Immobilienbewertung Online

FSBO stands for „For Sale by Owner“. Quite a few homeowners suppose it’s not big deal to sell a home on their own, the FSBO way. They assume they can net thousands of dollars more at closing than if they hire a real estate broker and pay sales commissions. Many homeowners choose to sell their home without the aid of a real estate broker and do just fine; others find out the hard way how much help a real estate broker can be and how they can actually help to net more cash at the end of the negotiations. Selling your own home can sound attractive, and it can save you thousands of dollars if you are up for it. It can also cost you thousands if you go about it the wrong way.

Here in Spokane Washington, the FSBO market cycled through many ups and downs. Most recently the seller’s market that ended a couple years ago it was certainly easier to sell your home without the help of a broker. Recently however, the market has shifted into a more balanced market. Many experts say that it is now a buyer’s market as the number of expired listings has shot way up along with the total number of active listings. As of last week, Spokane had over 5,300 active listings in the Spokane Association of Realtors MLS. There we also 2,711 residential sales that closed in the last six months. At the current rate of sales with this number of listings it would take over a year for them to all with no new listing being added to the MLS. With nearly 2,000 real estate agents actively marketing these homes, someone working on their own seems to be at a definite disadvantage in today’s market conditions. Of course, Realtors, real estate brokers and Agents are experts in their field and expect to get paid a reasonable fee for their services.

Any homeowner who decides to take on the job of selling their own home is taking on an enormous amount of work and responsibility, but there are some potential benefits and challenges to doing it yourself.

The main motivation for someone to sell their home FSBO is to avoid paying a sales commission and keep that money themselves. Real estate brokers typically require 5%-7% of the total sale price as their fee. If your home is worth $200,000 then this fee is $10,000 to $14,000! This is money that you could possibly keep in your own accounts by selling your home yourself. Conversely, if you make a mistake by underestimating the value of your home, leave it on the market for too long, negotiate details of the transaction poorly or prepare the sales contract incorrectly, you could lose even more.

If you decide to sell your home FSBO you must analyze the potential savings and compare it the value of your time and effort it’s worth. In the process of selling your home by yourself you will necessarily invest enormous amounts of time researching legalities, technicalities in sales contracts, negotiating strategies, comparable properties and the current condition of the local real estate market. These are all things that a Realtor stays current with in the course of running their business. If you do not have the time for this, you may be better off with a real estate professional.

It is possible to market your home simply and without the assistance of a real estate professional. Posters, signs, fliers and newspaper ads can be effective marketing tools and they are available to anyone. Employing these marketing strategies will start to eat into the money you were planning to save though. When using a real estate professional, the agency will often absorb the costs of marketing.

Realtors sometimes make use of all the marketing options the FSBO sellers do but hey have access to the biggest marketing tool available and it’s not available to someone selling on their own. Real estate brokers have access to the Multiple Listing Service or MLS. This is a computer database service that instantly publishes the information about available property to other all the other Realtors and agents that are corresponding members of that particular MLS. Additionally, with recent syndication agreements the information on these listing are pushed to hundreds of other web sites that offer searchable information on homes for sale around the State and even across the country and around the world

When someone sells their home FSBO they take on the all responsibilities of selling the home. These include not only for the costs of the various professionals, but the time and effort in finding and screening them for quality of service and professionalism. Realtors have an established a network of related professionals and agencies that will help you through the process. As a FSBO seller you are working from scratch.

Selling a home can be an emotional experience. After all it could be where you have lived for years and it may be the place of your most precious memories. Home buyers tend to be very critical of homes they look at to purchase. Having a potential buyer who is a stranger come into your home be very critical can be a trying experience. This is a very important aspect of being represented by a real estate professional. As an agent they represent your interest and shield the homeowner from direct confrontation in the negotiations. Realtors are expert negotiators. A real estate professional see selling a home as a business transaction, there will be low-balling, offers made that are never meant to be accepted, etc. Remember that the buying party may be a better negotiator than you, or they may be working with a negotiating real estate professional themselves.

