Posts Tagged ‘from’

by Wayan Vota

Streetsville, Ontario, Canada: Our House and a Copy


Image by bill barber
Our house (at the top in the picture) is located on William Street in Streetsville Ontario. It was built by a house framer named Samuel Brookbank for his family in 1859. Commencing in 1978, the house underwent restoration and renovation by the three owers previous to us.

The owners immediately precediing us bought the house in 1983. At that time, another individual also wished to purchase the house. When her offer was turned back, she purchased a lot at the south end of town, and asked if she could copy the style of the 1859 house. She was granted permission, and measured all the rooms. The house at the bottom of the picture is the result.

Ontario Farm House Style Architecture

Ontario even has its own homegrown signature style, once so common in our towns and countryside as to be ubiquitous but just as valid a hallmark as the saltbox in New England and the steep-roofed habitant homestead in Quebec. Our style has no official name but can be easily recognized by the symmetrical arrangement of doors and windows under a roof that stands only a storey and a half high. Over the front entrance is another identifying mark: a gable peak fitted with a Gothic-pointed window. Similar houses can be spotted from Massachusetts to Manitoba but never in the same number as in the corridor between Windsor and Cornwall and north into the Canadian Shield. Although they type has been around since the early days of settlement, only in recent years have we seemed to notice that this is something we can truly call our own. Perhaps the time has come to give it a proper name: the "Ontario farmhouse" style.

Although easier to heat and more economical to build than a house a full two stories high, the Ontario farmhouse owes it popularity more to politics than to pragmatism. Beginning in 1807, it was taxed at a significantly lower rate. At the same time, despite the ornament often lavished upon it, the gable was a purely practical amenity: It made the attic space more useable, providing extra headroom and much needed light. Thus a provincial icon was born that would survive long after the tax was revoked in 1853. In fact, it was well after Confederation, when building fashion and technology embraced a new bigger-is-better ethic, that the classic Ontario farmhouse finally lost ground. Today, thousands of the genre survive in the heartland, a sampling of which are pictured on the pages that follow. As you study them, look for variations on the theme, especially the manner in which the gable grew progressively steeper as the 19th century wore on.

Taken from:
Old Ontario Houses
Traditions in Local Architecture

text by Tom Cruickshank
photography by John de Visser
www.fireflybooks.com/books/4995F.html

There are plenty of “We Buy Houses” companies that are professional and reputable and can help get you out of a jam if you need to sell a house quickly.  But beware, there are just as many companies, would be investors, that will steal your house and run.  If you need to sell a house fast, here are a few rules for protecting yourself from these scammers.

Work with Professionals, Only

The best way to protect yourself from scammers is to only work with professionals who have an established history of buying homes. Now days, anyone can order a book from the internet or an infomercial and become a “investor,”   The real professionals have been in business for many years and have closed dozens of real estate transactions. Their primary focus is the growth of their business, and they will not risk their business by cheating you or treating you unfairly.

Check the Buyer Out

If you have any concerns about the buyer, check them out. Contact your states Real Estate Commission, Attorney General’s office or your District Attorney’s Consumer Office. If they are an established business, check them out with the Better Business Bureau.

Always Read the Paperwork and Understand What You’re Signing

Not asking questions because you are afraid of looking stupid could end up costing you tens of thousands of dollars or maybe even your home.  You don’t want to end up in a deal that wasn’t what you thought it was. A lawyer, Realtor or even your mortgage company can help give you some advice.  Never sign a contract that you don’t understand.

Get Everything in Writing

If a disagreement arises about a verbal agreement, the issue becomes your word against theirs and often must go to a court of law to be settled. All real estate contract must be in writing to be enforceable.

Be Willing to Walk Away from the Deal

If you have any doubts about the buyer or the contract just walk away. It’s never worth the months of future headaches to sell your house a little bit sooner.

There are several professional real estate buyers serving the Dallas Real Estate and Plano Real Estate markets.

Related Buy Houses Articles

Home is warm harbor life. For travel, tourism and travel outside of the people at home can only be a distant hope. Expensive hotels, restaurants, guest houses noisy,is the traveler had no choice but to live.

The rise of short-rent apartment guest services market to break the pattern of a single, temporary living in a foreign land for people to provide a new choice. Short rental apartment is a new short-term travel of living, housing facilities are relatively complete, kitchen, bathroom, living room, air-conditioning and television. Feel is a warm and comfortable at home.

Short term apartments of focus-apartment.com carry out business activities in Beijing and Tours to provide a special short-term rental services.

Short rent apartment features:
1, save money at the same level of quality —— under the premise of a short stay in Beijing one day than the cost of apartment rent a three-star hotel suite prices 30% -70% lower. Space is much spacious than ordinary hotel, stay self-service apartments are saving a good way to travel.

2, all the houses have been comfortable prepare —— including the beds to be home, including bedding products, bedding uniform washing by a professional cleaning company, you can stay put Luggage rest, like go back to home, Enjoy the warmth and convenience.

