Equity-rich property investors have enough funds to revive the world’s struggling property markets but they seem to be hiding behind forecasts rather than making the most of the situation, it is claimed.

The worldwide property price corrections of the last 12 months present a swathe of opportunities for cash rich individuals, companies and funds and also the chance to have more control over the real estate acquisitions.

The ‘Big Five’ countries of core Europe - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK - are set to recapture their retail investment market share in 2009, according to new research released by Jones Lang LaSalle at the Mapic retail property fair on Thursday.

Shopping centre investment in the Big Five made up just 45% of the total European volume traded so far this year, down from 80% in 2004, JLL said. The property adviser believes current market conditions provide an opportunity for the Big Five to take back some market share.

Looking ahead to 2009, Jeremy Eddy, director and head of European Retail Capital Markets, JLL said: ‘As we move into 2009 we hope that the shocks experienced during the second half of 2008 will diminish and liquidity will improve. Fragile economies are introducing additional drag on rents and returns and no markets in Europe will be immune, so the Big Five will be affected. That said, we fully expect a further softening of yields, a process currently well underway in the UK and gaining momentum in Continental Europe, and this price correction will open up significant opportunities for equity-rich investors as price adjustments filter through.’

According to Eddy, the aggressive investment market seen between 2003 and 2007 resulted in the convergence and harmonisation of yields across Europe. This yield convergence was witnessed across sub-sectors as the market failed to adequately price the differing risk profile of prime and secondary retail product. ‘We therefore expect to see a return to polarisation of yields across both geographies and indeed sub-sectors and risk profiles. We fully expect that there will be a focus on mature markets as the revised pricing attainable in the market will result in reduced appetite or need for significant risk,’ he concluded.

Wholesaling provides an opportunity for people to build income with little capital or no credit. It requires ambition and some specialized knowledge. The more ambition you have, the more money you will make. If you need to earn some extra cash to get started investing in real estate, wholesaling is a great way to do so. Even if you’re not sure of values, repair costs, potential rents, etc. you can still wholesale as many properties as you can find as long as it’s a deal. You can get an education and get paid for finding properties.

What is wholesaling?

Simply … it’s finding a bargain property and passing it on to another investor/buyer. That buyer will either purchase the property to resell it or hold it for potential rental income. Your profit as a wholesaler is the difference you’ve negotiated with the homeowner and the equity spread you’ve created with your buyer. The buyer should get the majority of the profit! This is important because there has to be room in the deal for your buyer to do repairs, and most importantly you want repeat customers. This spread could be $2,000 … $5,000 or more. Not too bad considering you have not invested any of your own money.

How do I find buyers?

You need to start by building your buyers list. Your buyers list is composed of individuals who are interested in purchasing your great deals, and have the cash to do so. Posting bandit signs advertising that your company buys houses, running ad in a newspaper, direct mail, flyers, postcards and posting to websites like Craigslist can increase your buyers list immediately. Be sure to include your name, number, fax, email and website on the information. Even if you sell the property, keep running your advertisements.

What if no one buys the house I have under contract?

If your buyers do not like the house, or if you can’t find a buyer for the home, always have an escape clause to terminate the contract. Having an exit strategy is very important to becoming a successful wholesaler.

The delightful singing of the birds nearby, the soothing sound of rustling leaves and being away from the noise and hassle of city life… all these and more invites many people to live in the countryside.

But what really is it with living in the countryside that gives it an edge over city life? Why would many people nowadays seem to dream of the simple life in the countryside and considering leaving city life behind?

Many people from the rural areas also have city life dreams and aspirations. Opportunities seem to reside more in the urban areas than rural areas. But recently, what’s happening seems to be the reverse, that is, people from the city are dreaming of building a new life in the countryside.

There is a list of good reasons why a number of people now prefer the country life.

Advantages of Countryside Living

Starting off with the obvious, let’s take a look at the environmental features that the country side has to offer. First that comes to mind is that the countryside is a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively. Air is cleaner here than the city. The country side offers something new; you’re closer to nature and it seems as if you’re always on a vacation with the wonderful scenery that surrounds you.