Real estate contracts are complicated. There is a lot of legalities involved in the sale of a home. Most every state has laws protecting consumers. Some of them concern proper disclosure, lead paint, radon, inspections, and so on. Many sellers may violate state laws without ever intended to. If you are determined to sell your home without a real estate professional, have a lawyer look over any contracts involved. This is an area in which even one misplaced word can undo all of your hard work. Realtors pay for „Errors and Omissions“ insurance to protect them and their clients in the case of a mistake like this. In most cases, Realtors use preprinted legal forms that have been reviewed by attorneys and have been determined not to favor one party over another.

If you have the time, patience, money and desire to sell your home by yourself, then by all means go ahead and give it a try. But be aware of what you are getting yourself into first. There is a good reason that real estate agents exist; buying and selling property is not easy. Realtors provide valuable service and earn the commissions by serving their clients well. In the end, you may decide that your time and happiness is worth more than the commissions you could save. Know yourself, research your options and choose wisely.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Did you know that over 88% of all house buyers search for their house by looking on the internet? The internet has become the primary medium for potential buyers to search for a house. Using the internet to market your house is a comprehensive mass marketing approach to selling a house. And when selling your house on your own you need to take an all out approach so you can distribute the message that your house is for sale to the masses. You also need the message to be loud, clear and appealing. There are many websites that can assist you in selling your house, though some are more effective than others, and these websites will get you as much exposure as any real estate agent will get you. Regardless of what website you do choose to use, make sure you have great pictures and a great virtual tour to upload to the website. Great photos and virtual tours sell houses.

Since 88% or more of potential buyers will use the internet to search for their next house, it is clear you need to focus your attention to internet marketing and make sure you are marketing in all the right places. So where do you market on the internet? Don’t waste your time marketing in places where your house listing will get mediocre or zero exposure. Based on years of experience we recommend you only market on effective internet websites that have been proven to get mass exposure and successfully sell houses. We have many websites to recommend, but there are a few that stand out. Most of which are FREE.

The first place to market your house is Craigslist, which has become an excellent online classified resource used to sell real estate. Make sure your headlines and ads sparkle and the content of the classified is clear and detailed. Make sure you respond quickly to inquiries since internet prospects will continue to look for houses to see what else is around the bend.

The second website is Facebook, which now has over 140 million unique visitors in the U.S. and can give you incredible trustworthy exposure. You can share your listing with your friends or create a separate new page specifically for your house.

The third effective internet resource to market your house is Postlets, which is a website service that automatically posts your house listing on many other online websites. It’s easy to use and gives you great exposure to the masses.

The fourth are for sale by owner websites, also known as „FSBO“ websites. FSBO Websites are the Do-It-Yourself option that allows you to market your house listing through the Multiple Listing Service („MLS“) system, which was once a place exclusive to real estate agents alone. Marketing through a FSBO website will give you the same exposure 99% of real estate agents have. And if you combine that exposure with the other places we’ve touched upon, you will outshine most real estate agents‘ marketing efforts.

Now of course there are other great places to market your house, but the ones listed will get you pointed in the right direction.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

There is a lot of confusion about the differences between condominiums and townhouses. They share many similarities, and this seems to be the source of this confusion. Even amongst real estate professionals we often hear more opinions than facts.

So, let’s start by clarifying, condominiums or condos are a type of real estate ownership. A townhouse is an actual style of building.

A condominium is best described as „the concept of ownership of a single unit of air space within a multi-unit dwelling, along with co- ownership of any common amenities (recreation centers, pools, etc… ) and common areas of the structures and land among all unit owners.“

Townhouses are generally attached structures of 2 or more stories with common walls. These are a version of the old „Brownstones or „Row Houses“ made popular on the east coast.

Similarities:

Townhouse ownership means you own the structure along with any associated land. So the owner of a townhouse can have absolute ownership, like a single family home.

