 on a particular property, you might end up only making $10,000 or $15,000, or who knows, maybe even less.
That is why research is important. That is why it is important to use a reliable foreclosure listing service that provides reliable and accurate data. Yes I could go to the courthouse and research the deals myself, but rather than spend countless hours looking through files from 8am to 4pm on weekdays, I would rather use my valuable time to evaluate pre-researched deals, make go / no-go decisions on each deal based on the researched information, and then focus more of my time on the actual process of making offers. If you want to be a successful real estate investor, you will learn that if you want to do a volume of deals, you will need to outsource some of your tasks. The easiest one to outsource is the compilation of foreclosure listings and researching of the deals. (You don't have to train anyone to do it, because there are services out there that already do this for you.)
Learn more about foreclosures and get access to all the tools you need to get started investing today at http://www.thenoteservice.com
The hardest part about flipping houses is doing the research and making the determination whether or not a particular property is worth investing in. Once you make the decision to either pass on a particular house or to go forward with the negotiation process, it becomes a matter of statistical numbers, salesmanship, and a bit of luck.
Many a time have foreclosure real estate investors been burned by neglecting to do their homework before investing in a particular parcel of real estate. Novice investors have a tendency to get emotionally attached to particular deals for some reason. Perhaps they like the house. Perhaps they think this house is a guaranteed home run and will net them with a nice decent five- or even six-figure profit. But when they actually sign the paperwork and handover the money to do the deal, the nightmare begins.
The house may need far more repairs than originally anticipated, and the investor had not bothered to do a visual walk-through of the house, or did not buy the house with a low enough loan-to-value (LTV) margin to leave room for repairs before flipping it. Or, the house is in a neighborhood or market where homes are sitting for upwards of six months at a stretch before being sold, and the investor ends up making monthly payments on the house that eat into his or her profits, and ends up having to rent out the place for less than the monthly payments on the mortgage are.
The house may have had an encumbrance on it such as a judgment lien or a second or third mortgage, and the investor didn't bother to conduct a title search to ensure clean title.
Or quite simply, the homeowner just didn't do a CMA (comparative market analysis) properly and didn't buy the house at a low enough percentage below market value in order to make the deal profitable.
You may have heard the expression from various foreclosure gurus that you make your money on an investment when you buy it, not when you sell it. In other words, what that means is that you should only be buying assets that have equity that can be realized.
Research is one of the single most important aspects of the foreclosure investing business. When done properly, you will find riches beyond your wildest dreams. When done improperly, you are digging a deeper hole for yourself financially. I know from personal experience, having done foreclosure investing, the sad reality of this fact. As a rookie investor, my first couple of deals I barely made a few pennies on. I was lucky that I didn't end up losing my shirt. I walked away with a few bucks. This was because I hadn't done the math right in my calculations because more was owed on the house than I previously thought. On another deal, I ended up paying more in repairs than I had anticipated, because I had never been inside the house before the homeowner deeded the house over to me. But then on my next deals, because I had done my homework properly (having learned from my mistakes with my previous deals), I was able to get into deals with a much healthier profit margin. A healthy profit margin is very important to maintain when doing your calculations. You can almost always expect that, due to factors beyond your control, you have the potential to make less on a deal than the numbers tell you that you will on paper. If you think you will net $20,000 on a particular property, you might end up only making $10,000 or $15,000, or who knows, maybe even less.
That is why research is important. That is why it is important to use a reliable foreclosure listing service that provides reliable and accurate data. Yes I could go to the courthouse and research the deals myself, but rather than spend countless hours looking through files from 8am to 4pm on weekdays, I would rather use my valuable time to evaluate pre-researched deals, make go / no-go decisions on each deal based on the researched information, and then focus more of my time on the actual process of making offers. If you want to be a successful real estate investor, you will learn that if you want to do a volume of deals, you will need to outsource some of your tasks. The easiest one to outsource is the compilation of foreclosure listings and researching of the deals. (You don't have to train anyone to do it, because there are services out there that already do this for you.)