Healthier living is another facet that the countryside can boast of. Aside from fresh air that leads to healthier lungs, living in the countryside gives you more access to organic farmer’s market. Organic food are food items that are produced, processed and packaged without using chemicals which have more health benefits than conventional food.

Being physically healthy often leads to good mental health. A study even showed that people residing in the countryside have slightly better mental health than people in the urban areas.

On top of that, crimes are lesser in the countryside. As what is often said, “The countryside is a place where you don’t have to lock your car or even your front door.” If you’re a parent, you will have lesser worries on unpleasant influences that your children might be exposed to.

It is also more likely for a person to establish good relationships with his or her neighbors as people in the country side are deemed to be more friendly, caring and true. Another good reason that we ought not to forget is in the aspect of practicality. The cost of living in the country side is considerably cheaper than the city.

Disadvantage of countryside is overcame by technology

Of course, there are always two sides of the coin. The countryside also had its drawbacks to some. Countryside living is often equated to boredom; life in the city seems to be more exciting and fashionable. But nowadays, this seems to be not the case anymore.

One can still enjoy a higher quality of life in the countryside and still enjoy the advantages of living in the city like electronic gadgets and high tech jobs. With the Internet, travel and information across the miles is just a click away. Whether you are a simple, peace and nature-loving person or you’re more of the modern, trendy type of a person, you can still enjoy the countryside.

A real estate short sale situation may be right when a homeowner is in foreclosure and the loan amount is close to the value of the home. The seller cannot sell the house with an agent because the fees involved exceed any moneys received from the sale. What can you do?

If you own a house and are late on your payments, you might want to learn more about short sales and if a short sale is right for your situation. Banks will consider a short sale in lieu of getting the home back. The bank takes less than what is owed on the loan.

An example would be, if you owe say $300,000 dollars on your home and you are facing foreclosure the bank might take $225,000 dollars and you’re off the hook for the balance. Bank will consider a short sale because if the bank continues to foreclose they most likely will get the house back - and that’s bad news for a bank. They will then have to hire a real estate agent, make any necessary repairs, wait several months in hopes of getting an offer, that, they still might lose money on the process. It’s far simpler for a bank to sell the property to a cash home buyer and cut their losses. The most beneficial point to a short sale is that the seller does not have a foreclosure on their credit report, just a loan adjustment.

A key component to all short sales is that the owner(s) need to be completely up side down and was victim of some kind of a hardship - out of the ordinary event that caused the default; such as illness, accident, loss of job, etc.

Sometimes the only way you can sell a house and protect your credit is through a short sale. It allows you to sell your house really fast, gets you out of the loan responsibility and you can go on with your life. You almost always need a cash buyer/investor to handle the process correctly, ensuring a successful transaction. Banks want you to use an investor because they want to close out the loan as soon as possible.

Explanation of a short sale

A short sale occurs when a lender agrees t accept less that the amount owed to payoff a loan as an alternative to foreclosure. If the property is worth less than the amount owed on the loan, then even if the lender forecloses and takes back the property, they know they are going to take a loss. We can often convince the lender that they will benefit better if they take less than what is owned now rather than taking the property back by foreclosure and trying to sell it later.

Typical Time Frame

The short sale negotiation process is a lengthy one. It may take several weeks or more likely several months to get an approval. Lenders have several layers of bureaucracy, insurers, and investors that we will have to maneuver through in order to get a short sale approved. So it is important to be patient during this long process.

My House if going to foreclosure, it there enough time?

Not always. Just staring a short sale won’t automatically stop a foreclosure. However, many times an experienced short sale negotiation service or seasoned agent can convince a lender to stop the foreclosure to let them attempt to negotiate a short sale. So, while there are no guarantees, it does not hurt to try.

How long can I stay in the house?

The key word is short sale is sale. The purpose of a short sale is to get the property sold. So you will need to move. We aren’t a program that can stop a foreclosure and allow you to keep the house indefinitely. It will be easier to sell a house if it is vacant, so you should make plans to move as soon as possible.

