Honest Realestate Agent

Archive for March, 2009

Real estate investors are most likely the best solution for a home for sale by owner.  To my dismay Realtors and their organizations have done their best with a national campaign to convince buyers and sellers that a Realtor is needed to buy or sell a house for sale by owner. If your home is for sale by owner you must know the pitfalls before even considering a Realtor.

Let me start with a story:  A Realtor is the only human I know where you can walk in with a $100 bill, tell them you’ll pay them a 6% commission if they sell it for $200 and the Realtor will say “OK, I’ll do it…. We just need you to sign this 6 month listing contract!”

Realtors are a hazard for FSBO’s because they want to lock you in to a 6 month or 12 month contract that forces you to pay a commission.  You risk your property and the Realtor risks little to nothing but wants to get paid 6% or more for doing little more than listing a property in MLS.

If A Realtor Is Non-preferred What Should A Home For Sale By Owner Do?

Contact real estate investors and explore your options.Most investors are different and it is essential for a home FSBO to comprehend that they are seeking the investor that searches for the best solution to their situation.  While it is true investor must find a way to make a profit on a FSBO or there is no reason to be involved there are many ways this can be accomplished that may realize more profit for when selling a house for sale by owner.

Why A For Sale By Owner Would Sell To An Investor Directly Rather Than Listing With A Realtor?

Reason #1: Investors can close fast – if necessary, within 24 hours or on a timeframe to fit the for sale by owner’s wants.

Reason #2: As-Is – Whatever the condition of the house an investor can deal with it.

Reason #3: Real Estate Investors are creative solution providers and offer For Sale By Owners a variety of options to get the house sold quickly with no hassles.

Reason # 4: You get a fair price. There are no fees, commissions or contracts that hold you up long term. If you are not completely happy with the terms the accord offered by the investor the FSBO chooses not do business together and everybody can part as friends.

Reason # 5: You deal directly with the investor.  It is easier to present the right offer when the needs for the FSBO and investor are on the same page.    If the owner needs 25K cash for their son’s schooling and $2,000 per month to support tuition this may be much easier to accomplish than either an all cash sale or the having a Realtor that doesn’t understand the objective or offer but wants to get paid a commission irregardless.

A must read book on real estate investing for homeowners, real estate investors, and anybody dealing with real estate is Real Estate Magic 101 – How To Get Rich In Real Estate Even If You Are Dead Broke!

Thousands of people come to California’s Central Coast every year for vacation, sightseeing and exploring the possibility of moving to one of the most scenic and charming areas on the West Coast. The central coast California real estate market has witnessed a boom in recent years as people discover the beauty of this magnificent area.

The variety of the central coast California real estate market extends from Moneterey Beach to Point conception. Of this vast area of beautiful landscapes and wonderful beaches, the most outstanding opportunities can be found in San Luis Obispo county, Although the entire central coast California real estate market offer historic monuments, elegant neighborhoods and numerous activities, the San Luis Obispo area welcomes visitors with open arms to share their community with them.

While Spanish style housing, old missions and vast wineries dot the countryside, it is the sandy beaches and warm ocean breeze that attracts so many to desire central coast California real estate. With the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and San Francisco just a short drive, you can enhoy the easy life without being too far away from the benefits of the big cities.

The only difficulty is choosing which central coast California real estate property you want to buy. San Luis Obispo County was voted the 3rd best place to live in the USA and Canada, citing the natural beauty, perfect climate, and endless attractions and activities. Attractions such as the unique artisan shops, historical museums, wine tasting in over 100 wineries and some of the most outstanding golf courses in the nation.

A drive down Highway 101 will take you through much of the towns and villages that make up the central coast real estate market. As you meander down the highway, visit the many opportunities in each community. many interesting activities like antique shops, galleries, parks and festivals as well as plenty of other points of interest can all be found.

The current central coast California real estate market is a buyers market with the recent slowdown in the housing industry. Prices have seen a decline recently, making it an affordable choice for retirement or vacation property. The vast amount of small business enterprises that fill each village keeps this a thriving economy, with the nonstop influx of tourists and visitors year round.

The central coast California real estate market is also a great investment for those that are business minded. Many large homes have been converted into a bed and breakfast or an inn to accommodate the seemingly never-ending flow of travelers looking for a place to stay during their vacation. In addition, the local economy is further helped by the large amount of specialized restaurants in every area, offering a splendid variety of cuisine to attract any taste.

Come explore this one of a kind area and see if the central coast California real estate opportunities are for you.

