Showing Your Home While Keeping Your Privacy In Tact

Showing Your Home While Keeping Your Privacy In Tact

Make no mistake about it, home buyers will open nearly every closet and cabinet within your home. In fact, you want to encourage buyers to move and touch things within your home, but you should also learn how to keep your private information hidden during an open house.

Any part of your home that will remain after the sale, is open for investigation. This means that built in cabinet drawers; dining room china cabinets (that will be sold with the house); and bathroom medicine cabinets are all beckoning buyers to snoop around. Well, technically, they aren’t snooping if they simply want to see how large a piece of furniture is, but you should still avoid leaving things such as comparative market analyses laying inside of a drawer. In fact, you should keep all personal information fairly well hidden at all times.

Never leave opened mail strewn throughout your house. Just imagine what sort of offer a buyer might propose if they see a stack of credit card bills awaiting payment. Buyers may also note letters from the IRS; mortgage payment notices; or anything else that may put you in a compromising position.

While most home owners leave mail stacked on the kitchen counter, place your mail safely inside of a desk drawer, and make sure that the drawer cannot be opened. When it comes to other personal items, make sure that you disguise them as well.

Believe it or not, a diploma or wedding photograph should not be kept on the wall. Why? Well, certain buyers will apply instant biases depending upon what sort of information they find. For example, if you leave a law degree plastered on the wall, some buyers may immediately feel as though a lawyer cannot be trusted. In the same manner, if a buyer sees a recent wedding photograph, they may start to form an opinion about the type of religion that you practice. It is best to keep all personal items (even books and music) out of sight. Also, keep your closets tidy and in tact.

You may think that leaving certain clothing items hanging in your closet is not a bad idea, but make sure that the items do not say anything too personal about you. While most home owners do not think about personal items, do yourself a favor and clear out your home prior to any open house.

Make sure all personal details are hidden, and make sure that your home does not tell anyone all about your life.

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The Right Remortgage Deals – How to Decide

The Right Remortgage Deals – How to Decide

Following the decision to remortgage your home, choosing the right remortgage deal is the most important decision you have to make. To ensure that your deal offers you the greatest benefits, it’s important to make sure the deal is the most compatible for your unique financial circumstances. Remember to talk with market professionals in order to get the best advice. Until then, however, here are some basic features that may be available when choosing your best loan option.

One important thing to remember is that deals revolve around the lender’s SVR, or Standard Variable Rate. Whether you’re paying the SVR or not, most loans and their interest rates relate to it. A common deal called a discount mortgage is a good example.. The benefit of the discount mortgage is that it offers a reduction on the SVR. If the rate changes, the amount you pay changes automatically to reflect that. The discount benefit of this type of home loan relies heavily on the length of the deal.. The shorter the period of the discount, the greater the discount.

The tracker mortgage is a comparable loan offer. If you have this type loan, you know for certain that your interest rates are in line with bank base rates. The benefit of this type is that even if there is a delay in reducing the lender’s SVR to reflect cuts in base rates, cuts are automatically applied to your loan’s interest rate. You see immediate change and your payments reflect the new, cheap rates instead of having to pay at an old rate while waiting for changes to kick in. Many tracker mortgages also offer fairly flexible terms that might be very appealing.

A flexible mortgage allows you to vary payments from month to month to reflect any changes in your finances. The options are to over- or under-pay, re-pay lump sums or take advantage of a payment “holiday” and pay for another major expense instead. It may be possible to take advantage of more than one of these offers instead of having to choose only one. The best feature of these incentives is that generally there are lower or no fees associated. These types of benefits are dependent on certain conditions, such as being in good standing on current payments or exceeding the terms of your payment schedule.

When you research and compare remortgage options, you may be surprised to find that more than one deal could benefit you. You can choose a plan for its cheap interest rate or for the absence of fees; it doesn’t matter because there are multiple options for your unique desires. If it’s not working for you, you don’t have to be locked into a mortgage plan.

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Ways to Sell Your Mortgage Notes

If you want to sell your mortgage note click here for a free quote. We buy mortgage notes!

It happens to many Americans, that when they sell their house they still carry a mortgage.  Each and every year, the same question is asked ” How can I sell my mortgage note and get the cash I need?”  If you are the holder of mortgage notes for sale, this information may be of assistance.

Annually, millions of real estate transaction are done without the involvement of a real estate agent or bank.  Often a home owner can make a lot more money, when he decides to do the financing himself.  Properties that are normally discounted under normal conditions and properties that are under standard, can now fetch top dollar in the market.  But when they do the financing, they sell to people that either don’t want to or can’t get bank financing.

Completing this step, makes a real estate note.  The new home owner makes the monthly payments to the person that has the cash flow note, so the seller becomes the bank.

The seller may want to cash out the real estate note after a certain amount of time if he so decides depending on his circumstances.  Now when you have a cash flow note for sale you have a couple of options.  You don”t have to sell the whole real estate note. You can just sell part of it to raise the cash you need.

A dependable private real estate investor with cash to purchase your real estate note is needed in order to sell real estate notes.  The key to finding the value of your mortgage note lies in finding an investor who can determine its worth.

Those who buy notes professionally won’t charge you for speaking about your cash flow note, especially if this first discussion takes place over the phone.  But you will find out a lot about how to cash out a real estate note.

Always keep in mind that the note buyers have to buy the notes at a discounted price and that too it should be large enough to cover the inflation and the risk.   The real advantage to you of a transaction like this is that you recieve the money immediately.

Discovering the value of your real estate note is fairly simple, and private real estate investors compete for mortgage notes for sale, so peruse real estate investors’ websites if your finances require it.  Ask them for information on how to cash out that real estate note you have.  We often have a tendency to make things harder than they actually are, just because we lack certain knowledge or do not feel like asking questions.  Availability of internet has made the knowledge conveniently accessible in today’’s world.

