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Real Estate Business: Most Popular Articles

These articles are the most popular over the last month.
Calculate Compound Interest
Compound interest is interest on principal plus interest on the accumulated interest. Real estate investing requires a knowledge of how to calculate compound interest.
Calculate Simple Interest
The formula and method for simple interest calculation, using principal amount, rate and time is presented here. Used frequently by those in real estate investing.
Calculate Capitalization Rate
To calculate capitaliztion rate (cap rate) for an income property that sold recently, you would divide the net operating income by the sold price to determine the capitalization rate. This percentage number could then be used to determine the value of another property if you know it's net income.
Real Estate Calculations
A spreadsheet real estate financial calculator solution. Set up to quickly calculate gross potential income, gross operating income, gross rent multiplier, net operating income, cash flow before taxes, cash flow after taxes, break-even ratio and return on equity.
Calculate Net Operating Income
Net operating income or NOI is the monetary result of subtracting operating expenses from Gross Operating Income. Gross operating income is that income after deductions for vacancy and credit loss for a rental real estate investment property.
New Agent Business Plan
Beginning a new real estate agent career is exciting, but it is a business. Since it's a business, you need a new real estate agent business plan. What you do early on can make the difference between success and failure. Find out the most important first things to do. They involve education, marketing, budgeting, determining costs, prospecting, your sphere of influence and more.
Value from Capitalization Rate
If the net operating income of a property is known, and it is divided by the capitalization rate for similar properties, the approximate current value of the property will be determined.
Real Estate Courses Online
Free online real estate courses for new and experienced agents, brokers and real estate investors. Real estate math, expenses, income, investing, risk management and much more.
Calculating Rental Yield
Many believe that consistently better returns on investment can be realized in real estate investment rental property than can be gained in stocks or bonds investments. The start of the process is an accurate estimate of rental yield for a property. See how to calculate it here.
Gross Rental Multiplier (GRM)
Gross Rent Multiplier or GRM is a tool used to assess the approximate value of a rental property by comparing its rental income with other like properties.
Email to Cell Phone as Text
Sending email to sms real estate text messaging to a cell phone is quite simple for most of the cell services. Adding the cell phone number before the @ symbol and the appropriate domain after will get the job done.
Real Estate Business - QuickTips
An index of QuickTips for the Real Estate Business guide site.
Rental Property Cash Flow
Many a wealthy person got that way with real estate. A smart buy on a rental property and good management can provide cash flow for other uses or investments. Here's a fourplex example.
Real Estate Agent Expenses
Successful business people know their costs as well as their projected income. To remain in your real estate business, you must cover your real estate agent expenses as well as personal costs.
Real Estate Agent Activity
Far from just driving buyers around or placing for sale signs in yards, the daily routine of a real estate agent involves a great many interactions with title companies, other agents, brokers, attorneys, home inspectors, appraisers and more. Then there's the marketing and paperwork activity to top it off.
Gross Potential Income
Gross Potential Real Estate Income - This is an easy calculation of the expected gross revenues from an income property. For rentals, the monthly or annual rents for all the units is totaled. No losses for vacancy or non-payment are considered. In other words, the property is considered fully occupied with all payments collected.
Commercial Real Estate Start
A common question is whether a person new to real estate should start out as a commercial real estate agent, or work into it from residential or another area of real estate. The decision requires an assessment of finances and abilities. A different skill set is required, and the first commission can be a long way in the future.
Comparative Market Analysis
A good comparative market analysis, or CMA, is simply defined as one that helps to yield an accurate and reasonable listing price for a property. However, easily defined and easily produced are not the same. A good CMA requires attention to detail, mathematical skills, experience and a bit of creative thinking.
BPO, the Broker Price Opinion
The BPO, or Broker Price Opinion, is a tool used by lenders and mortgage companies to value properties in situations where they believe the expense and delay of an appraisal is not necessary. Learn here when a BPO might be used, the types of BPOs and more.
Real Estate Business - HowTos
An index of HowTos for the Real Estate Business guide site.
Rental Property Depreciation
One of the advantages of owning rental real estate is tax deductions that can offset income from operations of that property as well as others in some cases. Here's how depreciation works on a rental property.