How do I know this will work?

You really don’t. No one should make any promises to you that this will work, Once you missed a payment, the lender is in charge and can proceed to foreclosure if they want to. But you know they don’t want to and the negotiator should be very good at presenting alternatives to the lender that they often want to accept rather than foreclose. They should be very good at what they do, but NO PROMISES are being made as to where or not the lender will accept a short sale - every lender is different.

How much money will I get?

You can’t get any money. A universal requirement of lenders in granting a short sale is that the borrower will not get any proceeds from the sale of the property. The lender is going to take a loss on your loan - they are not going to let you get any money. If you have something of value, the buyer may be willing to buy that item separate of this short sale.

What happens is this does not work?

Your house will likely go to foreclosure. A short sale is something you should try after you exhausted all your other options.

What is a “RELEASE?”

A lender may offer to ‘release’ its security interest against the property in exchange for less than the total amount of the note. A release will allow the property to be sold without paying off the obligations of the note. However, the note is not satisfied.

Advantages: This successful short sale will allow the property to be sold and thus avoid a foreclosure.

Disadvantages: The remaining debt on the property (sometimes called a ‘deficiency’) still exists. You are still liable for the note - in other words - you still owe the money.

Reality: It is not likely that the lender will pursue the deficiency unless you have other significant assets, and if you don’t try a short sale and the property goes to foreclosure, you are going to have a deficiency anyways.

What is a “satisfaction?”

A lender may agree to accept less than it is owed as complete and total satisfaction of the note and release its lien against the property.

Advantages: Your note and obligation to the lender are satisfied for less than you owe. When the property is sold, the debt is paid off completely.

Disadvantages: You may have some tax consequences that you should discuss with your tax adviser since the lender is making money you owe disappear. Sometimes our negotiations are successful in obtaining satisfaction. Sometimes all the negotiator can get is a release.

The lender will require review of financial package that usually includes: two months bank statements, two months pay stubs, two years most recent IRS tax returns, and other common information. The leading cause of delay and even denial of our offer to the lender is caused by the seller failing to deliver these items in a timely manner.

There are many benefits to choosing hotels for sale. Hotels are a great source of income. Besides being an income generating property a hotel also provides a career. If you choose to you can work in the business or you may decide to hire a manager to take care of the day-to-day operations of the hotel.

You can find many types of hotels for sale. The first place to start is to determine your approximate budget. The next step is to consider a location. Find a good hotel property real estate broker who will assist you in finding the exact type of property to suit your needs. For example, a small family-run hotel is perfect for a couple that prefer to live on premise. You can run the property like a bed and breakfast would be run. If you have more money to invest you may want to find a larger or more established property. Some hotels are run as franchises.

Choose a real estate broker in the location you are searching for. The real estate broker should have experience in finding hotels for sale and should not be simply a residential agent. The experienced hotel brokerage firm will be able to provide you with plenty of hotels for sale that fit in your price range. Look for a firm that is a member of Hotel Brokers International. They have experience in dealing specifically with the issues that are inherent when buying a hotel. Be sure to visit the property to see what potential it has. Established hotels may provide instant monthly income.

Are you are planning to make an investment in the real estate industry? A reliable real estate agent is all you need. Buying and selling a property always comes with an added risk of incurring future loss. A right real estate agent may help you saving your hard earned money. Be very particular while opting for any such agents. Real estate agents are quite an expert in understanding the market trends as well as the property prices.

It is always preferable to get yourself acquainted with the market knowledge, property pricing, legal terms, legal documents, and everything which may affect your buying or selling decision. An informed decision is what you need to make while dealing with any kind of investment in real estate. It is a must to check the all of the credentials of an agent from different sources like family, friends, the company, from the market and relatives etc before you actually start dealing with him.

