Archive for January 2011
Real Estate Marketing For All Agents
Real estate marketing is one of the most important parts of being a successful agent. Advertising, in one form or another, is essentially a necessity for surviving and ultimately thriving as an agent. Fortunately, there are a number of different options open to all Realtors, either long time or new to the field.
Conveying a specific image is a big element in the advertising of an agent. How to distinguish oneself from the vast numbers of other agents is always a challenge. Furthermore, how that image is presented often depends on the kind of market one is serving. Smaller market agents, for example, are more likely to try to appeal to the common person. Agents might look to incorporate small town values and small town virtues in a given advertisement, for example. Though all agents have a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of their clients, emphasizing characteristics such as honor and integrity is a common strategy.
A larger market agent, on the other hand, may have a different set of challenges with respect to selling an image. Integrity and honesty are still important elements of any ad campaign, but an agent in this setting most likely needs to take a slightly different approach. Many successful large market agents attempt to specialize in certain areas. An agent in a large metropolitan area may choose the aggressive, hard negotiating buyer’s agent strategy, for example.
How to go about advertising in a cost effective manner is another question altogether. There are plenty of tried and true strategies such as real estate flyers, but more and more agents are utilizing the internet in creative ways to enhance the business. Having an easily accessible and user friendly website is a great place to start. Some kind of call to action to entice buyer and seller calls or email responses is a primary feature that is highly recommended.
Probate Real Estate Opportunities
Of all the strategies for accumulating wealth, investing in Real Estate is probably the one that has been used the most frequently. More fortunes have been made in this arena than in any other field. While many others have become wealthy investing in the past, it’s exciting to know that you can still do it in today’s real estate market!
There are many avenues available to you. We have all heard about the flood of foreclosures on the market today. There are also For Sale by Owners, Pre-Foreclosure/Short Sales and REO’s.
Another lesser known opportunity is in Probate Real Estate.
There are 6 million unsettled Probate cases that remain open every day in the United States, with an estimated value of $600 Billion dollars. Over two million new Probate cases open each and every year. As the Baby Boomers age, this number will start to increase dramatically. 60-65% of Probate cases contain some type of real estate opportunity.
Within 4-6 months of filing a Probate case, more than 40% of the properties in Probate estates will be sold. Most will use conventional methods for selling because they are not aware of any other options.
More than 20% of the Executors or Personal Representatives or Administrators (whatever that person is called in your part of the country) live out of county and many would use local assistance if they knew it was available.
These people are more than just “willing sellers.” They have inherited a property they do not want or need, they do not need another “project” to add to their busy lives, they do not want to spend the time or money to fix up the property if needed, but they do want the money. This is free money for them. They have not had to work hard all their lives for it.
Commercial Property Management – How to Fast Track Your Success in Managing Commercial Property
To be successful in commercial property management you should spend time in setting about knowing the different property types you will be managing and the ways to help them perform as an investment. Most particularly that is the differences in industrial, office, and retail property. They all have special elements of function and control. That is:
- Leases
- Tenants
- Landlords
- Improvements
- Community
Ultimately in working in commercial property management you have to keep the tenants and the landlord happy; a fully functioning well maintained and leased investment is the way to achieve that. Make no mistake here when considering a career in commercial property management; it is perhaps the most challenging and busy part of the property industry. It is very specialised and the skill base is diverse.
So what can you do to help fast track your success and skill as a commercial property manager? This checklist will provide you with some ideas and help you on the path.
- Get to know the ways to lease premises and the documents that support the process. It will be wise to talk to experienced property managers and solicitors to research the real facts and processes.
- Know how to market lease vacancies to the local tenants. That will normally include internet, newspaper, direct marketing, personal contact and signboards.
- Understand the differences in rents both in type (gross and net) and value (per unit of area measurement) as it relates to the various property types in your local precinct.
- Review the types of income that can be achieved from a lease to a tenant. That will include rent, outgoings to be recovered, car parking rents, storage rents, signage rents, and licenced areas.
