Building and Remodeling Challenges

Building and remodeling both come with their own sets of challenges but, for many consumers the costs associated with a building project seem mysterious. On top of that there is the surprise factor that creeps into the process as people see the real costs of the things they like. Let's face it, quality things cost more and everybody likes quality.

The strange thing about building costs is how little people really know about them. Most people would expect to pay a lot more for a Lexus than they would expect to pay for a Chevy Cavalier, yet many of the same people are surprised to find out how much more an Anderson window costs than a builder's window. To give you some ideas about the differences in costs of just a few items take a look below.

*A beveled glass entry door could cost $1000 more than a steel, panel entry door.

*A quiet range hood could cost double what an economy range hood costs.

*Spa tub faucets can start out at 10 times the cost of standard tub faucets.

One of the things you can do to help you get costs in perspective is to take a trip to a building supply store and spend some time looking at the things you would like to have compared to similar things that cost less. Go to some housing developments and tour some homes. Look closely at the details of the homes and the materials that are used. Compare how you "feel" in one home when compared to another. Then compare the costs of the homes.

It won't be long before you'll begin to have a better understanding of what it is going to cost to build something that suits your style.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Hann

Regardless of all the safety nets we have in place for everyday life

Regardless of all the safety nets we have in place for everyday life, there is no escaping that living is a dangerous proposition. People routinely make critical mistakes in how they interact with their environment and those mistakes lead to injury and often to death.

I have often wondered why it is that thoughts of safety are not the very first thought in our minds whenever we consider doing anything. Especially in construction the dangers are magnified just as they are in other heavy industries.

Of course, attitude is really the biggest killer. It's the attitude that "Nothing can hurt me," or, "It won't happen to me." So, people routinely take chances like working without safety glasses or dust masks. But the other big one is just plain not paying attention. Last month alone at least two people fell to their deaths on construction sites because they forgot where they were and made a wrong step in the wrong direction. These are mistakes that you can't recover from. Once that foot is set to come down on a hard surface, but instead comes down on air, you're going over the edge.

As we venture into the New Year it's a good time to reaffirm our commitments to working safely. I encourage all of you to review your programs and see where they may be lacking, or where they have lost their luster, and then breathe new life into them. It's only through constant reminding that we stand a chance at making safety the first thought.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Hann

surprising strength shows on Home sales in December

Sales of existing homes posted an unexpected increase last month, as sales of bargain-basement foreclosures in California and Florida boomed, closing out the worst year for the U.S. real estate market in more than a decade.

Analysts, however, cautioned that prices are likely to keep falling through 2009, and said the outlook for home sales is highly uncertain, despite a boost from low mortgage rates.

“I don’t think we’re close to a bottom yet,” said Michelle Meyer, a Barclays Capital economist who sees nationwide prices falling another 15 percent this year. “We’re still very far away from a normal housing market.”If President Barack Obama’s administration enacts a plan to keep borrowers in their homes, Meyer said, that might stop some foreclosures from flooding the market, but it’s still unclear how successful any government efforts will be.

Sales of existing homes rose 6.5 percent to an annual rate of 4.74 million in December, from a downwardly revised pace of 4.45 million in November, the National Association of Realtors said Monday. Without adjusting for seasonal factors, sales nationwide were up 1.1 percent from a year earlier, reflecting a surge of more than 36 percent in the Western states.

The nationwide median sales price plunged to $175,400, down 15.3 percent from $207,000 a year ago. That was the lowest price since May 2003 and the biggest year-over-year drop on records going back to 1968. With sales of foreclosures and other distressed properties making up about 45 percent of sales, many economists expect prices to keep falling.

For all of 2008, there were 4.9 million existing home sales, down more than 13 percent from a year earlier, and the lowest total since 1997.

Making matters worse, layoffs continue to accelerate as the recession deepens.

Home Depot Inc. said Monday it plans to eliminate 7,000 jobs while closing four dozen of its smaller home improvement stores. Sprint Nextel Corp. said it is eliminating about 8,000 positions as it seeks to cut costs.

Experts say that when the housing market turns around, price increases are likely to be modest.

“We have another year to go of soft home prices, primarily at this point because of the recession and job losses.” Norm Miller, a real estate professor at the University of San Diego, said in an interview last week.