Diversity and Variety are the keywords to describe Boise, Idaho. It is not difficult to find Boise real estate that is appealing, however, choosing which area you will enjoy most as your home may require a little more contemplation.

Just a short trip from Oregon and Nevada, and conveniently situated in the southwest of Idaho, Boise real estate offers a veritable array of diversification and lifestyle options. The quality of life is important to the residents of Boise. Boise was voted one of the Best places for business and careers by Forbes magazine in 2007 and Inc magazines proclaimed it is one of the hottest places for entrepreneurs. Furthermore, Farmers Insurance awarded Boise as the safest place to live.

Plenty of activities are available to owners of Boise real estate throughout their four distinct seasons. Beautiful summers offer fishing, swimming and rafting at the Boise River, and skiing, snowboarding and sledding at Bogus Basin Mountain Resort in the winters. Your spring and fall calendar can be filled with a visit to Boise’s North End for the Hyde Park street fair or see the wildlife of the world on exhibit at the Julia Davis Park Zoo, featuring over 200 exotic animals including the lions and giraffes in the newly opened African Habitat.

If choosing Boise real estate near the downtown, you will have at your disposal a cultural center that is home to many small businesses, complete with a multitude of shopping and dining choices.

On the other hand, you might want the peace and calm of a tree-line neighborhood, by purchasing a home in the Boise real estate market of the North End. Near to the downtown, yet removed from the hustle and bustle, this area was proclaimed one of America’s 10 best neighborhoods by the American Planning Association.

You may want to select some of the most prime Boise real estate by taking a look at the Warm Springs area. Where early 20th century Victorian homes are prevalent and housed some of Boise’s wealthiest of that era, you will find the most elegant houses and the priciest. All centered around a natural hot spring and tree-lined streets.

You could also select excellent Boise real estate in the 8th street district. The area is a pedestrian zone designation offering great nightlife with the on-street cafes and plenty of clubs.

Finally, if the Urban sprawl is not your forte, take a look at the southwest Boise real estate offerings. Here you can enjoy the country life just outside of the city with the one acre plots and sparse population.

Whether you are choosing Boise real estate for the active lifestyle or for the varied comfortable and quiet neighborhoods, this city offers many advantages to those wishing to relocate

Safety assumes top priority in the selection of an ionic air purifier for use in the home, office, factory or school.

Existing ionic air purifier technology, regardless of whether they originate in North America, Europe, Japan or China produce a primary beneficial reactive agent.These reactive agents are known variously by names like negative ions, bipolar ions, plasmacluster ions and so on. They are produced with the objective of eliminating contaminants in the air we breathe. There is much research on the efficacy of these reactive agents in eliminating these airborne contaminants. What is lacking is information on whether these same potent reactive agents also cause harm to human tissues, particularly the fragile and sensitive tissues that line our breathing passages from the windpipe to the lungs.

Whether by design or otherwise, there is also an information void about whether there are other by-products and if these are harmful to fragile human tissues as well. In the industry, however, it is known that current ionic air purifier technology inadvertently results in the production of by-products. In sufficient quantities, these may prove harmful to human tissue. Ozone is one of the potentially toxic by-products. In high concentrations, ozone has been proven to damage human tissues.

In the light of the above, the issue of safety for the user of an ionic air purifier has to be addressed from these two perspectives:

(1) Potential harm from the beneficial reactive agents, and

(2) Potential harm from the unintended by-products.

Whilst far from exhaustive, our intensive web research on these two perspectives have been condensed into two detailed write-ups that have been featured on Ezinearticles.com.

Don’t miss these 2 in-depth Ezine articles. To read, click on the Ezine Author Badge on The Ionic Air Purifier Blog.

Subject to their terms and conditions, Ezinearticles.com allows publishers to freely reproduce these two articles. So help yourself, publish the two articles on your websites as a complete set, via these links:

(1) Beneficial reactive agents

(2) Unintended by-products

In addition, keep updated with our progress as we research other aspects of the very broad and constantly changing field of ionic air purifier technologies.

The republic of Costa Rica (meaning Rich Coast) is located in Central America between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The advancing country is the recent subject of many people looking for Costa Rica real estate for retirement and investment, with its rich variety of plants, wildlife and recreational opportunities. It also is home to the largest percentage of national parks and protected lands. In addition, Costa Rica offers a very high quality of life with its reasonable living expenses and well-built infrastructure.

Buying Costa Rica real estate will not cost much more than if you were buying the same type of property in the USA. The market in Costa Rica for empty lots to build on, or existing homes is fairly close to comparable United States properties. Whether your choice for Costa Rica real estate is a beachfront property, a luxury inland home, or a condominium, the price you pay in Costa Rica is about the same you would pay in the States.