Here’s where things get a little confusing. It is not unusual to have „condominium ownership“ of a townhouse. In other words, the structure is a „townhouse“ while the ownership is „condominium“.

Differences:

Ownership and common areas are the primary differences between condos and townhouses. You can actually have absolute ownership of a townhouse as well as the land (yard) associated with it. In a Condominium you only own the „air-space“ inside of your particular unit.

The owners of a condominium development each own an equal share of the „General Common Elements“. This includes the structural elements of the building roof, walls, halls, clubhouse, pool, etc…

In a townhouse community, any common elements are deeded to the Home Owners Association (HOA). The townhouse owners are a part of the HOA but don’t own an interest in these elements.

„Limited Common Elements“ are where we see a departure between townhomes and condos. Limited Common Elements are only seen in condo ownership. These are things that are intended for the use on the individual unit owners. Parking spaces, garages, balconies and patios are examples of Limited Common Elements. Although these are owned by all of the unit owners, they are limited to the use of specific owner/s.

In a townhouse the balcony and garage are actually owned by the townhouse owner. The exception to this would be if a „townhouse“ style home is owned as a „condominium“.

Summary:

Both condos and townhouses are what is known as „Common Interest Communities“. A „Common Interest Community“ is one where common real estate is maintained through assessments and dues.

Because of the Common Interest Community designation, we see a lot of confusion. The easiest way to remember the differences is this, a condominium is a form of real estate ownership and a townhouse is an architectural style.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Real Estate is the second largest industry for drone use, after aerial photography, which is easy to understand when viewing the compelling aerial photos and videos in use by many realtors today. Drones are technically referred to as UAVs „Unmanned Aerial Vehicles“ or when referring to the drone and ground controller unit, an „Unmanned Aircraft System“ (UAS). Today, UAVs are very affordable, easy to operate and highly maneuverable. Though a pilot’s license was at one time necessary for commercial drone use, the FAA now allows operation with a remote pilot certificate (FAA Section 107 regulations).

How and Why Drones Benefit the Real Estate Industry

Differentiating property listings by offering high-quality aerial photography and video is a hot button for realtors today. Statistics show that homes with aerial images sell 68 percent faster than houses that are marketed using standard photography. Here are 9 ways in which real estate agents and brokers are benefiting from drones:

1. Drone photography offers dramatic, captivating images.

Using modern drone technology allows real estate professionals to create exceptional shots easily. The use of GPS-programmed flight paths combined with automatic point-of-interest camera targeting results in professional and appealing views.

2. Drones are able to shoot engaging virtual tours.

A camera drone can fly throughout a home or office building and travel through each room, creating a detailed virtual tour that stationary photography is unable to capture. Today’s video editing software make it easy for agents to create a professional voice-over soundtrack, giving the potential buyer a rich and compelling visual story.

3. Drone photography is able to show enhanced features of the property.

Aerial photography can capture shots of landscaping, outdoor living areas, pools, hot tubs, walking paths, nearby parks, local schools, and other interesting features that potential buyers will want to see.

4. Drone photography is attractive to sellers and will generate new business for the real estate agent.

Using drone photography and videos to market properties is a huge selling point for prospective sellers, who want their property to be presented in best way possible.

5. Drones provide realtors a competitive edge.

Real estate listings with drone-produced images and video outperform listings that only offer traditional photos, resulting in increased sales for the agent.

6. Drones are a cost-effective alternative.

Drones are inexpensive to purchase and use. Or realtors can cost effectively outsource aerial photography to professional drone operators.

7. Drones offer high level impact for luxury homes.

Drone photography is able to highlight a waterfront view, spotlight a beautiful garden, expansive grounds, unique swimming pools or water features. Aerial drone photography is able to capture the elegance of a high-end property in a way that no other photography method can.

