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  • Properties Commonly Found For Sale On The Outer Banks NC Real Estate Market

    Properties Commonly Found For Sale On The Outer Banks NC Real Estate Market

    Are you looking to relocate to the Outer Banks area of North Carolina? If you are, you may be wondering what type of properties you can buy. To determine what types of properties are currently available for sale, you will want to examine the Outer Banks NC real estate market, preferably with an Outer Banks real estate agent.

    When examining the Outer Banks NC real estate market, whether you do so with an Outer Banks real estate agent or not, you will see that a number of different properties are available for sale. While the Outer Banks NC real estate market changes weekly, sometimes even daily, there are a number of common property types that can be purchased. Just a few of those properties are outlined below.

    Traditional homes can be found for sale on the Outer Banks NC real estate market. The term traditional is used to sometimes differentiate between homes that people live in all year round and vacation homes. Speaking of vacation homes, vacation homes are another property type that is commonly found on the Outer Banks NC real estate market. Although many vacation home owners often use their own vacation homes for personal use, there are many more that use them to make a profit, by renting out the home in question to Outer Banks vacationers.

    For those looking to reside in the Outer Banks area, but not necessarily own their own home and land, condos are available for sale. In fact, condos are considered one of the most sought after types of properties found on the Outer Banks NC real estate market. Condos are nice because if you buy one, you actually own your own living space, which is inside a larger building, which is often referred to as a condo complex.

    Those looking to start new or start fresh in the Outer Banks area of North Carolina are often interested in building their own homes. If you would like to do this, you will find a number of land listings on the Outer Banks NC real estate market. What is nice about these land listings is many of them are considered waterfront properties, making them one of the best type of properties found on the Outer Banks NC real estate market.

    In addition to living or vacationing in the Outer Banks area of North Carolina, there are also those who are interested in starting a business there. On the Outer Banks NC real estate market you can regularly find a number of commercial buildings available for sale. So, if your dream is to start an Outer Banks business, you may be able to find it easy and relatively affordable to turn your dream into a realty.

    The previously mentioned property types are commonly found for sale on the Outer Banks NC real estate market. As it was previously mentioned, the Outer Banks NC real estate market regularly changes. For that reason, you will want to consider meeting with a real estate agent to help you start finding your dream property right away.

  • Nerja Apartment – Why Rent a Self Catering Apartment in Nerja Spain?

    Nerja Apartment – Why Rent a Self Catering Apartment in Nerja Spain?

    Renting a Nerja apartment is a good idea for those traveling to Spain, especially those who are traveling as a couple, with the entire family or with a large number of friends. Here are a few reasons why.

    For one, renting a Nerja Apartment means you can get to enjoy the beaches in and around Nerja fully. The name Nerja actually comes from a Moorish word which means ‘rich in water’ and the town certainly lives up to it as one of the most popular towns on the Costa del Sol (Sun Coast) of Spain. The best beach in Nerja is the award-winning Playa Burriana, which, though a bit far from town, is the longest beach in Nerja, stretching about 800 metres long. It also has the most modern tourist facilities, beach bars, cafes and restaurants.

    Other beaches in Nerja include Playa Calahonda, Playa Torrecilla, Playa Cayetilla and Playa El Salon while the beaches of Torre del Mar, Cotobro and Maro are not too far away.

    Aside from being able to laze as much as you want on the sands or enjoying moonlit seaside strolls, you will also be able to experience the other attractions Nerja has to offer. You can drive through the Old Town, where you will feel like entering a time capsule or stop by the Balcon de Europa, a promenade which provides breathtaking views of the ocean, so named by King Alfonso XII. The Cala Barranco de Maro and Paseo de los Carabineros also provide spectacular views while the caves just outside Nerja are another worthy attraction.