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More Borrowers Quitting Obama Mortgage Program

It seems that borrowers are not satisfied with the efforts of the government to help homeowners who are on the verge of losing their homes. Reports said more than a third of the 1.24 million borrowers who have enrolled in the Obama administration’s mortgage modification program have dropped out.
Data showed that a total of 436,000 people have dropped out of the $75-billion program since it was launched in March 2009. In May alone, some 155,000 people stopped trying to get loan modifications. The number of borrowers, who have received permanent loan modifications, meanwhile, stood at 340,000.

According to market analysts, the program did little to ease the plight of borrowers. “The foreclosure-prevention program has had minimal impact. It’s sad that they didn’t put the same amount of resources into helping families avoid foreclosure as they did helping banks,” National Community Reinvestment Coalition chief executive officer John Taylor said.

One of the reasons blamed for the high turnaround rate is the documentation of income required for homeowners who want to get loan modifications. To apply for the program, a borrower should submit two recent pay stubs to banks at the start of the process. Because of the new application procedures, the number of borrowers wanting to get loan modifications declined dramatically. According to reports, around 30,000 homeowners started the program in May, down from more than 100,000 people who signed up each month starting last summer.

Industry experts believe that the country’s problems with foreclosed properties could worsen if more people are going to exit the program. They also warned that it could further weaken the housing market and impede with the economic recovery.

Seller financing aids the seller and buyer

Seller financing is one field of the real estate industry that aids more than the house purchaser and the individual house seller. Home mortgages held by sellers are likely customers for investors that purchase seller financed home mortgages. For many people outside the real estate industry, this little observed market is large business for many. In order to understand how this market works, we have to recognize both sides of the business of owner will carry financing.
In a down market such as we are experiencing now, credit freezes up and conventional lenders inside the mortgage industry approve very few new mortgages unless the candidate has higher than average credit. For those people with less-than great credit, acquiring a loan thorough traditional channels is non-existent. Fortunately for these people, there is a large quantity of houses on the market with sellers willing to unload.
Some of these sellers are ready to offer what is called owner will carry financing which means they will operate as the lending institution. Rather than having to pay a credit business each month the customer will pay his monthly mortgage to the home seller. When financial times are good and lending institutions are offering creditowner carry financing is at a low. More people can obtain credit thorough conventional means.
The seller will carry the note until the note is paid or he sells the cash note to someone else, in this case a mortgage investor. Mortgage note investors are people that specialise in buying and selling money transactions. Notes come in many different varieties. Just about any transaction where a agreement is signed and a repayment plan is the mode of repayment, can be bought and sold.
Seller financed notes are the most widely recognized with the mortgage industry as they are real estate based. The market is built easily enough as sellers many times desire to free up the cash they have tied up in the cash note they are holding on the property. The seller may need the capital for any amount of reasons. He may want to make further investments with superior returns. Crisis conditions might have come up that force him to liquidate his holding. Children might need to go to university. The motives are endless.
Whatever the case may be, there are loads of investors eager to acquire these seller held mortgages. These investors purchase these money transactions largely for investment motives growing their portfolios. Though, income streams are the major purpose. By getting just a few notes the investor can generate a significant monthly income stream that will continue until the contracts are fulfilled or sold to another person.
In come instances, these mortgage notes are defaulted on at which time the investor forecloses on the house, keeps all the funds he has collected on past repayments then sells the property to another buyer. Seller financing aids many individuals involved in a real estate transaction. Individuals that can not acquire a mortgage through established means, single sellers as well as those investors within the notes industry.
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Tips on Selling Your Property

When it comes to selling real estate, one of the most difficult and
frustrating situations for sellers is when market conditions make it
nearly impossible to sell at the desired price point. A high initial
listing price might be because the seller simply has an unrealistic
idea of how their house stacks up against the competition in the area,
or because the owner needs to sell for a set minimum price in order to
pay off their loan against the property.

With traditional property sales methods, the only way to prevent the
property from sitting on the market indefinitely is to keep dropping
the price. Unfortunately, this technique doesn't always work -
especially if the seller is unwilling to "discount" their house by
much.

In areas flooded with homes for sale, reducing the asking price
slightly will not bring the desired result. In fact, it's common that
the property will continue to sit on the market without offers,
alongside the multitude of other unsold properties with similarly
reduced prices.

Anyone experienced in sales understands that making your product stand
out from the crowd is a critical technique for success. But if there's
too much competition offering the same attributes, the only logical
way to attract the attention of serious buyers is to drop the price so
that your property is a much better value than the competition.

In cases where the seller is too inflexible with their asking price,
this is not a practical solution. Without an alternative strategy, the
seller is forced to keep the house on the market for an extended
period of time with an unrealistic asking price, hoping for the right
buyer to come along. And as you know, that "Mr./Mrs. Right" might
NEVER materialize!

The Seller Finance Solution

Property sellers who want to both obtain their desired price and close
on the deal quickly should consider seller financing. Seller financing
is a powerful tool to remedy real estate situations that otherwise
look grim.

Many home sellers (and their real estate agents) do not see seller
financing as a viable option. In actuality, seller financing can bring
new attention to the listing and invite a different group of potential
buyers - thereby opening up a unique, untapped market.

A large percentage of people throughout the country cannot get
approved for bank funding to buy real estate because of their credit
situation. Many of these people are still in the market to buy a
house, however. The "credit-challenged" are often frustrated with the
limitations of apartment living or being renters; as a result, many
are willing to pay a higher price just for a chance to get seller
financing and improve their quality of life.

A savvy property seller who recognizes this opportunity can salvage an
unfavorable situation and turn it into a bonafide seller's market. By
using this type of creative financing, the seller could actually end
up getting more than the original asking price - without resorting to
the questionable strategy of patiently waiting for the "right buyer".

Seller finance can enable homeowners to receive a favorable selling
price despite bad market conditions. In addition, the real estate
agent (if any) gets to close a deal and move on to other sales, while
a home buyer with poor credit is able to become a home owner. It's one
of those rare situations where everyone at the negotiating table gets
what they want.