3, self-help —— you can in accordance with their own habits and preferences cooking cleaning laundry, fully independent private space, free from outside interference, but also can enjoy the perfect area homes and environment of service facilities convenience to you.

by darrowwest

bg_cover_commrealestate


Image by suzy_yes
thematische beilage zur wirtschaftszeitung ‘kommersant’

Have you considered buying Mexico Real Estate? Or maybe you’ve already tried your hand at buying real estate in this beautiful country known for the high-quality life in amazing beachfront locations, but with complications in the process, what you expected to be a dream come true didn’t pan out the way you had hoped. Or it could be that you bought property in Mexico, and you don’t even really know how it happened – did you just get lucky that it went so smoothly?

In each of these cases, you have a good reason for new-found motivation and enthusiasm for making a real estate purchase here; a recently published Mexico Real Estate Guide is currently available as a FREE DOWNLOAD. The book, compiled from information and advice from leading Mexico Real Estate Agents, lawyers and title company experts was created for people like you, who need to know how the world of Mexico real estate works.

This e-book, Top Mexico Real Estate Guide; Buying Safely, was created to address the need among buyers to have accurate, reliable information at their fingertips. Many buyers who experience unnecessary difficulties and complications in the purchasing process make some false assumptions at the beginning of the process, for which, if they are unlucky, they may the price later.

One false assumption is that the laws regarding acquiring real estate, and protecting buyers and sellers, are the same in Mexico as in the U.S. or Canada. Top Mexico Real Estate Guide; Buying Safely addresses this issue, outlining the differences of process, laws, and protection which exist in Mexico.

Another false assumption is that you just have to find the right property, and things will work themselves out. While finding the right property for you is very important, it is also important to check the legal status of the property (as with property purchases back home), and to carry out the processes correctly to complete the transaction. The guide outlines these processes in some detail, allowing you, the buyer, to see that you won’t make a drastic error in this very important event in your life.

A point that is emphasized heavily in the Guide is the importance of finding a reliable, experienced and qualified agent. After (or while) reading the e-book, you may wish to contact the experts who wrote it; if they work in the area where you are buying, few people would be more suitable to help you. If not, they will certainly be able to point you to the right agent in the part of Mexico you are interested in.

TOPMexicoRealEstate NETWORK; Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely

A look at some of the introductory steps and basic decisions required before designing a website. The video is part of an ongoing blog series at point2agentblog.com
Video Rating: 0 / 5

by ~John~

When you do a search on a Search Engine for “apartments” you are going to come across two types of Website resources; apartment locator sites and apartment database sites. Which is the best for you? Well, that depends on what your needs and circumstances dictate. It also has a great deal to do with your privacy comfort level.

The Apartment Locator Site:

If you are relocating to an area of the country that is totally new for you, someplace where you are unfamiliar with neighborhoods, schools, job centers, transportation, etc., then the apartment locator may be your best choice. These folks respond to your query by making telephone contact with you. You will describe your circumstances, needs, budget and other preferences. The apartment locator is usually extremely knowledgeable about the area and the local rental market. They will be quite helpful in finding you rental accommodations that suit your particular needs. In most cases, this will be a totally free service. The apartment locator is normally paid a commission or “finder’s fee” from the landlord or rental agent. With regard to your privacy, however, keep in mind that you are required to share your telephone number with the apartment locator and be open to the idea of personal contact. You need to decide if, or how much, that is acceptable to your sense of privacy.

The Apartment Database Site:

Unlike apartment locators, apartment database sites offer a broad selection of on-line apartment listings. They give you intricate descriptions of apartment complexes including, but not limited to, maps, amenities, rent ranges, contact information, etc. Pictures of the apartment units, inside and out, are usually included. An excellent amount of data helps you decide if any particular rental unit meets your needs and satisfaction. When you are moving to an apartment that is located within your present living area or when you are relocating to an area that you are totally familiar with, an apartment database site might be the one for you. Most require a simple registration process which usually asks for name and email address. You need not submit your telephone number and you will not be contacted personally by anyone. Like the apartment locator, most apartment database sites are free to you. Sometimes you are even offered a bonus of 0.00 or more if you list their site as your referring source when you sign your apartment lease.
So, which is better for you, the apartment locator site or the apartment database site? The answer to that question is answered by your own unique needs, desires, situation and limits of personal privacy.

Good luck on your apartment search and good luck in your new apartment.

by darrowwest

Bill Gallagher Real Estate Developer


Image by pursuethepassion
The Pursue the Passion Book was inspired by a statistic- Half of the American workforce is unhappy with their job. This is a photo of Bill Gallaher, a real estate developer in Santa Rosa, California that appears in the Pursue the Passion book.

During the summer of 2007, four recent college grads were corporately sponsored to travel across America in an RV. Their mission? To find out what makes people passionate about their work. 16,000 miles, 38 states, 300 interviews and 10,000 photographs later, Pursue the Passion profiles the interviews and stories collected from the cross country journey.

Published by People Department Publishing, 2010. ISBN number is 9780615283609 and is available on Amazon.

