Archive for February 2011
A Look At Real Estate Flyers
High ticket sales has always had an allure for those who want to make lots of money, and becoming a real estate agent is what many of them choose to do. However, it takes more than just hanging up a license with a broker, and listing properties on the MLS. It requires getting the word out that a property is for sale. Let’s take a look at how real estate flyers can help fill the gap.
Most women want to own a home, probably due to the maternal instinct which makes their primary focus that of raising and protecting their children. An agent could create interest by taking the time to hand out literature at such places as grocery stores, the offices of apartment complexes, and day care centers. There is always laundry to get done, and any laundry mat could be a good choice, because most people wish they had their own washer and dryer.
When a woman lives in a home they own, they usually feel more secure, and get involved in neighborhood activities which help keep the children out of trouble. Any type of function that women attend, might be a perfect place to present information about what properties are for sale, and how easily they can qualify for a loan. There are lending opportunities for women with children, which they might be unaware, and handing them a flyer could present the best opportunity to discuss these possibilities with them.
Men are typically geared toward providing for their families, and any time they can make extra money, they usually have some interest. DIY projects can be made to reduce costs around the home, as well as be converted into money making projects. Guys are often found at such places as hardware stores, and home improvement centers where hand outs could easily increase their wish to have a shop in their yard. Apartment dwellers are not usually allowed to conduct these types of projects on the premises.
Should You Invest For Cash Flow Or Capital Gain?
Like most Australian investors, you probably use the old tried and true buy and hold model, and purchase properties that are usually negatively geared. This means that you might be losing money each month. This might not be an issue for you; like most buy and hold investors, you probably invested for capital gain. Your exit strategy will be something like ‘sell the properties in a few years and retire’. Sound familiar?
You may have noticed however, that negative gearing is not the magic bullet it used to be, and the costs around property investing make it less attractive. As growth in the property market has slowed significantly since the Global Financial Crisis hit in 2008, capital gain is looking less like a savvy investment strategy and more like a gamble. If you look into what your current properties are worth, you may find that you have not seen the increase in property values that you were expecting – and this is something a lot of those investing in property have been facing in recent months.
If you find this is the case, you may want to look at changing your investment strategy. Now might be the time to invest in property for cash flow instead of capital gain; that is, you will now be looking at properties that actually, actively make you money. It is certainly possible to turn some of your negatively geared properties into cash flow generating assets. Installment contracts are just one way you can achieve this – and you still get to lock in your capital gain for later down the track.
Depending on the investment strategies you use, you can still minimise any tax implications while maximising your cash flow – this is something to speak to your financial advisors about but it can definitely be done.
Renting Your Apartment
Before renting your apartment, protect yourself and your tenant from legal disputes regarding the condition of the apartment upon move-in and move-out. Landlords hire inventory clerks to draft detailed inventories of the property. These inventories provide both a pictorial and print description of the property. All landlords should consider this document before renting.
What is Included in a Property Inventory?
The document will detail all the contents of the apartment before renting to tenants, along with its contents. For instance, if the apartment contains light fixtures, drapes, blinds or any type of furniture, the condition of the property will be listed on the document. To avoid conflict, customers will draft these documents to list everything that is included in the apartment at the time of rental.
The apartment’s value and the value of the items at the time of rental are also included. Photographs are essential to documenting the condition of the apartment. Photographs are less disputable than a description that may be fabricated or misconstrued. All landlords will find this document essential to the rental process.
Why have a Property Inventory?
This document is essential to any dispute that requires a court trial or mediation. Most disputes may be settled between the landlord and the tenant with the document alone. Those cases that make it to court will be easily settled by a judge if proper documentation is presented during the course of the case. Typically, the property inventory contains enough information to settle most cases within a reasonable amount of time.
Legal fees, if the case goes to court, may be enormous. The property inventory is a money saver and time saver to help tenants and landlords avoid disputes over deposits and other damage to the property. Property Inventory may also be used for tax and insurance purposes.
Smart Buildings – Living Green in a Big Way
In recent years we have heard more and more about how we need to live green, go green with the products we use, and of course build with green materials. In our series of Green Articles, you will read much about Smart Systems, or Integrated Systems in the “Intelligent” Buildings or “Smart” Buildings. What are they, and who is building them?
Intelligent or Smart Buildings (referred to as SB’s hereafter) are basically any building that has incorporated streamline operations which deliver better service to their end users. Many would call this a “Smart System”. This system will help you live green in many ways.
A decade or two ago, you may have immediately thought of the Jetson’s when confronted with the idea, that an elevator could sense you without even touching the button. Or that anyone could program their lights to turn on from down the street, or Internet service would be called Wi-Fi and be hard wired into your apartment building. Look how far we have come today.
One example of an SB is One American Plaza in San Diego, California. The Broadband infrastructure alone in this building affords free Wi-Fi, Tablet PCs and PDAs, to each tenant, and adds to a higher quality service.
Many building owners and developers want to live green, or go green, and they are located in North America and overseas. They are coming to the realization that to compete, they must change, and develop the SB’s of the future too. They must use green materials in every step of the building process.
SB’s are not built on the same design, construction, and operation process of the past either. The approach needed for the successful development of “intelligent buildings” requires innovative strategies and usually consist of a team of Developers and Architects to incorporate their ideas into reality.
Which Mover Is The Right One For You?
It is usually difficult to decide if you should hire a mover or if you should just do the move yourself. There are two general factors you need to take into consideration always to come up with a decision, which is cost and time. However, what happens if you don’t want to bother yourself doing the entire move but you also cannot afford to hire a full service mover?
There are two types of moving companies namely self service moving companies and full service moving companies. What is a self service moving company then? A self service company refers to professionals who offer a very limited service. Very much unlike those being offered by full service moving companies because a self service firm only drives the truck and everything else are to be done by you. The full service firm is someone who transfers your household good and things into a truck then drive the truck to your new place then unload all the things for you.
In this kind of service, you only got little help and that is just to transfer your things to the new place. They don’t do the loading and the unpacking, you do it yourself instead. You are responsible for moving and packing the truck and then unpacking all the stuff when you get to your new place. This option may be ideal to some people especially those who really want to save good money. This is because they are concerned of having to take the responsibility of driving a large truck.