Starting as a Part Time Agent
Find out the pros and cons of starting your career as a part time real estate agent. See what it takes to make the part-time strategy successful.
Rental Property Returns
Using an example fourplex rental property, we analyze how it cash flows and the tax advantages of ownership.
Rental Mortgage Interest
In our series examining a fourplex rental property's income and taxes, we're now looking at the mortgage interest deduction. This is frequently one of the largest write-offs for the owner.
Capitalization Rate
The capitalization rate, or cap rate, of a property is a percentage number applied to future income to determine current value. This formula is written as Cap Rate = Net Operating Income / Value.
Online Office
Learn through a step-by-step process how to set up a free set of online collaboration tools to manage your real estate business email, contacts, calendar and more.
Real Estate Investing Analysis
There are some key elements to keep in mind when you’re evaluating a potential real estate investment. Some are quantitative (What sort of cashflow should you expect? What kind of rate of return are you shooting for?) Some are qualitative (What kind of investor are you? How much can you take on at once? What’s your risk tolerance?) All of them are important. Here’s some things I think investors should consider.
All-In-One Printers
The average real estate agent or broker office works with a great deal of printed material, from brochures to MLS printouts, contract documents, marketing postcards, newsletters and more. Technology has come a long way in the printer category. The new all-in-one printer scanner copiers come in all sizes and capacities, from the small and inexpensive ink jet to the network-ready laser models to serve an entire office.
Real Estate Easements
Easements are the right of someone to utilize the real estate owned by another. Real estate easements can be created by written agreement of the parties, a deed conveying a property, condemnation, court order, prescription or by necessity.
Triple Net Commercial Lease
The triple net lease in commercial real estate is used extensively in industrial and retail multi-tenant properties. In this type of lease the tenant pays certain expenses directly in addition to their rent.
Real Estate Budget Planning
As a real estate agent or broker, you're an independent contractor. Expenses and income for your business should be estimated carefully and a plan put in place to create the income to surpass expenses. With spreadsheets and the sales funnel process, it's not difficult and well worth a couple of hours of your time.
Brokerage Office Management
Learn the basics of real estate brokerage office management. An introduction to insurance, risk management, marketing, purchasing, sales and lead management, office and staff considerations.
Cash Flow Before Taxes
Cash flow is all the in and out flows of cash through a business, without regard to tax considerations. All money in or out is considered. This is Cash Flow Before Taxes or CFBT. The cash flow of a real estate investment is an important part of its viability as an investment. Rental properties are expected to cash flow more than mortgage payments and expenses to generate a profit.
Listing Presentation Prep
Before you get in front of that listing prospect, be sure you have your ducks in a row. You're presenting your experience, expertise, marketing and transactions services.
New Agent Marketing Budget
Get experienced advice and specific plans for setting a real estate agent marketing budget for your new real estate agent business the first year or so.
Real Estate Referral Agent
The real estate referral agent is one of the highest paid non-entertainment jobs on the planet. Where's the value in this antiquated procedure that pays thousands of dollars an hour for actual effort or performance?
A Day in a Listing Agents Life
A real estate listing agent will be involved in a myriad of details and activities. From checking the morning hot sheet, to doing comparative market analysis and making listing presentations, the listing agent is kept quite busy.
Real Estate Business Cards
Don't forget the purpose of your real estate business card when doing the design for a custom card. Though the world is going digital, there is still a use for business cards, and one of your most important design considerations should be how well it will convert to digital with a business card scanner. Don't get too graphic, but if you do use images, be sure to make the text clear and prominent.
Calculate Loan to Value Ratio
When working with real estate clients, agents and brokers are frequently tasked to help buyers to determine what they can afford in a home. One of the factors is the size of the mortgage they can get. The loan to value ratio is the percentage of a property's value that is mortgaged. Lenders will make mortgages based on maximum loan to value for different types of properties.
HUD-1 Settlement Statement
One of the first things every new real estate agent should learn is the HUD-1 Settlement Statement inside and out. After all, you'll be going over it with clients and frequently be asked to explain items or how they're calculated. Here's a completed example HUD-1 on a .pdf with live links to instructional quick tips for the items.