    Nerja is not just an excellent travel destination. It is also a great base for making unforgettable day trips to the rest of the region. A short drive will bring you to the charming village of Frigiliana where you can take a break from the tourist crowds and savor the local wine while the mountains of Sierra Nevada and Sierra Almijara are just about half an hour away. The former presents opportunities for skiing while the latter has many scenic hiking routes.

    The city of Malaga, the birthplace of famous artist Pablo Picasso well-known for its annual fair, is also not too far off while the city of Granada is about an hour and fifteen minutes away. Granada is one of the most popular cities in Spain, thanks to its rich history and the Alhambra, one of the finest examples of Moorish architecture in the world which served as the seat of the Nasrid Emirate. There are several other interesting monuments in Granada, along with stunning parks and gardens.

    Indeed, these serve as good reasons to rent a Nerja apartment. In fact, it is even better to rent a Nerja apartment than to stay at a hotel, especially if you’re staying for a while. If you do, you will also get to enjoy more and spend more time with your family. Your kids will especially love the larger space so they can run around and some Nerja apartments are pet-friendly, too.

  • How To Prevent Water Leakage In Building Your New Home

    How To Prevent Water Leakage In Building Your New Home

    Probably the worst enemy of the house is water leakage, particularly in the coastal environment. To avoid water leakage in your house, careful attention to this aspect of building is critical to prevent development of molds and wood rot.

    A lot of water leakage comes from around the windows. Frequently, window leak is due to the house wraps and flashing not being installed properly. After a few rainy seasons, windows in many new homes have to be repaired by removing the windows, house wraps and flashing and starting all over again-this time properly. The newest flashing tapes on the market are the peel-and-stick flashing tapes such as Fortiflash. Contact the company and get the details on how to install these tapes.

    It has been said there is no such thing as waterproof siding. Overtime, moisture will work its way behind the siding no matter how it was properly installed. This is why we have vapor barrier such as felt paper. You are now required to install drain wraps such as Tyvek drain on top of felt paper. The theory is that any water entering behind the siding will drain down on the drain blanket and out at the bottom. Because of this, it is important that you keep the siding open at the bottom so the water does not get trapped.

    In the western states, if the exterior door faces west or south where the strongest wind hits home, door pan flashing in stainless steel should be installed. Care must be taken to measure carefully so the pan fits snugly.

    For the doors, you will need to install house wraps properly just as you did for the windows and install Z flashing over the head trim. Even so, no matter how well you weather-tight the door, water from stormy weather can still somehow get in. To completely prevent water intrusion, the door would have to be so tight it cannot be opened. Of course, this defeats the purpose of a door. Thus it is highly recommended that you install a storm door.

    Another possible source of water leakage is the fireplace and its brick or stone chimney. The transition from siding to brick or stone is a delicate matter in need of a careful attention to details to keep the moisture out. Even so, the recent trend is to buy a pre-fab fireplace, install stone or brick around the fireplace and use stainless steel pipe for chimney. The exterior chimney would be covered with the same siding, not brick or stone. The advantage: a big cost saving, avoiding possible leakage, and better heat efficiency from the fireplace.

    For the whole house, the best defense against water intrusion is to make sure crawl space and attic area are well ventilated, the grade from 6 feet surrounding the house slopes down away from the house and the drainage system from gutters and downspouts is working properly.

    The above information will bring attention to the main sources of unwanted moisture in your new home. Make certain your home will be dry, comfortable, and trouble-free for a lifetime.

  • For Sale By Owner Websites Offer Many Options

    For Sale By Owner Websites Offer Many Options

    With the recent despair in the housing market, house values are dropping substantially throughout the US. Homeowners are researching ways to recoup some of their losses by selling their homes on their own.

    Hiring a real estate agent to sell your home has always perplexed me. I have sold numerous homes over the years and the listing agent never actually sold my home. In one case I even sold my own home when someone knocked on my door after seeing my sign. I negotiated a price then and there and shook hands on it without the real estate agent. The sad part of the matter was that he made 6% on my home sale ($16,000) without doing anything. I remember asking him if he could give me a break in the commission price since I sold the home. In a rude manner he said that it was his sign in front of my house that sold the home, not me.

