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If you’re looking to sell your property and reap the greatest rewards you may want to consider going the do-it-yourself route. Realtor commissions can soak up a lot of the profit when you sell a home and if you’ve got the time and skill, then you can keep that profit for yourself.

Your first step is to do a little research and figure out what your home is worth. You probably already have a figure in mind of what you want to sell the home for, but that figure may not be realistic. Look at what homes are listed at in your area. Compare like homes in similar areas and base your price upon what the market is currently asking and what it seems as though buyers are willing to pay. (more…)

A world record has been broken in home sales as a mysterious Russian billionaire forked over EUR500 million (over $700 million U.S.) for the French property, Villa Leopolda. The property had previously been owned by King Leopold II of Belgium and more recently by Lily Safra. The Belle Epoque mansion rests on the Cote d?Azur between Nice and Monaco. (more…)

photo credit: juhansonin

Buying a rental property is a great way to bring in additional income. But just like any type of real estate investing, there are risks involved. If you are not careful, you may end up buying a rental property that is not what you thought. In turn, you could end up paying the mortgage out of your pocket with no rental income coming in. Is this a situation that you want to deal with?

To increase your chances of success when buying a rental property, you will want to hire the right real estate agent. The question is: what does the right agent look like? Here are three tips for hiring an agent when buying a rental property.

1. Your agent should have experience in the area that you are buying. If you want to buy a rental property in Miami, you should find an agent that is familiar with that particular area. In other words, an agent from Palm Beach is probably not going to do you any good.

2. Is the agent knowledgeable? This is very important no matter who you are. That being said, new rental property investors need this even more. A knowledgeable agent will be able to answer your questions, and if you allow them, they can even steer you down the right path.

3. An agent that can tell you about past trends and future expectations is worth a lot of money. Once again, this goes along with an agent that has experience in the area which you are buying. By looking at the past and talking about the future, you will be able to conclude which rental properties are best for you.

All in all, if you are buying a rental property a real estate agent is not going to cost you a dime. But remember, an experienced, knowledgeable agent is what you are looking for.

photo credit: Chad Jones

Whether you’re simply a homeowner or a rental property owner, when it comes time to sell (especially in the current real estate environment) you can be overwhelmed by the work involved. To make this process easier, follow the tips below to encourage a quick property sale.

Curb Appeal
Make sure the property looks nice from the outside. The drive by is what will either draw in or scare off a large percentage of your prospective audience. This is a place to even invest a little money to get the most appealing facade possible.

Neutralize Interiors
Many homebuyers don’t have a real creative eye and it’s hard for them to picture their furnishings in a fully decorated home. Take steps to remove your personal artifacts, paint walls neutral colors, and eliminate some of the clutter to make the home seem more neutral and inviting to another?s property.

Super Clean
Sure, you realize you’ve got to clean the place to sell it, but go beyond just clean to super clean. You may not notice the crud in the soap dish but prospective buyers will and it will reflect poorly on the entire home. Every inch should be sparkling clean and totally spotless.

Following the above tips will help you sell your home but they’re no guarantee of a sale. You?ll still have to advertise to reach your target market and hold open houses regularly. But with some diligence and elbow grease you’re sure to eventually make that sale.

photo credit: celinet

If you want to improve your home’s resale value then it’s time to head to the head, the privy, the loo, or the bathroom; whatever you want to call it, it’s where you’re going to get the most bang for your buck. A full scale bathroom renovation is more likely to recoup the expenses in resale than any other room in the house, but even a smaller bathroom update can attract future buyers and freshen the entire home’s feel. (more…)

photo credit: suchitraprints

Summer may be sizzling outside, but it is a notoriously cold time for real estate. Not many people are thinking about moving when they can spend time outdoors enjoying the weather and when they?re too busy hauling kids all over the place. (more…)

photo credit: ctrigger

If you have ever bought or sold a real estate property then you know that this transaction is a situation akin to that old saying that “it ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings”. People who are new to the process may believe that the real estate purchase is basically complete when the negotiation has been completed and the closing date has been set. However, veterans of real estate sales know that there are a whole lot of things that can go wrong at real estate closings. Until the closing is over and the transfer of the property is officially complete, neither buyer nor seller should assume that the deal is certain to go through. (more…)

photo credit: respres

The housing economy has been on the decline for a couple of years now and it shows no sign of letting up in the near future. This has caused people to start embarking on some trends that are likely to continue in the months to come. As a professional in the real estate industry, it is important to stay aware of these trends in order to adjust your approach to your properties accordingly. (more…)

photo credit: salimfadhley

Why wont my home sell. This is a question that, unfortunately, many hopeful sellers are asking themselves right now. This is unfortunate, mainly, because the market is so bad right now that they problem may be nothing that can be corrected and only time will make the sale. But there are some things you can check to see if this is the problem with your home. (more…)

photo credit: unforth

You’re ready to buy a home. You’ve taken all of the steps that you need to take in order to save up money and qualify for a home mortgage loan. But now you’re in the tough position of trying to figure out what type of home you might want. Are you the kind of person that would love to live in a new suburban development? Does the idea of living in a downtown condo make your heart pitter patter? Are you the type of person who could really make a life in a large historic home? Or do you want to look into cutting-edge green real estate with a sustainable design? There are different types of homes out there that will be within your price range and you need to know what type you’re looking for if you want to select the home that’s right for you. (more…)