Drip Email for Real Estate
An effective drip email campaign doesn't need to be five years long with an email every two weeks. That will only encourage "opt-outs" or requests to be removed from your list.
Un-licensed Assistant Duties
Take care in assigning duties to an unlicensed real estate assistant, or if you are one, make sure you know what you are allowed to do according to your state's regulations. In most states, an un-licensed assistant cannot discuss property specifics, advise clients, or draft documents.
The Funnel Approach to Income
Planning real estate income is accomplished by determining your needed income, planning behaviors and activities, knowing the approximate results of these activities and behaviors, and developing a plan. You can determine precisely what you need to do each day to fill your sales funnel. A lot goes in the top and the sales dribble out the bottom. Knowing the ratio of what goes into the top of the funnel to what comes out the bottom tells you what you need to do.
Vacancy and Credit Loss Calc
Rental vacancy and credit loss is the estimated dollar amount of lost rental income due to vacant units and non-payment of rent.
Jumpstart Your Real Estate SOI
Every real estate agent has a sphere of influence, a group of people upon which they have some influence, if for no other reason than they know you. This group will be a future source of business. Increasing the size of your sphere of influence will bring you much business over time.
Real Estate Lease Options
Real estate lease contracts have many elements that constitute the agreement between the landlord and tenant. One of these, if offered, would be a real estate lease option allowing the tenant, or lessee, the privilege or option to renew the lease at the end of the term.
Special Warranty Deeds
A special warranty deed provides less protection for real estate buyer than a general warranty deed. The grantor warrants that they have legal title, and have not encumbered the property during the time they've held title.
Cap Rate Calcs for Clients
Capitalization rate is a common method used in the process of arriving at the value of an income property, such as rental units, commercial rental space, etc. Learn the calculations you'll need as a real estate agent to work with your investor clients.
Real Estate Types of Deeds
Types of deeds used to convey real estate. Learn types of deeds and what each conveys from grantor to grantee.
Real Estate Domain Names
Many wonder if they should use their own Name as their real estate web site domain name. Though it can be one of the names that point to your site, it shouldn't be the primary. It doesn't have to include "real estate" but there are those who believe it helps with the search engines.
Investment Property Returns
Real estate investment property provides numerous advantages over other types of investments. This is primarily due to the different ways in which the real estate investor can realize returns on their property investments. These include mortgage payoff, appreciation, tax advantages, gains from inflation, and more.
Cash Flow After Taxes
After Tax Cash Flow CFAT - Real Estate Investment After Tax Cash Flow CFAT About>Business & Finance>Real Estate Business> Real Estate Investment> Know the Math> After Tax Cash Flow CFAT - Real Estate Investment After Tax Cash Flow CFAT Most Popular Articles
Real Estate Assistant
A real estate assistant, un-licensed or licensed, can be an excellent way to enter the business. Learn by assisting an agent or broker in tasks involved with listing properties, selling homes, creating marketing literature and brochures, and service buyers and sellers.
Major Property Types
Basic description of the major types of real property as marketed by real estate agents and brokers. Vacant land, residential, commercial, and multi-family are included.
Home Repair Estimating
Real estate investing, and especially the flipping of properties, frequently involves the purchase of a property in poor condition and repairing and remodeling it to result in a profit when it's sold. Obviously, great risk is assumed if the real estate investor isn't able to accurately estimate repair costs. Here are resources to help.
Fiduciary Duties - Real Estate
Real estate agency law says that a real estate agent who takes on the capacity of "agent" for her client then takes on the duties developed over many years in common law. These include Obedience, Loyalty, Disclosure, Confidentiality, Accounting, Reasonable Care.
Case-Shiller & OFHEO Indexes
Keep track of what's happening in home prices with these updated charts of the Case-Shiller Home Price Composite 20 Index, the OFHEO (Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight)and the RPX Home Price Indexes.
Real Estate Career For You?
Choosing a real estate career is a big step. Find out if you are suited to work independently and without a fixed salary, as well as if you're up to the task of building your own real estate business.
