Is Flipping Real Estate Still a Good Investment?

Using real estate as a financial investment has been considered a wise choice for ages. During a boom, one has the opportunity to purchase a property and then sell it within a year for a considerable profit. Even larger sums can be made when the investor decides to "flip" a house, sending the property value of a home skyrocketing.

Flipping houses has also been around for ages but has gained popularity over the past several years due to a variety of reality shows including Bravo's "Flipping Out."

To flip a house is to buy a particular piece of real estate for a very low price, renovate it to raise the value a great deal and then sell it to make a profit. Typical value raisers include adding bedrooms or bathrooms, adding another story and replacing old, outdated kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Flipping houses can be especially profitable for people who are either able to perform their own construction labor or know a close friend who will do it cheaply. Hiring contractors to come out and do all the work will significantly reduce your net earnings because your costs will be much higher.

But with the undeniable drop in the real estate market during the past few years, is it still a sound investment?

In some ways, the down market has provided a wealth of opportunity to those looking to flip houses. The commonality of foreclosures these days lets house hunters take their pick of fixer-uppers, usually at a extremely low price on the market. Many foreclosed houses go up for auction by the banks that repossessed them, sometimes at unbelievably low prices. The other option for buying a house at a very low cost would be to buy a "fixer-upper," a house that is cheap because it is in need of a lo of work before it can be considered inhabitable or desirable.

To buy a nice, previously foreclosed house is typically the better option because there will be far fewer repairs needed and you can focus on adding features to make the house better rather than just making it decent.

With the buying and repairs out of the way, now comes the difficult part: selling it. As stated before, the value of a home can shoot up quickly when the market is booming. When the market cools off, the opposite happens. This means that people stop considering real estate the sound investment it once was. With the market being so unreliable, people do not know whether their purchase will increase much in value.

Because of this, the asking price for a house has to be considerably lower than what you desire. Even if you are lucky enough to sell the house in such a low-demand market, you will not be able to sell it for as much as you would have in 2002.

How to Find Buyers in Real Estate?

One of most common problems of people who are in the real estate industry is how they can find buyers who are interested with their property. If you are going to buy a property, you need to make sure that there are buyers who will be interested with it, but how can you do it? In this article, we will be discussing more about how you can easily find interested buyers and how they can give you their offers. Read on to find out how you can find interested buyers, and how easy it will be for you to sell your property.

The easiest way for you to find real estate buyers is to look for a real estate agent who can help you sell your property. There are a lot of things that you need to do in order for you to get someone who will be interested to spend money for your real estate. However, an agent can provide you with all the networks that you need in order to easily sell your property. All you have to do is to have it listed for sale, and let the agent look for the person who will be buying it.

Aside from getting the help of a real estate agent, you can also find buyers by letting other people know that your property is for sale. For example, your friends or your neighbors may know someone who is interested to buy your property, but they are not aware that you already have it for sale. All you have to do is to place a board telling that the particular property is for sale, or telling other people that you are looking for an interested buyer. This will make it easier for you, because you don't have to spend money for the service of a real estate agent.

The last thing that you can do is to use different online advertising boards. This is a place where tens of thousands of people are visiting on a daily basis to look for things that they want to buy. All you have to do is to have your property listed for sale, and this will help you to easily find buyers who are interested with your property. Just make sure that you are going to describe your property, and give other people an idea of what they should be expecting from your real estate.

How To Sell My Home In A Slow Economy?

Selling a home, especially in these hard economic times, can be difficult and frustrating; however, there are some tips that can make this process go smoother and with positive results.

Currently, there are several things you can do that will make selling a home go faster and more efficiently. The first thing to do is to prepare your home for the selling process by first clearing out the clutter in your home and also by doing some extra cleaning. Get rid of clutter by storing away books, toys and other personal items and by thinking about hiring a professional decorator or someone who has a talent for decorating. Someone who has the expertise to prepare your home can make a big difference when it comes to selling a home fast.

Next, do some research on real estate agents. Talk with your neighbors, friends, associates and co-workers on who they hired when they were selling their home or someone they heard of that did a good job. When you talk with a real estate agent, ask about their marketing plans and what specifically they can do for you to sell your home. Photos of your home-inside and out-by someone who knows how to take good pictures, can make a big difference. Pictures can tell a lot about the home-its age, its condition, the location and the style of the home.

The next step is very important and that is the "pricing" of your home. Because market values fluctuate, this will play a key role in what you will price your home. Your agent has the skills and training to know what to price your home. It is important not to overprice your home; so keep your pricing on a realistic level. Sell my house are words that a real estate person loves to hear because they have the skills to make it happen.

When you find a buyer who is interested in your home but does not have enough cash, think about countering the offer with an adjustment to the terms such as paying the buyer's closing costs or perhaps paying for several necessary repairs.

Another important fact to keep in mind is that once your home is listed, it must stay ready and available for buyers. That means it must be kept clean, orderly, attractive and available. Buyers don't want to see a messy and dirty home; they want to see a home that is ready to move into and a place they would be proud to call home. Keep in mind, too, that if you want your home to sell, be prepared to adjust the price of your home according to the changes in the market. Your agent can give you advice on how to adjust the price of your home so that the cost is appealing to home buyers.

5 Norms to Be Included

You are finally settling down to buy the property and it is obvious to find plenty of paperwork with specific terms and conditions that are normally included while a purchase is carried by. Apart from the address and the price for which the purchase being made, there are several other norms to be included in a real estate contract to put you on the safer side which many of us are unaware of.

Here are a few points you have to make sure to include in your contract terms:

• Finance terms are an important point to be included in your agreement as it proves the type of payment that is made. If you are paying cash, you have to mention about it as it puts an impression on the seller. On the other hand, if your choice is to depend on a loan you can include the same in the details.

• If you are planning to get paid the closing cost by the seller, make sure you mention it in the offer so that it is undoubtedly clear.

• The common fees that are related to the home purchase must be paid by either the buyer or the seller. This must be made clear in the offer even though you can opt for sharing the total amount which can also be included in it. The costs include that of the title insurance, escrow fees, notary fees, title search fees, transfer tax, recording fees and the list goes on.

• If you are particular in having the home appliances and fixtures like the dishwasher, microwave, washing machine, television, stove or any similar assets, do not hesitate to include them in your contract as this remains as a proof always. Do not rely on verbal agreements as it may change anytime and it is difficult to rely on anyone in today's world.

• Mention the closing date when you need the entire purchasing process must be completed. You can discuss this with the seller and then include it in your agreement or come up with your own suiting your circumstances.

There are plenty of other things you can include in your real estate contract and it depends from one individual to another and from place to place. It is wise to note them down whenever it comes to your mind making a final list and then putting them together in your contract.