Buying Costa Rica real estate might seem like a difficult and expensive task to accomplish. However, you should note that many people from the USA and Canada have made Costa Rica their permanent home simply because of the ease in purchasing Costa Rica real estate and the less expensive cost of living.

The average Costa Rican native earns about $500 per month, of which that income allows a native to live reasonably and meet their creature comforts. In contrast, for the same lifestyle in the USA, one needs to earn substantially more. Lower costs make it possible to live well in Costa Rica on the same salary one struggles with in the US. An income of $1500 in Costa Rica will allow a person to live well above the average and afford luxuries not available to them in the USA. For this reason, Many American retirees have bought Costa Rica real estate to live their golden years, with ‘real gold’.

Costa Rica real estate is divided into seven regions, and each region offers many different perks. Costa Rica has more than a dozen National Parks scattered throughout the country, featuring a variety of recreation such as horse back riding, hiking and biking. Additionally, there are numerous water sports such as fishing the crystal blue waters, exploring the coral reefs, surfing and whitewater rafting the wild tropical rivers. Of course, camping and sightseeing neighboring countries such as Panama and Nicaragua are also opportunities for adventure.

A trip back home for a visit is no problem as Costa Rica also has two international airports with regular flight connections to all of North America, Latin America, and Europe. The local mode of transportation around the country is through taxi and bus services. The cost to travel the island is never very expensive. Of course, when you buy your Costa Rica real estate dream home, you can always import your own car for transportation

Orange County is the home to one of the most exclusive coastal neighborhoods in California. Aptly named Crown of the Sea, Corona Del Mar, is an upscale beach community of a little more than 13,400 residents a luxurious beach front community of about 13,000 residents. Settling in this exquisite community began around the early 1920’s when the Corona Del Mar real estate market was opened to development by several southern California investors.

The center of solitude and glorious beachfront property features old and new housing as well as a state beach, park and the beautiful Sherman Library and Gardens. Displaying beautiful varieties of flowers and fountains, the Gardens line a full block in the city. The library contains more than 15000 books on the history of Corona Del Mar and the Pacific Southwest. Additional attractions in the Corona Del Mar real estate are galleries, fashion boutiques, specialty shops and fine dining.

Away from the bustling big city, this upscale beach community offers the finest living complete with magnificent ocean views. Homes in the area neighborhoods consist of Mediterranean style and beach cottages. Corona Del Mar real estate is expanded on tree lined streets where many homes have splendid panoramic views of cliffs cascading into the Pacific Ocean. The newest developments in the Corona Del Mar real estate market features many California Ranch style homes with exciting ocean views in the Harbor Hills neighborhood.

Recreation is also an option when owning Corona Del Mar real estate. Two parks nearby, The Corona Del Mar State Beach and Crystal Cove, offer residents many options in daily activities. Featuring 3.5 miles of beach and over 2,000 acres of undeveloped woodland, Crystal Cove is a hot spot for swimming, surfing, hiking, horseback riding, and exploring. You can also try scuba diving at the underwater park or tidepool exploration during low tide. A winding path down a hillside from Corona Del Mar easily reaches Crystal Cove.

When you have found the Corona Del Mar real estate that satisfies you, you can hang out with the locals in the trendy shops and restaurants, while window shopping at the design shops, art galleries, antique stores and fine art studios. Also, there are several annual festivals that take place here, including the Coastline Car Classic, the Annual Christmas Walk, and the Corona Del Mar scenic 5K run.

If absolute luxury is your requirement, Corona Del Mar is home to one of Forbes 10 most expensive homes, the $75 million Portabello Estate. Built in 2002, it features 8 bedrooms, 10 baths, 30000 sq. feet and stunning ocean views. Buy this gorgeous mansion and bring in family or friends to show off your outstanding Corona Del Mar real estate. The Los Angeles International Airport is a short hour away and even closer is the John Wayne Airport a few minutes east of town. Become a prestigious member of the Corona Del Mar real estate club and enjoy fine living on the most fabulous beachfront community in the USA.

The Centennial State, (named for its 1876 admittance to the Union), Colorado is mainly believed to be a vast desert of frozen lands an snow capped mountains. In reality, Colorado real estate offers some of the finest homes and land opportunities in the nation. Many tourists come to Colorado for the snow-related activities and the states 40 Casinos, however what makes Colorado real estate truly attractive is the expansive views, majestic scenery, and easy living.

