Dean Graziosi | Dean Graziosi Real Estate | Dean Graziosi Investment

In our current economic situation, many people are finding it difficult to come up with the large down payments that many lenders are requiring.  This trend is leading many prospective home buyers to look into the option of renting to own.  This option is becoming more popular among first time home buyers, who are having a difficult time receiving preapproval from lending agencies or can’t come up with a down payment.

In order for a rent to own option to be successful, a buyer must first find a seller who is open to this type of arrangement.  Many sellers are warming to this option; it offers them a profitable alternative to letting their house sit empty for months waiting for a buyer or renter to come along.  Once you have found a seller who will work with you, the next step is negotiating the terms of the deal.

When negotiating your deal you will want to find out if the seller will require any type of down payment and if all of the monthly payment will go towards the purchase price of the home.  Some sellers may require a smaller down payment just to insure that you are serious about the deal.  Others may not require any, if you agree to pay the first and last month’s payment.  You will also want to know if all of your monthly payment will be applied to the agreed on sale price of the home.  Some owners may choose to only apply a percentage of each month’s rent while others will apply the full amount.  In the long run, you will want to negotiate that all of your monthly payment be applied to the balance. 

Working with an agent who has experience in these types of sales is important.  They will help you spot a good deal and steer you away from sellers who are negotiating a one-sided deal.  Once you have found a seller who you feel comfortable dealing with, you will want to seek the advice of an attorney who is experienced in these types of contracts.  This will insure that the contract offered is a fair one that benefits you as much as it does the seller.

Having the counsel of professionals when negotiating a rent to own deal is extremely important, what you may feel is a good deal may not appear so to them.  They will look out for your interests and insure that you are not throwing money away on a bad deal.  First time home buyers may walk away with a better deal when this route is taken than if they would have gone the traditional route and sought funding from a lender.  For other prospective buyers this choice offers them the chance to become homeowners without having to meet all of the guidelines set forth by lenders.  Whether this is the right choice for you is something that you will have to think about and decide on your own.

Times are tough all over. People who are selling their homes want to save money just like everyone else. It is common for thrifty people to consider selling their homes without a Realtor. That way they can save themselves the commission and make more money on their home sale. It all sounds so simple. Yet the fact is that there are many problems in trying to take the For Sale By Owner route.

Poor Advertising Opportunities

Realtors have the advantage of being able to list your home on the most advantageous advertising system for real estate of all – the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). FSBO sellers cannot use the MLS, and so they cut themselves off from a very large majority of the people who are looking for a home. They are forced to take out advertisements online or in newspapers or simply put up a sign in the yard. These methods are usually much less effective.

Buyer’s Perception

When you are a FSBO seller, the buyer makes certain assumptions about you and about the sale. He automatically assumes that, since you are saving the cost of the Realtor’s commission, you can afford to drop the price below your asking price. He probably will not trust your evaluation of the home’s worth in any case because he knows you are not a trained professional. He may think that you are trying to hide defects in the home even if you are being totally honest. The buyer’s perception of you can damage your ability to sell your home.

Emotionalism

Buyers who are looking for their first home may be very emotional about the process. When you are selling your own home, you compound that emotionalism with your own strong feelings. If you are showing these buyers your home without a Realtor present to add a note of professionalism to the situation, the results can be very unpleasant. The worst thing is that if you upset the buyer you are not likely to sell your home.

Legal Requirements

There are many legal requirements in selling a home, no matter which state you live in. Realtors take large amounts of time and effort to learn how to cross all the t’s and dot all the i’s in meeting all the legal obligations necessary to sell a home. They will make sure all the inspections required are done on time and all the paperwork is filled out in full. If you are selling the home yourself, these tasks can be very intimidating, and in fact many people never get them completed correctly.

Some people may be suited to selling their homes for themselves. If you have experience in real estate, a cool head and a clear eye, you might be able to pull it off. For most people, the opposite is true. While they try to save money by eliminating their Realtor’s commission, they create more problems for themselves than they can handle. In the end, many FSBO sellers end up using a Realtor after all. It is not a sign of failure, but an acknowledgement that Realtors are best suited to selling houses.