As either a new buyer, or as a buyer with some experience that maybe did not go as you planned, you are probably wondering where you can find clear, concise information about buying Mexico Real Estate. While internet sources can include a great deal of excellent information (if you check the right sources), when you are involved in the Mexico property buying process for the first time, the information might be too detailed, not detailed enough, etc. For this reason, a Mexico Real Estate guide with contributions from a number of Mexico’s leading real estate experts can be an excellent alternative for picking up the basics before you go into further details.

One such guide is the Top Mexico Real Estate Guide: Buying Safely (visit www.topmexicorealestate.com/real-estate-books/ to download a copy), and e-book recently published by TOPMexicoRealEstate. This real estate book is a collaboration of 10 experts from the TOPMexicoRealEstate Network, including experienced brokers who have been working directly in the market for many years, and have certifications to back their hands-on experience. It also includes advice from lawyers and legal experts. This e-book includes various advantages over other information sources on how to buy real estate in Mexico.

One advantage is that it is concise. Some information sources, such as the internet are wonderfully complete (if you know where to look), but can be overwhelming. There are so many pages and so much information, sometimes it is hard to know where to begin. Designed especially for foreign buyers new to the Mexican market, Top Mexico Real Estate Guide: Buying Safely describes the differences of how to buy real estate in Mexico as compared to the U.S. or Canada, presenting the basics in a clear, concise manner, with explanations of terms and ideas that may not be obvious for those not involved in the industry. While future volumes will deal with details of specific parts of the Mexico Real Estate market, this volume focuses on the central steps, and, most importantly, safety for you as a buyer.

Another problem with many real estate information sources, whether from the internet, from a real estate book, or from different people you talk to, is that the information does not always match up. One professional told you one thing, and another professional told you something that does not seem to line up. “What’s going on here?” you may ask yourself.

To help address this issue, this e-book includes parallel answers from various experts, who specialize in different geographical regions, different legal aspects, or whose experience has led them to take different approaches to the various steps of how to buy real estate in Mexico. The format allows for quick comparison of the experts’ complementary answers; in cases where different angles are taken, each expert explains their angle, again clearly and concisely, and each chapter also includes an introduction from Thomas Lloyd, founder and president of TOPMexicoRealEstate.com, so you as a reader understand exactly why things are done one way in one situation, and another way in a different situation. This way you are not left scratching your head, confused; instead you will finish as an informed reader ready to make decisions about your real estate buying process.

The format of the e-book is also easy to use. The table of contents includes links to each chapter. In each chapter, the list of contributing authors appears at the right side, so you can quickly jump from one answer to another. The list of chapters also appears on the left so you can easily change chapter. This Mexico real estate guide has a question-answer format, with each expert answering a list of 3-5 questions per chapter.

TOPMexicoRealEstate NETWORK; Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely

~ Property options from Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mysore & Goa to be showcased ~

Bangalore, 28th June 2008: Makaan.com, the fastest growing online real estate portal by People Group, inaugurated its property show in Bangalore today. The Bangalore Property show is the 1st in the city & 6th in the nationwide series of similar events that Makaan.com is organizing. The two-day show being held at Hotel Grand Ashoka, Bangalore was inaugurated by Mr. Anupam Mittal, CMD People Group in the presence of Supermodel Ms. Anchal Kumar.

This property show by Makaan.com is the largest of its kind that Bangalore has seen. 45 leading developers have showcased over 200-property options. Properties ranging from 5 lac to 5 crore are on display at the show. Property seekers will get to choose from options of plots, villas and apartments. Apart from presenting projects from Bangalore, developers at the show have also showcased multiple projects from Hyderabad, Mysore & Goa.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Anupam Mittal said,
“Bangalore Real Estate is a burgeoning market with young professionals flocking to the IT city in search of career fulfillment. Our show aims to cater to the housing needs of these upwardly mobile group, and we are looking at providing them with a platform to enable them to engage in a meaningful discussion with property seller”.

Adds, Vijay Reddy, Vice President – Reddy Structures (associate sponsor of the show) “We are very pleased to support the Makaan.com Property Show. We have been making great progress in the last few years, and through this show, we expect to reach a large number of serious property seekers and showcase our projects. We are looking forward to a long-term positive association with Makaan.com”.

Bangalore is amongst the fastest growing cities in India and is experiencing a rapid need for increase in infrastructure. As per Makaan.com data, the city ranks among the top three property hotspots in India. Every month the website gets over 1.22 lac user who are looking for property in Bangalore.

Reddy Structures, in association with Greater Bangalore Estates & Gravity group are co-sponsoring the show. Redefining the way properties are bought and sold, Makaan.com is aggressively expanding customer reach through the property show route, and plans to host 15 such property shows across the country this year.