One encouraging sign — the number of unsold homes on the market in last month fell nearly 12 percent to 3.7 million, the lowest level since January 2007. At the current sales pace, it would take 9.3 months to sell all the properties, down from 11.2 months in November.

However, Patrick Newport, an economist with IHS Global Insight, noted that the Realtors’ group tends to underestimate the inventory of homes on the market because many foreclosures are sold through auctions.

Lawrence Yun, the trade group’s chief economist, called on lawmakers to include tax credits for home buyers in the economic recovery package being considered by Congress.

He said, “The economy just simply cannot recover as long as home prices continue to decline.”

Fannie Mae may need another $16 billion in aid

Mortgage finance company Fannie Mae said Monday that it likely needs up to $16 billion from the government as conditions in the U.S. housing market continue to deteriorate.

Fannie Mae’s disclosure that it expects an injection of $11 billion to $16 billion in taxpayer aid comes after sibling company Freddie Mac disclosed last week that it’s likely to require as much as $35 billion in federal support on top of the $13.8 billion it received last year.

Fannie, which has yet to receive any government aid, said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that the actual amount needed “may differ materially from this estimate” because its fourth-quarter financial statements are still being prepared.

Home prices drop by record pace in November

Jacquie Jacobs has lived in San Diego all her life, and finally now, she can afford to buy a house there. That's the bright side of plunging home prices.

"I love it here, but for so long it's been out of my reach to buy a home," said Jacobs, a 32-year-old utility inspector.

Not anymore. San Diego home prices fell nearly 26 percent year-over-year in November, according to Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller housing index released Tuesday. And with mortgage rates near historic lows, Jacobs, who says she has good credit and a small down payment, is taking a stab at homeownership.

Home you save could be your own

Luis Molina is not a lawyer and he has never played one on TV.

But that didn’t stop him from putting on his best suit, marching into a Miami courtroom this month and going up against an attorney with 30 years of experience to stop a foreclosure proceeding against his family’s home. Molina did such a good job of representing himself that the judge in the case thought he was a lawyer and punctuated his ruling in Molina's favor by tearing up the other side’s motion for summary judgment and throwing it over his shoulder.

“I felt like a million dollars,” Molina told msnbc.com, describing his day in Judge David C. Miller's courtroom in Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit Court. “I felt like if there was anything in my life that I had done correctly, it had to be that. Every single lawyer after the fight came over and shook my hand.”

Both parties suddenly move to aid homeowners

Four months after Congress tried to rescue the economy with a $700 billion bailout for the financial industry, Republicans and Democrats are suddenly competing to bail out financially struggling homeowners.

Having spent hundreds of billions of dollars rescuing financial institutions, only to see the economy spiral even deeper into crisis, liberal and conservative economists and lawmakers are pushing to redirect the economic stimulus bill to what they say is the core problem: the housing market.

Senate Republicans are seeking new tax breaks and up to $300 billion in mortgage subsidies to attract homebuyers. Democrats want to spend at least $50 billion on federal programs aimed at reducing mortgage foreclosures.

sales at slowest rate on record On New homes

Sales of new homes plunged to the slowest pace on record last month as the hobbled homebuilding industry posted its worst annual sales results in more than two decades.

The Commerce Department said Thursday that new home sales fell 14.7 percent in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 331,000, from a downwardly revised November figure of 388,000.

“This is an awful report. ... Builders just can’t cut back fast enough, so prices remain under downward pressure,” Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist for High Frequency Economics, wrote in a research note.

post increase of 6.3 percent in Pending home sales

Buyers wade back into market as prices fall along with mortgage rates

An index that tracks signed contracts to purchase existing homes rebounded in December, as buyers snapped up properties at deep discounts, especially in the South and Midwest.

It was the second positive sign in the past two weeks for the troubled U.S. housing market, and may indicate that a bottom is forming — at least for home sales. Analysts, however, caution that prices are likely to keep falling through 2009, and say the outlook for home sales is uncertain, especially as layoffs mount and banks’ lending standards remain tight.

“Buyers are dipping their toes back into the housing market, but they have yet to really take the plunge,” wrote Joel Naroff, chief economist with Naroff Economic Advisors.

