Honest Realestate Agent

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The US real estate market is changing rapidly and many investors do not understand how to be successful in today’s falling real estate market. There was a time when is seemed everyone was in real estate and everyone was making money. In today’s market you need to be utilizing strategies that are effective and limit your risk.

Resources

Before you jump into the real estate investing game you need to do your due diligence and arm yourself with the proper tools, resources and knowledge. Some of this can be done online for free but inevitably you should do your homework and invest in some resources and tools. This could be books, how to courses, software, etc.

The key thing is to find a trusted resource and do your homework to make sure the source is somebody that has investing experience. Crazy as it sounds there are a lot of self professed gurus out there that have no experience and have never done the hard miles. Famouse people like Donald Trump even sell info on how to make bank with homes… but you have to ask yourself how much money has Donald Trump made with Single Family Residential Houses. Not much at all, so why would you listen to him talk about properties when he has no experience in them?

If you are looking for sound advice, tools, tips, resources and even a free newsletter they can all be located at www.kickassrealestate.com. A word of warning… the information can be very direct and too the point.

How To Limit Your Risk:

In the end real estate comes down to supply and demand and no matter the state of the economy people need a place to live, a place to call home. The question now becomes what type of home will have the highest demand? Will it be a luxury house? A condo? A home in the ghetto? Or a blue collar 3 bedroom 2 bath house?

Hopefully you answered the 3 bedroom 2 bath home will have the highest demand and this makes it a great home for an investor because it is easy to sell or rent in good or bad times thus limiting your risk.

Successful Investing Strategies:

As a real estate investor there is a credo you should adapt: “Know your exit before you are in the deal!” In other words you want to have a clear plan on how you are going to get out of every deal before you even make an offer.

One of the best methods is flipping houses and it can be done in both good and bad markets. In fact, in a risky market this can be the best strategy because of the amount of time you hold the property could be as little as a minute or two using a double or simultaneous closing.

Unfortunately many people think flipping is only profitable in rising markets. Not true. In a rising market you might buy at 75% of value and sell at 85% of value. In a falling market you may buy at 50% of value and sell at 58% of value. Simply put, its how you view it and a simple function. The bottom line is that there will always be a bargain price that somebody is willing to pay… and you just have to buy at a lower price and make the difference between the two prices.

Another successful real estate investment strategy in the current falling real estate market is purchasing rentals. It’s hard to talk dress this up as some sexy type of investing since you or your property manager are dealing with tenants and toilets. Sexy it is not but profitable it can be.

Here’s an extremely simplistic method for investing in rentals. Aim for a twenty-percent Cash on Cash return. This means that after you total all of your income and expenses (mortgage, taxes, insurance, vacancy, repairs and upkeep, advertising, interest, etc) you are making a 20% return on your investment. In simple math that means if you put out $10,000 TOTAL to purchase the property at the end of the year you netted 20% which equals $2,000. Sounds simple and will keep you out of trouble.

In conclusion you want to have and use great investing resources, limit your risk, and follow proven successful real estate investing strategies.

About The Author:

Gerald Romine is a nationally recognized real estate expert that has been featured across North America sharing the stage with political leaders, film stars, and business leaders. Since 1989, Gerald has been involved with real estate as a real estate agent, broker, rehabber, investor, and builder and has been involved with everything from houses to apartments. For more information about Gerald’s products or services visit www.kickassrealestate.com

A wide variety of choices emerge from the diverse city of Boise, Idaho. It is not difficult to find Boise real estate that is appealing, however, the selection of where you want your new home might be a challenge.

Located in southwestern Idaho, less than an hour’s drive from Oregon, and about 100 miles north of Nevada, Boise real estate is plentiful and offers any lifestyle the comforts of home. Forbes magazine instills this point by calling Boise ‘one of the best places to live’ and one of the Hottest cities for entrepreneurs by Inc magazine. It was also voted the #1 Most secure places to live by Farmers Insurance.