Paper Tigers

Many home sellers never consider seller financing because they don't
understand the benefits. There are also common misconceptions that
it's much too complicated to attempt to orchestrate a seller financed
deal, or that there are no buyers willing to sign a private note.

Once a property seller takes the time to learn about the basic
process, the advantages of offering financing instead of a lower price
to sell their property become very clear. Plus, a little education
about seller finance will make it apparent that drafting a secured
private note is actually a very straightforward process.

The bottom line is seller financing can enable a home owner to "have
their cake and eat it too" - i.e., sell at the desired price, close
the deal quickly, and even receive additional income from interest
payments as well.

Secrets to Selling Your Property

I'm sure that you've heard the old saying that there are three things that sell a home, "Location, Location, Location." I'm going to let you in on another little secret. It AIN'T SO! Sure, location is a prime factor in the saleability of your house, but even a bad location can be overcome. The following 3 things are the Real secrets to getting your property sold.

PRICE

The price of the property is the single most important aspect of getting your home sold. If the home is priced correctly for the area, the market and it's condition, then it will sell. It's as simple as that. What makes pricing difficult to do correctly is that several factors make it hard to determine sometimes what a person would be willing to pay. For example, you may have a nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath home that compares to others in a nearby neighborhood suggesting a price of, let's say, a $150,000. However, you happen to live on an old side road, next to the newly built county landfill. That's going to affect value, without a doubt, but determining that effect is difficult to do in some cases.

MARKETING

If you have a great house worth $150,000 and you want to sell it for only a $100,000, you'd think that people would be climbing the fences trying to get at it. But, if you don't let anybody know that you're wanting to sell, how will they know about the great house with the even better price? You cannot be a "Secret Seller," especially in a a slow market, like the one were in now. Running ads is a great start to marketing, but there is really more to it than that. Slapping an ad everywhere you can think of is good, but target marketing is MUCH better.

Putting the ads in the correct places where they will get the most exposure is better than the 'spray n pray' method of throwing them out everywhere. The BEST marketing, though, is putting the RIGHT ad in the best locations. Anybody can put a "House 4 Sell. Call XXX-XXX-XXXX." You need to put together a marketing plan with several good ad layouts.

TIME

Time is the final factor in getting a house sold. How much time are you willing to wait in order to sell your home? A property will eventually sell for any price you want...if you're willing to wait on the market to "catch up" to what you're asking for the property. If you have something that could sell for $150,000 today, but you want a cool $1 million for it, you can eventually get. No Really! Of course, you may have to wait 100 years or more, but you CAN eventually get that price.

But if time is a real issue for you, then it's a factor in selling, too. If comps for your house so a reasonable selling price of $150-160,000, with an average time on market of 6 months, then you can expect (assuming that you're marketing!) to sell in that range in the given time, more or less. If you price it at the top end of the range, it will likely take longer to sell, while pricing at the low range, less time to sell.

Again, if you're willing to wait it out and see, price a bit high may work, but if you need to be moving NOW, then you'd want to price it on the low side, or maybe even lower, in order to get the quickest sale possible.

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Why Investing Near Universities is Your Best Bet!

I've always been bullish on real estate for long term investment, portfolios, retirement. But the real estate I love the most was where I first started buying, next to a big, growing, sprawling university.

I still believe these areas are what I call "Real Estate to Die For." Universities, colleges and schools of higher learning are all pillars in our communities. They are here in perpetuity, during our lifetimes, our children's and their children's lifetimes. They contribute greatly to the local economies, and hopefully, will grow in size as more Americans and foreign students want to be educated.

Look in areas within a short distance to the school of your choice. The closer the proximity, the less time it takes for your tenants to get to school. They can stay at school longer, too, without having to be pressured to leave campus and have a long commute home.

There are tons of opportunities to rent to students and many colleges have off-campus housing offices to help students find landlords and vice versa. Make sure you get parents co-signed on the lease, even if you need a local attorney to draw up paperwork for you. It might cost a little at the beginning, but will more than pay off if there's a problem with collecting rents down the road.

What's the difference between a student to living in the college-owned dormitory or your off-campus housing? Lots of differences. First of all, students prefer the privacy of living in their own room/space and not having to share a room with another student or two! They are adults for the first time in their lives and the last thing they want is the loss of privacy that comes with sharing a dorm room. Next, they are much more independent out of the dormitory, sharing a condo or town home with another student or more.

Properties do not have to be hi-end or include crazy upgrades. It's enough that they are clean, spacious, comfortable and near school.

We can help you finance your property if you have a mortgage note or trust deed to sell.  email for more information.

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Should You Sell Your Property as a For Sale By Owner?

Thousands of homeowners ponder the question of whether or not to sell privately. This is a question that gets a lot of attention on the internet, and also spawns an enormous amount of erroneous information. Many people want to sell their own properties, but are afraid of "hidden" problems that may rise up to cost them money, or cause them grief. Fear is the number one reason that people are willing to pay a Realtor to sell their home. Unfortunately, this fear is often unfounded, and all too often promoted by someone with a vested interest in taking your money to sell your property.

For some time now, many articles that pretend to promote selling privately, while in actual fact, they are designed to discourage you from taking on this task.

Obviously, such articles do not come right out and say "Hey don't do it!", but instead they tell you all of the seemingly bad stuff that "could" happen if you dare try it. They paint such a grim picture of selling privately while "encouraging" the reader, that nobody would try it if they chose to follow the advice of such articles.

This article will cover, albeit briefly, the reasons that many people should, or should not sell on their own. I will try to dispel the immense amount of misinformation on the subject of selling privately, and in the end, hopefully, you'll be in a better position to choose for yourself whether or not to sell privately.

In my opinion, selling privately is not for everyone, but most people can do it easily enough, and succeed.

First some basics. You've probably heard the term FSBO. This acronym to describe the term For Sale By Owner.

First question. Do you need a license to sell privately? To the best of my knowledge, no license is required in any American state or Canadian province in order to sell property privately. In fact, your right to sell privately is protected by law.  I will suggest that you check with your lawyer.