Building a Green Home - Six Ways to Save Energy (and Money)

There are many areas where you can experience significant energy savings when you are building a green home. By working with an architect in the early design stages, many of these areas can be addressed in the design of your energy efficient home, helping you to save money in the future and enjoy a healthier home:

1) Footprint: Reduce the size of your home. Your home design should be limited to only as much space as your family needs. This will keep your energy usage to a minimum right from the start.

2) Windows: Windows are a break in the thermal insulating barrier of your home. The higher quality window you choose the better performance the entire home will achieve.

3) Insulation: Even if you do nothing else, by choosing a superior building envelope for your home like structural insulated panels (SIPs panels) and/or an insulated concrete form foundation system (ICF), you will enjoy huge savings in heating and cooling your home (up to 50%-60% over a home without SIPs).

4) Passive solar design: By incorporating sunlight for lighting and heat and natural ventilation into the basic home design, you can reduce the size of mechanical systems and lighting in the home.

5) Heating system: Consider a renewable energy system to heat and cool the space and tap water in your home (solar, wind, geothermal).

6) Ventilation: Incorporate an air-to-air exchanger, or heat recovery ventilator (HRV) system into your home. This will replace stale air with fresh outdoor air while maintaining the temperature inside the home and conserving energy.

There are many other areas of the home that can be addressed to increase energy efficiency and save money over the life of your home. In the beginning stages of the home design, your green architect will discuss your opportunities to save money while providing a healthy environment for your family.

About the Author: Jeremy Bonin, a principal partner of Bonin Architects & Associates http://www.boninarchitects.com, is an award-winning green architect and the author of TIMBER FRAMES: Designing Your Custom Home. With a special interest in sustainable design and green homes, structural insulated panels (SIPs), as well as timber frame construction, Jeremy incorporates renewable energy practices where possible, including geo-thermal, solar, radiant heat, and energy-efficient foundation systems.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeremy_Bonin

Geographic Micro-Markets in Real Estate

When seemingly endless statistical reports show steadily declining home values, it is essential to analyze geographic micro-markets to properly assess the value of residential properties. Although many media and data tracking sources will often cite national declines in median housing prices, a significant number of areas, or micro-markets, will simultaneously experience an increase in home values. So how does this micro-market phenomenon repeatedly occur with each turn of the real estate cycle?

As if the old adage of "location, location, location" needs to be repeated ad infinitum, prospective home buyers will attempt to reduce the stress and confusion associated with house shopping by focusing solely on the amenities offered in each home. Unfortunately, when determining the value of a home, features like granite countertops and floor coverings are relatively insignificant when compared to the quality of the neighborhood in which a home is located.

In support of this point, both government assessors and private appraisers utilize the "comparable sales approach" to determine the value of a property. According to this method of valuation, the sizes and prices of homes sold in the surrounding neighborhood are analyzed to determine the worth of the subject property. Some weight will be attributed to the degree of features included in a house, but the value that amenities typically contribute towards a home's determined worth is relatively nominal. This explains why a discrepancy in price between identical homes located in different geographic micro-markets can often amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars, while a home with unsurpassed amenities may be worth only thirty thousand dollars more than the basic home of similar size across the street.

Housing boom markets often cause home buyers to disregard the importance of location and concentrate only on how much house and how many amenities they can get for the money. Why worry about location when housing values will undoubtedly continue to increase in every neighborhood? It isn't until the boom bubble bursts and prices begin to decline that buyers become weary and truly start to analyze whether their prospective purchase will amount to an appreciable investment in the future. As a result, buyers will start to purchase only in quality neighborhoods. They bypass those areas teeming with rental homes, bank owned foreclosures, and desperate owners and builders rapidly dropping sales prices to compete while driving down the neighborhood's comparable home values in the process.

Consequently, home values in quality neighborhoods are stabilized and eventually increased due to heightened demand generated by these selective buyers steadily reducing the available supply of homes for sale in desirable areas. So despite computer generated statistical reports showing national price declines, stable micro-markets are created, begin to appreciate, and the wheels of the real estate cycle go around and around.

About the Author:
Brian S. Icenhower, Esq., BS, JD, CRB, CRS, ABR, a California Association of Realtors Director, practicing real estate attorney, a real estate expert witness and litigation consultant, a prosecution consultant of Tulare County District Attorney Real Estate Fraud. He may be contacted at bicenhower@icenhowerrealestate.com, or http://www.icenhowerrealestate.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Icenhower

Home sales down in Philadelphia area, up for U.S.