Activities and events abound year round for owners of Boise real estate. Beautiful summers offer fishing, swimming and rafting at the Boise River, while the splendid winters include cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing at places like the Bogus Basin Mountain Resort. Your spring and fall calendar can be filled with a visit to the Hyde Park Street Fair in Boise’s North End neighborhood or the Julia Davis Park Zoo, with more than 200 animals representing over 80 species from around the world, including an African exhibit boasting lions and giraffes.

If you like the downtown life, you may find some Boise real estate in the center of a culturally rich neighborhood where many shopping and dining choices are prevalent.

If tree-lined drives and quiet neighborhoods are your choice, you may want to look at some of the older homes in the Boise real estate market of the North End. Close to the downtown area, yet secluded in a one of the 10 greatest neighborhoods as designated by the American Planning Association in 2008.

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, these homes are some of the largest and most expensive in the area. This area is served by a natural Hot spring that keeps the area warm year round.

Enjoy the nightlife by checking in to Boise real estate near 8th street. 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. These sparsely populated areas include plots as large as one acre, and occasionally a farmhouse and pasture. It is possible to have country living right near the city life.

Whichever your choice, Boise real estate has the convenience of offering many options for virtually any lifestyle and any personality

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 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

The Century 21 Real Estate company was founded by Art Bartlett and Marsh Fisher in California in 1971. In 1977, the two initiated a public offering on the stock exchange in order to raise capital to expand their company throughout the US. It was eventually purchased through a buyout orchestrated by The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in 1984. Century 21 Real Estate, like many other real estate companies in the 1980s became the target of financial companies wanting to add additional services to their lines of products.

Eventually, Century 21 Real Estate was acquired by the conglomerate HFS, a company that had varied interests in other franchised companies. Subsequently, HFS and Cendant merged and the real estate division, was spun off. Century 21 Real Estate joined Coldwell Banker and ERA under Realogy, and currently is involved in one out of every four residential real estate transactions in the USA.

The Century 21 Real Estate system has more than 8,100 independently owned and operated offices that employ in excess of 140,000 real estate sales professionals worldwide. Century 21 Real Estate is represented in every major city with at least one office and has a presence in all 50 states.

Real estate brokers, licensed by their respective state or jurisdiction independently own their own office. The Century 21 Real Estate franchisor provides company support along with the MLS (Multi-List Service) to help bring clients to the individual office in their location.

The advanced technology and state-of-the art system the Century 21 Real Estate utilizes in an effort to pair buyers and sellers through their web sites and internet presence Makes it easier for anyone, anywhere in the world to find property and deal with a local agent. This process has greatly improved the worldwide real estate market over the way business was conducted 4 decades ago.

Although every office is independently owned and operated, the Century 21 Real Estate corporate office has the right to terminate a franchisee if they should be involved in illegal activities or break the franchise agreement. This added protection for the consumer means that you have the backing of the corporate offices of Century 21 Real Estate.

The main corporate office is in Parsippany, NJ, USA. In a recent press release, Century 21 Real Estate has informed they added over 1500 new agents and 11 offices last quarter. Although many would argue the home buying market is in a slump, the recent activity at many of these realtors would suggest otherwise. A further release has indicated the Albanian and Hispanic markets are expanded with Century 21 Real Estate offices.

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.

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.

Multitudes of people each year visit the Central Coast of California to vacation, for sightseeing excursions and to explore 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. This area entails several counties in California, of which the most attractive is San Luis Obispo County, Even though the majority of the central coast California real estate market offer historic monuments, elegant neighborhoods and numerous activities, this area invites outsiders to partake of their agreeable warm and sunny climate and picturesque relaxed lifestyle.

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.

You can see a great deal of the central coast California real estate by taking a leisurely drive through the many communities down Highway 101. As you journey through, you can look into the offerings each town or village has to share. many interesting activities like antique shops, galleries, parks and festivals as well as plenty of other points of interest can all be found.

Buying central coast California real estate is easy, as it is currently a buyers market. Prices have seen a decline recently, making it an affordable choice for retirement or vacation property. Since many of these towns are full of small and family owned shops it keeps this a thriving economy, as tourists are constantly attracted to the warm climate and quaint life.

The central coast California real estate market is also a great investment for those that are business minded. Some of the larger homes are being converted into restaurants, shops and inns to accommodate the many visitors travelling to the area. 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.