8. Drones offer advantages for commercial real estate and property development.

Drones are used to plan high rise apartments and other residential multi-unit projects. They are used to inspect, survey and market the property to potential buyers, and for aerial overviews of the land to be developed and surrounding neighborhoods.

9. Drones aid in roof and home inspections.

A drone allows inspectors to identity roof and other issues in ways that a ladder never would. Beyond offering a safer inspection solution, they can readily identify lifting shingles, bent flashing or chimney related issues.

Current FAA Regulations

All drones weighing more than a half pound (0.55 lbs.) are required to be registered with the FAA. The cost to register drones is only $5, but the fine for using an unregistered drone can be $25,000 per UAV. Current FAA guidelines include:

• No drones may be flown within 5 miles of an airport or terminal.

• Written permission is required from each person before drones can fly over or photograph them.

• Commercial drones are limited to an altitude of 400 feet.

• Drone pilots must remain in the line-of-sight of the drone they are operating at all times.

• All operators must secure a drone/UAV operator’s license from the FAA.

Risk Protection for Realtors

While the risk of damage and injury is very low when it comes to drone photography, there are some risks involved. Every drone operator should carry commercial drone insurance. Most drone operators should consider both accidental and liability insurance. Many real estate companies require a minimum of a $1 million limit of liability for third-party operators. There are several types of coverages applicable to drones, including:

• Drone Liability Insurance

• Hull Insurance (damage to the actual drone)

• Drone Payload Insurance

• Ground Equipment Insurance

Drone liability insurance protects the operator and company from third-party claims or property damage. Some policies may extend their insurance coverage to financial loss protection associated with negligence and invasion of privacy. Every realtor using drones should review their coverages to ensure they are protected when using this growing technology.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

It can be quite exciting and inspiring to buy a home for the first time. However, it can be quite tiring and stressful if you are a first-time buyer. This article will give you a couple of tips that will help you make sure that the process of purchasing a house is enjoyable and stress-free.

1. Set your Budget

Before starting your research, we suggest that you think about financing this purchase. If you cannot pay in cash, you will have to borrow the required money through a mortgage. For a deposit, you will also need a lot of cash. Typically, it is between 5% and 10% of the value of the property you want to purchase.

2. Identify your Needs

Once you have set your budget, your next move is to look for a property that can meet your needs. Now, if you want the property located near a certain workplace, station, or school, you may want to mark them on the map. This will help you identify if the property is near the spot. Apart from this, you may want to prepare a list of all the stuff that you desire in your property.

3. Put your Home on the Property Market

Some buyers want to sell their existing home prior to looking for a new one. According to experts, it’s not a great idea to do so. If you have not put your existing home on the market, you may not be able to secure the deal that comes your way.

4. Start your Property Search

Ideally, you may want to start your research on the internet and the websites of popular real estate agents. Most of the websites allow you to filter the search results by the number of bedrooms, price, and location.

5. Sort the List

It won’t take you more than a couple of hours or days to create a list of properties that might meet your needs. So, what you need to do is create a shortlist list of the ones that can satisfy your criteria. It is not a good idea to look at a lot of houses in a day. The reason is that this will make you forget the details quickly.

6. Make an Offer

Once you have decided on a property that can meet your needs, you may want to decide on the price that you need to pay. It is important to keep in mind that every property comes with an asking price. And there is the price that you will be willing to pay. So, your role is to negotiate with the seller before making payment.

7. Agreeing on the Price

Once you have made an offer, it is up to the seller to accept or reject it. If they say that your offer is too low, you may have to offer a higher amount. Once the negotiation is over, your offer will be accepted and the deal will be done.

Long story short, these are some of the tips that you may want to keep in mind when looking for a home to buy for the first time.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

The first step to shopping for real estate in Nicaragua is to forget everything you know about the process back home… no matter where home may be.