In the eight-county Philadelphia area, sales declined 22.6 percent in July from July 2007. The average price dropped 2.5 percent, to $234,000 from $240,000, according to Prudential Fox & Roach HomExpert Report, based on Trend Multiple Listing Service data. Nationally, median prices tumbled 7.1 percent from July 2007, to $212,400 from $228,600, the National Association of Realtors said yesterday. Month-to-month sales in the Philadelphia metropolitan area were 9 percent lower. By contrast, sales nationally rose 3.1 percent in July from June. "While the bounce in July existing sales is a welcome improvement, the housing market still suffers from high inventories

Long Island Real Estate Market - It's Starting to Look Ugly

For the Long Island real estate market, as we move forward into the abyss...no scratch that...

As we move forward towards certain doom...nope, not going there...

As we look toward the dark days that lie ahead...no, no...

As we look toward the future...(breathe)...there are definitely going to be some bumps in the road. Okay, that was much better. I recently went ahead and started taking a close look at individual towns throughout the Long Island real estate market and their last 30 days of activity. I focused on a few characteristics and I will share them in this article.

They are:
1. Highest-Priced Sold Home in the Area.
2. Average Selling Price in the Area.
3. Number of Units (houses) Sold.

I will be delivering an updated foreclosure report in the coming weeks, because ultimately, the situation with home values is going to be crushed by the wave of pending foreclosures throughout the Long Island real estate market.

The following is a breakdown of towns that I randomly chose to include in this article. If you want information on a specific town, not featured in the article - leave a comment or call me.

Town
Deer Park
$435,000 = Highest-Priced Sold Home
$345,267 = Average Selling Price
15 = Number of Units Sold

West Islip
$994,000
$478,308
13

Babylon
$618,000
$472,125
8

Farmingdale
$575,000
$379,265
17

Amityville
$725,000
$493,688
8

Huntington
$1,600,000
$581,597
39

Smithtown
$810,000
$476,556
23

Brentwood
$450,000
$278,735
26

Massapequa
$1,200,000
$481,940
34

Elmont
$450,000
$357,639
15

W. Babylon
$380,000
$313,091
11

Riverhead
[Only 4 closings in the previous 30 days - data insufficient]

Manorville
$495,000
$406,214
7

Mastic
$295,000
$214,472
12

Now after looking at these numbers, you can see that the amount of closings is significantly low. For example, in Mastic, New York, there are over 500 homes for sale. With only 12 closings in the last 30 days, that translates to less than 2% of the market selling. In Riverhead, New York, there were less than 5 closings during the last 30 days.

Additionally, in West Babylon, the average selling price for the previous 30 days was less than $315,000 and in Farmingdale, the average has dipped below $400,000 down to $379,265.

While some high end homes closed in towns like Huntington, West Islip and Massapequa, you can tell by their averages that most of the homes in those areas are significantly less in selling prices and, those homes that did sell for over 1 million dollars have lost significant equity value to sell at those prices.

With the continued increase of foreclosures throughout the Long Island real estate market, homeowners must take into consideration that it is not going to get better overnight. Anyone who wants to sell their home should know this information and take it very seriously.

If you would like more information on the Long Island real estate market, please feel free to email me at th om as . m c g i v e r o n @ topproducer.com (please remove all spaces - I do this to avoid spambot emailing). Or feel free to leave a comment on this article.

(c) Copyright, tommcgiveron.com

By Thomas McGiveron, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson, New York State

For more information on the Long Island Real Estate Market or to find great resources for your real estate needs, you can also visit a fantastic website, tomsresource.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_McGiveron

Real Estate Management Code of Conduct

Professional real estate management is practiced in a fair and clear manner only when the professionals involved follow a formal code of conduct. This ensures client satisfaction which is a very important element for the success of any business. There are certain ethical norms that have to be strictly followed by the assets managing executives.

Loyalty is a very important aspect of the attitude of the assets managing executive towards his employers and his clients. While safeguarding the interests of the client he should not compromise with the interests of his employing organization; and vice versa. There are many executives who compromise with their sincerity towards their employers and their clients to meet their selfish ends and make some fast money. The employing firms have their own set of rules which may differ from one firm to another. The professional real estate management staff may be directed to either give more weight age to the preferences of the clients or the employer, in case of any differences in opinion. They should never engage in any activity that is detrimental to the interests of their employers or their clients.