I am not a lawyer and therefore cannot give you legal advice.  So check with your lawyer before you do anything.

How much time will it take to sell my property? I am NOT going to try and tell you how long it will take for you to find a buyer who will transact a sale. I will talk about the time it takes to market a property on your own in order to give you a sense of what sort of time commitment you'll need to make to do it correctly. The answer, surprisingly, is very little time, about an hour or two a day at most. In fact, once you've taken the time to set up your sale, which is something I will talk about in another article, it will take little or no time at all, unless you're showing your property to a prospective buyer.

What is the general process of selling a property privately? In many ways it's exactly the same as selling with a real estate agent. Here is the process of selling a property, privately or not. First, the property is advertised to let the public know that it's available for sale. Prospective buyers inquire about the property, ask questions, and arrange a viewing appointment. The prospective buyers come and see the property, sometimes more than once. If they like the property, they make an offer in writing on a legal form. You (or your agent) and they (or their agent) negotiate the terms of the offer, the price, and closing date. Then once everyone has agreed, and all parties have signed the offer, everything goes to the lawyers so they can do their stuff to effectively convey title, and exchange monies etc..

It seems pretty straight forward, and usually it is. First you'll have to market the property, show it to prospective buyers, and negotiate the terms of the sales agreement. Once the agreement has been signed by both the Seller and the Buyer, then your lawyer will do the rest for you. Also, don't forget to get contact information for the Buyer's lawyer. Your lawyer may need this information to begin the process with the other attorney.

More articles will follow.  One thing to consider when selling FSBO is to provide financing for the prospective buyer.  You can become the bank and take back the mortgage.  You can provide financing with a mortgage note or trust deed for a short period of time, then sell the note for cash.

Please read the articles on our blog for more information.  Click here to email us with your questions.

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Bankruptcy or Foreclosure, Which Is The Best Option

In the past, "Foreclosure" and "Bankruptcy" were considered two of society's dirty words. Today these terms are viewed by many as relief from Financial Black holes that can not otherwise be escaped. In the current economy, inundated with bad mortgages, many of which stem from predatory lending practices, coupled with credit card debt spinning out of control, bankruptcy and the loss of ones home have become common place. For many homeowners, a decision needs to be made as to which of these terms is the lesser of two evils.

For homeowners whose debt has spun out of control, and whose income does not cover expenses, foreclosure and or bankruptcy are options that may be inevitable. However, which of these terms truly is the lesser of two evils?

Should a homeowner file for bankruptcy, they may be able to eliminate all of their credit card debt, medical bills, court ordered judgments and even electric and gas bills. With the assistance of a bankruptcy discharge, they may then be able to stay current on their mortgage. However, many people are even more concerned about their credit score. They may ask, "Will we be able to obtain future financing?"

Should a homeowner rather, opt for foreclosure, they will certainly loose their home, but do they really want to keep it in this market where the house may be worth far less then what is owed. If a homeowner opts to walk away from their house, they may own other investment property, and be able to live in a multi-family house, or they may simply want to rent and not deal with all the hassles of homeownership. "If something breaks, let someone else fix it, repair it, deal with this problem".

Neither option is an easy choice. A bankruptcy will remain on your credit for 10 years, while a foreclosure will only remain for 8 years, but many credit counselors report it has twice the negative impact on your credit score compared with a bankruptcy. It will be extremely difficult to obtain a new mortgage for many years after you have lost a home to foreclosure. Many homeowners may see foreclosure as a better option then simply obtaining the financial relief that the Bankruptcy Laws provide. What many do not realize is that a foreclosure may be even a darker mark on their credit then a bankruptcy. As a result, it may be even more difficult with a foreclosure on their record to obtain subsequent housing. Many mortgage lenders look at a foreclosure more seriously than they will a bankruptcy. As a result, a former homeowner may not qualify to rent the apartment or house they want, even though they may be able to afford it now that the mortgage obligation is gone.

One of the key factors to keep in mind is that when you file and receive a discharge of your debt in a bankruptcy, even if your credit score is lower, you are still a better candidate to receive future financing and in very short order. The reason is simple. After your bankruptcy discharge, you do not owe anything to anybody. Additionally, creditors realize that you can not file for a new bankruptcy for another eight (8) years, and as such can not walk away from any new debt that you may incur as a result of credit extended to you by a new creditor, be it landlord, credit card, or other financing option.

Now it should be pointed out that in many cases, you may be so far behind that a foreclosure is going to happen no matte what. If this is the case, it may be in your interest to file for bankruptcy right before the order. The reason is that if the bank sells the property for less then what is owed, the difference (commonly referred to as the deficiency) will be discharged. As a result, the bank will often sit on a foreclosure order for some time before they act upon it, so as to not loose more money. In the meantime, a homeowner can possibly short sell their house and move on with their life.

Based upon the foregoing, if you are facing a financial crisis that may end in either foreclosure or bankruptcy, consult an attorney to explore what your best option may be. The right decision may save you years of restricted credit in the future.

If you have a mortgage note you can sell your mortgage note for cash now. Click here to email us for more information.

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Check Your Credit Score Before You Apply For A Mortgage

Bad credit or good credit, the process of obtaining a mortgage has changed. Even if you are simply trying to refinance your existing mortgage, you may be surprised at how different things are. Of course your credit score always played a significant role in determining what kind of loan you can apply for, but nobody could have predicted what you need in order to get a mortgage today.

in the past, banks were eager to lend money to people who were interested in buying a new home. They would barely look at your income and sell you loans that were more than you could afford - virtually regardless of your credit history. A credit score of around 680 points would have been considered good credit and allowed you to get preferred rates and the best plans.

Today, just a few months later, things have changed dramatically and it is nearly impossible to get a mortgage without excellent credit. The good news is that along with those changes, it has become increasingly easy to increase your credit score.

Before you try to get a new home loan, the very first step is to access your personal credit information to find out where you stand on the credit score scale. You can then use this information to remove the errors that are common to credit reports, quickly increase your score, and then get approved for the loan you need.