About Makaan.com
Makaan.com is an online real-estate service promoted by People Interactive; the consumer Internet division of the Anupam Mittal led People Group. This site was conceived to explore and invent opportunities in the online real-estate space, and has within months of its launch managed to attract more than 8.6 lac unique visitors every month.Makaan.com is committed to helping users make wise and profitable decisions related to buying, selling, renting and leasing of properties, in India and key global geographies. The site aims to be user friendly, and has recently launched ‘Makaan Mobile’- India’s 1st and only SMS based mobile application for property sellers, in addition to introducing services such as ClickPay – an offering that enables a property seller to list multiple properties in one ad and a unique rating system, where users rate the properties listed on the site. Makaan.com has Pan India presence, with physical offices in top 13 cities of India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kochi, Vizag and Vijaywada.

About People Interactive
People Interactive was founded in 1997 to help architect India’s Internet landscape. Today it is one of India’s leading Internet companies and boasts brands such as Shaadi.com, Shaadi.com Centres, Fropper.com, Makaan.com and Astrolife.com. The company is focussed on discovering and developing scalable Internet business models around communities and classifieds. It prides itself in being a pioneer of Indo-centric Internet business models and believes in innovation led growth.

The company won the IT People Award 2007 for Excellence in Information Technology, and was also awarded the Red Herring Asia Top 100 Awards in 2006. In September 2007 Business Today recognized the company’s flagship brand – Shaadi.com as one of the Top 10 Marketers in the country. Shaadi.com was also felicitated at the WEB18 ‘Genius of the Web’ Awards 2007, as the best E-Commerce site (Matrimony), and Shaadi.com Centres won the ‘Franchisor of the Year Award’ for the third consecutive year in 2007. People Interactive was also named as one of the Top 500 companies in Deloitte Technology Fast 500 – Asia Pacific Awards 2007.

People Interactive is a Sequoia Capital backed company and is part of the Anupam Mittal led People Group.

For further information please contact:
Neha Chadha
9810627134
neha.c@peopleinteractive.in
www.makaan.com

Having the right knowledge and using a proven property investment system are essential for success. That is how full-time property investor and developer Ranjan Bhattacharya sees it. Having spent the last 17 years building his own property investment empire in the UK, he possesses the distinctive ability to understand and make profits in almost every property market cycle.

The unique perspective has enabled the founder of YourPropertyEmpire to come up with a proven property investment system that could help investors profit from property in any stage in the cycle of the property market. Investors who want to follow the trail of success he created may want to know what advice he can give to property investors who also want to make it big.

1. The property market still has room for investors who are interested in taking a piece of it. As long as people need roofs over their heads, property is considered a sure bet.

2. It is not hard to find properties that can produce significant cash flow. Just as long as you know where to look and how to find them, you won’t have trouble locating positive cash flow properties. First, you have to have the ability to recognise the opportunity when you see one.

3. There are basically two ways you can make money in property. First is through capital gains. There are many property investors who are enjoying capital gains, some of which have been very sizeable, thereby, creating the idea that it is the foremost reason for possessing property. The second way is via cash flow from rental returns, which provide a superior degree of certainty and security compared to the speculative type of opportunity in capital gains.

4. Buy properties when sellers are willing to negotiate. Buying property depends on the general market trend, current interest rates and the type of property you are looking at. But the best time to purchase property is when demand is low, property prices are either stable or falling, and when houses are taking a long time to sell.

5. Buy average properties. When you buy property to be rented out, you have to make sure that they are not bottom-end or top-end properties. You can instead buy average properties in average areas which you can then rent out to average tenants at average rents. Usually, the individuals who rent these properties are solid, working folks who earn average salaries.

These nuggets of advice are just a peek into what Ranjan Bhattacharya can provide property investors who want to take advantage of what he has to offer through his bestseller Build Your Property and his home study courses. Through the literature he provides, property investors will be able to learn all the information they need about investing in property and the ways to do it to make them effective property investors and developers.

Whether you are after a bargain investment, an unusual property with character, or the house of your dreams that you have been waiting to buy for years, buying a house from property auctioneers can work out to be great value.

As the hammer drops you can find yourself walking away with an amazing deal. But it can also go the other way – if you don’t do proper research, you can find yourself lumbered with an expensive wreck that you’ll never be able to shift.

As with much of the property buying process, the key is research. The more time you put in before laying out your hard earned cash, the better your eventual deal could be.

This attitude towards buying from property auctioneers has been confirmed by new research from a company called Auction Finance.

It discovered that 25,000 houses are sold at auction each year. Figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors show that’s around £5.2 billion of property a year.

Auction Finance’s survey showed up to three out of four people bidding for homes at property auctioneers hadn’t even got a valuation on their potential new home.

And the company says that’s like playing Russian roulette with your money, especially if you’re not a professional property investor.

It believes that you have to have huge experience in buying from property auctioneers to be able to spot potential problems in a house just by looking round. Most people would be better off getting a survey done first.

Seeing as you might have to have three or four surveys done on potential properties, experts suggest you put a portion of your overall budget aside for surveys. It will be money well spent to discover subsidence problems before you’ve paid out hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Other advice from experts revolves around spending time on the internet finding out all the information you can. Use a good property portal to look at the prices similar houses have sold for; this will help you set an accurate price guide.