    According to 2006 National Association of Realtor statistics, 13% of all homes were sold without a real estate agent. 90% of FSBO (For Sale By Owner) sellers end up going to realtors in the end. Be that as it may, I decided to check in to some of these websites and the options they offer.

    I started my research by searching on Google. I found a list of National For Sale By Owner websites. Here is a quick overview of my search results.

    1. HomesByOwner.com: You can list your home for free. You can upload 1 photo in the free section. If you would like to add more photos, it will cost you.

    2. BuyOwner.com: They do not have a price listed on their website, they recommend that you call them. They offer great Virtual Tours. BuyOwner sends people out to your home to take these Virtual Images. I am not sure on the price, but I had a friend who used their service and spent $2,300. Contact BuyOwner.com for more details.

    3. Owners.com: They provide a free listing service. They also offer a $377 MLS listing fee to add your property in to the Multiple Listing Service. If an agent shows up and sells your home, you would only pay the 3% to them as opposed to paying the full 6% if you hired a agent as I have in the past.

    4. ForSaleOwnerHomes.com: They also offer a free listing service. These free websites like ForSaleOwnerhomes.com make their money through things like Google ads, that is why they can keep their listing services for free.

    5. ForSaleByOwner.com: Fee for a listing is $89.95 a month or a flat fee of $199 to be listed until your property is sold.

    There are more websites, but you get the general idea of what is out there. If you are planning on selling your home, I recommend you go through the same research I did and list on as many free websites as possible. If you hit it and sell your home, you will only have more money in your pocket in the end.

  • Commercial Real Estate Values

    Commercial Real Estate Values

    In order to understand commercial real estate values, you must understand how an appraiser professionally appraises a property. An appraiser is tasked with the responsibility of estimating or giving an opinion of the value of a commercial property. You can apply his or her techniques to estimate the value.

    Comparable Sales Approach

    The first and probably the easiest method in valuing commercial real estate is called the comparable sales approach. If you recall when you bought your first house, the bank had an appraiser come out and give the property a value that you hoped would at least equal your purchase price. The same applies to commercial property. The commercial appraiser goes out and compares prices of recently sold local properties that are similar in form and function to the property they are appraising. The analysis will produce an average price and that price is what your property will be valued at. In commercial properties, they not only look at the price, but they also look at the sales price per square foot of the building.

    Although the comparable sales approach is the easiest method for figuring out a value for commercial property, there are a couple of problems when using this approach.

    • When values go up and down or aren’t stabilized, this can nullify the use of the comparable sale approach
    • In some small markets, there are no or only a few comparable sales due to the lack of overall sales

    The Income Approach

    In determining commercial real estate values, this is the most important one that you should learn.

    You will find that commercial properties are chiefly valued by the amount of income they bring in. To be more precise, it is actually the net operating income that is the most important factor. When you have accurate operating and financial information on the property, the income approach can be utilized.

    This approach is based on the capitalization rate being calculated for a property. In order to calculate the cap rate, you must first know the property’s sale price and its net operating income.

    After you calculate the cap rate of the property, you then compare the cap rate to similar property’s cap rates that were sold in the area. The appraiser goes out and finds the cap rates of the other properties and averages them. He then utilizes that average cap rate to calculate the property’s value knowing the net operating income.

    The Cost Approach

    The final approach to figuring out a property’s value is the cost approach. This approach is the least often used as you are trying to figure out the value of the property based on what it might cost to construct in today’s market, plus adding in the value of the land. The cost approach is most accurate for newer buildings because in determining the value of older buildings, you must account for the depreciation which can be hard to determine.

    The calculation that you do for this approach is land value plus building cost minus depreciation equals the estimated property value.

    Understanding these approaches to commercial real estate values will help you get started with the valuation process.

