Saturday, April 21, 2007

Real estate is the key ingredient to an international lifestyle



As you work toward a "perpetual traveler" lifestyle, you need a base in the countries you plan to spend the most time.

You don't have to buy a half dozen homes around the world to enjoy the perpetual traveler's life…and you don't have to do it all at once. To do this, you have to choose locations that have rental potential…and preferably where mortgages are available. You can also partner with friends.

Say you want your first property in the southern hemisphere. In Argentina, you'll pay cash, but you can still find one- and two-bedroom apartments in Buenos Aires for less than $100,000 that will rent out well. In New Zealand, you can finance your first buy…and rent it out: long-term if you buy a house in a non-tourist area; short-term in a tourist area. You can buy a studio or one-bedroom apartment in Auckland for less than $100,000 (U.S.).

In Central America, you can still find lots for less than $100,000. That won't put you on the beach in most cases, but it will get you into an oceanfront community. You'll probably have to pay cash, but if you buy in a development that doesn't require you to build within a set time frame, you can sit on the lot until you are ready to build for your personal use.

In Western Europe, you can obtain financing…and in increasingly more countries in Eastern Europe, too. Finding a property for less than $100,000 is the challenge. You can buy properties in Croatia for less than 100,000 euro ($136,000) if you want to be near the coast. If you want to be near the ski slopes, you can buy in Romania or Bulgaria for less than 100,000 euro. In either location, you can rent out the property short-term when you aren't using it.

If you insist on being in Spain, Portugal, France, or Italy, you'll spend more, but even in these countries you can find properties for less than you think--if you look beyond the popular destinations and move away from the ocean. You'll buy something livable for 100,000 euro, but it won't be in a prime location.

For every property type considered here, I'm not talking about a 3,000-square-foot villa on the beach. You will be getting small apartments or houses. But how much space do you need if you are traveling the world? Plus, two- and one-bedroom units make better short-term rentals.

So, for the price of that beach condo in Miami, you can enjoy an international life, travel the world…and avoid the hurricanes.

Friday, April 13, 2007

Popular Real Estate Trend


Did you know that one of the fastest growing trends in real
estate is house sitting?  House sitting is when a homeowner
invites someone into their home to watch over it while they are
gone.  House sitting can be beneficial to both the homeowner and the house sitter.

For the home owner, a house sitter is an excellent choice if
you feel uneasy about leaving your property on occupied over
an extended period of time.  A house sitter is usually a more
mature person who has had experience with taking care of
homes, maintaining property and caring for pets.

For the house sitter, there are many benefits to taking care of someone's house.
Saving on rent or on a mortgage may be the biggest benefit.  Some house sitting
jobs can extend for quite a time period and if a house sitter does not need to
spend rent during this time period, they can save quite a bit of money.

Also, a variety of people can benefit by being house sitters.
Retirees are finding house sitting to be a very fulfilling as they are
no longer obligated to stay in one location anymore, but now can be footloose
and fancy free!  House sitting allows them to experience different parts of the country
or even the world without any financial obligations.

Families can even enjoy the benefits of house sitting by being able to take a
vacation in another part of the country for a week or longer.

Also, people such as freelance photographers or writers who need to do research
or travel in other parts of the country can now do this without have to rely on hotels.
They can experience the culture, life and history in a particular area firsthand.

If you are intrigued by this latest trend and feel that house sitting might be right up your
alley, I would encourage you to check out HouseCarers.com  It's a worldwide directory
of house sitters.  House sitters can register for house sitting assignments and homeowners
can locate responsible people to care for their homes.

Tammy

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Real Estate Investing


Real estate investing is one of the best ways available to make money, but unfortunately many people think that getting started requires having a great deal of money. Believe it or not, almost anyone who has the ingenuity and determination needed can be successful as a real estate investor. There is great money to be made out in the real estate investment market and you do not need millions of dollars to get started.

Many people are very leery about getting info Real Estate because they have heard of some of the problems other Realtors have had.  Such as with renters not paying their rent. But in my opinion you have to take chances to succeed in life. There is bad points and good with everything we do. 

Real estate only can appreciate in value, and be a very good source of monthly income. If you buy a fixer -upper you can spend free time fixing it up increasing the value, and it is great tax break benefit.  So why aren't more people taking advantage of this money making business? Most of the time the answer is a lack of knowledge in how to get started. 

That\'s how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

Sunday, April 1, 2007

I USED to be Realtor- I got out of the business!


I got burned out being in a business where most people are out to shuck and jive and go back on their word. I got burned out schlepping people around to look at properties only to find out that they are a Realtor, or they have a relative who is a Realtor, and this person is the one who will write up the offer thanks to my hard work and my dollars burned up in the gas tank.

Now, it's a buyer's market and sellers are freaking out about their homes not selling. Truth is:
YOU DON'T NEED A REAL ESTATE AGENT TO SELL YOUR HOME!!!

The For Sale By Owner Manual includes EVERYTHING YOU NEED to sell your home/property without an agent!! Specifically, the manual includes information on:

How real estate agents could actually HURT YOU!!

The REAL PROBLEMS with the commission system.

EXACTLY what real estate agents will tell you!

How to efficiently prepare your house for sale.

How to properly price your home for sale.

How to pump real estate agents for free information.

FREE and CHEAP marketing tactics you can use!

Where you can list your properties ONLINE for FREE!

How to find and use the professionals you really need.

How to deal with buyers and get them to BUY!!

Special section on negotiating with buyers.

How to quickly and efficiently CLOSE the sale.

CLICK HERE for more info!!

 
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