From the hurried lifestyles of the big cities like Denver to the relaxing solace found in Durango, Colorado real estate can offer a homebuyer quite a vast array of options. Many choices of home sites in the suburbs of Denver are available if you prefer to be close to the big city. For example, One acre homesites in peaceful Bow Mar are close to the city yet offer an urban spread. A further benefit of purchasing Colorado real estate in Bow Mar is the splendid view of the Rocky Mountains.

On the other hand, You may favor a mountain community, then Conifer might be the place you want to purchase your piece of Colorado real estate. Originally occupied by Native American tribes and used as prime hunting grounds, it is a mere 15 miles from Denver. Nestled in between huge blue spruce and pine trees are a mixture of idyllic cabins and fabulous new homes. The Pike National Forest runs right through the town and often wildlife, such as deer, elk, and foxes can be observed in the hills of Conifer.

If you have a preference for the lavish lifestyle, there are plenty of options in Colorado real estate, you may want to join the exclusive communities of Aspen, where you can find the Hala Ranch, a $135 million estate covering 95 acres, a tremendous mansion over 55,000 square feet, with 16 bathrooms and 15 bedrooms. Additionally, the grounds have numerous amenities, like stables, tennis courts, pool and sauna. As well as crosscountry skiing and its own fishpond.

Colorado real estate comes in many sizes and budgets from the small to the gigantic. The only hard choice is to decide which community that excites you the most as the state offers a multitude of outdoor activities to accommodate practically every sport or recreation. Colorado’s vast National and State parks system will ensure a lack of things to do will never be a problem once you find your little piece of Colorado real estate.

The Coldwell Banker Real Estate brand currently has offices on six continents, in 47 countries and territories. There are more than 600 Coldwell Banker Real Estate offices outside of the United States. However, the company started out with just one man’s idea to provide for the customer unselfishly. Coldwell Banker was founded in 1906 by a young real estate Sales Associate, Colbert Coldwell. The Great San Francisco earthquake had devastated his hometown and he was determined to help rebuild it .

A common practice of the day was for real estate agents to take advantage of vulnerable earthquake victims by offering to purchase their property for substantially less than market value and then reselling the property for strong profits. Thereby, padding their own accounts, instead of looking out for the interests of the customer. This practice led Colbert Coldwell to quit his job as an agent and form his own company.

With the help of two associates, Colbert founded Tucker, Lynch and Coldwell. The new real estate company would embrace the motto, The clients interest above all else. In 1913, another real estate professional, Benjamin Arthur Banker, joined his team and in 1914, Banker was invited to become a full partner in the firm. In the 1920s another partner joined the firm and the newly renamed Coldwell, Cornwall and Banker moved to their new location in San Francisco.

Up until this time, Coldwell Banker Real Estate was primarily focused on commercial business. By 1937, the company had 7 offices in northern and southern California and had entered the residential business that same year.

After a comfortable expansion and steady growth for the previous 34 years, The Company was preparing to look forward to expansions beyond California. The company became Coldwell, Banker & Co, after Bruce Cornwall left in 1940 By 1950, Coldwell Banker Real Estate had entered the national real estate arena by opening an office in Phoenix, AZ, with further expansions into Seattle in 1969. In the 1970s, Coldwell Banker Real Estate acquired prestigious residential real estate firms in Atlanta, Chicago, and Washington, DC

In 1965, Arthur Banker passed away at the age of 81. In 1967, founder Colbert Coldwell, at the age of 84, also passed away. It is said he never retired from the company, continuing to work until his death Before their vast expansion across the USA, Arthur Banker would pass away in 1965 at 81 years old, and in 1967 Colbert Coldwell died at 84 years of age, working up to the time of his death.

The 1980s would see many changes in Coldwell Banker Real Estate, including the acquisition by the Sears Financial Network. The strength of Sears and their franchise knowledge would help Coldwell Banker Real Estate expand throughout the USA.

The Coldwell Banker real estate company had succeeded in opening offices in all 50  states by 1990 and beagn to llok to international expansion. By the end of the 20th century, the Coldwell Banker real estate company had achieved international recognition with their worldwide expansion and ultimately they were acquired by HFS, Inc, an international franchisor in the hotel and real estate business. This company would later spin off Coldwell Banker Real Estate under their Realogy division. Today, the Coldwell Banker real estate company, and its parent company Realogy, are involved in 25% of every residential transaction in the United States.

Voted the “best-mannered” city in the U.S and one of the fastest growing central cities in South Carolina is also one of the oldest cities in the entire USA. This city is Charleston SC. An opportunity in the venerable Charleston SC real estate market has also made it one of the most desirable places to locate a business and build a home.

