Real estate transactions are subject to several taxes and fees at the time the deal is finalized, or closed. These are termed as “closing costs.” These taxes and fees vary widely based on the city, state and county where the property is located. Though usually less expensive for sellers than buyers, closing costs are often thousands of dollars. It’s important to understand the different fees that are paid by the buyer and the seller. This article focuses on the costs that sellers of property can expect …

Selling your house yourself, or FSBO, is a great way to not only sell it but to also make sure you get the most money you can from the sale. When you hire real estate agents to sell your house, they do so based on a commission. This commission is only a few percent, but when you consider the price of land and houses today, that few percent actually turns out to be sizeable chunk of money that should rightfully be yours. This is why so many …

Although the current state of the economy has made it difficult to obtain financing for home flipping, it’s not impossible. You can still make money flipping homes. With a little creativity and a little bit of elbow grease, you can do it in style.
Your first consideration must be your credit score. There are available online programs that provide your credit score, but the best one to use is the Fair Isaac Corporation, better known as FICO. Your FICO credit score is the predominant score the majority …

President Obama issued one of the largest investments in American history, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act valued at more than 750 billion dollars. The large government spending program was created to create jobs and increase the unemployment rate. In November 2009 our nations unemployment rate was at 10 percent, meaning over 15 million Americans were without jobs.
The United States unemployment rate directly affects our housing statistics. If home owners do not have jobs then they fall behind on their mortgage and therefore they are at risk of loosing their …

It is usually very common for most people to turn the sale of their house over to a real estate agent. This is just what many people consider the norm. Have a house to sell? Contact your local agent and get them to list it on the market. Many people stop to think about the possibility of selling their house all by themselves. Some people do consider the idea but they believe that real estate agents are the professionals and as such they will be …

Every investment involves risk, but wholesaling real estate investment properties is a no-brainer: It’s one of the most risk-free ways to invest in real estate. You don’t have to worry about credit, closing or anything else.
Many gurus try to make wholesaling properties complicated. In reality, it’s quite simple. It’s simply finding motivated sellers — typically homeowners facing foreclosure — negotiating price and putting the property under contract.
A wholesale investor then finds a rehabber or investor to sell the contract for cash.
How It’s Done
Sounds simple, right? Here’s a breakdown:
Seller accepts …

The housing crush has had a range of side effects across the nation. However, with more and more new home developments struggling to fill the new properties, a new phenomenon has appeared. There are fewer and fewer new suburban developments showing up on the fringes of communities. Expansion that was so rampant in the real estate boom has suddenly disappeared or stalled midproject, leaving empty houses gaping at passerbys.
What are the pros and cons to the recent disappearance of these suburban communities? Besides the obvious financial troubles with the construction …

Your kitchen counter plays an important role in setting the design style of your home. It makes a strong visual and tactile impression. The material you use should be durable enough to resist cooking greases and stains as well as attractive and up to date. If you are thinking of re-doing your countertop, select a style that compliments your kitchen cabinetry and the overall style of your home. Here are some choices that are popular today:
Granite
Today’s housing trend toward modern styling, cleaner lines, and simple …

Many people delving into the property market looking for their first homes may be unaware what a HIP actually is. A HIP is a Home Information Pack, and contains all the essential data and documents that a buyer would need, and is provided by whoever is organising the sale of the property. Be aware if someone doesn’t have one, that it is in fact a legal requirement to provide one in order to sell a property because otherwise you wouldn’t be able to market the home. The HIP makes the …

If you’re a homeowner facing foreclosure, one of the things you can do is a short sale. However, as with any home sale, there are things you can do to hasten the sale. The short sale tips discussed below can mean the difference between selling your home quickly, or not selling it at all.
Before we discuss what these tips are, let’s briefly define the term, “short sale”.
Stopping Foreclosure: What Is a Short Sale?
A short sale is when a home is sold for less than what is owed on the mortgage. …