Realtors Predict Falling Home Prices

According to the National Association of Realtors, home prices will probably fall temporarily as the housing market corrects itself.

Prices are expected to bounce higher in a few months "as the market works through a build in housing inventory," said David Lereah, chief economist for the NAR.

Median home prices are expected to increase 2.8% this year, with 2007 seeing an increase of 2.2%. Median new home prices are expect to rise only 0.2% in 2006, but are said to increase by 2.4% in 2007.

After inflation adjustments, the realtors project that median home prices will be lower at the end of 2007 than they are now.

Existing home prices have been rising at an average of 9.6% a year for the past four years, ahead of the inflation rate. New home prices were up 13.3% in 2004 and 9% in 2005.

"This year sales are slowing, home are plentiful and sellers are negotiating," Lereah explained. "Under these conditions, we'll probably see prices dip temporarily below year-ago levels as the market works through a build up in housing inventory."

The real estate group is forecasting existing home sales to fall 7.6% in 2006 and an additional 1.7% in 2007. New home sales are predicted to fall 16.1% in 2006 and 7.1% in 2007. Housing starts are expected to be down by 9.6% this year.

Home Mortgage Online: A Quick Introduction

You want to buy a home. Or you have one and wish to profitably derive some immediate cash from it for emergency needs. Either ways, you should opt for a home mortgage online right away. The feeling of freedom that comes with having one’s own space is incomparable. Whether it is living, working or entertaining, your home represents your aspirations. Somehow, you have been postponing the decision for many reasons. Insufficient earnings, other debts, lack of advice or plain laziness could have stopped you.

With home mortgage online, finding the right financial support for your home buying decision is just a click away. There are several factors that should be considered before closing the mortgage agreement. Determine the budget range in which you would shop for a home. This in turn depends on your present and future earnings potential discounted for living expenses, debt repayments and other outgoings.

Most mortgage lenders would give a preapproval based on your score in their credit appraisal. This gives you credibility when you negotiate with sellers or their agents. Home mortgage online is an easy and transparent process. The mortgage lenders provide quotes on their websites or through directory sites. This makes comparison between competitive quotes faster and easier.

Lenders offering home mortgage online provide a wide array of products like simple mortgage, interest only, fixed rate, adjustable rate or bad credit consolidation.

There is an innovative option of deriving equity from your home. This means you could use your home as a collateral to create a mortgage. The funds received could meet an immediate requirement. Home mortgage online offer this scheme as well as bad credit mortgage loans to help erase painful memories of poor credit performance.

Many mortgage lenders have personalized advice available online. You submit details about your requirements and you would get the best advice for your unique needs. Wells Fargo, Quicken loans, eloan and Greenwood Capital are some of the well known mortgage lenders who offer home mortgage online.

Getting The Most Out Of Your Investments

Money can be easily found, and then lost, in Las Vegas. The place is not called the ‘gambling capital’ of the United States for nothing, so you should be very careful with your money when investing in Las Vegas. Setting up investments in Las Vegas is not like gambling, where you rely on chance to win. In fact, professional gamblers don’t rely on luck to win, so you should never rely on luck. This is especially true if you are investing into stocks and bonds in Las Vegas.

When investing in stocks and bonds in Las Vegas, always remember that you would be better off with an agent or a broker. There are many things that you should watch for when making investments in stocks and bonds. You should never make the mistake of thinking that investing in stocks and bonds is just as easy as going to a restaurant and buying your favorite food. Buying stocks and bonds requires specialized knowledge, which a broker or an agent could very well provide to you. For instance, high yielding stocks and bonds entail the highest risk. If you were not aware that high yielding bonds and stocks involve great risk, you would probably go for them and put most if not all of your money into them. Consequently, if the investment failed, you would end up losing most of your hard earned money. On the other hand, a good broker or agent knows the odds. So he or she would probably advise you to only put money that you can afford to lose, into high yielding stocks and bonds that involve great risk. Having an agent or broker to assist you will prevent you from losing large amounts on your investments.