You can also think about owner financing with a mortgage note. Click here to contact us for more information.

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More Selling your Property in a Difficult Market

The Spring 2009 Real Estate Season is peculiar. It is a buyer's market but with only a few buyers around.  Those that are looking, and able to buy, are fearful of making a mistake. Lots of mistakes: buying too high, buying a house that doesn't comp out, buying too soon, missing the bottom.

It is impossible to time the market. Money managers can't do it and neither can we in the real estate business. This is because we only know where the bottom is when it has passed when you're no longer in it!

So with such overwhelming pressure on the price, what options does a seller have to keep the value of his property in tact?

Here, in NJ real estate, when there is a large supply and fewer buyers, it is unwise to keep dropping the price. That simply creates a price war that no-one can win. Instead, understand that buyers will be comparing all the options in their price point as analytically as they can find tools. The strategy to shore up value is to focus on the beauty contest and offer tools of comparison that enables your property to stand out. Clearly and cleanly.

The Beauty Contest

Your home must look its best. All the stuff we know - freshly painted, neat and tidy, clean and in perfect condition. PLUS,

• Open spaces in each room. Buyers need a place to stand to see each room and then see room for them to move into.
• How does it work? If they were to buy this house, where would they eat, play, work, sleep, rest and relax, etc.
• Depersonalized. More than personal photos, certificates and trophies, put away anything that is completely specific to you the homeowner, as opposed to a wide group of buyers.
• Photos. The last and most important part of the beauty contest is the pictures. You must have beautiful photos of the inside and outside of your home, taken from the right angle, with the right lighting so that the house looks great...online! 85% of all home searches start online, and the more photos you show, the better your home stands out against the competition.

 Tools of Comparison

Buyers, with lots of choices, will compare and contrast options by price point, as carefully and analytically as they can. Make sure you offer them information to make the best comparison possible. The more information you can provide here, the more in control you are of the story being told to the buyer. information to have available, on hand, with the realtor's brochure, floor plan and comps is:-

• Illustrations of the home being located in a "Great Neighborhood "
• The Cost to Run the home
• Square Footage, amenities including # of closets, level lot, basement & extra spaces (include everything that could possibly be seen as a positive; you just don't know what's going to trigger the "must have it" impulse!)
• Ratio of Asking Price: Assessed Value
• Recent Sales in the Neighborhood  and feel free to offer a paragraph to each listing illustrating how you stack against each sale.

Do not forget to think about taking back the financing with a seller financed mortgage note.  Click here to visit our web site for more information or email us at info@smilingdogenterprises.comTechnorati Tags: mortgage notes, trust deeds, refinancing, get cash now, divorce, financial planning

Selling your Property in a Difficult Market

If you listen to the media hype, you're probably thinking that you need to hold onto your home until the economy bounces back; that you'll never offload your house in this market. While it's true that sellers in some regions are finding it tough to sell right now, there are still buyers out there looking for a home.

The first step you need to take to ensure a successful sale of your home is to hire a reputable listing agent. While many people try the For Sale by Owner route first, most discover that selling a home is time consuming, complicated, and requires more specialized knowledge than they have.

Many homeowners who try to sell their home on their own become overwhelmed with trying to market their property to buyers. After all, it takes more than a yard sign and a couple of balloons to attract large numbers of viable buyers.

A good real estate agent will organize and host open houses for you, taking care of the scheduling, showing buyers around, and answering their questions. For these events, they will likely create professional brochures or fliers that feature the listing details of your home, as well as highlight the property's best features. This gives buyers something to bring home with them, and will make a positive impression.

In addition to traditional marketing methods like open houses, today's agents will also develop a solid advertising campaign for the internet. With over 80% of buyers starting their home search on the web, listing your home on the Multiple Listing Service and on other reputable websites is an important step in getting your home noticed. Thousands of agents and potential buyers will be able to access details and photos of your home from the comfort of their living room.

Having a web savvy agent is absolutely vital in this market, but you also want an agent who has been in the industry for a few years-particularly one who has experienced the ups and downs of the housing market. He or she will be able to provide insight and practical advice about how best to go about getting your home sold in a difficult market.

With your listing price set and marketing campaigns in place, a realtor will also help you negotiate with buyers to get the best price possible. Agents are trained and skilled in the art of negotiation, and will make the entire transaction much smoother for everyone.

Successful sales are possible even in slow markets like this one, but it's important to have an ally with know-how to guide you along the way.

Do not forget about seller financing with a mortgage note. We can help you with selling a mortgage note or creating one to take back financing. 

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Things to consider when selling your home FSBO

If you're opting to sell your own home rather than using a realtor, it's important to take a systematic, proven approach to your sales campaign. The market is very different to what it once was, and you should focus on how to sell a house during recession. This article outlines 3 areas that are crucial to a quick house sale.

1) Your Pricing Strategy

It's not wise to aim for big profits in the current market. Unless you live in a particularly unaffected area, you're going to find that the only way to sell your own home is to ask at or just below market value. Don't be scared of this, as chances are buyers will run the price up. In fact, with a good marketing campaign your price can be risen quite high through buyers competing with each other.

2) Your Advertising Campaign

It's absolutely imperative that your advertising is targeted to wards the right market. Let me say now that the majority of serious buyers at the moment are property investors. Families are not exactly in a position to buy. Keeping this in mind, you need to write your sales copy and headlines to appeal to these investors. Write about how much profit they'll make in 5 years time when the market returns to normal.

3) Your Property Presentation

A very popular trend over the past few years has been "home staging". That is essentially where you move your old furniture out and hire some up-market household items to ive your place an expensive feel. Though this strategy can work well, I think many buyers are now weary of it. Instead, just de-clutter your home of excess "stuff", and go for an airy and open feel. Concentrate on your bathroom and kitchen especially.

You should also consider taking back the mortgage with a mortgage note!