Here is a list of the five best places you can buy hot real estate now. With the market currently a buyer’s market and sellers unable to move houses as much, this real estate list can help you choose a great place to live.

The first hot area to buy real estate is Austin, Texas. Why is this a hot real estate area?

Austin is a beautiful place to live. If you have lost your job you will be happy to know that Austin, Texas, had a 14.1% of job growth in the year 2010. You may want to apply ahead of time to find a job before moving. If you are into a tech career there are more then 2000 tech companies in the capital of Texas. The national USA average of unemployment is 9.8% whereas Austin, TX is 7.1%. When looking to buy a home the average median price is $122,921. If you currently own a home, sell it and you may already be ahead with the low cost of homes here. All of these benefits make Austin a great place to live!

Another one of the hot areas to buy real estate is Broomfield County, Colorado which is located between breathtaking Denver and Boulder. In this area you will find jobs galore including high tech jobs. In the last ten years jobs increased by 50%. Average median home price is $239, 000. Get skiing and hiking in Colorado now!

Looking for someplace warm to buy hot real estate? Check out Deerfield Beach, Florida. The median home price is only $89,400. Enjoy a home with a view of the beach. Imagine waking up every morning, grabbing a cup of coffee and relaxing by the beach.

If you are looking to retire and find a new piece of real estate check out Durham, North Carolina. The median home price is $174,900. Enjoy as many of the one hundred plus activities the Duke University has to offer seniors. You can also enjoy your golden years playing golf, seeing Broadway hit shows as well as concerts and stay young hiking.

On the opposite spectrum if you are looking for a hot piece of real estate to buy and raise your children check out Woodbury, Minnesota. In this area of Minnesota the schools are phenomenal. Plenty of jobs await at 3M and the state government. Enjoy the wonderful lakes for swimming, fishing and boating. Other fun activities include winter activities such as snowmobiling, snowshoeing, making snowmen with your kids, sledding, ice skating, etc. You and your family can hike, enjoy the grassy parks and biking. There is never a dull moment. Median home price in this hot real estate area is $245,000.

The fifth best place to buy a home is Madison, Wisconsin. You can choose to live in Madison or buy a hot piece of real estate rental. There is so much to do in Wisconsin’s capital including many sports, cultural events, affordable housing, one of the top rated colleges, shopping, variety of restaurants, four season activities and so much more. The average median home price is $199,900.

With a little research and help from a real estate agent you can find the best place to live for your current situation. Start living the dream now.

For many years mobile homes carried many stigmas and prejudices around them. However, there are plenty of advantages to investing in mobile homes. Even though the advantages are not always obvious, they exist and are real One of the advantages of investing in mobile homes is fast equity building. The myth about mobile homes depreciating is only half true. When you buy mobile homes in parks they generally go down in value over time. On the other hand, if you buy mobile homes on land, they’ll usually go up in value.  Buy Mobile Homes To Build Equity Fast Here is an example of how a mobile home builds equity fast. A house with a $100,000, 6%, 30-year mortgage loan gives you a payment of $599.60. $500 of the first payment will go to interest, $99.60 to principal. You built equity of $99.60. For right now we are ignoring appreciation.  A mobile home on land, with a $30,000, 8%, 10-year mortgage gives you a payment of $363.99. The higher interest rate is normal with mobiles. The shorter term is normal too, so you’ll own the home free-and-clear in 10 years instead of 30. The first month, $200 will go to interest, meaning $163.99 goes to principal. You built more equity in this scenario. A mobile home on land might appreciate more slowly than a “regular” house, but faster loan pay-down probably may cover this factor. Now, if you also chose to bank the difference in payments ($235.61 per month), you’d definitely be better off financially with the mobile home versus the more expensive home. However, this will not be true during times of fast appreciation. You can pay less per month and build more equity. Your real estate agent won’t tell you this, and don’t expect him to agree even after you explain it.  Other Advantages You can do what you like with the home when you own the land.  Mobile homes are cheap to maintain. The most expensive repair you’ll have in a mobile would be to replace the furnace should it die on you. Windows, plumbing, and doors are all cheaper on a mobile home. Property taxes, because they’re based on value, cost less. Insurance is less because you’re insuring less value. Just be sure you can get insurance before you buy. You may not be able to get insurance for some old mobiles in some areas. It is not a good idea to buy a mobile home if prices for houses are about the same as prices for a mobile home. You have to decide if you can make money investing in mobile homes. Every investment opportunity is not right for every investor. Take some time to decide if this is an area that can be profitable for you.