Learn more about foreclosures and get access to all the tools you need to get started investing today at http://www.thenoteservice.com
Thursday, November 8, 2007
How To Dramatically Increase Your Credit Score
Of course, one of the obvious ways to increase your credit score is simply to pay your bills on time, which of course you need to do. However, there's a more proactive approach to raising your credit score that's easy to do and makes the process quicker!
Let's say you have a Visa card with a $1,000.00 credit limit. Starting today you can use your $1,000.00 line of credit to increase your credit score and it doesn't matter if the credit card is secured or non-secured. The only thing that matters is that your credit card payments are reported to the credit bureau.
Each month you probably pay an electric bill, phone bill, water bill, car insurance and other types of bills which are generally not reported to the credit bureau unless you have an outstanding balance and refuse to pay it. The trick is to pay all these bills each month using your credit card, which does report to the credit bureau. Remember, you can even pay your groceries and fuel purchases for your car using a credit card. As long as the bill can be paid using a credit card you're ok. The next step is to apply the same money you were going to spend for the bills directly to your credit card bringing the balance to zero each month. Each month you charge your credit card then pay it off to reflect a positive payment history and you'll increase your credit score.
If you have a credit card with a large enough credit line, you can easily pay your car payment or even a mortgage payment. Even if you don't have a large enough credit line or can't get a non-secured credit card, you can still get a secured credit card from your local bank. Once this is done, deposit the same money you were going to use to pay your bills into your secured credit card account and simply use your secured credit card to pay your bills.
When using this method you can also use two credit cards showing more accounts with positive activity, which can work in your favor. However, don't get carried away! Having too many active credit card accounts or open lines of credit will also work against you.
Note: Debit cards with the Visa logo that come directly out of your checking account don't count. The credit card you're using must be set-up as a true credit card with the payments reported to the credit bureau.
Now your bills are being paid on time and you're maximizing your credit score with every bill you pay using your credit card reflecting a positive payment history for both your bills and your credit card.
Remember, this costs you very little to accomplish. All you may end up paying is a few dollars in interest, if that. The benefits you'll receive as your credit score increases will far outweigh a few dollars per month.
THE KEY HERE IS TO ALWAYS USE THE MONEY YOU WERE GOING TO ALREADY USE TO PAY YOUR BILLS TO PAY THE CREDIT CARD YOU'RE NOW USING TO PAY YOUR BILLS, BRINGING THE BALANCE TO ZERO EACH MONTH. NEVER MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING YOU HAVE ALL THIS MONEY AT THE END OF THE MONTH AND ONLY PAYING THE MINIMUM PAYMENT TO THE CREDIT CARD. PAY THE CREDIT CARD DOWN TO A VERY SMALL BALANCE EACH MONTH! I CAN'T STRESS TO YOU ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT THIS STEP IS. BY NOT DOING SO, YOU'LL END UP MORE AND MORE IN DEBT.
Note: The reason it is important to leave a small balance every month on your credit card is that banks like to see that you are paying interest, which helps raise your credit score. A $20 or $30 balance will work fine.
Of course, the only bills this will work on are those you can use a credit card to pay. I believe you'll find you can pay most of your bills with a credit card.
Once again let me remind you AS STATED THROUGHOUT OUR WEBSITE YOUR CREDIT HISTORY HAS NO IMPACT ON ACQUIRING REAL ESTATE WHEN YOU WORK WITH US.
This information is provided as a gift to you with no strings attached.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Let's say you have a Visa card with a $1,000.00 credit limit. Starting today you can use your $1,000.00 line of credit to increase your credit score and it doesn't matter if the credit card is secured or non-secured. The only thing that matters is that your credit card payments are reported to the credit bureau.
Each month you probably pay an electric bill, phone bill, water bill, car insurance and other types of bills which are generally not reported to the credit bureau unless you have an outstanding balance and refuse to pay it. The trick is to pay all these bills each month using your credit card, which does report to the credit bureau. Remember, you can even pay your groceries and fuel purchases for your car using a credit card. As long as the bill can be paid using a credit card you're ok. The next step is to apply the same money you were going to spend for the bills directly to your credit card bringing the balance to zero each month. Each month you charge your credit card then pay it off to reflect a positive payment history and you'll increase your credit score.