Also use search engines and council websites to check the demographics of the area. It’s pretty easy these days to find out crime statistics, flood risk and what neighboring properties sold for, even for a country property. You can also get information on the house from the Land Registry for a small fee, which is a valuable investment before you go to property auctioneers.

And it’s worth typing the address and postcode into search engines, and on local newspaper websites.

The other research you can do is pounding the streets. Visit the area at different times of the day to see what the traffic is like, if it’s affected when pubs kick out, etc. Keep an eye out for signs of crime such as boarded up windows or broken glass next to cars. If lots of houses are up for sale, ask yourself why.

Knock on neighbors’ doors and ask them about the house – you might be surprised what you will learn. Have a series of questions that you want answered, such as the recent history of the property, why it is up for sale at auction, and how well it has been looked after.

Be friendly with the people you speak to; they might be your neighbors soon! And while you are knocking on doors, remember it’s an area you don’t know. Stay safe and don’t attempt this exercise on your own.

With all of this information backing you up, you will find the process of buying from property auctioneers a lot less scary.

If you are a novice property investor looking for information on investment properties for beginners, this article should help make your life easier. It details eight tips that will help you in your quest to become a landlord.

Don’t believe the hype. It doesn’t matter if it is negative or positive hype about investing in property; do not take anything at face value. Always consider whether the person or media that is putting out the story might have ulterior motives.

Anyone interesting in selling you property or property products will only talk about the positives and the value of investing in property. The media likes to sensationalise the negatives, because that is what sells newspapers. You have to look at the evidence and seek impartial advice and make up your own mind.

You have to believe. You have to have a belief that you can make money from property. At times it can seem as though the property investing World is already saturated with people more experienced than you. You have to believe that there is room for you as well.

If you start off with negative self belief then you are on a slippery slope to failure and before you know it you will be another one of those that have “tried” property investing, but found that there was no money in it.

Decide why you want to invest and formulate a strategy around this reason. Being clear why you want to invest in property can create compelling reasons that will push you forward towards your goals, even when things are not going well. Once you know why you are investing you can then build a clear strategy based around what your goals and aims are.

Research and make sure the figures add up. Don’t just dive into investing in a location because you have heard a rumour on a forum that it “might” be the next property hot spot. You need to do your research and your own due diligence.

It will be hard work to begin with and it might take you several months to find the right location and the right type of property, but after that you can probably continue to invest in the same location for several years, so the initial hard work is well worth it and should pay off in the end.

It’s a numbers game. You have to be prepared to look at hundreds of properties to find a deal that meets your criteria and that corresponds with the strategy you have set out. This doesn’t necessarily mean making hundreds of phone calls a month to different estate agents or vendors.

You might achieve your goal by simply browsing the local newspaper which normally has at least a couple of hundred properties in, although a more proactive method is usually needed to be really successfully.

Have effective exit strategies in place. One of the main reasons many beginners fail in their efforts to become professional property investors or developers, is that they don’t have exit strategies in place.

You need to know what route you are going to take to get out of a deal if things do not go according to plan. You also need to have an idea of how you are going to off load the property in the long run, if you don’t plan to hold onto it forever.

Take a long term view. Successful property investors take a long term view of the property market. Many of the budding investors that have failed, have failed because they wanted to make a quick buck. If you are serious about learning how to become a landlord and being financially independent, then you have to take a long term view. This will help minimise your risk and will stop you from wanting to bail out if the property market goes through a bad patch.

Be careful of using property investment companies. There are a host of companies that claim to be able to buy investment properties for beginners, so that novices don’t have to do any of the work themselves. Some of these companies are good, many are terrible and a few are crooks.

I would advise you to learn the basics about what equates to a good property investment first, before you trust others to buy investment property for you. That way you can access the properties that they put in front of you and you will be able to tell if they are good or not, without being totally reliant on what the investment companies tell you.

If you are a beginner to making money from property, then by following the tips laid out here, you should be more equipped to go out and start hunting for those bargain properties. Keep in mind that people progress at different speeds and don’t get caught up in the thought that if you don’t become a millionaire in one month through property, then it’s not going to happen.

Find your own pace. However, make sure that you are also pushing yourself and forcing yourself to get out of your comfort zone because this is where the real growth, learning and wealth happens.

Property investment has always been considered an attractive option for many people in the UK who are seeking financial freedom. Even with the perceived stabilisation of the property market, property investors still consider the investment vehicle a viable one now that prices are declining and yields are going up.

The rationalisation for this is that the buy to let sector in particular is presently undergoing rising rents and shorter vacant periods – two factors that bring about lower voids compared to those of typical borrowers. Furthermore, by purchasing discounted property from distressed and motivated sellers, there is potential to earn instant profits from day one.

What buy to let offers property investors

Investing in property, particularly buy to let, offers financial benefits in the short, medium and long term. In the short to medium terms, property investment offers various tax efficiencies. For the medium term, property investors can benefit from increased rental income brought about by inflation and the rise in market rents. For the long-term horizon, property provides capital growth. Capital growth is the increase in value of your property portfolio over time. It refers to the money you make as the value of your property goes up in price.