- See what services and amenities tenants require leasing premises locally. Are those services and amenities readily available in most properties locally?
- What is the supply and demand for more space to lease in the local area?
- Inspect some existing lease documents and become familiar with reading them and extracting key lease matters. That would be things such as rent payments, rent reviews, option terms, arrears actions, default provisions, and incentive payments or bonuses to tenants.
- Understand how to interpret property income and expenditure, as well as the logic behind property budgets and business plans.
- Review the methods of property income analysis as it applies to property value.
- Know how to price a property for sale using a number of different processes such as summation, capitalisation, comparable, and internal rate of return.
- Get to know the maintenance processes that would apply to running commercial properties of various types, together with tendering and contract processes to be used on plant and equipment that allow the property to function successfully.
As can be seen from the list above, commercial property management is specialised. It is not hard but it is different. Through careful study and the gaining of knowledge, your career in commercial property management can be successful.
15 Energy Efficient Tips For Your Home
The ideas listed here are are just some of the items that can be done to lessen your energy expenditures month in, month out. They have low or no fees and may be performed quickly to allow you to be secure, comfy all the while helping the environment and being economical. Share these with the whole family and try to get each person included.
1. Install a programmable thermostat in order to maintain your own home pleasantly heated in winter and adequately cool in the summertime.
2. Take advantage of compact fluorescent light bulbs using the ENERGY STAR® label.
3. Air dry the dishes as opposed to using your dishwasher’s drying cycle.
4. Put off your PC and keep track of when not in use.
5. Connect home electronics, including TVs and DVD players, right into power strips; flip the power strips off if the products are not in take advantage of (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still employ several watts of power).
6. Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120°F.
7. Take short showers as opposed to baths.
8. Clean mainly full loads of the dishes and clothes. With clothing take advantage of cold water.
9. Drive shrewdly. Aggressive driving (racing, quick acceleration and braking) squanders gasoline
10. Check for the ENERGY STAR label on home appliances and merchandise.
11. Ensure your appliances and heating and cooling systems are correctly cared for. Check your owner’s manuals for the suggested repair.
12. Search for open fireplace dampers and make certain they are closed when not in use.
13. Look at the insulation values in your attic, exterior and basement walls, ceilings, floors, and crawl spaces.
14. Look at for holes or cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets that can leak air right into or out of your home.
15. You may also get the assistance of a professional. Many utilities execute energy audits for free or for a small charge. For a fee, a professional contractor will analyze how well your home’s energy systems interact with each other and compare the analysis to your bills. He or she will making use of a variety of equipment such as blower doors, infrared cameras, and surface thermometers to find leaks and drafts.
Never Trust Property to a Long Distance Moving Company Without a Track Record
The property and the things that people own are things that define who they are, where they’ve been, and how they live. Some property is strictly sentimental, while other property is strictly functional. Items like furniture, décor, and souvenirs are nice to look at, while items like computers and kitchen appliances perform mechanical tasks that make life easier. For some people, their property is a source of income vital to their way of life, as is often the case with self employed small business owners. No matter how the property is used, how long it’s been in a certain home or office, or exactly what purpose the property serves, most property owners don’t want to risk the safety of their property to an inexperienced moving company, especially during long distance moves.
Unlike local moves, long distance moves separate owners from their property for extended periods of time, which can make any property owner nervous. By trusting an experienced moving company with a track record of excellence, property owners can rest assured that their property will be cared for and that grievances and complaints will be handled professionally. Experienced movers are also less likely to damage property during packing and unpacking because they will be more familiar with the different risks of moving property and how to avoid those risks, like maneuvering long furniture around tight corners.
There are several ways to ensure that a moving company has as much experience as it claims. State regulatory agencies can be contacted to verify when a moving company first became licensed and whether or not the company has had a history of derogatory complaints. It is important to check for a history of complaints because a newer company with few complaints may ultimately be better than a long existing company with several consistent complaints.