Visit our site for more information or email mortgagenotes@smilingdogenterprises.com

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Tips on Cutting Your Business Taxes

As the calendar turns to another year, it's time to get 2008 tax information in order. Taking advantage of all opportunities can reduce the burden. Here are some opportunities, courtesy of the Internal Revenue Service, that are not widely known. If they don.t apply to your 2008 returns, this is a good time to consider them for the new year. In hiring, consider taking advantage of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

This was designed to provide an incentive to hire from certain groups with particularly high unemployment rates, including urban youths, government assistance recipients, ex-convicts, veterans and vocational rehabilitation referrals. The credit has been extended a number of time. Now it's combined with the welfare to work tax credit and extended through August 31, 2001. The combined credit is available for employers hiring from one or more of nine targeted groups. Depending on the group and circumstances, the maximum credit per employee ranges from $1,200 for qualified summer youth employees to $5,000 for long term family assistance recipients. If you own real estate, you might benefit from cost segregation.

Real estate holdings represent a significant capital investment. Cost segregation carves out shorter lived assets, which qualify for five, seven and 15 year write off periods, normally embedded in a building's construction or acquisition cost, and thus depreciated over 38 years. Reclassifying assets and accelerating depreciation could bring tax savings and easier write offs when items become obsolete. Reclassifying assets is most effective for property valued at $1 million or more. For retailers that are considering buying equipment, enhanced Section 179 may help. The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 has two incentives for business that purchase, tangible personal property, for use in the business. The first enhancement Section 179 is expensing.

For property placed in use during the 2008 tax year, business can deduct up to $250,000. the deduction begins to phase out if the business spends more that $800,000. Before the Act, the Section 179 expense limit was up to $238,000, with a phase out beginning at $510,000. What property qualifies? Generally, the property must be newly purchased tangible personal property, actively used in the business and for which a depreciation deduction would be allowed. It must be used more than 50 percent for business.

Bonus depreciation is back, offering another incentive to purchase equipment. It is the second incentive in the Economic Stimulus Act. This incentive was used after 9/11 and after the gulf cost hurricanes, to encourage businesses to invest. The new law provides qualifying taxpayers 50 percent first year bonus depreciation of the adjusted basis of qualifying property.

To claim bonus depreciation, the assets must be new, qualified property put into service after December 31, 2007. Qualified property must be: "Property with a depreciation recovery period of 20 years or less." "Depreciable computer software that is not amortizable over 15 years." "Water utility property." "Qualified leashold improvement property." If purchasing equipment isn't practical, there are tax advantages to leasing. If you lease your equipment, you are allowed a full write off of lease expenses each year, no matter the size of your business or the dollar value of the leases.

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How to make sure you get the highest price for your mortgage note.

How to make sure you get the highest price for your mortgage note.

1. Buyer's credit.
   The better the credit rating of the buyers, the more valuable your note.
   1. If they are a husband and wife, find out the credit rating of both of them. many time the wife is earning more than the husband.
   2. If you don't have a credit report, you can order a free report from us.
2. Sale price of real estate.
   If this is MORE than the actual value of the real estate expect to take a bigger discount when you sell the note. An experienced note buyer wants to have some equity in the property in case the buyer defaults.
3. Third party buyer.
   If you sell to a family member or friend you WILL have difficulty collecting your payments.
4. Actual, provable value of the real estate.
   If you are taking back a first mortgage note there is no legal reason to have an appraisal. But if you intend to SELL the note, any experienced note buyer will want to know what the property is worth. It may be harder to access the property and have an appraisal done after you close on the sale.
   
5. Loan to Value ratio. LTV.
   For a note to be marketable the total LTV, that is including the first and second mortgage (if any) should be no more than 75% of the actual value of the property. However, if the buyer's credit is good, this 75% could refer to the Investment to Value or ITV. In other words, the amount the note buyer is investing in the note. Thus if the property is worth $100,000 and the buyer has put down a 10% payment and has a $90,000 mortgage, you could get $75,000 (75% of the value) for your note.
6. Who are the buyers?
   If the buyers are husband and wife they BOTH need to sign the note. If the buyer is a corporation, trust or LLC then make sure the principals also PERSONALLY sign the note. If they refuse to do so this could be an indication they will let the note default if the deal doesn't work out for them. Of of, this need not apply if the buyer is a substantial corporation. (I wouldn't ask Bill Gates to personally sign on a note from Microsoft. :-) But how about a note from WorldCom or Enron?) If the borrower is NOT a substantial corporation then the note could be either unsaleable or only saleable at a much larger discount to reflect the lack of personal liability.
7. Seasoning, aging.
   There is no doubt that a seasoned note, where the buyers have made payments for a year or more, is easier to sell and will get a higher price  than a new one. But of course you won't have this option if you want to do a simultaneous closing.
8. Institutional lender allows secondary financing.
   There are many institutional lenders, banks etc. that will not allow secondary financing behind their note. Why not? After all, their lien is senior anyway. One answer is simply that they do not want to the borrower to be stretched to make their payments. Also they would sooner the buyer put down more cash or pay for mortgage insurance (a fancy way of saying a higher interest rate.)
9. Loan properly secured.
   If your mortgage is a second mortgage, it should be a properly recorded mortgage or deed of trust to comply with your local laws. Any documentary and intangible taxes should be paid. Without this the mortgage may be unenforceable.
10. Title insurance.
    You should have proper mortgagee's title insurance.
11. Rights with respect to first mortgage, if you hold a second.
    If you are holding a second mortgage it should contain language to the effect that a default on the first mortgage is a default on the second. Also that you, as second mortgage holder have the right to check on the payment status of the first.
    
12. Interest rate.
    Other things being equal, the higher the interest rate, the higher the price you will receive. But be aware of laws concerning Usury and Predatory lending. A below market interest rate will demand a hefty discount to be saleable.
    
13. Length of note to short.
    Typically it is hard to sell a note with a short balloon, or a balloon due in just 6-12 months. The note buyer will be concerned that the borrower won't be able to refinance and pay them off.
    But a loan with for example, 3-5 years to run, and a 30-year amortization is going to be saleable, other things being equal.
14. Length of note too long.
    The note buyer won't usually want to wait 30 years to get paid off, but these notes can often be sold to institutional note buyers.