Tips for the Real Estate Exam
Prioritizing your study subjects, and getting reliable resources and information are key to successfully passing the real estate license test. Real estate license exam tips are outlined here.
Real Estate Contact Manage
Real estate contact and prospect management is at the heart of building a successful real estate business. Keeping track of your many professional contacts is critical to smooth transactions, while prospect management keeps you in the minds of your prospects until and after a transaction.
Addendum or Amendment
Real estate agents need to be sure that they know the difference between an amendment and an addendum to a real estate contract or purchase agreement. In real estate contract law, using the wrong document could lead to more than just a red face. An amendment changes an already-executed agreement, while an addendum is an additional document included in the original agreement.
Real Estate Software Outlook
Real Estate Software - Outlook. Properly configured and customized, MS Outlook can do just about everything a real estate agent or broker needs in the areas of prospect management, contact management, listings and transactions management, tasking and more.
Compensation in Real Estate
Traditionally, agents are sponsored by brokers and receive certain services from their broker. Commissions coming into the brokerage are split on a percentage basis between the broker and the agent. Learn more about how that split works here.
Commission Split
The commission split in real estate is a multi-level sharing of the gross commission as charged to the buyer or seller of real estate. Two brokerages can split the commission and then it can be split again between the broker and the agent(s).
Agent Choose a Broker
Too many new real estate agents think that to choose a broker is primarily based on commission splits. It's not all about the split, as the final in-your-pocket income has to do with many variable services provided by brokers. What training and education do you need and they offer? Do you need lots of floor time and leads provided by the broker?
Commercial Real Estate Leases
Commercial leases for real estate are quite varied in types and terms. Learn about Gross, Triple Net and Modified Net leases here.
Landlord Guide for Investors
Taking the step from buying and selling real estate properties to buy-and-hold strategies and landlord status is a large one. Be sure that you examine your capabilities and desires, plan for management, and that you're capable of dealing with tenants, managing rents, repairs and vendors. This landlord guide will help.
Commercial Lease Calculations
Commercial Lease Calculations - Tools for Commercial Lease Calculations About>Business & Finance>Real Estate Business Essentials Investor Valuation Tools Real Estate Success Classes Annual Budgeting Plans A Day in the Life of a Listing Agent Outlook for Your Business
Property Management Responsibi
Real estate property management is an area of specialization that involves four basic areas of responsibility. Marketing/Financial, Tenant and Occupancy, Facility, and Administrative are those four areas. Get more detail here on these four areas of real estate property management responsibility.
Real Estate Income Method
Appraisers and real estate investors use the income method to value properties that produce rental income in some form. The net income a property generates is used to determine its fair market value. Primarily, capitalization rate and gross rent multiplier are calculations used in this method.
Cell Phone to Email
Cell Phone to Email - Send Voice to Text Cell Phone to Email About>Business & Finance>Real Estate Business> Broker Office Management> Liability and Risk> Cell Phone to Email - Send Voice to Text Cell Phone to Email A New Agent Plan Getting Your License Real Estate Basics Serving Sellers Serving Buyers Marketing for Real Estate Technology for Real Estate Broker Office Management Professional Development Real Estate Investment Commercial Real Estate Real Estate Terminology BlogRoll
Calculate Return on Equity
Return on equity, as calculated in the first year of a real estate investment, is the cash return after taxes divided by the cash invested in the property.
Why Real Estate Agents Fail
Assure your success in a real estate career by knowing the reasons others fail and taking action to overcome them. Competition, variable income commissions, burn-out, and unrealistic expectations are all important contributors to failure in the business.
Encumbrances on Real Estate
Learn the types of encumbrances on real estate properties, including liens, deed restrictions, easements, encroachments and licenses. Real estate encumbrances can adversely impact the sale of a property.
Drive By Broker Price Opinion
A drive by BPO, or broker price opinion, seems like it could be as simple as driving by and shooting a picture or two from the car. Learn here what else can be involved.
Supply & Demand in Real Estate
Real estate supply and demand are different than in many fields or markets. That's because each real estate parcel is unique and real estate cannot be moved. In many fields or markets, if there is a shortage, more of the same product can be manufactured. The unique nature of real estate makes this impossible. You also cannot move more real estate into an area that has a short supply.
