Real Estate and Mortgage
Posts tagged Real Estate
Don’t Buy A Foreclosure Without Doing These 3 Things First
Jul 30th
When buying a foreclosure, you want to go into the purchase well prepared so the deal goes smoothly. Knowing the foreclosure law that applies to the state you are acquiring the property; being able to view the property if the opportunity presents itself; and getting up to date information about foreclosure buying practice can make the purchase of foreclosure property that much easier.
The first consideration when buying foreclosure property is to become aware of the state law that is pertinent to the property you are about to purchase. Each state has its own particular foreclosure law so it’s smart to learn what that is beforehand.
One of the laws you want to mindful of is whether the state gives “right of redemption” to the property owner which allows them to buy back the property even after it has been sold at a public foreclosure auction. You don’t want any surprises like that to occur, so that is why it’s important to study the state’s foreclosure laws.
A state like Florida for example, waives any right of redemption upon the sale of the foreclosure property. However in the state of California, ‘right of redemption’ can be up to 12 months from the sale of the foreclosure property.
The majority of foreclosure properties sold at a foreclosure auction are sold in the present condition the home is in. If repairs are needed it is up to the buyer to pay for the cost on any repairs once the home has been purchased. This is why it’s worth inspecting the property before making a bid on it. Normally you don’t get the option to inspect the foreclosure property, but it may be worth your time to do your own private inspection, even if it’s just from the roadside, to get an idea of the condition the property is in at the time of the auction.
Some foreclosed homes will come with a list of needed repairs on offer, but if that is not the case then the option of checking it out yourself will be worthwhile. If the property is still occupied, be respectful and just view it from the street. If the property is vacant, then you could go and have a look around it to see the type of condition it’s in.
It’s also worth going to a few foreclosure property auctions to become accustomed to the way a foreclosure auction works. It can be very nerve-racking bidding on a property and not being sure about the process. By visiting a few, you can become comfortable with the bidding process and observe what happens directly after the bidding process.
The above tips should prove helpful when purchasing a foreclosure property at auction. For more helpful information like a handy property foreclosures checklist be sure to visit foreclosures real estate.
The Do’s And Dont’s Of Online Real Estate Marketing
Jul 30th
If you haven’t upgraded yet to online real estate marketing, the probabilities of you ever closing a deal on a house are close to zero. Most prospective buyers start their house hunting online these days. You need to keep your eyes on the ball and be the first to catch their interest and pretty soon you will notice a colossal increase of property sale opportunities.
There’s more to online marketing than your average add consisting of one photograph added to a short description and price. Real estate marketing has progressed in leaps and bounds, and now includes virtual tours of homes for sale, and market value calculators, mortgage calculators and online appraisals – all at the click of a button.
There are pitfalls too, and the danger of trying to add every possible gadget to your website is that your website may end up confusing buyers. Follow these guidelines for successful online real estate marketing.
What You Should Do:
You should hire a qualified website designer to be in charge of your website, in terms of designing and developing. Such a website designer will have the know-how of creating a site that will look professional and easy to navigate as well, so that visitors won’t have to look to hard for what they need.
You should use photographs, the more the better. Before bothering with a trip to an actual viewing, many potential clients will want to be presented with as many images as possible of the property for sale. Before uploading any photograph to your website you need to check that it has the right resolution for web use, and focus more on close-ups rather than wide shots.
You should have your website upgraded for search engines. Given that online real estate market is a rather dog-eat-dog sector, you’ll want potential clients to always find your website when looking for real estate online.
Do make use of email marketing – it is inexpensive, easy to set up, and a great way to introduce new properties to prospective buyers. Every time an interested buyer calls your office, make sure you ask for their email address and work this way on your network of potential clients.
Practices To Avoid
Don’t clutter your website. A competent designer will come up with a means of incorporating all the necessary information in such a way that your potential clients won’t be exasperated into leaving.
You must not think that low-quality photographs are permissible just because it’s a website. Nearly every potential client expects to see a high-resolution photograph after clicking on a thumbnail.
Avoid the temptation to list every single property on your books. Unless you can afford top end hosting, more properties means more photographs and more time to load the site. If a potential client is drawn to a certain property you can always send them an email containing information on matching properties.
Don’t ignore the value of video in online real estate marketing. A virtual tour that your visitor can go through again and again is worth its weight in gold – it’s like a walk through the house without leaving your chair.
You must not assume that your real estate marketing starts and ends with your website. A mix of marketing methods will reach more prospects and get you more leads – which is exactly why we market in the first place.
The internet has made information a lot more accessible for everybody, and real estate marketing has had a successful reception since it decided to take its business online. A smart real estate agent will smell the benefits of Web 2.0 and social media should become a networking means of reaching further and increasing the traffic on your website. Online real estate marketing has entered the 21st century, so maybe you should keep up with the program.