As a real estate investor, you are confronted by closing costs in every deal you make. The figures can be alarming if you are not ready for them. Too many times, a lender will tack on closing costs that a new investor does not understand. Some of them may be excessive. Do not be worried; there are ways to save on closing costs.

1. Try to use the same lenders as often as possible.

The more often you use the same lender, the more of a reputation you build with that institution. As you get to know them and they get to know you, a layer of mistrust is peeled away. The lender will work with you in every way possible if you become a valuable repeat customer. That does not mean you should never try a new lender. Adding new lenders to your stable will help you in all your ventures. Just be sure to develop a relationship with the ones you do use.

2. Get an upfront estimate of closing costs.

Get an estimate of what the closing costs will be as soon as the deal is being discussed. That will give you a heads up for trouble later on. Remember that this preliminary estimate is not binding in any way. However, it can help you in researching the details and planning for negotiations. In the last days before closing, you should be given a good faith estimate of the final closing costs.

3. Negotiate costs when you can.

Once you get that good faith estimate, you have a fairly good idea of what will be demanded of you at the time of closing. However, nothing is set in stone at this point. The lender can up their costs. Preferably, you could go in and negotiate even lower costs. Discuss the merits of your ideas from a position of power. After all, the lender wants to make the deal as much as you do in most cases. Remember that you are doing them a service by bringing them your business.

4. Accept the fact that some fees are not subject to alteration.

Face it; some closing costs are set by government agencies and they cannot be circumvented. You may be able to negotiate who pays these fees, but they must be paid by someone. These include title fees, notary fees, survey costs and others.

5. Timing is everything. Once you have the closing costs under control, close the deal immediately.

Do the negotiations for the closing costs when it is near the time for closing. After the costs have been nailed down, assuming that the rest of the deal is in place, proceed directly to closing. Needless delays will give the lender time to rethink their position and possibly charge you the higher costs they originally requested, if not more. When you invest in real estate on a regular basis, it is important to get the hang of managing closing costs. Otherwise, you will spend a great deal of money on each deal for unnecessary expenses.

If you want to do well in the real estate business, you need to have a lot of contacts with possible prospects.  The marketing system for real estate works like a funnel. Here’s the breakdown of the necessary steps that you have to take.

• Initially, you have to start your marketing with a huge number of people who‘s never heard of you before. Marketing to strangers is building awareness to a group of people and letting them know that your real estate exists. Since these people don’t know you yet, your advertisements, website as well as marketing materials should be centered on their concerns and problems so that you can market effectively to these people.
• Once you have successfully reached out to these strangers, your next step should be getting their contact information and you should also get a permission to do a follow up with them. Through constant communication, you should be able to build rapport so that you can establish your credibility through educating these suspects.
• The selling process starts when your ‘suspect’ becomes a probable ‘prospect.’ This happens if the person’s mindset shifts from just being interested to being ready to sell or buy. The selling process should not be hard. As long as your marketing was done well and the education of your suspects regarding the benefits was well rounded. You will know if the selling has already started when your suspect starts communicating with you solely. For example, sending you emails or perhaps asking for a consultation with you. Remember, do a good job and this will end in a signed working agreement.
• Keep in mind that the marketing process does not end when your prospects becomes your clients. Once they’ve become your client, you have to find them the perfect house or get them the best price for the house they’re selling. In a working relationship, an outstanding client service is very important. Every interaction that you have with them is considered as a marketing opportunity.
•  In the marketing system for real estate, a happy and satisfied client becomes your advocate when it comes to client service. These advocates will surely tell other people about you. That is why it is a must to provide an excellent result so that they will refer business to you in the future. Think about establishing a referral reward system for these advocates so that you can promote any referrals.

Finding a real estate agent can be very easy in today’s level of advertising availability and internet usage. Be alert when searching for an agent, you don’t want any real estate agent, you want one that’s in the business for you as much as he or she is for themselves. Real estate agents can make the buying and selling of a property as smooth as the state legislature allows. The best real estate agents working today don’t have to come from the big name companies. At the end of this article there will be a small list of very successful and impressive individual mentors available to start you out in the right direction. 