Buyer Agent Responsibilities
Buyer agency or buyer representation has been increasing in importance and use for a number of years. Even if a real estate agent works with both buyers and sellers, this description of some of the responsibilities of the real estate buyer agent will apply to how they work with real estate buyers.
Niche Marketing Opportunities
Many highly successful real estate agents and brokers get that way by concentrating on one real estate marketing niche and serving it well. Learn some of the best niche market opportunities here for real estate. Commercial properties, FSBO's, resort and vacation properties, minorities, first time buyers, singles,luxury homes and condominiums are included.
Do You Need an Office?
Just got your real estate broker's license and about to do your own thing? Does a real estate agent or broker need a physical office location, particularly if you don't plan on sponsoring agents? Here we'll profile some of the considerations that will influence this decision. Can technology, computers, the web and email help to replace the office?
Addendum in Real Estate
An addendum should not be confused with an amendment. While an amendment modifies a previously accepted contract, an addendum is part of the original contract. It adds necessary information, requirements or explantory documents to the original contract or purchase agreement. Once an agreement is reached and the contract accepted, additional documents are not added as addendums.
Converting Expired Listings
Many an agent has built their new career on contacting expired listings and impressing them with their ability to do better than the last real estate agent or broker. The consultive approach, with straight-forward information and a formula to help you introduce hard facts about property condition and pricing is presented in this hard-hitting flyer.
A Career in Real Estate
Real estate career benefits are many, and include the ability to be your own boss, set your working hours, build your own independent contractor business, create financial security and more. Pursuing a career in real estate has created many successful business people.
Agent Business Plan Creator
We're looking at the usefulness and value of the CreateAPlan.com service for real estate agent and broker budgets and to determine their expenses, budget and project commission and business revenues and profitability.
Real Estate Email Newsletter
With real estate email newsletters getting more popular every day, how do you develop one that is interesting, timely and not too time consuming or expensive to produce? Using blogging and RSS feeds, a fantastic email newsletter program can be developed at little or no cost.
What Sellers Want
Real estate sellers surveys tell us that they want help from their real estate listing agent with finding a buyer for their home or property, selling their home in their time frame, help with closing or settlement, paperwork, negotiation, as well as help fixing up their home for sale.
Terminate Real Estate Easement
Easements generally pass along with ownership changes in real estate. However, there are ways to terminate a real estate easement. Generally, this is not an automatic event, but will require some legal action. Learn about release, merger, non-use, adverse possession, destruction and quiet title action.
New Real Estate Agents Plan
Getting your license soon, or a new real estate agent? Here's a detailed plan for start-up success. Learn what you have to do for income and expense budgeting, choosing a broker, new agent marketing and more.
Save All Real Estate Email
With so much communication going on today via email, it's only natural that real estate agents and brokers would be working with clients via email in many cases. Do not delete transaction emails. The government has ruled that emails must be produced in pre-trial discovery for federal actions. Be sure to find a reliable archive method to save real estate email.
Gross Operating Income
In real estate investment, we want to estimate the income of a property with a realistic estimate of losses due to vacancy and bad credit. This is called gross operating income or GOI. We subtract those estimated amounts from Gross Projected Income to arrive at Gross Operating Income.
Types of Commercial Realty
Commercial real estate agents and brokers can choose from several specialty types of properties to work with. These include office, business brokerage, industrial, retail and investment.
Fee Simple Estates
A fee simple estate in land is the highest form of ownership recognized by law. The property owner is entitled to the full enjoyment and use of the property subject only to limitations such as deed restrictions or zoning.
Gross Commercial Lease
The commercial gross lease is sometimes also called a full service lease. The landlord generally agrees to pay all expenses in this type of lease, including taxes, insurance and maintenance.
Texas Board of Realtors - Texas Association of Realtors
Contact information and link to the web site of the Texas Board of Realtors.
Investor Mortgage Loans
The type of investor mortgage loan that you select as a real estate investor is a key factor in determining your level of risk and the cashflow that your investment will generate. Here are some things that you should consider. Options include fixed rate, arm adjustable rate, zero down, balloon, exotic and low documentation loans.