If you have a credit card with a large enough credit line, you can easily pay your car payment or even a mortgage payment. Even if you don't have a large enough credit line or can't get a non-secured credit card, you can still get a secured credit card from your local bank. Once this is done, deposit the same money you were going to use to pay your bills into your secured credit card account and simply use your secured credit card to pay your bills.
When using this method you can also use two credit cards showing more accounts with positive activity, which can work in your favor. However, don't get carried away! Having too many active credit card accounts or open lines of credit will also work against you.
Note: Debit cards with the Visa logo that come directly out of your checking account don't count. The credit card you're using must be set-up as a true credit card with the payments reported to the credit bureau.
Now your bills are being paid on time and you're maximizing your credit score with every bill you pay using your credit card reflecting a positive payment history for both your bills and your credit card.
Remember, this costs you very little to accomplish. All you may end up paying is a few dollars in interest, if that. The benefits you'll receive as your credit score increases will far outweigh a few dollars per month.
THE KEY HERE IS TO ALWAYS USE THE MONEY YOU WERE GOING TO ALREADY USE TO PAY YOUR BILLS TO PAY THE CREDIT CARD YOU'RE NOW USING TO PAY YOUR BILLS, BRINGING THE BALANCE TO ZERO EACH MONTH. NEVER MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING YOU HAVE ALL THIS MONEY AT THE END OF THE MONTH AND ONLY PAYING THE MINIMUM PAYMENT TO THE CREDIT CARD. PAY THE CREDIT CARD DOWN TO A VERY SMALL BALANCE EACH MONTH! I CAN'T STRESS TO YOU ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT THIS STEP IS. BY NOT DOING SO, YOU'LL END UP MORE AND MORE IN DEBT.
Note: The reason it is important to leave a small balance every month on your credit card is that banks like to see that you are paying interest, which helps raise your credit score. A $20 or $30 balance will work fine.
Of course, the only bills this will work on are those you can use a credit card to pay. I believe you'll find you can pay most of your bills with a credit card.
Once again let me remind you AS STATED THROUGHOUT OUR WEBSITE YOUR CREDIT HISTORY HAS NO IMPACT ON ACQUIRING REAL ESTATE WHEN YOU WORK WITH US.
This information is provided as a gift to you with no strings attached.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
CT Foreclosure Process Rules
FORECLOSURE BY SALE STANDING ORDERS
1. Committee will be appointed by the Court from a list of approved attorneys.
2. Sale will take place at 11:00 am on the premises unless otherwise ordered by the court.
3. Inspection will occur one hour prior to the sale on the date of sale unless otherwise
designated.
4. The deposit is 10% of the fair market value as found by the Court. The deposit is waived for
the plaintiff unless requested otherwise. Deposit is to be paid by either bank or certified
check. Purchaser is to close within 30 days of the Court’s approval of the committee deed.
The deposit shall be forfeited if the purchaser fails to close within 30 days of the approval of
the committee deed.
5. Advertisement is to be published twice in a newspaper as directed by the court.
6. The sign is to be placed on the premises as directed by the court.
7. The size of the sign is to be approximately 3 feet wide and 2 feet high and must contain the
following statement: DO NOT REMOVE; VIOLATION SUBJECT TO PUNISHMENT BY
THE COURT.
8. Cost of the sign is not to exceed the amount customarily authorized by the court including
preparation, erection and photograph for inclusion in committee report.
9. Committee is authorized to replace the sign once without court approval, provided the sign
can be erected at least ten days prior to sale. DO NOT ERECT THE SIGN YOURSELF.
10. A disinterested appraiser will be appointed and will, under oath, appraise the property and
make return of the appraisal to the Clerk of the Court at least seven days prior to the sale. The
court will retain this appraisal.
11. Committee is to obtain liability insurance for the date of the sale in the amount of $1,000,000.
Premium not to exceed $275.00.
12. Except for filing an appearance, if the sale is more than two months in the future, the
committee should incur no fees or expenses until directed by the court.
13. The Committee is authorized to conduct a title search of the property. The expense incurred
in connection with the title search shall not exceed $200.00.
14. If the sale is cancelled for any reason after publication or erection of the sign, a written
announcement of cancellation should be posted on the site. The committee is to remain on
site in that event.