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Mortgage Note Buyers Helping You Get The Most Money For Selling Your Mortgage Note

All mortgage note holders want to know more about selling their mortgage note. Don't you?

Well, the popular way to get a lump sum of cash for your future payments is by using a mortgage note buyer.
Most people don't realize they have different creative options when using a contract buyer that can keep them from getting the most money for their owner-financed mortgage note.

It may seem scary or challenging, but truly it is not, unless you do not know the answer to this question.

Can I receive cash now and still hold part of the note? In other words, do I have to sell all of my note at once?

At first glance, this may seem obvious that this is the best choice because it will get you the most money up front. For some people, it is. When it comes down to it, it is up to you and your needs. If you need or want a large all cash payment and want to be out of the deal, rid of headaches and worries of a default buyer, avoid destruction of property, taxes and insurance, and would like a larger sum of money now instead of collecting small monthly checks, then a full sale is best.

But let 's take a look at some more needs. If you are just looking to get a
larger down or some money to take care of some immediate needs or
pleasures, then a partial payment may be better. Maybe you just want to
lessen the amount of strain or burden of carrying the note and would like to sell just a portion of each monthly payment. Then a split payment option will be better for you. (This way you can go on vacation, consolidate debt buy a new car...)

What is a partial? A partial is the purchase of a portion of an income streams remaining payments, or a purchase of a portion of a specific payment, or any combination thereof.

There are many times when this may make sense. Let 's say that you have a new note and it has not been seasoned (length of time that a note has been in place and paid on), it has little or no down payment, and has poor credit by the payer. In this case, it would be better to sell only part of the future payments. It will get you more money in the long run because the mortgage note buyer would have less risk should the buyer default on the note. Then after the note has experienced seasoning you could sale the rest of the payments at a much higher percentage.

Let 's look at an example of this:
Sales price: $100,000
Down payment: $5,000
Original note balance: $95,000
Payers credit: poor
Seasoning: 1 month
Appraised property value: $100,000
Term: 360 months
Interest: 10%
Remaining payments: 359

This is a low quality note because the buyer is not putting much money down,
the pay back period is very long, and the buyer 's credit is bad. But you could still make out like a bandit by selling it as a partial. Let 's say you sold the first 120 payments (10 years) for $51,000. After the 120th payment, the contract would be returned back to you. The balance owed to you would be $86,391.12. You would then start to collect the payments from then on. Let 's see how this looks.

Sales price: $100,000
Down payment: $5,000
Original note balance: $95,000
Contract written for 30 years @ 10%
Monthly payment: $833.69
Note buyer purchases first 120 payments for: $51,000
Total cash to home seller $56,000
(down payment + cash from note buyer)
After 120 payments contract is returned to you with a balance of $86,391.12

Total money to you: $142,391.12 (including interest). Not shabby for a house that sold for $100,000.

So, what is a Split?

A split is a purchase of a specified monthly amount. If you're getting to the point where you would like to enjoy some of the finer things in life, while still receiving a good monthly income, then a split payment is a great choice for you.

For example, if the monthly payment on a seller-financed note is $1,000, we could purchase $200, $500, $750, etc. of the monthly payment. This will allow you to get cash now and then still collect a monthly income from the note.

All in all, each situation is different and may need to be tailored differently to meet your needs. I can't say exactly what you will get for your individual situation, but I can say that you should walk away happy. Selling your mortgage note should be much easier and more profitable now that you are armed with some creative options.

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How To Figure Out Mortgage Payments Without a Mortgage Calculator

In today 's world, taking out a mortgage is necessary for anyone who wants to invest in real estate or simply wants to put a roof over his head. Usually, to find out what a mortgage payment will be on a particular property, a potential buyer needs to contact a Realtor or bank to get a quote.

By contacting either one, the buyer risks harassment from a Realtor who won't let go of a qualified buyer, or a lender who needs to lend mortgage money to stay in business. Any buyer in his right mind will only go to one of these salespeople when he is ready to go full speed ahead toward a closing.

So, what does a person who is in the early thinking stages of buying a home do? How do you know what the payment will be on a house a seller is asking $250,000 for when the bank is advertising 30-year mortgages at 7%?

By the end of this article you will be making such a calculation in your head. You will be sprouting out the answer to complicated home buying scenarios just as fast as you can find the terms on the mortgage and the price on the house.

$66.53 a Month

First, remember this: $10,000 borrowed for 30 years at 7% will require a monthly payment of $66.53. So, it stands to reason $100,000 for 30 years at 7% requires a monthly payment of $665.30. Also take note you could figure out on a piece of paper with a pencil, $50,000 for 30 years at 7% is $332.65.

Knowing these figures, you automatically know a $250,000 mortgage at 7% for 30 years will require a payment of $665.30 (for $100,000) and another $665.30 (for the next $100,000) and $332.65 (for $50,000). This means the payment will be $1,663.25, or really, really close. A mortgage calculator gives the answer as $1,663.26, but for a wild guess, I'll take it.

A 6% or an 8% Mortgage

Of course, here you ask, "What if I find a mortgage with a lower interest rate?" Well in that case, remember this, $10,000 borrowed for 30 years at 6% costs the borrower $59.96 a month. This means a $1,000,000 mortgage for 30 years at 6% will be 100 times $59.96 or, a monthly payment of $5,996.00. Now, certainly that was easy. All we had to do was add 2 zeros!

Okay, what about if the interest rate is 8%? Here, a 30-year mortgage for $10,000 is $73.38 each month. So a $300,000 mortgage will come at a cost of 30 times that or, $2,201.40 a month.

How About a 71/4% Mortgage?

In reality, most times interest rates will not be exactly 6 or 7, or 8%. Even when this is the case, you still don't need a mortgage calculator. If you read about a 30-year $260,000 mortgage at 71/4%, for instance, and you want to know what the monthly payment will be, here 's what you do. Are you ready? Guess!