No client will want his private information to be leaked out to anybody. Hence, the assets managing professionals are expected to maintain confidentiality in their dealings with the client details. They should not leak out information about one client to another, even if it is for promoting the good reputation of the firm. If it is necessary at all to provide details on an official basis to some concerned staff, he should do so with the consent of the client and not otherwise. If it to be done without the knowledge of the client , the concerned professional real estate management executive should do so in strict adherence to the laws of the land regarding such activity.

The client has the right to ask the executive managing his asset to give him accurate information regarding his assets, at any point of time, without any notice. Hence, the executive should be prepared with all the client details. They should be neatly documented and should be in an auditable format. These records should also be available to the inspectors and other executives who need to access them for their work. However, the particular executive dealing with a particular client is responsible for safeguarding the documents of the client. He should not conceal any relevant information from the client. He should not distort facts while conveying them to the clients. The professional real estate management executive should not resort to any of these methodologies to convince the client. He should always give a truthful and frank opinion.

The assets managing executive should be very careful when dealing with the money of the client. He should maintain an exclusive account for each client and not store it in a common pool. All records pertaining to finances should be accurately made and recorded. The financial privacy of each client should not be compromised with at any cost. The monetary deposit of the client should not be used for the expenses of the firm or to meet the expenses of another client, whatever the emergency may be. If at all such a thing is to be done, it should be done with hundred percent consent of the client. The professional real estate management executive should not try to influence the client in any way, with distortion of facts, in matters related to finances.

Kamyar Shah writes about different topics including self storage , property management , secret shopping and management consulting issues.

Real Estate Management

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Real Estate - Possible Next Boom in USA

The next few decades are bound to see some big waves of development which have the potential to turn America's metropolises into mega cities bursting with opportunities at the seams.
How?

Since the past decade, people have been buying plots of desert land in states like Arizona which was witnessing a veritable building boom. Phoenix was one of the cities raring to go. Speculators who took the bet with Phoenix have been laughing all the way to the bank. Today, Phoenix is still going strong with a building boom which has seen more than 500,000 homes being built here alone.

Investors have been buying acres of land for building ranches and farms and many are spread over an area which is probably double the size of Manhattan. Interstate 10, which is presently housing 15,000 farmers, is about to take off in a major way with housing colonies emerging on either side. Brokers here say that the region will be completely transformed into a metropolis comparable to Phoenix itself.

As the population increases, these fast growing areas will represent lucrative business making opportunities. Growth trends are rife already in Oregon and Washington, and it is estimated that by 2030, the cities of Portland and Seattle might just merge and form one big megapolitan area. Atlanta and Raleigh-Durham are two other cities which in the light of things today may also be joined by transportation, banking, and biotech.

While Americans in the southern and western parts are trying to cash in by buying pieces of land in the proposed boom towns, others elsewhere are speculating on parking lots and underutilized land trying to locate the cheapest property which may yield great returns. Companies like Target and Wal-Mart, which will always head towards areas with growth are also looking at speculating on land and creating a whole host of opportunities.

While land everywhere is being eyed with passion, few territories possess the potential to make a profit and create that storm for growth. Arizona offers building worthy land at low prices and given the continuous water supply from underground rivers, aqueducts, and mountains the new inhabitants can all be taken care of.

However it is silly to speculate on land under conditions prevalent in the congested suburban metros like Chicago, Los Angeles or even Washington. Spiraling fuel costs and trying commutes zoning disasters and delays in approvals can be hazardous to the developers. But the latest trend is to hedge bets on parking spaces given that America has 30 per cent more parking lots than it needs, which may be a reason why many developers believe they'll deliver the biggest returns.

A burgeoning Latino immigrant population is also a potentially good bet. At a time like this, one does not need to capitalize on the development boom by just grabbing land. One can also start businesses catering to a burgeoning immigrant Latino population which will soon become the fastest-growing ethnic group and the fastest growing group of buyers of services.