  • Drones Have Landed in the Real Estate Industry

    Drones Have Landed in the Real Estate Industry

    Real Estate is the second largest industry for drone use, after aerial photography, which is easy to understand when viewing the compelling aerial photos and videos in use by many realtors today. Drones are technically referred to as UAVs “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” or when referring to the drone and ground controller unit, an “Unmanned Aircraft System” (UAS). Today, UAVs are very affordable, easy to operate and highly maneuverable. Though a pilot’s license was at one time necessary for commercial drone use, the FAA now allows operation with a remote pilot certificate (FAA Section 107 regulations).

    How and Why Drones Benefit the Real Estate Industry

    Differentiating property listings by offering high-quality aerial photography and video is a hot button for realtors today. Statistics show that homes with aerial images sell 68 percent faster than houses that are marketed using standard photography. Here are 9 ways in which real estate agents and brokers are benefiting from drones:

    1. Drone photography offers dramatic, captivating images.

    Using modern drone technology allows real estate professionals to create exceptional shots easily. The use of GPS-programmed flight paths combined with automatic point-of-interest camera targeting results in professional and appealing views.

    2. Drones are able to shoot engaging virtual tours.

    A camera drone can fly throughout a home or office building and travel through each room, creating a detailed virtual tour that stationary photography is unable to capture. Today’s video editing software make it easy for agents to create a professional voice-over soundtrack, giving the potential buyer a rich and compelling visual story.

    3. Drone photography is able to show enhanced features of the property.

    Aerial photography can capture shots of landscaping, outdoor living areas, pools, hot tubs, walking paths, nearby parks, local schools, and other interesting features that potential buyers will want to see.

    4. Drone photography is attractive to sellers and will generate new business for the real estate agent.

    Using drone photography and videos to market properties is a huge selling point for prospective sellers, who want their property to be presented in best way possible.

    5. Drones provide realtors a competitive edge.

    Real estate listings with drone-produced images and video outperform listings that only offer traditional photos, resulting in increased sales for the agent.

    6. Drones are a cost-effective alternative.

    Drones are inexpensive to purchase and use. Or realtors can cost effectively outsource aerial photography to professional drone operators.

    7. Drones offer high level impact for luxury homes.

    Drone photography is able to highlight a waterfront view, spotlight a beautiful garden, expansive grounds, unique swimming pools or water features. Aerial drone photography is able to capture the elegance of a high-end property in a way that no other photography method can.

    8. Drones offer advantages for commercial real estate and property development.

    Drones are used to plan high rise apartments and other residential multi-unit projects. They are used to inspect, survey and market the property to potential buyers, and for aerial overviews of the land to be developed and surrounding neighborhoods.

    9. Drones aid in roof and home inspections.

    A drone allows inspectors to identity roof and other issues in ways that a ladder never would. Beyond offering a safer inspection solution, they can readily identify lifting shingles, bent flashing or chimney related issues.

    Current FAA Regulations

    All drones weighing more than a half pound (0.55 lbs.) are required to be registered with the FAA. The cost to register drones is only $5, but the fine for using an unregistered drone can be $25,000 per UAV. Current FAA guidelines include:

    • No drones may be flown within 5 miles of an airport or terminal.
    • Written permission is required from each person before drones can fly over or photograph them.
    • Commercial drones are limited to an altitude of 400 feet.
    • Drone pilots must remain in the line-of-sight of the drone they are operating at all times.
    • All operators must secure a drone/UAV operator’s license from the FAA.

    Risk Protection for Realtors

    While the risk of damage and injury is very low when it comes to drone photography, there are some risks involved. Every drone operator should carry commercial drone insurance. Most drone operators should consider both accidental and liability insurance. Many real estate companies require a minimum of a $1 million limit of liability for third-party operators. There are several types of coverages applicable to drones, including:

    • Drone Liability Insurance
    • Hull Insurance (damage to the actual drone)
    • Drone Payload Insurance
    • Ground Equipment Insurance

    Drone liability insurance protects the operator and company from third-party claims or property damage. Some policies may extend their insurance coverage to financial loss protection associated with negligence and invasion of privacy. Every realtor using drones should review their coverages to ensure they are protected when using this growing technology.