What are the factors that have influenced the Charleston SC real estate market? Possibly it is the splendor of the tree-lined streets of grand oaks or the pastel homes dotting the waterfront, or maybe the fact it has the 2nd most productive port in the world. It could be the beautiful days and warm crisp nights that bring this excitement as well. Without a doubt, the southern charm of a well-mannered city also plays an important role.

A wealth of history emerges from this 17th century colony known as Charlestown. Early Charleston SC real estate was commissioned for military purposes. The old colonial city was instrumental in the American Revolutionary war as well as the Civil War. As such Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie became important historical tourist attractions. Another point of historical prominence is the Old Exchange and Customs House located downtown. Its dungeon held some of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence after their arrest from British soldiers. The building also hosted events for President George Washington in 1791, and was the signing of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788.

The city as a whole attracts a considerable amount of visitors every year and has become a tourist hotspot. In addition to the opportunities in Charleston SC real estate for tourist related businesses, there are quite a few of opportunities for homebuyers wishing to buy Charleston SC real estate and relocate their families. Many opportunites are created as a result of the strong tourist economy, including Corporate relocations to the area.

Recent corporate moves to the area include Blackbaud, Modulant, CSS, Benefitfocus, and Google in the technology field and two of the larger names in aircraft assembly and fabrication, Vought and Alenia Aeonautica, producers for Boeing’s 787. These companies have invested heavily in the area and have helped the area economy with higher wages, further making Charleston SC real estate affordable for the working class.

Charleston also is a city of fine art, annually hosting one of the largest art festivals, the Spoleto Festival USA, a 17-day festival which showcases over one hundred artists in a various disciplines. Another art festival is the two week MOJA festival celebrating African-American and Caribbean arts, music, and culture.

Artists from around the USA come to exhibit and sell their works at the annual Fine Art weekend held every November, this event brings collectors, and art dealers by the hndreds from all around the globe. Some of the artists have chosen to stay and invested themselves in the Charleston SC real estate market.

Boasting a rich history, an expansive culture and great economic freedom are all motivating factors in deciding to make a purchase in the Charleston SC real estate market. If you are looking for fresh opportunities in a city as old as the nation itself, yet young and forward-looking, give the Charleston SC real estate market a serious look.

Located in southern Orange County, California, Dana Point has a population of just over 35,000. It is a popular local destination for surfing, whale watching and fishing. Garnering the title, Whale Capitol of the West, It was the site of the 1990 capturings of the rare ‘megamouth’ shark. The Dana Point real estate area is also designated as a California Historical Landmark.

Dana Point real estate was described as “the only romantic spot in California”, by its namesake, author Richard Henry Dana, Jr., in a visit to the area and neighboring San Juan Capistrano. Although Dana Point real estate began as a planned community by a development company, the great depression put a halt to construction and by 1939, the original investors had sold out to private individuals. That tragedy did not stop the future development, which was revived in the 1950s, as today there are more than 14,000 homes, and Dana Point real estate continues to be desirable to people seeking a beach front retreat.

Aside from the city, Dana Point also hosts over 2500 boats in its harbor. Every major amenity is offered at the Harbor including guest slips, fuel dock, shipyard, and a myriad of recreational activities. In addition, 30 specialty shops and 17 restaurants dot the harbor appealing to a mass audience of visitors.

Buying Dana Point real estate could be an opportunity for one to “get their sea legs”, as community class instruction is available in sailing, boating and other water-related activities. Of course, if you prefer to remain a ‘landlubber’ you can still buy your piece of Dana Point real estate and enjoy the harbor from a distance, with the magnificent views of Tall Ships and the whales at the Salt Creek Beach. This area has plenty of spots overlooking the harbor and pacific, right in the view of the migration routes of the Gray Whale.

Each September the Tall Ships festival comes to Dana Point Harbor offering those fortunate enough to own Dana Point real estate the opportunity see some of the most magnificent vessels in the world. The festival is considered the largest annual gathering of Tall Ships on the West Coast of the United States, and features an amazing array of tall ships converging in and around Dana Point.

Owning Dana Point real estate also will give you an opportunity to take a short day vacation to nearby Doheny State Beach, a public park and beach operated by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. The park encompasses more than 62 acres and features over a mile of sandy beaches with opportunities for swimming or surfing one of the best areas in coastal California. Bring the family along for a picnic as the park also provides one hundred picnic tables and BBQ grills as well as over 120 fully developed camp sites.