Bob Lipply, the top Real Estate Broker Associate in the Tampa Real Estate area, offers you a unique buying experience. We have helped many families relocate to Florida over the years. We also sell Safety Harbor Real Estate.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Lipply

Development Agreements For Real Estate Deals Small and Large

A development agreement is an understanding reached by two or individuals or parties about their respective rights and obligations in relation to a certain thing or a specific subject. The development on which these two parties are reaching agreement can fall into a number of categories.

In terms of real estate, the development agreement could pertain to land improvement, construction involving land, or buildings. In the technological fields, it could pertain to new product development, software development, or other improving techniques for technological development. It can also refer to business or corporate development.

The developer is the one who will do the designing, developing, and sometimes even manufacturing and marketing of the product or subject to be developed. The specific details will be laid out in the development agreement. The agreement will also discuss the obligations of each of the parties, the deliverables, specific milestones, and other details of the project to be developed. Specific exchange of information will be detailed, as well as where and/or how these exchanges will take place. The terms on which the deliverable will be accepted will also be spelled out specifically in the developer agreement. There may be a specific time limit associated with this acceptance. Any potential fees will be laid out, along with any other payment terms. Other elements such as distribution may be discussed.

Having a written development agreement can be important. If properly created, this document will prevent disputes. If problems do develop, the development agreement will provide ways to resolve the issues. If the parties were to end up in court, the development agreement establishes their legal responsibilities to each other. Having a written development agreement can prevent delivery of an unsatisfactory product. The best way development agreements break the project down the project into distinct parts or stages. These are generally referred to as milestones.

As each milestone is reached, the developer is required to provide an acceptable deliverable. While this may not be a completed product, it should be something that will allow the other party to assess the progress of the developer. These milestones are usually tied to a payment, which gives the developer motivation to meet any deadlines for the milestones. This process enables both parties to monitor the development process and resolve any problems or issues early on. In a worst-case scenario, there should be provisions in the development agreement to end the project early if mutually satisfactory progress is not being shown through the milestones.

Having this sort of development agreement has benefits for the developer as well. Since the client signs off on each step of the project, they can avoid any potential claims of an unsatisfactory product or performance. The developer has a chance to address any of the client's shifting needs and requests as well. Few development projects ever develop exactly along initial specifications. Development projects tend to grow and change as the process moves along. The key is to have a development agreement that allows for communication between the two parties regarding changes and a delivery timetable that is realistic yet flexible.

Mark A. Warner is a Development Agreement Research Analyst for RealDealDocs.com. RealDealDocs gives you insider access to millions of legal documents online drafted by the top law firms in the US that you can download, edit and print. Search For Free at RealDealDocs.com.

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Tramita Real Estate Fund Has Grown 2,342.40% Since Its Inception

Tramita Real Estate Fund is a name for trust. It is the perfect solution for investing in real estate securities. The firm believes in giving strong return potential to its clients. Tramita aims to circumvent the numerous factors that typically affect the traditional financial assets. The boom in the real estate market in the Middle East has opened new avenues for profit making ventures. Tramita believes that real estate securities are a means of achieving meaningful diversification in order to enjoy the benefits that may be associated with it. The real estate in the Middle East offers strong opportunities for making money and Tramita aims at delivering the advantages to its customers keeping in mind the need for protection in a bear market and favorable returns.

Investing in the real estate funds in the Middle East has been made easy by the products offered by Tramita. Tramita Real Estate Fund offers the security of a growing investment with due consideration to its security. Tramita allows you to liquidate your assets within a span of twenty four hours since they are evaluated on a regular basis. The entire process is transparent and easy to understand. Tramita emphasizes on the importance of long term investments since you stand to gain the most out of them. Tramita Real Estate Fund jumped above $150 in 2007, which is nearly 600 percent since the inception in 2002. Also, Tramita Real Estate Fund has grown 2,342.40% since its inception, giving 86.42% returns in year 2007 and average of 62.52% since year 2002. Hence, the Middle East real estate fund is being regarded as the next big offering in the scheme of

Real Estate in India - Growing Towards New Heights

The factors such as booming economy, favourable demographics and liberalised foreign direct investment (FDI) regime, the Indian real estate sector has witnessed a revolution. The real estate in India is growing at 35 per cent. This sector is estimated to be worth US$ 15 billion and anticipated to grow at the rate of 30 per cent annually in the coming decade. India has become a new market for foreign investors due to its potential economical growth rate. As a matter of fact, this sector is attracting foreign investments worth US$ 30 billion in number of IT parks, hotels, medical, telecom and residential townships which are being constructed across India.

