Real Estate Tips Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Bruzzese Home Improvements

Successful real estate investors know it’s a numbers game. Being able to analyze statistics, evaluating them and then reacting to your analysis can separate the good real estate investor from the not so good.

Emotions play a part when one selects a home to live in. But when buying or selling property strictly as an investment function, leave the emotions at the door. As Sergeant Friday used to say on the old Dragnet television show, “just the facts, ma’am,” facts are what you need to base your investment decision on.

There are a number of new technology tools available to help investors separate facts from blue-sky fiction and over enthusiastic promoters.

Here is a list of some of the best:

1.Mortgage Calculator & Mortgage Rate Apps

Zillow has one of the best mortgage calculators apps around. Whether you’re looking to calculate payments on a possible property purchase or prepare a financial deal or refinance an existing mortgage, this app is both fast and easy to use.

A quick glance at the Zillow app on your iPhone or tablet when you are evaluating real estate projects to determine if the deal fits into your plans saves not only time but the danger of making snap decisions without knowing the numbers.

2.Real Estate by Trulia

This app is a very effective and user-friendly adaptation of the original Trulia Website. Always known for its investor-friendly tools, Trulia’s Real Estate app helps you find listings on properties and surrounding comparables in any area of the country. Coupled with an incredible interactive mapping feature, this is one app every serious real investor should have in their arsenal of tools.

Another similar site is the flat fee MLS listing site, Fizber. One of the biggest killers of margins is closing costs and realtor costs. Fizber allows you to get your property listed on the MLS for a small fee, giving you access to nearly 80% of US homebuyers.

3.Skype

If you’re not using Skype in your real estate investing business, you’d be wise to get on board and add it to your tool box.

Skype was a pioneer in free internet voice and video chat. They continue to dominate the market as one of the cheapest phone service providers around. Their face-to-face conference call function brings clients and buyers and sellers together from anywhere in the world. Once thought of as only science fiction, Skype has given us the incredible ability to converse in live pictures from a mobile device at any time of the day and anywhere around the globe.

4.Genius Scan

Going paperless, a goal of most innovative real estate investors, is made easier with the Genius Scan app. You no longer need a computer of a fax machine to forward documents to clients or banks. The Genius Scan turns any image into a pdf document in only seconds that has the finished look of a high-quality regular scanned document. And being that this quality app is FREE, it’s a tool you need to look at right away.

5.PlanEASe Software

This software program helps you analyze commercial property for financial and cash flow projections. It offers the investor a comprehensive management tool to deal with multi-unit residential and office properties. The base unit has extensions that include graphics, reporting, with the ability to combine files for portfolio analysis.

6.REO Wise Software

With his program, you can take commercial real estate analysis into the cloud. With a paid cloud subscription, it’s PowerBroker suite includes investment, leasing, financial modeling and marketing tools. It also features a transaction platform for real estate investors with a virtual deal room and document center.

7.Property Fixer App

If you’re an investor who flips properties for a fast gain, the Property Fixer is the tool for you. Using your smartphone, you can analyze property in five minutes and study the figures for holding it from 0 to 12 months in order to determine maximum profitability. Using the Property Fixer app, you can then email the resulting figures directly your clients under you company brand name with your logo.

8.Easy Kilowatt Hour Calculator

Commercial property investors can use this app as a watt hour meter to help determine the energy usage and cost of a possible acquisition.

To keep up in the competitive real estate investing game, where facts and current information are critical, it’s important to keep up with what’s new in the field of technology tools. Subscribing to a couple of commercial real estate newsletters and keeping current with real estate web sites that promote technological advances could be the key to keeping you successful.

If you’re getting ready to sell your home, you understand what a large transition this is. You’re preparing to move on to the next phase of your life, and you want to attract a buyer sooner rather than later. In order to stage your home to attract prospects and get the highest return on your investment, here are some tips to follow.

Warm Temperature

You want to ensure your home’s temperature isn’t too hot or too cold. To achieve this, you should allow light to come in through the windows by opening blinds and shades. To further add to this effect, consider the addition of subtle ambient noise. This could happen naturally during the day if birds are chirping outdoors, or you could make the minimal investment in a water feature.

Use Strategy

It’s important to have attractive handouts highlighting the features of the home that really make it stand apart. After your open house is over, you certainly want to leave a potential buyer with a good impression, and referencing back to these photos of your home at its best is a great way to achieve this goal. To ensure visitors receive the handouts, make them easily available by the doorway where they can be picked up before leaving.

Olfactory Consideration

The sense of smell is more powerful than we often give it credit for, and you can use this to your advantage. With scented candles and diffusers, you can create a beautiful ambiance with very little effort. If you’re on a budget, by using Sephora coupons from discountrue.com, you can save on many of the best home scents available. By taking the time to ensure your home features a pleasant aroma, you tap into the powerful senses of potential buyers and help stir up pleasant thoughts and feelings without even being aware it’s happening.

Let it Go

It can be emotionally challenging to watch as strangers consider the purchase of the home you’ve made so many memories in. In order to let go of the emotional attachment, it’s a good idea to remove some of the items in the home that spark memories such as family photos or pictures the kids drew at school.

Following Your Course in Life

There are times in life when change is necessary. Whether you got a new job or need to move in order to accommodate for a growing family, you are likely ready to make the process a smooth one. By following these helpful tips, you can be on your way to finding a buyer and gaining the negotiation power necessary to get the most for your home.

A home is probably going to be the largest purchase most people will make in their lifetime. As such, there can be a lot of pressure to make the right decisions when obtaining a home. Unfortunately, sometimes people do make big mistakes. With that in mind, here are some of the most commonly made mistakes you should make sure to avoid when buying your first home.

Forgetting There Are More Expenses than Mortgage Payments

One mistake made by first time homebuyers occurs because they are unaware that owning a home requires far more expense than a monthly mortgage payment. Many people may decide to take on a mortgage when they finally have enough income to make the monthly payment. However, this ignores many of the other routine expenses that can be involved.

This includes things like property taxes, home insurance premiums, electricity bills, water bills and even dues paid to a homeowners’ association. Certainly make sure you know all the expense that will be required to own a specific home before you agree to buy.

Not Getting the Best Home Loan

Another common mistake occurs when new homeowners select the wrong mortgage. There are many home loans beyond the standard mortgage that are designed specifically for people who need financial help obtaining a home. You can find many of them on this website from a mortgage lender in Austin.

This includes options like loans from the Federal Housing Administration, the Veteran’s Administration and the US Department of Agriculture. Loans from these government agencies often come with great benefits for consumers like interest rates lower than regular mortgages. Make sure you qualify for such options before choosing a conventional mortgage.

Choosing a Home Before a Loan

The first step to buying a home should always be getting pre-approved for a mortgage. Part of the reason some people don’t is because they are nervous about the pre-approval process. They may assume that they’ll only be approved for a loan for a home much smaller than they actually want. They may also worry about being rejected outright. However, these fears are often misguided. Being pre-approved for a mortgage first will help you choose the right home from the beginning instead of having your hopes dashed later.

Overall, buying a home is a big deal. There is a lot of decision making required, and it will be a huge financial commitment. Make sure you are well informed on the whole process so you can put some your fears at rest.

Guest Post By:

Anita Ginsburg / Freelance Writer
anitaginsburg@gmail.com

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