Agents who are certified by govt. are issued a license, so do not forget to opt for a licensed agent to avoid making any unfair deals. Agent may act as your spokesperson with attending a business deal on your behalf. Always make sure that the agent is not the disguised other party’s agent. There had been incidences in past where choosing a wrong real estate agent cost the investor dearly. A good and licensed agent can do wonders for you provided you have the right sense to pick him from the lot.

Young adults aged 18 to 35 with household incomes of $100,000 and above make prime prospects as home buyers especially for upscale homes, according to Bob Jordan, president of International Demographics, Inc., a market research firm that publishes The Media Audit. In the 87 metro markets the Media Audit surveys, 23.2 million adults have household incomes of over $100,000. Of these adults, 26.56 % fall under the age bracket of 18 to 35, forming a considerable chunk of young affluent home buyers.

The percentage of young people with money is much higher than that of people aged 55 and above. The survey shows that 18 to 35 year olds represent a strong buying population with more number of adults having six-figure incomes under the age of 35 than there are over the age of 54.

A higher level of education among these young adults with money is also predicted to play a significant part in the marketplace. According to the survey, young affluent women of this demographic group outnumber their counterparts in terms of education. Women with one or more degrees account for 56 % while the percentage of men is only 46 %. However, 60.9 % of younger men have six-figure incomes far exceeding the 39.1 % of women. Men become wealthier faster when compared with women, with 19.4 % of 18 to 20 year old men climbing the $100,000 income ladder more quickly compared with the 15.6 % of women.

Another interesting trend that is typical of young women with high levels of disposable income is that they show higher inclination of buying larger or more expensive homes as compared with young men of the same age group. The study also throws light on the homeownership of both male and female falling within the age group of 18 to 35. The number of women owning homes in this age group is greater at 80.7 % when compared with the 74.3 % of men. The survey reveals that 46.5 % of the women owned homes valued at $300,000 or more whereas, the male population owning homes of the same value was slightly lesser at 42.2 %.

The Media Audit survey also contains some other interesting demographic stats on the young-with-money. People falling in the age group of 25-34 form a whopping 62.2 %, of which 58.3 % are Caucasian, 15 % are Hispanic, 12.7 % are Asian and 9.7 % are African-American.

The most common ways of looking for real estate listings are through the Internet and through your local newspapers. No matter what you are looking for, whether it is a home for you and your family to live in or real estate to invest money in, real estate listings will be the prime way for you to find the real estate that is best for you. To find real estate listings, you can use both the Internet and newspapers. It is up to you which one you choose.

Newspaper real estate listings

Looking at real estate listings in the newspaper is one of the most traditional ways to find real estate to purchase. Today, it still stands as one of the most used ways to look over real estate listings. Unfortunately, looking through real estate listings in newspapers can become very time consuming. You will find yourself flipping through pages. After reading through them all, you have to go back and find the ones that fit your needs the most.

Once you find the real estate listings that fit what you are looking for, you have to take the time to write down the contact information and then call them and make an appointment to view the property. Sometimes the real estate listings do not include pictures, which can be a total setback. Newspaper real estate listings are updated every week or so. This means that real estate you are interested in may not be available once you get around to it. If someone were to purchase the real estate before you, you have no way of knowing it before you waste your time.

Internet real estate listings

Since the Internet has grown more and more popular, finding real estate listings online has become one of the easiest and quickest ways to find real estate. The best thing about internet real estate listings is that they are updated two or three times a week. This makes it easier for those who are looking for real estate to buy because they do not have to worry about the real estate being unavailable or already sold.

Also with internet real estate listings, you will be able to few high-resolution photographs of the real estate you are interested in, instead of relying on a small black and white photo out of the newspaper. This allows you to truly see what the real estate looks like. Finding the perfect real estate for you is easy online. You do not have to go through lists and lists of listings to find one that is suitable for you because with a simply click of your mouse, you could find the real estate you are looking for.

Online, you can pick certain criteria such as how large the real estate is, where it is located, etc. This cuts down on the amount of time spent looking for real estate that fits your criteria. With online real estate listings, you do not have to worry about finding contact information. Most times, the website will provide you with a service to contact a realtor, or you can easily print out the real estate ad.