Licensed Assistant Duties
A licensed real estate assistant will add additional abilities, as most real estate licensing boards limit what an un-licensed assistant can do. These include document preparation, advice and interpretation, delivery of financial and title documents. attending closings and telephone marketing.
Calculate the Break-Even Ratio
The break-even ratio of a real estate investment is the total of the debt service and operating expenses divided by the gross operating income. It is expressed as a percentage, the lower the better when lenders are looking at a deal.
Duplex
A duplex in real estate normally refers to a structure used for residential purposes and consisting of two living units with a common wall.
Calculate Return on Equity 2
After the first year, or as a projection for future years, a real estate investor might want to calculate the return on equity formula for years after the first. This could be to determine if the return still justifies holding the property when it has appreciated in value and the mortgage has been paid down significantly.
Policy Manual in Production
Your real estate office policy manual needs to begin with an introduction section. This is a short section, but important. It needs to explain what this document is, its purpose, and how changes to the document will be implemented.
Closing a Listing Presentation
Real estate agents and brokers are called upon regularly to meet with sellers as listing prospects. Whether they're friends, referrals or just a call on the phone, know how to conduct yourself at the listing presentation.
Tenant Management
Tenant and occupancy management is an extremely important function in real estate property management. It involves rent collection, property maintenance and enforcement of rental rules and regulations. Consistency and fairness in these areas help to maintain higher occupancy rates and a better return on investment for the owners.
Cap Rate to Justify Price
Using the asking price of an income producing property and the capitalization rates of other similar properties in the area, one can calculate the income necessary to justify the asking price.
Net Operating Income (NOI)
Net operating income, or NOI, is rental income of a property after operating expenses. These expenses would include all operating expenses, including maintenance, insurance, janitorial, supplies, management, accounting, etc.
Web Site Content
The importance of having a large body of unique and interesting real estate web site content cannot be overemphasized. Your site will never get good free positioning in the search engines without it. Learn how it should be done and where to get it here.
Private vs Public REITs
Though not widely publicized, private REITs are an investment offering chosen by some over the public real estate investment trust. What are the drawbacks?
Types of Broker Price Opinions
The two major groupings of BPO, or broker price opinions, are the drive by and the internal BPO. Learn more about them here.
NABPOP for BPO Professionals
NABPOP, or the National Association of Broker Price Opinion Professionals, is an organization that brings together the consumers of BPOs with the agents and brokers who provide them. Learn about it here.
Website or Blog for Listings
With single property websites gaining acceptance, marketing listings on the web is changing for the better. However, with some suggesting multiple blogs instead of web sites for listings, you might wonder which is best. Don't make a decision - do both in one! This is the ultimate internet marketing strategy for listings.
Types of Leasehold Estates
In leased real estate, there are several types of leasehold estates in which a tenant can enjoy possession of the leased property. These include estate for years, periodic tenancy, estate at will, and estate at sufferance.
Improvement Location Report
Too many real estate agents use the term "survey" when referring to the document generated in a real estate transaction, and showing the property lines and the structures on the property. It might be a survey, but in many cases, it's not a full survey and doesn't carry the same protections for the client that would come with a survey. It is generated for the mortgage and title companies for the purpose of identifying possible encroachments.
Title Insurance Binder
During the real estate purchase process, the title company will search the public records, and issue what is called a title insurance commitment or a title insurance binder. This document binds the title company to issue the insurance policy subject to the requirements being met. The list of exceptions are those items that will not be covered by the insurance policy.
Real Estate Time Management
Real estate agents and brokers are self-employed independent contractors in most cases. Effective real estate time management is critical to financial success. Learn the top time-wasting activities and how to avoid them. Not having a plan, effective transaction management systems, task management, or allowing interruptions can all damage productivity.
Meet Experienced Agents
So you've got your license and you're settling into your new office space. You need to make sure that you meet the experienced agents and listen more than you talk. Whether they're bragging or complaining, things that might help you slip out in conversations.
Referral Fees
Definition - Referral fees in real estate are fees charged by one agent or broker to another for a client referred. They are most common when a seller client is leaving the area and their agent refers them to an agent or broker in the new area to which they're moving. Generally this fee is a percentage of the final commission received by the agent who accepts the referral.