Finding Help

Have you ever tried buying investments in Las Vegas on your own and ended up with a bad investment that drained you financially? Making investments is supposed to give you income and not drain you financially, so it is never a good practice to make investments without consulting a good investment consultant. This especially includes those that involve a large amount of money. You may not have thought about it before, but you could easily make the wrong investments when you don’t take every precaution. It could cost you a lot and even drain you financially. So make sure that before you do make any investments, you get all of the information you need, including the expert opinion of an investment consultant.

There are many advantages in getting an investment consultant, especially if you can afford a top-rated investment consultant. What are the advantages of getting top-rated consultants? First, an investment consultant is very knowledgeable on certain investments that you may want to engage in. With their specialized knowledge in certain fields, they can give you sound advices that could help you make the right investment. Secondly, a good investment consultant can help you plan out your investment schedules. If you have a large amount of money that you want to invest, the consult can help you plan out your investment in such a way that you could reduce the investment risk. Third, with the help of an investment consultant, you can find the best investment opportunities in Las Vegas. Investment consultants can guide you and help you earn profits from your investments, which is the best reason to ensure you get one before investing.

3 Tips To Buy A Cheap Foreclosed Home From Government Auctions

How to buy a cheap home? Well, the answer most people could come up to address that question is through buying foreclosed home from government auctions.

National and most of local governments are regularly holding or sponsoring foreclosure or auctions of repossessed homes. There are governments that offer such on a monthly basis, while others make it quarterly, semi-annually, or even yearly.

However the repossessed home is priced, the more important thing, and the significant idea you should always bear in mind is that you must always aim to buy at cheap prices.

Here are some useful and practical tips that could help you forge a cheap deal if you are aiming to cheaply buy a foreclosed home from a government auction.

1. Inspect the home very carefully. Check all the minor and negligible details. Sometimes, you could be surprised at how some homes are overvalued when in fact, the damages and defects can practically scrap or significantly mark down the tag price.

2. Bring an expert when looking or inspecting a foreclosed home during government auctions. Sometimes, you have to recognize other people's profession and expertise during times when they are needed. Buying homes is an activity expert home buyers and valuators can easily get across at. Take the sidelines, for a while.

3. Bid, but start at a low bid. Since the auction is just like a contest, where you would aim to compete with other bidders for a home, make sure you do not over price the foreclosed home. Otherwise, back out, and let other 'willing' people have it if they are willing to pay the premium price.

The most important thing to bear in mind when buying foreclosed homes at government auctions, is to maintain focus, both on the home and on the tag price. The two should never be separately seen.

Just the Facts: The Duties of a Real Estate Agent

As a real estate agent, you will help people buy and sell houses. You will enroll in a real estate license program to get the knowledge you need to accurately and legally perform your job. This will give you the knowledge to know how much a house is worth, and the skills to accurately represent the cities and neighborhoods in their area. You need to have practicing knowledge of the laws involved with the real estate process. You should also know where a buyer can secure financing.

If people want to buy or sell a house, they get the assistance of a licensed real estate salesperson. Your duties may vary, but you will typically perform the following tasks:

Buying a House

You will meet with the buyers to determine what kind of house they want.
You will discuss how much money they can afford to spend.
You will take them to see houses for sale.

Selling a House

You will complete the proper paperwork to list a house for sale.
You will assist the seller with selecting the sale price for their home.
You will create and place advertisements to get potential buyers into the house.
You will hold open houses.

After the Sale

You will fill out special forms to transfer ownership.
You will help the buyer secure a loan from the bank.

As a real estate agent, you will generally work in an office setting. Since much of the information about properties is available over the Internet, you can also work out of your own home. You might need a formal office, however, to meet with current and potential clients. A lot of time will be spent showing potential properties to buyers, as well as finding new business.

After you get your real estate license, you will work for a broker. When you sell a house, you will receive a commission, a percentage based on the total purchase price of the house.

Mortgage Marketing - How to Find Your Niche

Your success in the mortgage industry is dependent on you becoming an expert. A mortgage marketing plan built around a niche helps you become one.

For instance, if you were remodeling a kitchen with top of the line appliances, would you go to a high end appliance store or a discount department store?