Real estate in India is the second largest employing sector including construction and facilities management. This sector is linked to about 250 supportive industries such as cement, brick, transport, steel, etc through backward and forward linkages. Accordingly, a unit increase in expenditure has a multiplier effect in this sector, as capacity to generate income is as high as five times.

Rising income levels of a growing middle class is the main reason for growth in the real estate. Apart from the income, other factors such as increase in nuclear families, low interest rates, modern attitudes to home ownership and a change of attitude amongst the young working population are responsible for real estate development. Therefore, it can be said that real estate property have changed the attitude from 'save and buy' to 'buy and repay' to boost housing demand.

As per the information by 'Housing Skyline of India 2007-08', a research firm Indicus Analytics, it has predicted that there will be demand for over 24.3 million new dwellings for self-living in urban India by 2015. Moreover, rapid growth of the Indian economy has faced a cascading effect on demand for commercial property to meet the needs of business such as modern offices, warehouses, hotels and retail shopping centres.

With the significant investment opportunities emerging in this sector, international real estate players have entered in the country. Effective participation from large local and international industrialists have resulted in potential economical growth of India which is moving towards maturity. Currently, foreign direct investment or FDI inflow into this sector is estimated to be between US$ 5 - 5.50 billion. A unit of Deutsche Bank for instance, aims to invest more than US$ 1 billion over three years in Indian construction and real estate property projects. Russian conglomerate Sistema plans to develop hotel, offices and residential complexes in major cities of India with an initial investment of US$ 100-200 million.

The boom in this industry has attracted large number of realty funds to step into this market. Prominent global players such as Carlyle, Blackstone, Morgan Stanley, Trikona, Warbus Pincus, HSBC Financial Services, Americorp Ventures, Barclays and Citigroup among others have all already checked into the Indian realty market.

Among international players, the many Indian realtors are going global by making their name in the international market through significant investments in foreign markets. Prudential Real Estate Investors for instance, has acquired Round Hill Capital Partners Kabushiki Kaisha, a Japanese asset management firm. Embassy Group has settled a deal with the Serbian government to construct a US$ 600 million IT park in Serbia. Parsvnath Developers in collaboration with the Al-Hasan Group in Oman.

Importantly, government has introduced many innovative reform measures to discover the potential of the sector. 100 per cent FDI is allowed in realty projects through the automatic route, for instance. 51 per cent FDI permitted in single brand retail outlets and 100 per cent in cash and carry through the automatic route. With growing economy in India, the demand for all segments of the real estate sector are likely to continue.

About The Author: For more information about real estate India - Please visit our website: http://www.paisawaisa.com/

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The Real Estate Agent Income Crisis - There is a Way Out

Many real estate agents are suffering financially. Possibly this is you. It is unfortunate but houses are selling much below their value and are staying on the market for months. There are more sellers than buyers and there is no relief to be seen in the very near future.

People are struggling; struggling to pay bills to pay debts. The real estate industry is a tough market to be in right now. Possibly you have been wanting to find a way to get you through.

One of the best solutions is to start a home business. There are many tax advantages and you have the benefit of writing off many of your household expenses at tax time. It is also flexible. Something you can do while still being a real estate agent. Maybe something to tide you over until the economic situation improves or maybe something that permanently creates an income for you. The key is to find the right business. One that is recession proof.

We have chosen to build a recession proof business and are helping others to do the same. When searching for any home business there are some critical evaluating tools you need.
Want to Work from Home? Have you considered These Crucial Evaluating Tools?

So you have decided that you would like to work from home. Maybe you want to stay home with your children, maybe you want money for that extra special something or maybe you want to create financial freedom. Maybe you just need to pay your bills and pay off debt. So you know your reasons why. This is a great start but now what?

It is easy to want to jump into the first thing that comes along. Something may sound good on the surface, so you should jump right in, right? Wrong.

There are several key factors that anyone and everyone should consider when deciding on what business would be right for them. Ensuring you have thoroughly researched the opportunity can save you a lot of money, a lot of time, and more importantly, a lot of heartache. I have heard too many stories of people going broke trying to find the right one. I even know someone who has tried 23 opportunities before finding the right one. Can you imagine?

