Welcome to the second portion of a two-part series on investment property. In the first installment, "How Not to Become a Slumlord", we discussed a little of what it takes to own and operate a property as well as some of the do's and don'ts of the property management trade. In this second segment, we will be discussing some pre-investment principles that will help you maximize your ROI.

B...
By Joanne Musa
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I Wanna Hold Your Hand: First Time Homebuyers

• I Wanna Hold Your Hand: First Time Homebuyers
  The Empowerment of Owning Your Own Home
  
  Purchasing a home is one of the most powerful and terrifying events of a persons life. It is a challenge, but once this challenge is met with strategic planning, knowledge and excitement it becomes an investment. One that will change your financial future and bring more return than you ever imagined. The first step is finding a real estate agent with integrity and experience. The perfect agent will be one who fosters trust, believes in buyer educat...
  By Elaine VonCannon
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  "Joint & Several" In Leases

• "Joint & Several" In Leases
  When you see the phrase "joint and several" in a legal document or contract it means that that the parties on one side of the agreement are responsible individually and collectively for the terms of the agreement.
  
  Example: In the case of two tenants signing a lease agreement, "joint" means they are jointly responsible for the rent.
  
  "Several" means that their joint relationship is severed and they are individually responsible for the total amount of the rent.
  
  If one does not ...
  By Mark Walters
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  Keep Your Investment Profits

• Keep Your Investment Profits
  KEEP YOUR INVESTMENT PROFITS
  Have you had one of those huge investment winners a stock that went from $2.00 to $80.00? Or any other numbers you want that gave you a gigantic percent profit?
  Did you take the profit or did you watch the equity drop back down to what you paid for it? I hope you sold and kept the money. Thats what it
  is all about. So many times when I was a broker I have seen customers make large profits and then think they were omniscient about trading
  and within a s...
  By Al Thomas
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  Landlord Tips And Hints

• Landlord Tips And Hints
  Every real estate investor dealing in rental homes has done his own clean-up and fix-up, at least in the early years. Landlords also become very skilled at managing tenants after being burned a few times.
  
  You learn the tricks of the trade and how to get the best results for the least cost. Maybe a few of these tips will be new to you.
  
  You can give kitchen cabinets new life with a liberal application of Liquid Gold.
  
  Everyone has at least one chip or scratch in the porcelain o...
  By Mark Walters
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  Lease-Option Caution Signal

• Lease-Option Caution Signal
  Why are real estate investors having so much success offering "rent to own" homes?
  
  Lease-options offer home ownership opportunities to folks with little cash and not so hot credit.
  
  Oh boy, there are plenty of those around.
  
  Both parties in a lease-option deal are counting on the buyer being able to qualify for a home loan before the option expires.
  
  The investor wants to collect his profit when the optionee buys. The optionee wants to own the home.
  
  During the lea...
  By Mark Walters
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  Let's Play Monopoly

• Let's Play Monopoly
  LETS PLAY MONOPOLY
  
  Read an interesting story last week about a guy who loves to play monopoly. The interesting part was that he announces prior to the game that he always cheats in monopoly. Everyone has a good chuckle and the game gets underway.
  
  Well of course you guessed it, when Joe wins the game cleaning everyone out of their money and Real Estate, they moan that Joe didnt play fair. Well, dah-h-h!
  
  Now my daddy didnt raise a dummie, so I like to think that I would n...
  By Ronald C Smith
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  Let the Real Estate Buyer Prepare: Internet Tools to Assist in Your Search for a Real Estate Agent

• Let the Real Estate Buyer Prepare: Internet Tools to Assist in Your Search for a Real Estate Agent
  Let the Real Estate Buyer Prepare:
  Internet Tools to Assist in Your Search for a Real Estate Agent
  
  Real Estate transactions evoke the most sense of trepidation amongst consumers. After all, these are the transactions where the largest amounts of money exchange hands. Who is there to guide you through the process? Most of us turn to a seasoned real estate agent to help.
  
  With an average commission of 5% coupled with the fact that you are often 'married' to an agent for some perio...
  By Martin Winer
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  Luxury Second Home Real Estate: Five Ingredients to Ensure A-1 Sales

• Luxury Second Home Real Estate: Five Ingredients to Ensure A-1 Sales
  

  B...
  By John Kazanjian
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  Making Your Business Happen with a Commercial Lender

  • Making Your Business Happen with a Commercial Lender
    If your home business is starting to overflow from the office into other parts if the house, it may be time to consider finding a building large enough to handle your startup's rapid growth. Most businesses are unable to generate enough revenue at this phase of growth to allow you to purchase a new facility outright. In fact, businesses of all sizes commonly go through a commercial lender when acquiring new real estate.
    