  • Trying to Sell Your Home by Yourself? Know About FSBO

    Trying to Sell Your Home by Yourself? Know About FSBO

    People who want to sell their home would sell through for sale by owner if they want to save some money and have a successful sale. People try very to save the money in any way possible. They never want to spend on real estate commission if they don’t have to. Many people don’t believe that FSBO is like a big opportunity for them to sell their home. They don’t even try to know how it helps them in the selling process of their home. Sometimes, they even afraid of selling their home by themselves because they think they might mess up something very important. Reasons for these doubts could be anything. Hearing a sad FSBO story or following the status quo and get help from real estate agent in the selling process. But they never think how this FSBO process helps them to sell their home.

    Selling your home through FSBO is not an easy process but once you know the details, steps how you can proceed to succeed then it becomes very easy for you to sell your home and also you can do the sale by yourself without any help from real estate agents or brokers. If you are selling your home through FSBO, it is not just a single benefit of getting the price you want for your home, it has also some other benefits like selling your home faster than you expected, no stress in the selling process, finding the buyers who actually love your home like you, finding how actually advertising helps you in the selling process of your home and many other benefits.

    This FSBO process is often criticized by many real estate agents and brokers because this process creates a parallel real estate network in which house owners are the real estate agents. Because of this reason, they don’t even show houses that are being sold using “for sale by owner”. The main reason for this s that they think they will have to do twice as much work. In many cases they are right. It is an excessive burden for the buyer’s agent to have to hold the seller’s hand and educate them through the selling process.

    So if you want to sell your home through FSBO successfully, please take time and learn what you needed to know before even starting the selling process.

  • FSBO Homes – Be Your Own Real Estate Broker

    FSBO Homes – Be Your Own Real Estate Broker

    FSBO home or For Sale by Owner means of selling your home without the interference of a real estate broker or real estate agent. Home owners can employ the services of marketing or online listing companies or market their own property and need not pay a commission and represent themselves with the help of FSBO websites throughout the sale. One of the most popular reasons for why FSBO home owners choose to sell their house without the assistance of an agent is to avoid paying heavy agent’s commission charged by the real estate agents. This is possible through various FSBO websites available on the internet.

    The buyer who is represented by an agent and is interested in a FSBO properties, the buyer’s agent may request the owner pay him or her commission, or finder’s fee, for bringing the buyer to the seller. But it depends whether the seller wants to pay the commission or not. The seller is not legally obliged to pay any commission unless and until there’s a contract or any agreement on this in advance.

    FSBO are a good option for those who are looking for a deal in real estate today. Real estate agent commissions can run in the thousands of dollars and run up the purchase price of the home. In the US the agent’s charge up to 5% of the selling price of the property. Thus a home owner saves a lot of money when he or she decides to sell home without the agents. When sellers can avoid paying out those heavy charged fees, they can pass some of the savings onto the buyer. There are many places to find these types of properties and the best place for the same is internet or we can say a FSBO website.

    For a FSBO home one need to have complete market knowledge about property, affordability, needs that one have to have a great deal closure. One saves a lot of money through listing on various FSBO Home websites. So you really don’t have to dependent on brokers for buying or selling you own property.

  • Don’t Buy Tax Lien Certificates Until You Read This!

    Don’t Buy Tax Lien Certificates Until You Read This!

    Some real estate gurus make tax lien investing sound like it’s a sure thing. That you’re guaranteed to make huge interest rates and that’s it’s “government guaranteed.” Unfortunately for You, they leave out a few facts and are stretching the truth quite a bit.