15. The following information is to be contained in the Court ordered letter to the nonappearing
defendant owner of the equity: a.) Clearly state at the beginning that the letter is being sent at
the direction of the Court; b.) State the results of the foreclosure judgement; c.) Inform the
nonappearing equity owner that he/she/they risk loss of the equity if he/she/they fail to take
steps to protect that equity AND THAT HE/SHE/THEY SHOULD CHECK WITH THE
COURT AFTER THE SALE TO LEARN IF THERE IS ANY MONEY THAT IS
DISTRIBUTABLE TO HIM/HER/THEM; d.) State that the nonappearing party should either
file his/her own appearance or have an attorney file one on his/her/their behalf in order to
protect his/her/their interest in the equity. This letter is to be sent by the plaintiff via certified
mail, return receipt requested. A copy of the letter and later the return receipt should be sent
to the Clerk of the Court. NO SALE WILL BE APPROVED OR FUNDS DISBURSED
WITHOUT PROOF OF MAILING.
16. The sale is subject to and an all liens choate and inchoate which are prior in right to the
encumbrance being foreclosed.
17. The committee is to follow the Uniform Procedures for Foreclosure by Sale Matters except as
modified herein. (JD-CV-81 Rev.1-03). Committee deed to be prepared on form JD-CV-74
only.
18. Standing orders regarding Standard form Newspaper Ads, Model Notice To Bidders and
Plaintiffs Bid at Foreclosure Sale are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Committee will be appointed by the Court from a list of approved attorneys.
2. Sale will take place at 11:00 am on the premises unless otherwise ordered by the court.
3. Inspection will occur one hour prior to the sale on the date of sale unless otherwise
designated.
4. The deposit is 10% of the fair market value as found by the Court. The deposit is waived for
the plaintiff unless requested otherwise. Deposit is to be paid by either bank or certified
check. Purchaser is to close within 30 days of the Court’s approval of the committee deed.
The deposit shall be forfeited if the purchaser fails to close within 30 days of the approval of
the committee deed.
5. Advertisement is to be published twice in a newspaper as directed by the court.
6. The sign is to be placed on the premises as directed by the court.
7. The size of the sign is to be approximately 3 feet wide and 2 feet high and must contain the
following statement: DO NOT REMOVE; VIOLATION SUBJECT TO PUNISHMENT BY
THE COURT.
8. Cost of the sign is not to exceed the amount customarily authorized by the court including
preparation, erection and photograph for inclusion in committee report.
9. Committee is authorized to replace the sign once without court approval, provided the sign
can be erected at least ten days prior to sale. DO NOT ERECT THE SIGN YOURSELF.
10. A disinterested appraiser will be appointed and will, under oath, appraise the property and
make return of the appraisal to the Clerk of the Court at least seven days prior to the sale. The
court will retain this appraisal.
11. Committee is to obtain liability insurance for the date of the sale in the amount of $1,000,000.
Premium not to exceed $275.00.
12. Except for filing an appearance, if the sale is more than two months in the future, the
committee should incur no fees or expenses until directed by the court.
13. The Committee is authorized to conduct a title search of the property. The expense incurred
in connection with the title search shall not exceed $200.00.
14. If the sale is cancelled for any reason after publication or erection of the sign, a written
announcement of cancellation should be posted on the site. The committee is to remain on
site in that event.
15. The following information is to be contained in the Court ordered letter to the nonappearing
defendant owner of the equity: a.) Clearly state at the beginning that the letter is being sent at
the direction of the Court; b.) State the results of the foreclosure judgement; c.) Inform the
nonappearing equity owner that he/she/they risk loss of the equity if he/she/they fail to take
steps to protect that equity AND THAT HE/SHE/THEY SHOULD CHECK WITH THE
COURT AFTER THE SALE TO LEARN IF THERE IS ANY MONEY THAT IS
DISTRIBUTABLE TO HIM/HER/THEM; d.) State that the nonappearing party should either
file his/her own appearance or have an attorney file one on his/her/their behalf in order to
protect his/her/their interest in the equity. This letter is to be sent by the plaintiff via certified
mail, return receipt requested. A copy of the letter and later the return receipt should be sent
to the Clerk of the Court. NO SALE WILL BE APPROVED OR FUNDS DISBURSED
WITHOUT PROOF OF MAILING.