Why buy to let remains popular

Here are the factors that contribute to a healthy demand for buy to let properties:

* Immigration. One of the reasons that buy to let has become a widespread investment vehicle is due to the rise in legal migration to the UK. A survey from Paragon Mortgages revealed that migration is adding to the UK’s population by 0.3% annually.

* Household shortage. According to the Department for Communities and Local Government, the UK needs more than 200,000 households a year to meet the housing demand. However many property experts say that there is a major shortage in housing supply.

* Social trends. The divorce rates in the UK have risen significantly: In 1980, there were 148,500 divorce cases in all of UK. In 2000, the figures climbed to almost 200,000, an increase of more than 30%. There has also been a considerable increase in the number of people who stay single by choice and enter marriage later in life.

What to consider before investing in property

* Where to buy: Property experts suggest that you look up historical data and consider the pattern of capital growth over the last 10-20 years. This will help you determine whether the location you are interested in buying property in is worth the money. Your main goal of investing should be to achieve long term capital growth.

* What to buy: When investing in property for the long term, you need to think about what type of property to buy. Some experts recommend apartments since these establishments have high initial returns and require low maintenance usually.

* When to buy: The time to buy property is as crucial as actually purchasing it. Considering that it is impossible to know when prices are going to hit rock bottom, some experts claim that the best time to buy is now.

For you to thrive in property investment, specifically buy to let, you should be able to find the balance between obtaining the best out of your property and effectively managing spending. It is similarly crucial for you to ensure appropriate rental cover and a suitable mortgage product. But most significantly you’ll be able to get the most out of your property if right from the start you have already earned profits from it – which is possible if you buy the property at a below market value price from a distressed seller.

Foreclosed houses traditionally and generally have low costs. As a result investing in this market as a real estate investor may turn out to be what you’ve been searching for a long time. This costs invariably are also always below market value but they cannot create good market by themselves and must therefore be invested on. Here are the ways that you can make money from foreclosed properties.

You are well aware that for foreclosed properties to stay alive there initial owners must have found it difficult to afford them and when they were given their foreclosure notices as they just couldn’t pay their mortgage payments, their properties went back to the company or individual who was in custody of the mortgage. Whereas, most homeowners struggle to quickly sell their homes before foreclosure to save their credit many end up failing. If the owners of mortgage don’t sell this properties at a portion of its value they end up auctioned.

One way of getting money from the foreclosed property is to resell them the real estate buyers may in most cases spruce up the proper, making additional repairs here and there and sell them at a profit or safely still sell them without sprucing them as still the foreclosed property can be disposed at a profit with a sale below the market value. The best alternative has always been the former. Here if you are adept at reading the market and you’ve played the card well you may sell the property at a very handsome price.

A further way of making this money is becoming a landlord. Sometimes it becomes difficult to resell a foreclosed property or your forecast is that even when you sell it; it may fetch little profit or give out a loss. In such instances therefore it is prudent to make good repairs and redecorations and rent it. Depending on the foreclosed property we are considering here, the extent of the repair and redecoration varies.

As a real estate investor in a bid to profit from foreclosed properties, ensure you do extensive research be it online, through books, to taking classes and reading guide books. Thais will go a long way in giving you inside information on the various approaches available to successfully resell or rent the properties in question. Don’t forget that information is power and the more you know the better it will be for you to get ahead in the game.

The last but not the least other way of getting good money’ worth out of your foreclosed property is to get it out of foreclosure and eventually make a kill out of selling it above the market price. This has not been a favorite of many real estate investors as it takes too much time. But if you have time at your disposal and the market forecast an excellent year ahead then hold out and expect to strike gold. This may also apply to renting where tenants will be forced to pay more as compared to if they would have rented a still foreclosed property.

With its rising population, shortage of real estate and a booming tourist industry, buying property in Dubai can offer investors substantial and lucrative returns. In addition, Dubai has scrapped its protective property laws and opened its doors to any foreign investors looking to buy property in Dubai, with a number of incentives tied in.

Firstly, those buying property in Dubai will not be subject to capital gains tax or income taxied levied against them. This, of course, offers investors fantastic value for money and, once the property is registered with the Lands Department, the property in Dubai can either be sold or used for rental purposes. Because of the demand for property, either option offers great financial returns; many tenants are looking to buy property in Dubai to escape the high rentals, while others are content to pay the fees and in order to escape the competition.

In addition, Dubai property law states that investors can buy property in Dubai without limitation, making it a perfect city in which to establish a desirable portfolio.

Dubai has been a well-respected tourist destination for decades, attracting millions of visitors each year, from across the globe. However, there is also a shortage of mid-range hotels for tourists; currently, they can select luxury, five-star apartments or low-end hotels. Developers have spotted the niche in the market and off-plan hotels are selling very quickly. The property Dubai has to offer is wide-ranging and attracts different investors, according to their requirements.