Assumption or Subject To
A real property purchase with a mortgage assumption is quite different that purchasing a home subject to a mortgage. Learn the difference here.
Agency Status Explained
Knowing your duties and obligations in representing your client in a real estate transaction is critical. These obligations vary depending on your status. Are you an agent, subagent, transaction broker, etc? Learn what they mean here.
Commissions from Your Web Site
New real estate agents that see what a web site can do for their business are eager to get started on one. Read first about search engine optimization, domain name selection, best content for a real estate web site and more here. Then execute drip email and watch the prospect list grow.
Replacement Cost Method
Real estate appraisers also estimate the value of a property by the appraisal replacement cost, or estimating what it would cost to replace or re-construct the property, disregarding the value of the land. This method considers location, age, construction type, roof type, square footage and other structure related items into account.
Amendment in Real Estate
An amendment, as it relates to a real estate contract or purchase agreement, refers to a document executed subsequent to the original contract being accepted by both parties, and modifying some aspect of the original contract. It's a change to the originally agreed upon terms. This should not be confused with an addendum.
Townhouse
A townhouse is one of a row of homes sharing common walls. Differing from condominiums, townhouse ownership does include individual ownership of the land.
Task Management with Outlook
With Outlook Task Management, you can set up a system that will allow the fast import into Outlook of a list of tasks related to a particular transaction and closing. The sheet can even calculate the task due dates for you based on days from contract date and days before closing. Real estate transaction coordinators are learning the power of MS Outlook for transaction management.
The Web Second/Vacation Buyer
The second home or vacation home buyer is a quality prospect. How you get them to your web site, keep them returning, capture their information and bring them to a deal is all here.
BPOs and Legality by State
BPOs are a major source of revenue for many real estate agents and brokers. They are legal in most states, but you'll want to be sure about yours. Here's how I wasted time and money.
Contingency in Real Estate
A contingency, or condition, is written into a real estate contract to specify an event that, if it happens, the contract would cease to exist. An example would be a purchase contingent upon the buyer obtaining a loan at a specified interest rate or lower. Should the buyer be unable to do this, the contract would end.
Periodic Tenancy
Periodic tenancy, or estate from period to period, is one type of leasehold estate in real estate. There is no defined ending date for this type of lease, but usually a defined period of tenancy, such as month-to-month. Proper notice of termination must be given according to the agreement.
Elements of a Valid Contract
Certain elements are required to make a real estate contract valid legally. These are that it be for a legal purpose, voluntary, there be agreement as an offer and acceptance, the parties must be legally competent to enter into the agreement, and there be valid consideration or exchange of value.
Commercial Property Types
Top commercial real estate property types as handled by real estate agents and brokers. From multi-family apartments to office, retail, industrial, and institutional properties, this is a large segment of total real estate ownership transfers each year.
Real Estate Post Card Farming
A very popular method for real estate farming is the postcard real estate marketing. With a properly maintained mailing list, regular mailings and follow-up, this method can be highly effective at building business in an area for the real estate agent. Real estate post card farming has always been highly effective if done well.
Start Investing in Real Estate
Before you start investing in real estate, know the math to identify good opportunities and manage them for profit. Understand the issues landlords face. Understand leverage, mortgage options, property suitability evaluation, and repairs and maintenance issues.
Listing Clients' Hot Sheet
Real estate agents daily check what's called a hotsheet, or recent activity report from their MLS system. It shows new listings, status changes, price changes, etc. There are certain things that an agent wants to watch for their listing clients.
St. Joseph Prayer for Sellers
The St. Joseph Statue for real estate sellers is quite a popular strategy, with increasing use during slow real estate sales periods. What's it all about, and should real estate agents advise that sellers bury St. Joseph in the yard for a faster home sale?
Estate for Years
An estate for years, or estate for term, is one type of leasehold estate in real estate. This type is a lease for a specific period, with a beginning and an ending date. No notice to vacate is required, as there is a definite date for the lease to end and the tenant to vacate.