Let me make one thing clear from the start. There are incredible bargains to be had buying property in Nicaragua. In fact, there is no other market in the Americas where insisting upon a 40% return on investment or better is reasonable. However, there are few similarities between the rules and regulations governing the real estate industries in North America or Europe, and Nicaragua. It’s because of this lack of similarities that foreign investors often get into trouble. There is a preconceived notion on the part of foreigners that the Nicaragua real estate industry is as carefully regulated as it is elsewhere, and it is this incorrect assumption that sets foreign investors up to be cheated. The only universal real estate investing rule that applies as equally in Nicaragua as it does anyway else is Caveat emptor, buyer beware.

Real Estate Brokers

Basically there’s no such thing in Nicaragua as a real estate brokerage that a Canadian, American or European would assume the term represents. There are real estate brokerage offices. Some even have familiar franchise names, but that’s where the similarity ends.

There is no mandated, formal training of real estate sales people, nor are there specific licensing requirements. Anyone can become a „realtor“ by paying for a merchant license or incorporating a Nicaraguan company. I’m not suggesting this means „all“ real estate sales people are incompetent or untrained… many are. In fact, there are a number of retired realtors who relocated to Nicaragua and maintain successful, upstanding businesses. However, there are many more who are not at all competent, and operate on the razor edge between honest business and outright fraud. Caveat emptor again!

There are no district or federal regulatory boards governing the real estate industry in place. Real estate sales are no more regulated than a vehicle sale transacted by a street vendor. Outright criminality is not ignored by authorities, but having the perpetrator jailed is unlikely to result in recovery of any money lost. The revenge should make a fleeced buyer feel better though. Nicaraguan jails exist to punish criminals, not rehabilitate, and they are Hell on Earth. Unfortunately though, most issues that can arise in a real estate transaction are considered civil matters by law enforcement and have to be treated as such. In short, whatever money you think you were cheated out of… consider it lost. Even with a judgement in the plaintiff’s favor, collecting money owed in a judgement rarely happens. So again, caveat emptor.

A serious shortcoming in the Nicaragua real estate market is that there is nothing similar to a Multi Listing Service (MLS). The lack of any form of MLS means there is no central registry of properties for sale, nor any information as to what a property sold for. The result is that it’s very difficult to decide what a house or commercial building in a particular neighbourhood is worth since there are no comparable property transactions to use as a guide. Appraisers base their appraisals on replacement cost mostly, and whatever else they provide is pure guess work. Ironically, banks require appraisals created by licensed Nicaraguan appraisers if mortgage funding is being requested.

There’s no such thing in Nicaragua as a listing similar to what most foreigners would understand the term to mean. Real estate shoppers will hear a realtor say that he or she has a listing, but it’s common to see two or more real estate signs on a single property. Likewise, the same property may appear on multiple real estate company websites and be advertised online by numerous different people. More confusing, the prices advertised may vary for the same house, sometimes by tens of thousands of dollars. Nicaraguans selling their homes rarely lock themselves into an agreement with one party wanting to sell their land, house or commercial building. If you want to sell something, the assumption is the more people trying to sell it the better. And by more people that can be realtors, the owner themselves, their family and friends, a neighbor, or a horse drawn carriage driver. This seems chaotic to a foreigner shopping for a retirement or vacation home, but it makes perfect sense to Nicaraguans. Without an MLS service that allows numerous realtors to show prospective buyers a listed property, letting everyone try to sell a property seems to be the best way to get exposure.

Another misconception foreign purchasers have when buying real estate in Nicaragua is that the seller is paying the real estate agent. This is sometimes the case, but even when it is the buyer may be asked to pay the commission. Yes, this is legal in Nicaragua. In fact, not only could there be a commission paid by the seller and buyer, but the real estate agent may have added an amount to what the seller actually wants in his or her hand. This too is legal. The worst case scenario is that the seller wants US$50,000 for his or her home. The sellers offers anyone selling the home US$1000 or a percentage. The real estate selling agent advertises the home for US$59,900, allowing for negotiating room. A buyer settles on US$55,000 but is told that in Nicaraguan the buyer pays the commission. Not actually the truth, but common enough that people think it’s a rule. The requested commission can be anything up to as much as 10%, or it can be a flat fee. Once all is said and done and the buyer agrees to purchase the property for US$55,000. In a case such as this, the ‚agent‘ will insist on a nonrefundable US$5000 down payment. At closing the seller receives the US$50,000 that he or she wanted and the selling agent pockets the rest.