    There are literally hundreds of commercial lenders out there waiting ...
    By Cameron Brown
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    Mega firmament in real estate

  • Mega firmament in real estate
    Most of the cities in the world prefer developing high-rise construction. Almost all the big cities consist of various multi-storied edifices. This very feature of employing areas is believed to be reasonable as it saves a lot of space for parks and recreation areas. But the principle has slightly changed with time, because of the necessity to provide relevant infrastructure to guarantee real estate functioning (dual-purpose stations, parking lots etc.). These facilities usually occupy from 15 t...
    By Cameron Lindblom, RealEstateGates.com
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    Moldy Homes are a Great Investment

  • Moldy Homes are a Great Investment
    
    "Moldy Homes are a Great Investment"
    (c) Dr GW Graham
    
    Have you seen this in your classifieds? -"Will pay $$$ for
    moldy homes. Call 555-555-5555"
    
    All you have to do is watch the news and you know about
    mold problems. We hear about Ed McMahan suing because his
    moldy home killed his pet dog. We also hear about Erin
    Brockovich and Sandra Bullock's problems with their brand
    new moldy home.
    
    * Mold has been traced to people dying in moldy homes.
    
    *...
    By Dr George W Graham
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    Mortgage Terms Explained

  • Mortgage Terms Explained
    When you are hunting for a mortgage, you will find that there are many different types of mortgages available. I will list some of the more common ones and their uses.
    
    15 vs 30 Years
    
    Your mortgage term can be just about anything you choose. 15 and 30 year terms are popular these days, although 10 and 20 years also are available.
    
    The shorter the term, the lower the interest rate. But the main attraction of shorter term mortgages is the money you save.
    
    For exampl...
    By Chris Cooper
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    Moving Companies - Los Angeles Movers

  • Moving Companies - Los Angeles Movers
    Los Angeles California World Moving & Storage Inc .announces the launch of its new website, http://www.mover4u.com . The new site provides the ultimate guide for moving and relocation services. By using mover4u.com, users can quickly find certified movers, auto transporters, real estate services, and more than 50 other categories. With over 150 different moving & relocation companies in the directory already, users can easily locate services nationally, statewide, and by area.
    Mover4u.co...
    By emil cohen
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    Moving Out: A Renter's Obligations

  • Moving Out: A Renter's Obligations
    Moving is an exhausting process, from finding a new place to live to hiring reputable movers to boxing your belongings and unpacking. So it's easy to understand why many renters tend to overlook important details before they they move out. In the rush to wrap things up and move into their new residences, people occasionally forget their obligations as a tenant, and those obligations later come back to haunt them.
    
    A frequent question asked by renters is how much notice they're required to ...
    By dan the roommate man
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    Need Extra Money? - Refinance or Equity Line of Credit, Which is Right for You?

  • Need Extra Money? - Refinance or Equity Line of Credit, Which is Right for You?
    You may be looking for some extra money to fix up the house, go on a vacation or buy a new car, and you want to take some equity from your home to do it. To do this you could either refinance your home and take some of your equity or apply for an equity line of credit instead. The question is which one is right for you? There are some things to consider about both options when determining how you should obtain the money.
    
    Refinance Your Home
    
    -Are you currently paying a high interest...
    By Ashlee Hovsepian
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    Negotiating real estate deals to win-win

  • Negotiating real estate deals to win-win
    If youve spent some time on homekeys.net, you probably noticed we generally dont carry a torch for tradition or conventional wisdom. Having said that, the well-worn clich above still holds true, especially in real estate transactions.
    
    Many buyers and sellers put in countless hours carefully searching properties or preparing their homes for sale, only to see their sweet deals vanish at the negotiating table. Even if youre not an experienced negotiator, there are steps you can take to i...
    By Charles Warnock
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    New FICO Scores A Boon To Landlords

  • New FICO Scores A Boon To Landlords
    Fair Isaac Corporation is the creator of the FICO
    credit score that is used today by most lenders to
    evaluate consumer credit risk. FICO scores range
    from a poor credit low of 500 to a best credit rating
    of 850.
    
    The higher the FICO score the lower the interest rates
    offered by most lenders. For example here is a look
    at how FICO scores might affect a $150,000 30-year,
    fixed rate loan:
    
    Score Interest Payment
    720-850 5.64% $865
    700-719 5.77% $877
    675-699...
    By Mark Walters
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    Nobody Loves A Landlord

  • Nobody Loves A Landlord
    The typical landlord starts off life as a light
    hearted real estate investor. The investor is
    brimming with enthusiasm and is determined to
    acquire some single family homes that will be
    attractive to renters... and start down the road
    to financial independence.
    
    Then... Wham! Reality smacks them right in
    the face! The investor-landlord is fair game for
    almost everyone.
    
    Why? Because nobody loves a landlord.
    
    It's bad enough that many renters don't quite und...
    By Mark Walters
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    Not All REALTORS Are Created Equal: 10 Tips for Finding One

  • Not All REALTORS Are Created Equal: 10 Tips for Finding One
    I have seen home buyers and sellers less than satisfied with REALTORS who were not providing them the level of service they felt they deserved. If you take the time to find a good match, you may find your search for a home to be a rewarding experience. Here are some tips on evaluating a REALTOR.
    
    1. If you are a seller, select a REALTOR who will advertise your property individually and distinctly.
    2. A REALTOR must have a hot, up-to-date web site that changes to reflect the market.
    ...
    By Elaine VonCannon
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    Option One Mortgage Loans Getting an Option ARM or Option One Mortgage Loan

  • Option One Mortgage Loans Getting an Option ARM or Option One Mortgage Loan
    Have you heard about or been interested in finding out more about option one mortgage loans? They are becoming very popular, but its important to understand how they work before you apply for one. I will describe, in this article, an overview of the most common type of option ARM mortgage loan or option one mortgage loan.
    
    How do they work? Option one mortgage loans are basically interest only mortgage loans, except that the first year, you pay only 1.25% of the interest on the loan...
    By Carrie Reeder
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    Poor credit and the need to fix it

  • Poor credit and the need to fix it
    Everyone can be put at a disadvantage if they have poor credit. Lenders are less likely to loan to people with a poor credit history, therefore it becomes a huge handicap for people looking to buy on credit.
    
    If you want to buy your car or house on credit, poor credit can be a huge obstacle. Even if you are approved for the loan, it is hard to secure competitively low interest rates in the industry.
    
    Anyone with a Fico score under 600 is usually considered a person with poor credit. ...
    By Jakob Jelling
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    Property Management: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

  • Property Management: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
    Property Management: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
    
    Being a landlord is not all its cracked up to be. Think carefully of all the responsibilities that follow the purchase of an investment property for rental use. Screen your clients, run credit checks and, if you are both landlord and owner of the property, learn to deal with problems objectively, fairly and legally. Many clients will try to talk their way out of serious issues like late rent payments. Some will even present a dramatic ...
    By Elaine VonCannon
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    Protecting your on-line real estate

  • Protecting your on-line real estate
    Now that you have an active website and ezine, you should be
    concerned about protecting it! Let's face it, your website
    is wide open to anyone with an itchy right clicking finger
    and an Internet connection.
    
    Protecting your intellectual property and website content
    is not as difficult as most people think. I imagine you
    put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into your website's
    planning, concept, and creation. Correct? Why not take an
    extra couple of hours to protect it ...
    By David Seitz
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    Real Estate Agents And The A B Cs

  • Real Estate Agents And The A B Cs
    Alphabet Letters after a person's name seem to
    bestow some kind of special prestige. PHD, MD,
    ESQ are common... but just look at what is
    available to real estate sales people...
    
    ABR, ABRM, ALC, CCIM, CIPS, CPM, ARM, AMO, CRB, CRS, CRE,
    GAA, GRI, RCE, RAA, SIOR, AHWD ePRO, CAM, CBR, C-CREC,
    CLHMS, CREA, CRIA, QSC and SRES designations.
    
    Can anyone, anywhere explain just exactly what those 26
    acronyms mean and what the qualifications are to earn the
    use eac...
    By Mark Walters
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    Real Estate Buyers Beware: Get Representation... You Need Representation

  • Real Estate Buyers Beware: Get Representation... You Need Representation
    It is the buyers right to seek an agent, and it is in their best interest to do so.
    
    For Sale by Owner
    When a potential buyer sees a For Sale by Owner property he or she should contact their realtor before contacting the For Sale by Owner. And when the buyer makes an offer on the For Sale by Owner Property he or she needs representation on the sale. The buyer always needs representation for many reasons.
    
    Home Inspections
    Most buyers do not know to ask for home inspections, ...
    By Elaine VonCannon
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    Real Estate Closing Costs Exposed

  • Real Estate Closing Costs Exposed
    Closing costs can come as a shock to anyone buying or
    selling real estate - especially to investors. Here's
    an explanation of the various expenses you must plan for:
    
    Down Payment
    Most lenders require a down payment of from zero to 20% for
    a normal home purchase.
    
    Lender's Loan Origination Fee
    Government regulations allow 1% origination fee on FHA or VA
    loans. Conventional loan fees can vary from 1 to 3 points or
    more. A point is 1% of the loan.
    
    Appra...
    By Mark Walters
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    Real estate construction revolution Epilogue

  • Real estate construction revolution Epilogue
    Despite numerous advantages of eco-houses along with vast research experience and positive attitude of physicians and ecologists, they can hardly take their firm place in our life. The reason for it may be in the fact that the value of the natural materials (like straw) is too low.
    
    A building constructed of straw assembly units can be about five times cheaper than that of conventional brick. Its easy to make a simple conclusion that massive building of such houses may radically change t...
    By Cameron Lindblom
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