Explaining Listing Marketing
It's unfortunate that so much time and effort is spent dealing with concerned sellers about marketing and what is and isn't working in their perception. If real estate agents and brokers would be clear at the beginning as to what they will be doing and how it works, their sellers would be happier.
Leasehold Estate
A leasehold estate in real estate is the tenant's right to possession of the property for the term of the lease. Rights and obligations are spelled out in the lease document.
Zoning of Real Estate
Zoning is a legal tool for municipalities to control the use of real estate. A zone is created, inside which the properties can only be utilized for certain functions. An example is R4, or Residential use with no more than four units per lot/acre, etc. In this zone there could not be commercial businesses, unless a variance to the zoning could be acquired.
Alerting Buyers to Values
Are you alerting buyers to values that come on the market or experience significant price reductions? I don't just mean the buyers with whom you're actually working either.
C.L.U.E. Report in Real Estate
C.L.U.E. (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) Reports give the insurance claim and loss history for a residential property. Insurers regularly report property losses to a company that compiles the C.L.U.E. Report to a homeowner. Only the homeowner or a prospective insurer can order it.
Sites Good for Syndication
Every local real estate agent and brokerage website should be syndicating their listings on the major sites that they deem appropriate. Which are best?
Financial & Marketing Mgmt
Real estate property management includes the responsibility off from marketing and financial functions. A comprehensive budget, marketing plan, and efficient implementation of them are a must. More information on the financial and marketing components of property management.
Real Estate Lease Elements
Real estate lease agreements consist of numerous elements that set out the rights and obligations of the lessor/landlord and the lessee/tenant. These include items referencing possession, use, term, security deposits, options, recording, assignment, sub-leasing, maintenance, destruction, and improvements.
Selecting the Contact Form
A step by step instructional with images that will teach a real estate agent how to customize their contact view in MS Outlook 2003. In this tutorial, we'll build a custom Buyer field to store the type of property in which they are interested.
Board of Realtors - State Realtor Associations
Links to the state Realtor Association web sites. Contact information.
Real Estate Earnest Money
Buyers frequently deposit earnest money in a real estate transaction. Learn how real estate earnest money is accounted for, handled, and refunded in the real estate purchase transaction.
Yahoo Keyword Selection Tool
Yahoo has a tool that allows you to enter a keyword phrase and see all the searched variations on that phrase for the last full month. The results tell you the number of searches for each phrase variation. Use it to locate opportunities in phrases with smaller search volumes that might be less expensive to bid for, as well as those that might be overlooked by the competition.
Real Estate Web Site Content
If you want your real estate web site to do more than just showcase your listings, then you need to pay attention to what it presents to the visitor. Content that buyer and seller web shoppers want is what will get them to your site and keep them until they're ready for a transaction.
Associate Broker
A real estate person holding a broker license that chooses to associate or affiliate with another sponsoring broker rather than opening their own brokerage office. They want the added knowledge and status of a broker, but do not desire to operate an independent office.
Business Model
A business model is the theory and basic plan, as well as the structure, for operating a business. There are usually many business models in an industry. A model is chosen as a preference of how the owners want to operate, and as a response to their market and customer requirements. Real Estate business models include independent brokers, franchises, associate brokers, flat fee, commission, fee-for-service, and buyer agency.
Why Invest in Real Estate?
With a major portion of the 1990's Standard & Poors Earnings running at 5% to 6%, with dividend earnings running 2% or less, an astute real estate investor would have done much better. With a strategy of only purchasing properties with expected rental yields above 6%, the added return potential of amortization, leverage, appreciation, tax advantages and more make real estate a sound alternative to other investment vehicles.
Blog for Real Estate Success
Make your real estate blog a search engine powerhouse, business networking tool and a community resource. Learn to use guest authors for real estate blogging to get more posts with less work. A real estate blog can bring you prospects, clients and business.
Real Estate Franchises
Learn about some of the largest real estate franchises, their business models, how agents are compensated, costs to agents and brokers, franchise fees, agent splits, profit sharing, revenue sharing, residuals and more. Look at profiles of Prudential Real Estate, Exit Realty, Keller Williams Real Estate, RE/MAX, Coldwell Banker and Century 21.

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