I know of a purchasers who handed a ‚realtor‘ US$65.000 to purchase a 3 acre farm with a small house on the property. The ‚realtor‘ then went to the owner of the property and paid him US$20,000 to buy the land. It gets worse… the ‚realtor‘ never bothered to make the title transfer until the buyer discovered he was not the owner when he tried to pay long overdue taxes. In the end the property was purchased by a developer for little more than the original US$65,000, but 8 years of appreciation later. In another case Europeans purchase a home and overpaid US$85,000. Of course basing their offer on the European real estate values they knew, it was assumed they were getting a bargain. The ‚realtor‘ pocketed the US$85,000 and a commission he charged the buy as well. Again, perfectly legal in Nicaragua… so caveat emptor.

The way to navigate through what foreigners view as market chaos is to use a knowledgeable real estate consultant to find a property you want, negotiate the price, terms and conditions, conduct the necessary due diligence, validate the title and survey, and so on. This is a fee based service but far less expensive than a percentage sales commission, and far, far less than a costly mistake would be. One such service is Nica Investments, a real estate consultancy that assists foreign investors purchasing real estate or businesses in Nicaragua.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Having an open house where potential buyers can come and view your property is one of the biggest steps in selling your home. This is a moment where your hard work and preparation can pay off by letting the potential new tenants of your home into the doors for the very first time; it can also be a bittersweet reminder that you are moving and that the sale process isn’t over quite yet. Here are a few tips for staging your house to maximize your home’s potential as well as garner lots of interest in your property.

1. De-clutter and de-personalize. Simplifying your home is something we all struggle with; we all have a junk drawer (or two) somewhere! The important part of staging your home is to present your house at its best- clean, fresh, and uncluttered. You should move out any pieces of furniture that crowd rooms and remove some (if not all) remnants of family pictures or other personal items. You want potential buyers to see their families and their futures in this house without stumbling over that old ottoman or seeing pictures of your dog playing in the backyard.

2. Clean everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Nooks, crannies, corners, up, down, and all around. Pay special attention to missed corners and common areas that collect dust (like moldings and tops of lamps and picture frames) as well as the kitchen and bathroom, where buyers will be looking closely for signs of mold and dirt. Taking extra time to scrub bathroom and kitchen tiles, replace any outdated items, and maybe even repaint is a great asset to staging your home.

3. Light is another way to not only brighten your home, but to make it feel warm and welcoming. Do what you can to maximize the sunlight streaming through your windows and mitigate any darker rooms you may have in your home with lamps and overhead lights (but never anything fluorescent).

4. Strategically painting a few rooms or walls in your house can also set it up to be an extraordinary house for sale. Accent walls with a pop of color can really bring out the character in a room and create a visually interesting space that buyers will find intriguing and soothing. Neutral colors are good for larger spaces like the living room or dining room while more dramatic colors (think bright or dark) are great for bathrooms or bedrooms.

5. Emphasizing the unique features of your home is another way to make sure your house makes an impact on potential buyers. If you have a fireplace be sure to clean it, hang a picture above it or put a vase of flowers (or other non-distracting trinkets) on the mantle to create a place that will draw buyers‘ eyes towards it.

Staging your home requires much time, effort, and strategy; getting professional help is often a very good choice for first time home sellers, but anyone can learn how to stage their house in an effective manner.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Wouldn’t you rather go to Tahiti? Are you a landlord with rental property whose value has significantly appreciated? Are you ready to cash in those profits and take that trip to Tahiti?