At Select Property, we source only the best property Dubai has to offer and procure it on our clients’ behalf at very competitive prices. If you are considering buying property for sale in Dubai, place the process in the hands of our staff and discover how we have achieved our reputation as the UK’s leading overseas investment property specialists.

The contract

You should not sign any agreement until you are entirely happy with its contents and fully understand the legal implications of what you are signing. If you are unsure, then you should first consult with a solicitor who is an expert in French Property Law.

Once you have spoken with a developer and wish to go ahead with an off-plan purchase, you will be asked to sign a Contrat de Reservation. This fully commits you to the purchase of the property – it does NOT allow you to withdraw only at the cost of your reservation fee, as other contracts might. Contracts for the sale of property off plan are known as VEFAs or ‘Vente en état future d’achèvement’. They are quite distinct from other contracts for the sale of land and they have certain legal and practical pecularities that are not seen in English law.

Deposit

On signing such a contract you will usually be asked to pay a deposit of between 2 and 5 per cent. The maximum of 5 per cent is set by law. If, however, the developer states in the contract that the property will not be completed within a year of the date of signing it, then the maximum is 2 per cent (Rule 261-28 Code de la construction et d’ habitation).

You should also ensure that the contract makes provision for the deposit to either be held in a bank account in your name set up by the developer or, alternatively, held by the notaire until the date that the legal title to the property is transferred to you. This is actually a legislative requirement and if the developer fails to comply with it, this is an offence punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment. Your knowledge of the law in this area may ward off unscrupulous developers if you encounter difficulties in getting your deposit repaid (Rule 261-29 Code de la construction et d’ habitation).

You are entitled to the return of your deposit within three months of requesting it if the developer does not proceed with the transfer of the property to you within the timescale set out in the contract, or if you are unable to obtain a mortgage offer (provided that details of the mortgage you have applied for are contained in the initial Contrat de Reservation which you signed). Once again this is your statutory right.

When signing a ‘Contrat de Reservation’ you are effectively agreeing to complete the purchase of the property at some later date. The date at which the legal title in the property is transferred should be stated in the contract. It is important to note that the date of transfer of the legal title to the property is not necessarily the date that completion of the building works takes place and thus the date that the property will be available for occupation.

Transfer of the legal title takes place when

a) the developer becomes the legal owner of the property and

b) is able to offer you a legal guarantee that either the construction of the property will be completed or that if it is not, your funds will be repaid. Once again these two provisions are legislative requirements set down in the Code de la Construction et d’habitation.

With respect to legal ownership of the land, the British assumption that the developer owns the land is not always correct – the developer can in fact enter into a contrat de reservation with you without owning the land that he intends to develop. The contrat de reservation should set a date by which the legal title in the property should pass to you and if the developer is still not the legal owner at this date then he is entitled to withdraw from the contract as long as your deposit is returned within three months. You will be able to claim for damages if you have sustained a loss as a result of the breach. If the developer is already the legal owner of the land upon which your proposed property is to be built, the transfer of the legal title in the property from the developer to you cannot take place unless the developer is able to offer one of the two types of guarantee detailed below. The type of guarantee to be offered may be very important to you in determining whether you should sign the contrat de reservation at the outset.

Builders’ construction guarantees

Garantie extrinsique

This is either:

a) the opening of a line of credit by a bank to the developer or

b) a bank accepting joint liability with the developer and agreeing to complete the construction of the property if the developer fails to do so.

Garantie intrinsique

This is the personal guarantee of the developer and can only be made in limited circumstances where either

a) the property is already protected from the elements (ie: the roof is on) and it is not subject to a mortgage, or alternatively

b) if the foundations of the property are built and the developer can prove that he has available to him funds equivalent to 75 per cent of the sale price of the property through either bank finance or through sales receipts from other properties.

The maximum stage payments allowed by French law are as follows:

1)5% deposit on signing of the contrat de reservation.

2)35% on completion of the foundations of the property.

3)70% when the property is weatherproof.

4)95% on completion of the construction of the property.

(Art R 261-14 Code de la construction et d’habitation)

Buyer’s contractual leverage

You pay the final 5 per cent when you receive the keys to the property. If you are unhappy with the completed property in that you feel the developer has not complied with the specifications contained in the ‘notice descriptif’, then you can withhold this remaining payment. However, you must place it in the hands of a stakeholder who will hold it until the dispute is resolved by an independent arbiter. Once you comply with this requirement, the keys to the property can then be released to you.

Mortgages

French mortgages take into account the structure for financing the purchase of a new-build property and the mortgage funds are advanced in accordance with the requirements of the contract. Legal title is usually transferred on completion of the foundations of the property when 35 per cent of the total cost of the property is payable. You need to take care that the contrat de reservation includes all necessary ‘clauses suspensives’.

Costs

New-build properties are subject to VAT at 19.6 per cent, which is usually included in the price. This results in reduced ‘frais de notaire’. If you are planning to rent out the property, in some cases you can recover the VAT. This needs to be discussed with your professional adviser at the outset.