The department store will offer you all kinds of appliances, as well as tools, clothes, etc. while the high end appliance store is an expert at their products. The high end store has a reputation with being cutting edge and finding the best available appliances. And that reputation is well deserved.

With a reputation for excellence, these high end stores don’t have to spend time cold calling for clients. Instead, new prospects seek them out to do business with them. These businesses have successfully found their niche and they are reaping the profit of being positioned as experts.

It’s not difficult to become an expert. It’s possible that you are already on your way. You become an expert when you combine repetition with disciplined research, self-study, continuing education, and practical experience.

When you establish a position within a particular niche, you become a source of information, for clients and real estate agents.

Realtors want to work with someone reliable; someone that understands all the potential problems that can arise in a loan application process. Agents want to work with someone that can save them time and money.

Developing Your Niche

Your first step to developing your niche as your mortgage marketing plan is to take an inventory of your skills. Use the following questions to help you:

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* Are there problems that you frequently solve for Realtors?
* Have you completed any specialized training?
* Do you have a favorite loan program?
* Is there an area that you receive compliments from clients or Realtors?
* Are you passionate about one aspect of your business?
Is there a part of your business that you are best at?

As you look through your answers, are there any consistencies?

Narrow Your Focus

If you have discovered some consistencies from the inventory you completed, you’ve uncovered some potential niches.

When you focus on one niche, you are maximizing your resources. Instead of devoting time, energy and funds to pursue training and experience in multiple facets, or multiple loan programs, you focus on becoming knowledgeable on one.

The more you work in one niche, the more your reputation as an expert is disseminated. And people are more likely to seek out an expert to assist them. You are building your reputation for expertise and excellence. Few Realtors would walk away from a relationship that could be so productive, or from such an established knowledge base.

You also are conserving time and money on your mortgage marketing. Instead of investing double or even triple the amount of time and money on multiple positions, your narrow focus helps you be more productive and offers a greater return on investment. Saving time by focusing on one area also helps you to spend more time focusing on your clients and enhancing your reputation.

Realtors Need You

Don’t assume that other mortgage professionals share your same level of expertise. When you work at developing a singular niche, you often leave competition behind.

Realtors want to be confident about relying on your expertise. For example, ask Realtors to complete a survey about their needs. You’ll find that many of them are willing to share examples of inconsistencies in loan processing or problems with communication between lenders and Realtors. Use these experiences to refine your niche.

Expertise is a commodity that is highly valued. When you develop a niche market, you bring a consistent, expertise voice to service for clients and Realtors. A service that they can count on and that you can build your mortgage marketing plans around.

Loan Officer Marketing - Creating Expectations

A loan officer marketing to generate loans doesn’t need to be difficult. Sometimes it’s simply knowing where and how to start. Your best starting point is to create expectations. Loan officer marketing that focuses on building expectations captures easy opportunities and makes your job easier.

For example, remember the experiments of Pavlov and his dog? Pavlov trained his dogs to receive a treat each time a bell was rung. Eventually he removed the reward and simply rang the bell. The dog responded by salivating every time the bell was rung, expecting a treat.

Pavlov created an expectation for the reward and his dog quickly learned the drill. We aren’t all that different from the dogs. People frequently have a perception about an experience, and our perception creates an expectation about our experiences.

Let’s say you’ve read a newspaper rave review about a restaurant. When you walk into the lobby of the restaurant you are impressed by the elegance and luxury, you’re sure you’ll get a great meal. Because you’ve built your expectations to believe that you’ll get a great meal, the food and service is remarkable.

There are many examples of how our expectations shape our perceptions, but it’s more important to consider how you can use perceptions of service to your benefit. Keep reading to learn how you can you shape expectations about your business.

Improve Your Materials

Take a look at your marketing materials. Do they give the impression or create an expectation of a trusted and highly skilled loan officer? Is there anything about the materials that make you look smart, competent, and experienced?

Your materials create the first impression with your prospects. They establish the expectation for your service. Do you need to improve your materials?

There are two important elements in your materials: brevity and image. Your window of opportunity is narrow. For instance, a loan officer marketing to Realtors only has an agent’s attention for a brief amount of time. This isn’t a good time to expound on your services. It’s a “just the facts” moment. Images can sometimes covey powerful emotions. Consider using pictures to communicate part of your message.