    First you have to understand that tax sales are auctions and in most state those extremely high interest rates are bid down to extremely low rates. Why would investors do that? It’s simple, sometimes there are other penalties that they will get should the lien redeem. In New Jersey for instance the penalty is between 2-6% depending on the amount of the lien. In Florida there is a penalty of 5%. Also once you own the lien, you can pay the subsequent taxes and get the maximum interest on that.

    Secondly, you must understand that there is no guarantee that you will get paid on your lien. Of course if you don’t get paid, you can foreclose once the redemption period is over. But no one guarantees that you will be paid! What these gurus mean when they say that liens are “government guaranteed” is that the laws are on your side. If you don’t get paid you can eventually foreclose on the property. The only thing guaranteeing your investment is the property! That’s why I don’t recommend investing in liens through the mail or online. Would you buy property that you didn’t see first!

    When you buy a tax certificate, even though you are not purchasing the property, there is always the chance that the lien will not redeem and you will have to foreclose on the property. What if the property is worthless? What if it is an unbuildable piece of land? Then you are stuck with a worthless piece of property that no one will want to buy from you and if you don’t continue to pay the taxes on it, it will eventually revert back to the county that sold it to you.

    Yes, there are risks involved in lien investing and no, it is not a sure thing. It is however an excellent way to invest your money if you know what you are doing. If you are contemplating buying a program to learn how to invest in lien certificates or tax deeds, beware! Don’t buy an e-book, coaching program, or a course from someone who candy coats the business of investing in lien certificates and tax deeds and makes it sound like you can’t fail and there are no risks. The truth is that you can fail and there are risks to avoid. Instead buy one of these products from someone who tells you what the risks are and how to avoid them. This will give you a better chance for success in buying profitable tax lien certificates and tax deeds.

  • 6 Real Estate Marketing Considerations

    6 Real Estate Marketing Considerations

    You’ve decided it’s the right time, for you to sell your home. While this decision may be based on a variety of considerations, the first decision, the homeowner needs to make (next), is selecting the right agent, for him. One should thoroughly interview prospective agents, and discuss, in advance, considerations, philosophies, perspectives, systems, approaches, etc. One of the most important discussions should be about how one might market the particular property, in order to achieve the homeowner’s needs, concerns and objectives, with the best results. This article will briefly examine and discuss 6 real estate marketing considerations, alternatives, and options.

    1. Conventional advertising: Traditional, or conventional advertising/ marketing approaches, include using newspapers, sending postcards, mailings, etc. Over the past decade, there has been far less attention to these methods, because of buyer’s reading policies, widespread use of the Internet, costs, etc. However, this is still a needed, necessary, useful format and media, especially if done, with professionalism and focus!

    2. Social media/ internet: There are many popular real estate websites, including: Trulia, Zillow, Realtor.com, MLS, real estate broker sites, etc. In addition, there has been a widespread emphasis on effectively using Social Media, etc, which garners widespread focus and attention. The advantages of this method, include attracting potential buyers, and minimum costs.

    3. Word of mouth: Wise Realtors realize, the best form of marketing, is word of mouth! Superior real estate agents, have a following, and references from former clients and customers, generally, produce the finest results!

    4. Open Houses: There are two types of Open Houses: 1) Broker’s Inspections; and 2) Consumer Open House. One promotes these, via a combination of the previous 3 methods, as well as by using well – situated signs. The basic advantage of these, is it permits lots of exposure, and there is an adage which states, the more potential buyer views, the better the possibility of a sale!

    5. Staging: Certain homes might benefit from the services of a Professional Home Stager. Homeowners should discuss this, with their agents, including the benefits, costs, needs, options, etc.

    6. Niche marketing: Does the specific house, fit into a particular niche? Are there, perhaps, certain groups of buyers, who might have a better chance of being attracted to this home? How might one focus on this group, if applicable?

    Houses don’t sell themselves. Real estate professionals proceed with a quality, overall marketing system, and customize the best one, for the particular client’s property!