The first key in researching a business is knowing what features you should be looking for in a company. You will definitely need to know the following:

- Is there an established track record?

You want the company to be at least seven years old - successful home-based business companies experience a surge of growth in their first 3-5 years, but most cannot support the increased capital and organizational needs this growth demands to continue their success. Be wary the person who says "this is a ground floor opportunity" or you need to "catch the wave".

- Is the company financially sound?

You should be able to get access to this information. Another great way to know if a company is legit, is trustworthy and has integrity is if they will let you see their previous years' income statistics. If they're not willing to share what their business people make, do you really think they're doing that well. And I don't just mean the top earners, find out what the "little guy" is making.

- Do they have a strong management team and company credentials?

Beware! There are some companies out there who are "touting" scientists behind their products that have received their degree by mail order over the internet. Do your research! What is the history of the management? What awards have they received? What does the Better Business Bureau have to say about them?

- Does this company have unique, consumable products that are guaranteed?

There are companies that have only one product. How many of that one product do you think you have to sell to make any money? If this is a luxury item, you most likely won't get repeat sales from the same person which creates much more work for you. If it's a hobby, you are looking at the same thing. The product should be something that a person goes through and needs again fairly soon, preferably monthly. These products should also have a 100% guarantee.

- Does this company require that you keep inventory or 'front end load'?

This is a very fast way to the poor house. I know lots of folks who have garages full of products. You may think it will be easy to 'unload' it but it's not. Make sure the company does not require you to have stock or inventory.

- Is there a low personal production requirement?

Essentially, this means how much of their product do you need to order to stay in business? If they are asking you to order more than you would use, then you guessed it? Straight to the poor house for you.

- Is there a high customer re-order rate?

Some companies have a re-order rate of only 5%. Does this tell you how hard you will have to work to win customers and keep them? Again, if the company won't give you this information then they have something to hide!

- Is there low initial investment?

You should be able to get started in any business for $500 or less. In addition, any investment should be guaranteed. Any more than that and the risk sky rockets.

- Is there low attrition?

If more than 10% of the people are leaving every month, what does that tell you?

- Is there breakaways?

No breakaways!!! What that means is that you work really hard and then when you reach a desired level, they have the rest of your team "break away" from you and you start all over. Does that sound like what you are looking for? Know the compensation plan. You should be able to earn an income from each person you offer your product or service to. No breakaways, no balancing sides.

- Does the company have any risk?

Risk is a 4 letter word. It has its place but not in your business. This is your life. There should be no risk. You should only be using products you would use anyway, and there should be a full guarantee on everything. If this is the case, there is no risk!

Alright, so now that you know what is important to look for in the company, what product concept makes the most sense, you ask?

REPEAT Consumables (necessity items) and I can't stress this enough. This is a 200 billion dollar industry. People must already want or need to buy the products. It is much easier to interest people in something that is better or less expensive than their current brand than it is to get them to buy something new that they hadn't considered before. The concept of "switching stores" works best because people spend "no new money", they just switch brands. Durable goods won't generate residual income because people won't buy each month.

The products should always be competitively priced (have a low cost per use). No matter how well people like something, they won't stay customers forever if the product costs more than the store bought equivalent. Since commissions depend on customer purchases, the longer they stay, the more RELIABLE your income. The products must also be unique and exclusive to the company. It is of benefit if there are patented products that have been scientifically developed. The re-order rate should be above 90% and it has to make sense to just be a customer, continuing to buy the products without being a business builder.

Lastly there are a few more things that you may want to consider. Does the company manufacture its own products? Does the business offer a system that you can duplicate for success? Does the organization provide you with free training and support? Do you have to leave your home to build the business? Do you need experience in sales or business to be successful? Can you make enough to replace your income? What are the tax advantages to owning a home-based business?

I know this seems like a lot of work, but the end result will make for a happier, wealthier you. Good luck in your search!

Alana Demler is a work at home mom. She has a passion for helping others and specializes in helping people to reach their financial goals. For further information on this article or building a business Alana can be reached at 204-772-8152 or go to http://www.momswantmore.com/workathome or http://www.teamvitality.com/workathome

Helping, one person, one child, one family at a time...

There IS a Better Way!

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Realtor Conflict of Interest - The National Association of Realtors Should Reimburse the American Ta