A Website Shapes Expectations

Your website may be your most powerful loan officer marketing tool. Your prospects will often first look at your website to see if you look like a competent professional.

Does your website look like it was developed by a professional? Is it easy to navigate? Does it present information clearly? Does it appeal to both Realtors and consumers?

One way to evaluate your website is to compare it to other mortgage professionals. Your site should be an educational source. And it should distinguish you from the competition.

To get the attention of Realtors and establish an expectation of excellent service, your site has to address their needs. Just like with your other materials, the use of images can pack far more powerful punch than mere words.

Use Touchpoints For Emphasis

The expectation delivered with loan officer marketing materials is reinforced by those occasions of contact between you and the prospect. This contact is referred to as “touchpoints”, and can refer to human, product or system touchpoints.

For instance, when a client calls your office and the call is answered by your friendly and courteous receptionist, this is a human touchpoint.

When you send Realtors an invitation to meet and discuss opportunities, you set an expectation with the quality of your letter and materials. This touchpoint is a product touchpoint.

When a Realtor calls your office and receives your voicemail with a professional greeting, that is considered a system touchpoint.

Each touchpoint is an opportunity to establish an expectation for your service. Think about every possible contact as an encounter and make those encounters a clear expectation of your professionalism and competence. Your loan officer marketing will seem exceptional, and just what the prospect is looking for.

Jeff Nelson helps loan officers increase loan originations by attracting quality relationships with real estate agents from the development of customized relationship-building strategies.

Save Money and Move Yourself

Have you decided to save some money on movers and move your furniture yourself. If so you have taken on quite a job. Moving can be difficult and tiring but this article will give you some tips to help make your move go smoothly.

First off you need to make sure that you reserve a moving truck well before your move. Rental companies can and do sell out of truck rentals. Order your truck at least 3 weeks in advance. Longer if your move is at the end of the month when most trucks are rented. If you want to save some hassle you can rent one during the middle of the week. They are easier to get during the week and the rental store will not be as busy so you will get in and out faster.

Next be sure to pack a few days before the actual move. There is nothing worse than having to pack the day of the move or the night before it. Moving will go much easier if all you have to do is load on the day of the move. Be sure to mark the boxes accurately so that they get put into the right room. Pack a separate box of things that you will need immediately like a change of clothes and toiletries.

Lastly when you load the truck fill up the granny's attic (if so equipped) with boxes first. Then load the heavier items towards the front of the truck. If possible load the items that you will want immediately last.

After you load the truck and are preparing to leave use caution. A loaded moving truck does not handle well. Give yourself extra time to stop and turn at a slower speed. Good luck and happy moving.

Consider Homeowner's Insurance When Purchasing Real Estate

Whether it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s market, real estate is always a hot business. Sure, everyone likes a good deal, and many buyers choose to purchase a home when prices are low, but the fact is people always need places to live; that doesn’t change just because property prices are high at a particular time.

There are ways to save money when shopping for real estate that go beyond just shopping during a buyer’s market. Once you’ve figured your budget and have a general idea of what kind of home you’d like to buy, it’s time to go house hunting. This is where saving money comes into the picture.

In order to save money on real estate costs, many people opt to purchase “fixer upper” real estate. A “fixer upper” is a home that needs a lot of work; maybe new floors, new windows, even a new roof. Buyers choose a “fixer upper” not only because the price is less than that of a home that’s in move-in condition, but also because they see great potential in the home.

While it’s true that buyers can save money by purchasing “fixer upper” real estate, they can also lose money in the long run. Aside from the costs of repairs during the “fixing up,” homeowner’s insurance tends to run much higher for people whose homes aren’t in the best condition. Homeowner’s insurance isn’t usually mandatory, but if a buyer has to borrow money from a bank in order to purchase the real estate, the bank may just require the buyer to purchase homeowner’s insurance until the debt is paid off.

So, the next time you head out to purchase real estate, keep in mind that you may be required to purchase homeowner’s insurance, as well. A “fixer upper” might sound good when you’re making your offer, but it might not sound as good once you start looking for homeowner’s insurance.