Sale and leaseback

Many developers offer sale and leaseback schemes to purchasers. These allow you to purchase the property as a rental investment. The developer usually drafts the contractual documentation. Although we are unable to cover sale and leaseback agreements within the scope of this article, a purchaser should have the contractual documentation checked carefully by a legal expert prior to signing as there are a number of potential pitfalls.

Pre-contract enquiries

These are not usually raised in a formal way as in England because it is not within the legislative framework of a VEFA. This is often because French buyers carry out their own enquiries. We recommend that you ask the developer to include service charge levels and information about any proposed development in the immediate vicinity. We also recommend that you arrange to have the equivalent of a English local search carried out.

Choice of notaire

The developer’s notaire can act for you. However, in our view, this creates a conflict of interest and you may prefer to appoint your own notaire.

Turkey, the Eurasian country enriched with physical beauty and some of the best places in terms of real properties, can be called as one of the most prosperous countries of the world. Due to over 300 days of sunshine, long golden beaches, an abundance of marinas and a diverse culture, it is an extremely popular choice of holiday destination. If you are looking for a property to buy then you can surely opt for property in Turkey. It is not only the place for spending Christmas but also one of the best choices for making it your permanent residence. Turkey for many years was a country only for holidaying, recently however, western influence has stepped in and with the abundance of sunshine and low property prices, property in Turkey is in great demand.

Some of the most popular areas to buy a property in Turkey include, Calis, Gocek, Fethiye, Oludeniz, Bodrum as well as the vibrant city of Istanbul. It’s always desirable that you decide why you are buying a property in Turkey, is it for holidays, permanent living or investment? You need to decide which type of property in Turkey you want to buy and what are your specific requirements. Are you willing to buy an existing property, off-plan or do you wish to renovate an older property? You must also make up your mind whether you want a Turkey property near the city center, a beach side apartment or a mountainside villa? There are also Golf properties in Turkey, if you are a lover of the sport. All you have to do is to decide which one to opt in accordance to your taste. You can search for property at every major holiday resort in Turkey. It’s not that more complicated to buy Turkey property than buying in other major countries. There are agents, brokers and many organizations that deal with the purchase and sale of properties in the region and who shall guide you through the entire process.

Properties in Turkey are quite affordable with a range to suit all pockets. There are many facilities for you to find your Turkey property online. It is easy to search some online websites to find out all you need to know about the different properties that are available. It is also best to speak with experts in this field, who will provide you with guidance and help in order to choose the best property in Turkey for you.

As we all know Turkey is famous for its unique culture and beauty and in recent times it has witnessed a great deal of development too. It is a place of relaxation and is therefore considered to be one of the best options for making a permanent home. As Turkey property is so affordable, it is fast becoming a dream destination for many property owners who purchase real estate in the region and stay here forever.

Metropolitan Regional Information System just released information on Arlington Real Estate Statistics for March 2007 comparing to March 2006:

• Total Sold Dollar Volume increased 2.8% from $139,391,599 to $ 143,291,295

• Average Sales Price decreased 3.07% from $562,063 to $544,834

• Median Sold Price decreased 0.02% from $470,000 to $469,900

• Total Units Sold increased 6.05% from 248 to 263

• Average days on the market increased from 54 to 82

• Average Sales Price as a percentage of Average List Price decreased from 97.13% to 95.68%

• There is a total of 858 available listings (404 of them are condos/co-ops)

• Total of 263 units sold during March

• Total of 327 were marked Contract or Contingent.

Here are the statistics for Arlington Real Estate by Zip Code (You can search for available homes by Zip Code at http://www.TheArlingtonExpert.com ):

• 22202 – Crystal City/Pentagon City – Average Sold Price decreased 17.22% from $566,900 to $469,298

• 22201 – Clarendon, part of Ballston, Courthouse, etc. – Average Sold price decreased 9.76% from $631,425 to $569,767

• 22204 – Columbia Pike area – Average Sold Price decreased 8.13% from $429,997 to $395,058

• 22205 – West Arlington area – Average Sales Price decreased 6.13% from $ 760,133 to $713,564

• 22206 Zip Code – Shirlington/Fairlington area – Average Sales Price increased 0.23% from $395,836 to $396,742

• 22207 Zip Code – North Arlington area – Average Sales Price decreased 5.9% from $900,915 to $847,749

• 22209 Zip Code – Rosslyn area – Average Sales Price decreased 11.26% from $407,894 to $361,971

• 22213 Zip Code – West Arlington – Average Sales Price decreased 6.69% from $669,900 to $625,117

• 22203 Zip Code – Ballston area – Average Sales Price increased 15.25% from $415,341 to $478,663

Information in the article is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

With the market being down there are a lot of opportunities to purchase a condominium, a townhouse or a single family home at a reasonable price. If you would like to search available listings for sale in Arlington area – please visit http://www.TheArlingtonExpert.com – it links to the local MLS service and contains the information that is updated every 2 hours.