1. Be sure your “realtor” is an actual realtor registered and certified by the National Association of Realtors. Only realtors qualified by the NAR can bare their logo. They adhere to a code of ethics that cover 17 different articles and standards of realty practice. Surprisingly, less than half of the realtors in business today have bothered to become an official Realtor. Get more info about realtors at, http://www.realtor.org/

2. Ask the agent you’re investigating for referrals. Most realtors of any size or income stay in business by using multiple sources of advertising. One of the most important is mouth to mouth referrals. Ask for direct referrals from past customers, or to have the agent put you in touch with some of his former clients. This may seem like bad form to some, but when spending the type of money needed to invest in real estate, or even buy a median priced home, every attempt to be 100% sure of your decision is never a waste of time.

3. Go to open houses, even the some of homes you’re not interested in. This will give the you the opportunity to explore new choices. It is up to you to decide which are the best options and which are the worst, refer to the end of number 2, on the list.

4. Go to an agent who does not specialize in the type of real estate you want. It sounds like a trick, but most agents will happily refer youl to a quality agent who does specialize in the type you’re looking for.

5. Check the selected agent on the web. Doing a background check about the agent using their own website can be very effective at sorting out the bad apples. Look at their listings, were they sold long ago, or are they kept recent. If the website is in disarray, then chances are the agent is as well.

Using these tips and a little common sense, anyone looking to buy real estate can make an informed decision on who they should choose for an agent.

One of he best real estate advisors, agents and investors is Dean Graziosi. Take him on as a mentor, or just follow his blog at, http://www.aboutdeangraziosi.com/.

For more information about Dean click on any of the following links…

http://www.deangraziosireview.com/

http://www.aboutdeangraziosi.com/

http://www.totallyfulfilled.com/

The United States Midwest region, namely the Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois real estate markets, have been slowly suffocating under the assault of a world wide recession.

Wisconsin: Residential Wins Big

The percentage of Wisconsin residents who are currently home owners is an astounding 61.46 percent. Renters in Wisconsin, reached 28.34%, leaving just over 10 percent of the Wisconsin homes vacant. The most common type of real estate in Wisconsin, is the single family detached homes, with 65.99 percent of the real estate falling into that category. Apartment complexes, otherwise known as high rise apartments, are the next best bet for the real estate investor in Wisconsin, consuming 14.03 percent of the total real estate owned in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin’s apartment real estate markets are on fire, the high rise apartment properties are a large chunk of Wisconsin’s real estate industry. That becomes more apparent, with the next revelation of Wisconsin’s real estate numbers. The amount of real estate being consumed by small apartment buildings in the state are nearly the same as the high rise apartments. Mobile homes sales in the state, also,  makes an impact on the real estate markets and economy of Wisconsin, small as it may be. The amount of real estate being owned by mobile home owners and sellers rests at 4.37 percent.

The median home value in the state averages out to be just under, $186,000. The price paid by most homeowners, 43.75 percent, paid between $170,000 and $339,000. The majority of the rest of the real estate sold in the state of Wisconsin, 33.83 percent, are homes selling in the $84,000 to $169,000 range. The average rental rate for a Wisconsin apartment, crunches out to be $696.00, per month. After reflecting on these numbers, any agent can see that the largest real estate market in Wisconsin is, easily, the residential markets.

Iowa Real Estate

The state of Iowa has been one of the best real estate markets in the country. Since 1990, the appreciation rate of Iowa real estate has risen 6.37 percent, and in the last 12 months, it has risen 0.82 percent. Residential real estate prices in Iowa fling from the bottom rung, all the way up to the top shelf. The cost of residential real estate in central Iowa is much heavier than that of the western and northern regions of the state. In Des Moines, residential homes can range from $129,000 all the way up to, $168,400, for the average single family home. In the northern cities, such as Dubuque, the housing costs are fairly low, in the range of $35,000 to $79,000.

Iowa’s median income reaches the 60 thousand dollar range, which is needed by Iowans just to maintain the mortgage on a lower priced $70,000, home. 