Before selling your property, check with your accountant who

will tell you that you will be paying $60,000 in Capital

Gains Tax to Uncle Sam. Your accountant will also tell you

that adding another $20,000 to your income by that sale is

called recaptured depreciation. This will bump you into the

next tax bracket and doom you next April 15th into sending

the IRS a check for maybe another $7,000.

Are you still ready to sell that property?

It looks like that trip to Tahiti is going to be sometime in

the far future…

But wait! You decide to check with your realtor and then

find out about a 1031 exchange to defer your Capital Gains.

Your realtor tells you if you buy another like-kind rental

property of equal or greater value, you won’t get hit with

the gains tax on the sale. That is all fine and good, but

it does not really get you out of the headaches associated

with collecting rent, keeping your unit occupied, finding

clean/classy tenants that won’t trash the place, nor does it

keep you from getting that 2am call to fix an overflowing

toilet. To top this off, now you have to pay more in

property taxes and must charge higher rent.

Hmm…maybe this idea is not the ticket to that South Pacific

paradise either.

This is the dilemma I heard from my financial clients again

and again. They were frustrated and felt trapped in their

current situation. So what is a frustrated income property

owner to do? After a lot of research and roadblocks, I found

the perfect solution that has changed the lives of my

clients and took away stress to bring enjoyment of life.

For anyone who is tired of being a landlord and who owns a

rental/commercial property that has gone up a lot in value,

take heart.

A 1031 exchange into a Tenant In Common Property may be your

answer.

There are very specific rules to follow set by the IRS, and

the entire detailed process is the subject for a future

article, but here’s the gist:

1-Sell your current income

property;

2-Before the close of escrow, you declare via a Qualified

Intermediary (also called an Accommodator, who is a

qualified third party) that you intend to do a 1031 exchange

into a Tenant in Common Property;

3-Work with a reputable

company to identify a property that you would like to

purchase an interest in;

4-At the close of escrow, your

proceeds are transferred by the Accommodator to purchase

your proportionate share of a larger „A“ rated commercial

building;

5-You may choose a business center, a medical

office building, or similar high-end property; and lastly,

6-You get a deeded interest in this property, so you can

keep it, resell it, pass it to your heirs, or even gift it

to charity upon your death.

The way that this works is all the new fractional owners, or

„Tenants in Common“ hire an ace Management Company to handle

all the property management tasks. The company finds and

keeps high quality tenants, does the maintenance and

upgrades, pays the property taxes, and handles all the day

to day crisis that arise. Probably the three most important

factors in this entire process are:

1-Your choice of company

that offers the properties for sale;

2-the Accommodator,

and;

3-the management company.

Make sure each of the three parts is a top notch with proven

track records. Anything less could spell disaster.

When this 1031 option is done properly, your benefits will

be:

Deferral of all Capital Gains,

A monthly contractual income (usually based on 6-7% return

on equity),

Building depreciation for tax savings,

Unlimited property appreciation potential, and

No more headaches of property management.

Good-bye Tenants, Trash and Toilets!

Hello Tahiti!

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Challenging economic conditions means that the real estate market is ideal for buyers but a graveyard for sellers hoping for a good deal. The housing market in the United States is at its lowest ebb in almost three decades. The Mortgage Bankers Association states that in 2011, 8 million Americans were at least one month behind with their mortgage payments with 5 million of these homeowners two months behind. With huge numbers of houses up for the sale, prices are falling rapidly and sellers are caught in a trap. Below are some tips for selling your home in a down economy for a reasonable price.

Find A Great Realtor

Although you can try and sell the property yourself, it is asking an awful lot to list your house and do all the ground work without real knowledge of the industry. Despite the fact that a realtor will cost you from 3-6% of the selling price, their expertise could easily make up that difference. Find a local agency that’s familiar with your neighborhood including knowledge of comparable properties in the area, school systems etc. Check the realtor’s sales history over the last few years. You want a successful realtor that is not too busy to give your property his full attention.