That 's right! Just guess! You know 7% will cost you $66.53 per $10,000 a month and 8% will cost $73.38 per $10,000 a month. You also know 71/4 is somewhere on the lower side between 7 and 8 so take a guess how much 71/4% will cost per $10,000 a month. My guess would be maybe, $68.50?

I'll go with that. So, since it is a $260,000 mortgage we're trying to figure the payment for, we will multiply 26 (260,000 / 10,000) X $68.50. The answer is: $1,781.

When I run $260,000 at 71/4% for 30 years through a mortgage payment calculator the answer comes out $1,773.66. So, our answer wasn't precisely right, but it was pretty close.

In a case like this, even if we came out with an answer that is $20-$30 off, who cares? Before the real mortgage payment is determined, the cost of a homeowner 's insurance policy and property taxes will have to be calculated anyway. So, the best anybody can do at this point is guess.

There you have it. Now, you're a human calculator! As long as you're only concerned with 30-year mortgages, and today 's going interest rates, which are 6% to 8%, you can figure out mortgage payments in your head, or maybe with just a little help from a pocket calculator.

I can sell your mortgage note

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Most Often Asked Questions About Selling A Mortgage Note

Mortgage note buyers exist to help you create, sell and understand your mortgage notes, contracts for deeds, trust deeds, and promissory note

both residential and commercial.

Below you will find 5 frequently asked question about selling your mortgage note.

5 frequently asked questions, that most note sellers have about selling their owner-financed mortgage note are:

1. How much cash can I get? There are many factors in determining the offer price for selling a mortgage note The main four are equity, seasoning, interest rate, and credit of payer.

The more of these you have in your favor the larger lump sum you will get. This is why many mortgage note buyers offer a free no obligation quote.

If you look through some of the questions there, you'll see that they are simple and only take a few minutes to fill out.

These type of questionnaires are designed to keep you from having to dream about how much money you will get. The coolest part about it is, if nothing else, you know how much money you could receive if you wanted it.

2. How do I sell my note? Selling your note is easy. The first step is finding and contacting a mortgage note buyer or contract buyer and simply telling them that you want to sell your note.

This initial contact could be by phone, email, or through filling out a free mortgage note quote form. More than likely, if you are reading this, then you are at a site that can help you get a cash offer for your note.

If not, then there is a link to a good website and company above, that can give you a "No hassle, No obligation" quote.

Once you give the contract buyer some required information, they will be able to get back to you, usually within 24-48 hours, with an offer.

3. How long does the process take once I decide to move forward? After you have given the mortgage note buyer the required information, either by calling, email, or filling out an online form, they will get back to you in 24-48 hours.

Usually, it only takes 2-3 weeks to complete the deal and have a huge certified check deposited, or wired to your bank account.

4. When I convert my note to cash, how will it affect the person(s) paying me? Not at all. The terms, payment, and amount owed stay the same.

This is a really neat thing about selling your mortgage note. You can get a large sum of cash and it doesn't affect the person(s) paying you. Sounds like a "win-win-win" situation to me.

5. Where would the closing take place? Usually, at the closest title company near you. Sometimes it takes place in the town or city in which the property is located...which brings up another question.

Do you have to be there for the close? Nope, not generally. The person handling the title and closing the deal can send you the closing package. This is all done to make it as convenient and as easy for you as possible.

As you can see, getting a large sum of cash now for your future mortgage payment is an easy process that can put a lot of money into your pocket for a vacation, to consolidate bills, and buy or enjoy any other necessities or pleasures.

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Mortgage Note Questions - How To Sell Your Mortgage Note

When it comes to selling real estate, one of the biggest obstacles  sellers face is a so-called “depressed” market. Even when a property  is highly desirable, it can be hard to get the price you want in  this real estate environment. You could end up losing a lot of time,  money, and opportunities, waiting for a “perfect buyer” who may  NEVER materialize!
The traditional solution is to drop your asking price. But this  common strategy doesn’t always work in your favor. In fact, it can  work against you, making your home seem undesirable and your  position seem weak.

But there IS a way to turn this challenge into a profitable  opportunity!  I am not selling anything. I am in the business of paying cash for  mortgage notes and trust deeds.

Keep in mind that it has to make financial sense. Although having regular income is a nice idea, there comes a time when you might need a lump sum of cash for an investment, a large purchase or just to pay.

A cash flow notes statement documents the amount of incoming and outgoing cash and its equivalents. Only cash sales are recorded in a cash flow statement – all future sales including those made on credit are not declared.

 Most banks refuse to accept a short sale or modify the terms of a mortgage unless the owners are numerous months behind in payments. The homeowners come to the bank to ask for help to avoid foreclosure. Individuals sell structured settlements to get liquid cash. They can be sold to special financial institutions. The main advantage of selling structured settlements.

In situations where you are holding the sell mortgage notes and receiving payments from the sale of commercial and residential real estate, and you are want to cash in on those payments, there are service agents who provide help. This technique has been the key in making up an estimated 20% of all private note sales.

Right now, thousands of people across North America are stuck with investments that they don’t want. They would rather have the cash now! Whether it’s a real estate note created when selling a property, a business note created when selling a business or even a structured settlement, there are thousands of notes out there that could be turned into cash!

Get cash now and forget those monthly payments FOREVER! We work with buyers who are ready to pay top dollar for your notes. If you have a trust deed, a mortgage note or any private loan, it's time to find out exactly how much CASH you could be entitled to.

    * It's Quick: Learn how to cash out in minutes
    * It's Easy: You could have cash in just days
    * It's Secure: Get real quotes directly from certified buyers

There has never been an easier or faster way to cash out of your investment. Whether you need money to pay bills... to buy a home... to fund an education... or even if you just need some spending cash... We'll show you the money for your mortgage note or trust deed!

http://www.smilingdogenterprises.com
getcashnow@smilingdogenterprises.com

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