16. The sale is subject to and an all liens choate and inchoate which are prior in right to the
encumbrance being foreclosed.
17. The committee is to follow the Uniform Procedures for Foreclosure by Sale Matters except as
modified herein. (JD-CV-81 Rev.1-03). Committee deed to be prepared on form JD-CV-74
only.
18. Standing orders regarding Standard form Newspaper Ads, Model Notice To Bidders and
Plaintiffs Bid at Foreclosure Sale are incorporated herein by reference.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Foreclosure Filings Double
Foreclosure filings across the United States nearly doubled last month compared with September 2006, as financially strapped homeowners already behind on mortgage payments defaulted on their loans or came closer to losing their homes to foreclosure, a real estate information company said Thursday.
A total of 223,538 foreclosure filings were reported in September, up from 112,210 in the same month a year ago, according to Irvine-based RealtyTrac Inc.
The number of filings in September was down 8 percent from August’s 243,947, the firm said.
Despite the sequential decline, the September figure represents the second-highest total for filings in a single month since the company began tracking monthly filings two years ago.
"August was an extraordinarily high month for foreclosure activity, so some falloff was almost predictable," said Rick Sharga, RealtyTrac’s vice president for marketing.
The filings include default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions. Some properties might have received more than one notice if the owners have multiple mortgages.
Typically, borrowers must be 60 to 90 days past due on their mortgage payments before their lender will consider them in default, the first stage of the foreclosure process. If a homeowner can’t find a way to get current on payments, the home is then often put up for auction, and if it doesn’t sell, it eventually goes back to the bank.
In all, 39 states saw a decline in foreclosure filings, the firm said.
Sharga noted that there was a spike in the number of bank repossessions in August that did not occur in September.
It’s likely that the sequential decline in foreclosure activity between August and September was just a blip, not a bellwether of lessening foreclosure filings.
"We don’t see September as the beginning of the end in this cycle of foreclosures," Sharga said.
The foreclosure rate for the nation in September was one foreclosure filing for every 557 households, the firm said.
The U.S. housing market has seen sales decline and home prices fall or remain flat, making it harder for homeowners who can’t afford to make mortgage payments to sell their homes or seek refinancing.
Many of those troubled homeowners were among those who took on adjustable-rate mortgages that are now adjusting to a higher interest rate, translating into payments they cannot afford to make.
The rising delinquencies and foreclosures this year have led the mortgage industry to tighten lending standards, further narrowing options for homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage.
Nevada, Florida and California had the highest foreclosure rates in the country last month, the firm said.
Rounding out the states with the Top 10 foreclosure rates last month were Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, Colorado, Texas and Indiana.
A total of 223,538 foreclosure filings were reported in September, up from 112,210 in the same month a year ago, according to Irvine-based RealtyTrac Inc.
The number of filings in September was down 8 percent from August’s 243,947, the firm said.
Despite the sequential decline, the September figure represents the second-highest total for filings in a single month since the company began tracking monthly filings two years ago.
"August was an extraordinarily high month for foreclosure activity, so some falloff was almost predictable," said Rick Sharga, RealtyTrac’s vice president for marketing.
The filings include default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions. Some properties might have received more than one notice if the owners have multiple mortgages.
Typically, borrowers must be 60 to 90 days past due on their mortgage payments before their lender will consider them in default, the first stage of the foreclosure process. If a homeowner can’t find a way to get current on payments, the home is then often put up for auction, and if it doesn’t sell, it eventually goes back to the bank.
In all, 39 states saw a decline in foreclosure filings, the firm said.
Sharga noted that there was a spike in the number of bank repossessions in August that did not occur in September.
It’s likely that the sequential decline in foreclosure activity between August and September was just a blip, not a bellwether of lessening foreclosure filings.
"We don’t see September as the beginning of the end in this cycle of foreclosures," Sharga said.
The foreclosure rate for the nation in September was one foreclosure filing for every 557 households, the firm said.