Illinois real Estate

Illinois has been doing a bit better in this respect, than Iowa, but not nearly as strong as Wisconsin. Illinois appreciation rates have climbed over the past 10 years , 6.4 percent, but across the last 12 months, the residential real estate in Illinois has plummeted 2.92 percent, including a loss of 0.16 last quarter. In 2010, the all important median value of a residential piece of real estate, namely a single family home, lists at just below $184,000, making it the 21st in the United States. The average monthly mortgage in Illinois is $1,455. The median income of Illinois home owners was $61,174, ranking it 14th, but per capita, the state averages a poultry 26,307, making that $1,500 mortgage payment a little harder to fathom.

Most of the Illinois economy is industrial based, that includes farming, soft coal, mining, oil production and refinement. It manufactures everything from iron and steel, and chemicals . If the industry markets of Illinois are crushed by state and national legislations, as many politicians wish to do, the Illinois’ real estate industry will crumble as the legislations grow.

The Overview

After researching and reading all the real estate facts for Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, the only conclusion that can be reached is, the most commonly bought and sold pieces of real estate in the entire midwest, is residential homes and apartments, specifically high rise apartments. For in more information on these states and others go to… http://www.neighborhoodscout.com.

Dean Graziosii, self-made real estate millionaire, has been very busy lately. He’s been trying to get the best ideas, systems, and strategies to help you get the most return out of your real estate investments. Against Deans better judgement, he’s released some of his most prized ideas along with some common sense tips that every investor needs to know. When you visit Dean Graziosi’s Real Estate Investment Academy, the average investor can get the know how he needs, and the experienced investor can learn a thing or two they didn’t know the day before. Oh, and did I mention before, it’s absolutely free. Every post, every hint, every lesson, absolutely free of charge.

To go there now just click… http://www.totallyfulfilled.com/

What Does the Real Estate Investment Academy have to offer

The Real Estate Investment Academy covers 14 categories from a-z, including agents, banker, brokers, buying and selling real estate, foreclosure, and many others, Every topic will be briefly covered so you can get a clue as to what Deans Graziosi’s Real Estate Academy teach you. If you click… http://www.totallyfulfilled.com  you’ll learn of the direct affects the internet has had on the tactics of real estate agents and how they make themselves more accessible. Also, in the agents section, you will learn some easy ways to locate and get first call on pre-foreclosed properties.

When you read on, keep in mind these are some of the best tips, lessons, and ideas you’ll ever get for free, so keep note and visit often. There are two dozens past episodes and podcasts available to read and watch. Keep your mind open and free to new ideas and you’ll be able to make real use of the in-depth real estate information currently available at Dean’s Real Estate Investment Academy.

In the banker section, http://www.totallyfulfilled.com/?cat=75, You’ll learn about the current difficulties with mortgage bankers, and what the expiration of the  homebuyer tax credit has really done to the real estate markets all across the United States. In the foreclosures link, http://www.totallyfulfilled.com/?cat=56, of Deans Real Estate Investment Academy, you’ll learn the rights of tenets residing in your real estate properties. What happens if the property is foreclosed, along with the process the tenets must endure in order to stay in spite of the foreclosure.

When you visit the homeowner page, discover the latest foreclosure stop plugs being put in place by the Pennsylvania states legislature, and signed into law by President Obama. In the very useful, making money link, http://www.totallyfulfilled.com/?cat=5, Dean Graziosi explains his four step plan for keeping the home you live in from being someone else’s house.

On the Real Estate Investment Academy podcast link, listen to Dean Graziosi’s weekly podcasts, which include cash saving tips on closing costs, the $7500 government tax credit, along with countless other topics. The Real Estate Investment Academy’s short sale page, http://www.totallyfulfilled.com/?cat=70, offers experienced advise for real estate investors and how to determine if the potential buyer is considered to be serious. One of the Academy’s best kept advertising secrets is available for all to see on the uncategorized page, http://www.totallyfulfilled.com/?cat=1, go there now to find out what it is.

All this and much more is available at Dean Graziosi’s, Real Estate Investment Academy. Don’t miss out  much longer, when you’re not getting the edge against your real estate investment competition, they’re getting the edge on you.  Act now and act fast, increased profit may be passing you by!