Marketing Plan

Your real estate agent is responsible for producing a marketing plan but it is your duty to familiarize yourself with the plan as it’s an essential element of driving traffic and getting more people to view your home. Your property must be visible on top internet sites such as realtor.com. The best realtors have their own website so make sure your property is on display there too.

Preparation

This is your chance to shine. Walk through the home with your agent and he should be able to point out things that may turn off potential buyers. The good news is that preparation work for your home can be performed on a relatively tight budget. Take care of the property’s exterior first with neatly trimmed hedges and colorful flowers always a plus. Repair any bricks or handrails that are loose and also ensure the roof is in perfect condition.

Ensure all walls are painted and carpets are professionally cleaned. Remove all odors to leave a fresh smell and move around furniture to make the living space look as large as possible. If you can’t make your property look immaculate by the time the first viewers arrive, your home will remain unsold.

Price

Look at the active listings, pending listings and recent sold statistics of homes that can reasonably be compared to yours. However, be wary when looking at selling prices as those sales could have taken place a few months ago. Economic conditions can change very quickly so you may have to adjust prices to suit the existing market. Pay special attention to listed prices as this is your competition.

Once you have followed the above steps, you need to be quick to follow-up on inquiries. Your realtor generally handles follow-up activity including emails or phone calls from interested parties. Hopefully, you will receive plenty of interest thus enhancing the possibility of receiving a fair price for your home.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Today’s market has robbed many seller’s of their equity; years, of hopeful financial security for retirement have vanished. All of us, assumed that the market would continue to grow and that we could expect our homes‘ value to double about every 10 years on average. It’s no wonder that more and more seller’s are attempting to sell without the help of a real estate agent.

First off, some facts, any research on the internet will validate that approximately 14% of all homes SOLD are For Sale By Owner. That means, almost 80% of all homes SOLD are through Realtors and through the MLS. If you’re trying to avoid that commission, then you’d better roll up your shirt sleeves and get to work.

1. Decide what your home is worth. Most Sellers don’t have a clue. Remember, if you set the market price of your home to high then you run the risk of putting off buyers. The longer it sets on the market the more likely it will become will become wary and believe something is wrong with your home. Pricing is #1 most important job. If you price it to high, it will set. If you price it too low, most likely, you’ll get multiple offers. Experienced Realtors know the market shifts, and understand how to speculate on the best price to sell in the least amount of time. Ask a Realtor to do a CMA (comparative market analysis).

2. Roll up your sleeves and clean, clean, clean. Make everything sparkle, especially kitchens and bathrooms. You want your home to appear warm and inviting. Brighten up rooms with bright lights, fresh paint, and de-clutter. Remove all of the family pictures and momentos. Keep it simple. Keep in mind you’re trying to sell a house. Stage your home so that your buyers can imagine their lives in your home.

3. Marketing your home is challenging. Make sure you get a sign up with directional arrows. Much is made of the internet, just check out Zillow.com and other for sale by owner sites. Craigslist.com is an excellent choice. If you should use print media, make sure they put it online. Newspapers charge for the classified ads, but usually run the ads online for free. Remember only 14% of homes are sold by owners, the remainder are SOLD by Realtors through the MLS. Creative Realtors are now offering a flat fee MLS service for a nominal up front fee. The typical fee is around $399. Just remember, if a buyers agent provides a buyer for your home, then you would only pay one commission.

4. Next get your paperwork and legal professionals in order. Interview attorneys and closing/title officers and select the one that seems the most willing to help with all the stressful details. You’ll need offers to purchase, disclosures, etc.

5. Finally, if you get an offer, make sure your buyer has been pre-approved. Mortgage lenders will provide you with a written pre-approval letter. Many disheartened For Sale by Owner sellers have left the closing table only to discover that their buyer couldn’t afford the home. They leave empty handed and have to start the sales process all over.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg