289 Real Estate Site

I know how stressful and chaotic moving and relocating can be. We moved from one part of Tucson to another in March of this year, and then in June we bought a home and relocated to Colorado. Here are some of the lessons we and others have learned.

1. Make and use lists. We all forget things, even after remembering them several times. Put them on that list during one of these times. Make a list of things to do before the move, including getting school documents transferred, filling out change of address forms, returning borrowed books and movies, transferring prescriptions, getting maps, and arranging utility shut offs and start ups.

2. Call the moving company and make the reservation a month ahead. You don’t want to discover that they are booked up on the date you need them. We found out that the type of van we wanted wasn’t available, but this was easily resolved because we started the process early.

3. Sell and throw away things. Carefully consider what you need to keep. Many people spend hundreds of dollars to move things that will probably be thrown away some day. It isn’t just about the expense either, but also about the hassle. When you are moving and especially when you are relocating to another city – this is the best time to get rid of the things you really don’t need.

4. Have a rummage sale. This is a good way to get rid of those things, and you might even raise enough money to pay for the move. Again, it is best to be rid of your things before the move. We went to a after-the-move rummage sale the other day. What a shame to pack and pay to move all those things just to have to work to sell them for pennies later.

5. Start packing early. not only is it difficult to predict how long it will take until you are doing it, but you never know how much time you’ll have later. Starting early means avoiding running around looking for boxes and packing materials at the last moment.

6. Pack an “essentials” box for when you arrive at your new home. This should have the things you need to make your arrival easier, like toilet paper, paper plates, soap and such. Carry the box where it is easily accessible.

7. Let everyone know where you are relocating to. Give family and friends of your new address and phone number(s), and do this before you have the current phone shut off. Call all your credit card companies with your new address. Change the address on any subscriptions too.

8. Check weather reports for moving day. You don’t want to arrive in a snowstorm with your coat packed away somewhere. You will also need to allow for extra moving time if the weather is going to slow down traffic.

9. Save all your receipts. Keep receipts for moving expenses, like gas, hotel rooms, and anything else related to moving and relocating. Ask your accountant or tax preparer if you are eligible for a tax deduction for moving expenses. Usually you are, if the move is for employment purposes.

10. When you move into your new home, try to reestablish your routines quickly. If Friday night is normally movie night, don’t break with the tradition. Moving and relocating are less traumatic if you have some consistency in daily life. If you’re moving with children, this could be one of the more important moving tips.

Copyright Steve Gillman. Visit his website for:

1. A photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500.
2. A free book on how to save thousands buying your next home.
3. A free real estate investing course.
Visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

[tags]moving and relocating,moving,relocating,real estate[/tags]

One of the greatest privileges – and prerequisites – of being a successful investor is that you get to be in constant awareness of the way the markets are performing, moving capital into sections of the economy that are performing better than the others, and realizing massive profits as a result …

And if you are an investor, then you too may be wondering which sections of the economy will be the best performers in the near future.

And if you are a real estate investor who is thinking of buying even more real estate in light of the current trends in the real estate markets in the hope that these trends will stay strong for a long time to come, then you might want to pause and consider this …

Will the precious yellow metal become the darling of investors all over the world now?

Well, in case you have not already read about it, gold prices have are at a 25 year high, and it is only in the last few months or so that this metal has become a super star performer …

Considering that gold was called a “barbaric relic” by none other than the great John Maynard Keynes and has long been given up an a benchmark of currency by every country, does it not come as some surprise that the people of the world still choose to love this metal so much that many want to hoard as much of it as they can, even while they can buy other forms of assets?

And if the people are right in choosing gold over other forms of money offered by their Governments, does it imply that people are wiser than their Governments are? And …

Why do people prefer gold to other forms of money anyway?

The first question may best be left unanswered and to answer the second question, we may want to take a look at the factors favoring gold as a shining investment option…

Gold is regarded as a storehouse of value: Gold, unlike other currencies, shows a remarkable tendency to hold its value and is not subject to inflation like most other currencies. Its purchasing power does not seem to diminish with time.

Gold is rare: Gold production rarely grows by more than 2% a year and unlike most other currencies, little can be done to increase its production rate.

Gold is not controlled by Governments: Gold is free from Government control and Governments cannot change the value of gold in any way.

One question to ask now would be…

Can gold prices keep increasing for a long time?

Well, the answer to that question may not be very clear cut. Some analysts feel gold is overbought and its prices may fall soon, some others see a long term bull market for gold regardless of any short term fluctuations in the gold market.

And in case you are really interested in gold and would like to know what could drive gold prices, well…

Here’s one thing that can drive gold prices wild

If people get tired of stocks, mutual funds and currencies which are susceptible to inflation due to any number of things and start looking for a safe haven for their money, then there could be a record influx of capital into gold market as people scramble to hoard as much gold as they can, then this can drive the market to dizzying heights never seen before.

And now, let’s take a look at …

The factors that favor real estate…

With a relatively healthy economy and well paying jobs, more people are now able to realize the dream of owning a home, and this is creating a huge demand for housing.

With the amount of usable land being limited, an increasing population with better paying jobs can mean the housing market will stay healthy for a long time.

But if you want to decide whether to invest in gold or invest in real estate and would like to hear a definitive answer, then you might want to remind yourself that no analysis can claim to be fully accurate … and even the best analysis may be only a little better than a opinion at times …

So when it comes to choosing gold over real estate or the other way around, then only your intuition may be your best guide!

Gurubhakt is a writer who has written several articles on real estate investing. For some of the best luxury real estate, visit http://www.beautifulhomesandproperty.com which discusses a wide range of real estate investment options like Lake Havasu property and more.

[tags]real estate investing, gold[/tags]

Most of us who are small real estate investors buying and renting single family homes are accustomed to making every dollar count. It’s that habit that causes us to make a silly decisions when we advertise a house for rent.

Just take a look at the Home For Rent classified section of your newspaper. You will see rows of two or three line ads that all seem to blend together in an uninspired glob. Yes, I know newspaper ads are expensive, but have you ever stopped to think how much a bland three line ad is really costing you? Let’s do some logical thinking about this penny pinching.

In our example will use a rental house where you have a monthly mortgage payment of $850. That includes principal, interest, taxes and insurance. You are offering the home for rent at $900 per month. If you divide your monthly mortgage payment by 30 you will realize that it is costing you $28.33 cents to own the home. That’s $198.33 per week. So every week that the house is vacant you are losing $198.33. Cutting two weeks from that vacancy will save your $396.66.

If you are penny pinching with a little three line ad that fails to find a renter for weeks you are watching $198.33 fly out of your grasp every week. That’s when you should realize that it just makes good business sense to buy a nice big classified ad, which will give you the best chance of catching the eye of a renter the first time it runs.

Filling vacancies fast is the mark of a good investor. As soon as your current tenant gives you the required 30 day notice that he or she will vacate the property you must swing into action. Your goal should be to have a new tenant ready to move in the day the old one moves out. Do this…

1. Ask your current tenant if they know of any one who is looking for a rental. Ask them to spread the word among their friends and co-workers. If you have a good relationship with the tenant they should be willing to help you find a renter. Offer them a one or two hundred dollar reward if they find a new tenant for you before they move out.

2. Immediately put a For Rent sign on the property with flyers describing the property and the cost to rent. We have a page on our Web site for each property we own with inside and outside photos. Included on the page on room dimensions, and the location of nearby features like schools, hospitals, shopping, public transportation, etc. We include the Web site address on the For Rent sign and on the flyers.

3. We send a postcard announcing there will a rental available to the neighbors. They may have friends whom they would like to have live nearby. We offer a cash reward of one or two hundred dollars if we rent to someone they referrer to us before the current tenant leaves.

4. We pass out flyers to nearby businesses like barber shops, nail salons, dry cleaners, etc. We make the same cash reward offer to them as we do to the neighbors.

Penny pinchers don’t do things like that and they pay dearly for their mistake.

Mark Walters is a real estate investor who shares his experience with free videos at http://www.CashFlowInstitute.com

[tags]real estate, vacancies, landlord, advertising[/tags]