The U.S. housing market has seen sales decline and home prices fall or remain flat, making it harder for homeowners who can’t afford to make mortgage payments to sell their homes or seek refinancing.
Many of those troubled homeowners were among those who took on adjustable-rate mortgages that are now adjusting to a higher interest rate, translating into payments they cannot afford to make.
The rising delinquencies and foreclosures this year have led the mortgage industry to tighten lending standards, further narrowing options for homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage.
Nevada, Florida and California had the highest foreclosure rates in the country last month, the firm said.
Rounding out the states with the Top 10 foreclosure rates last month were Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, Colorado, Texas and Indiana.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
10 tips to add value to your property
10 Inexpensive Ways to Add Value to Your Rental or Rehab Property
It's easy to fix up your properties if you have unlimited cash. However, you need to keep your repairs to a minimum to stay profitable. You also need to keep your properties in good shape to attract tenants or buyers. There are the basic improvements, such as carpet and paint, but these can still costs thousands of dollars. The following are some inexpensive ways to improve your properties with very little cash.
#1) New Electrical Switch Plates
This is such a minor, yet overlooked improvement. Most rental owners and rehabbers paint a unit and leave the old, ugly switch plates. Even worse, some even paint over them.
New switch plates cost about 50 cents each. You can replace the entire house with new switch plates for about $20. For the foyer, living room and other obvious areas, spring for nice brass plates. They run about $5 each - not much for added class.
#2) New or Improved Doors
Another overlooked, yet cheap replacement item is doors. If you have ugly brown doors, replace them with nice white doors (you can paint them, but unless you have a spray gun it will take you three coats by hand).
The basic hollow-core door is about $20. It comes pre-primed and pre-hung. For about $10 more, you can buy stylish six-panel doors. If you are doing a rehab, the extra $10 per door is well worth-it. For rentals, consider at least changing the downstairs doors.
#3) New Door Handles
In addition to changing doors, consider changing the handles. An old door handle (especially with crusted paint on it) looks drab. For about $10, you can replace them with new brass finished handles. Replace the guest bathroom and bedroom door handles with the fancy "S" handles (about $20 each).
#4) Paint/Replace Trim
If the entire interior of the house does not need a paint job, consider painting the trim. New, modern custom homes typically come with beige or off-white walls and bright-white trim. Use a semi-gloss bright white on all the trim in your houses.
If the floor trim is worn, cracked or just plain ugly, replace it! Home Depot carries a new foam trim that is pre-painted in several finishes and costs less than 50 cents per linear foot. Create a great first impression by adding crown molding in the entry way and living room.
#5) New Front Door
You only get one chance to make a first impression. A cheap front door makes a house look cheap. An old front door makes a house look old. If you have nice heavy door, paint it a bold color using a high-gloss paint. If your front door is old, consider replacing it with a new, stylish door. For about $125, you can buy a very nice door.
#6) Tile Foyer Entry
After the front door, your next first impression is the foyer area. Most rental property foyers are graced with linoleum floors. Consider a nice 12" Mexican tile. An 8' x 8' area should cost about $100 in materials.
#7) New Shower Curtains
It amazes me that many landlords and sellers show properties with either no shower curtain or any ugly old shower curtain in the bathroom. Don't be cheap - drop $40 and buy a nice new rod and fancy curtain.
#8) Paint Kitchen Cabinets
Replacing kitchen cabinets is expensive, but painting them is cheap. If you have old 1970's style wooden cabinets in a lovely dark brown shade, paint them. Use a semi-gloss white and finish them with colorful plastic knobs. No need to paint the inside of them (unless you own a spray gun), since you are only trying to make an impression.
Americans spend 99% of their time in the kitchen (when they are not watching TV). A fancy modern faucet looks great in the kitchen. They can run as much as $150, but not to worry - most retailers (Home Depot, Home Base, etc) often run clearance sales on overstocked and discontinued models. I have found nice Delta and Price Pfister faucets for about $60 on sale.
#9) Add Window Shutters
If you have ugly aluminum framed windows, consider adding wooden shutters outside. They come pre-primed at most hardware retailers and are easy to install. Paint them an offset color from the outside of the house - (e.g., if the house is dark, paint the shutters white. If the house is light, paint them green, blue, etc.).
#10) Add a Nice Mailbox
Everyone on the block has the same black mailbox. Stand out. Be bold. For about $35 you can buy a nice colorful mailbox. For about $60 more, you can buy a nice wooden post for it. People notice these things....and they like them!
It's easy to fix up your properties if you have unlimited cash. However, you need to keep your repairs to a minimum to stay profitable. You also need to keep your properties in good shape to attract tenants or buyers. There are the basic improvements, such as carpet and paint, but these can still costs thousands of dollars. The following are some inexpensive ways to improve your properties with very little cash.
#1) New Electrical Switch Plates
This is such a minor, yet overlooked improvement. Most rental owners and rehabbers paint a unit and leave the old, ugly switch plates. Even worse, some even paint over them.
New switch plates cost about 50 cents each. You can replace the entire house with new switch plates for about $20. For the foyer, living room and other obvious areas, spring for nice brass plates. They run about $5 each - not much for added class.
#2) New or Improved Doors
Another overlooked, yet cheap replacement item is doors. If you have ugly brown doors, replace them with nice white doors (you can paint them, but unless you have a spray gun it will take you three coats by hand).
The basic hollow-core door is about $20. It comes pre-primed and pre-hung. For about $10 more, you can buy stylish six-panel doors. If you are doing a rehab, the extra $10 per door is well worth-it. For rentals, consider at least changing the downstairs doors.
#3) New Door Handles
In addition to changing doors, consider changing the handles. An old door handle (especially with crusted paint on it) looks drab. For about $10, you can replace them with new brass finished handles. Replace the guest bathroom and bedroom door handles with the fancy "S" handles (about $20 each).
#4) Paint/Replace Trim
If the entire interior of the house does not need a paint job, consider painting the trim. New, modern custom homes typically come with beige or off-white walls and bright-white trim. Use a semi-gloss bright white on all the trim in your houses.
If the floor trim is worn, cracked or just plain ugly, replace it! Home Depot carries a new foam trim that is pre-painted in several finishes and costs less than 50 cents per linear foot. Create a great first impression by adding crown molding in the entry way and living room.
#5) New Front Door
You only get one chance to make a first impression. A cheap front door makes a house look cheap. An old front door makes a house look old. If you have nice heavy door, paint it a bold color using a high-gloss paint. If your front door is old, consider replacing it with a new, stylish door. For about $125, you can buy a very nice door.
#6) Tile Foyer Entry
After the front door, your next first impression is the foyer area. Most rental property foyers are graced with linoleum floors. Consider a nice 12" Mexican tile. An 8' x 8' area should cost about $100 in materials.
#7) New Shower Curtains
It amazes me that many landlords and sellers show properties with either no shower curtain or any ugly old shower curtain in the bathroom. Don't be cheap - drop $40 and buy a nice new rod and fancy curtain.
#8) Paint Kitchen Cabinets
Replacing kitchen cabinets is expensive, but painting them is cheap. If you have old 1970's style wooden cabinets in a lovely dark brown shade, paint them. Use a semi-gloss white and finish them with colorful plastic knobs. No need to paint the inside of them (unless you own a spray gun), since you are only trying to make an impression.
Americans spend 99% of their time in the kitchen (when they are not watching TV). A fancy modern faucet looks great in the kitchen. They can run as much as $150, but not to worry - most retailers (Home Depot, Home Base, etc) often run clearance sales on overstocked and discontinued models. I have found nice Delta and Price Pfister faucets for about $60 on sale.
#9) Add Window Shutters
If you have ugly aluminum framed windows, consider adding wooden shutters outside. They come pre-primed at most hardware retailers and are easy to install. Paint them an offset color from the outside of the house - (e.g., if the house is dark, paint the shutters white. If the house is light, paint them green, blue, etc.).
#10) Add a Nice Mailbox
Everyone on the block has the same black mailbox. Stand out. Be bold. For about $35 you can buy a nice colorful mailbox. For about $60 more, you can buy a nice wooden post for it. People notice these things....and they like them!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Where to find foreclosures?
There are a plethora of places to look when you want to find foreclosure properties. The key is finding them before someone else does. You can find foreclosure properties on the web, newspapers, lis pendens lists, seminars, direct mail, word of mouth, friends, real estate agents, real estate offices, and lending institutions just to name a few.
The internet is a good place to search for foreclosure properties. Several foreclosure listing companies actually search out notifications of default and sell a subscription to those who are willing to pay for this information. Just remember, this is the easiest way to find properties, so beware of competition. Also beware that some of these subscriptions are just a way to make money and provide little or outdated information on these foreclosure properties. If you decide to test one out, make sure they give you a free trial period so you can see how current the listings are.
Newspapers are another great way to find foreclosure properties. All states are required by law to post a public notice of auction in a newspaper for all foreclosure properties. You can look up these notices and send a letter to them, call them or stop by. Another option, you have as a creative investor, might be to place an ad in the newspaper yourself to attract those who are in foreclosure. Believe me, if you have a good ad, your phone will begin ringing off the hook. You see, sooner or later the homeowner finally realizes they cannot save their home. Then when time runs out, they have no choice but to call, and during this time they are very motivated.
Direct Mail is one of the best ways to find the "GOOD" foreclosure properties. This is because you can talk to a person who is still in the pre-foreclosure stage and negotiate a nice discount on the property. There will be fewer investors that even know about the property, however, there is more work involved these kind of foreclosure properties.
Real Estate Agents are a good way to find foreclosure properties. Normally, banks that end up with foreclosure properties will hire an agent to represent them. Banks are not in the foreclosure business, they are in the lending business, so they too are very motivated to sell. Agents have connections and can get a list of some "bank-owned" properties.
Word of mouth is a technique that all the good investors use. Let it be known to everyone you come in contact with that you are a real estate investor who specializes in foreclosure properties. You should make some business cards as well that say "I specialize in foreclosure properties" and hand them out to everyone you know. You will be amazed what this will do for you. You may get a call from your friend's, friend's, sister's, friend who needs help avoiding the public auction.
There are so many excellent ways to find foreclosure properties. In fact there are many more than what are listed here. The idea is that it's a numbers game. You've always got to be working to find more deals. Find out which methods of finding works for you and go with it.
The internet is a good place to search for foreclosure properties. Several foreclosure listing companies actually search out notifications of default and sell a subscription to those who are willing to pay for this information. Just remember, this is the easiest way to find properties, so beware of competition. Also beware that some of these subscriptions are just a way to make money and provide little or outdated information on these foreclosure properties. If you decide to test one out, make sure they give you a free trial period so you can see how current the listings are.
Newspapers are another great way to find foreclosure properties. All states are required by law to post a public notice of auction in a newspaper for all foreclosure properties. You can look up these notices and send a letter to them, call them or stop by. Another option, you have as a creative investor, might be to place an ad in the newspaper yourself to attract those who are in foreclosure. Believe me, if you have a good ad, your phone will begin ringing off the hook. You see, sooner or later the homeowner finally realizes they cannot save their home. Then when time runs out, they have no choice but to call, and during this time they are very motivated.
Direct Mail is one of the best ways to find the "GOOD" foreclosure properties. This is because you can talk to a person who is still in the pre-foreclosure stage and negotiate a nice discount on the property. There will be fewer investors that even know about the property, however, there is more work involved these kind of foreclosure properties.
Real Estate Agents are a good way to find foreclosure properties. Normally, banks that end up with foreclosure properties will hire an agent to represent them. Banks are not in the foreclosure business, they are in the lending business, so they too are very motivated to sell. Agents have connections and can get a list of some "bank-owned" properties.
Word of mouth is a technique that all the good investors use. Let it be known to everyone you come in contact with that you are a real estate investor who specializes in foreclosure properties. You should make some business cards as well that say "I specialize in foreclosure properties" and hand them out to everyone you know. You will be amazed what this will do for you. You may get a call from your friend's, friend's, sister's, friend who needs help avoiding the public auction.
There are so many excellent ways to find foreclosure properties. In fact there are many more than what are listed here. The idea is that it's a numbers game. You've always got to be working to find more deals. Find out which methods of finding works for you and go with it.
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