Dost & Co Immobilien

Buying a home in Palm Beach County can be a very exciting exercise for a home buyer. It can also be frightening because of the pitfalls involved in the procedure. Thankfully, you can avoid these common mistakes committed by many first-time home buyers if you are aware of these mistakes.

1. Not utilizing services of an attorney during closing

Many buyers, when buying Palm Beach County property, think that they are covered and protected as they have a reliable real estate agent on their side. Remember that the job of a real estate agent is to find a home not to check and complete legal formalities. This is where the role of a qualified attorney comes into picture. Also, the fee of your agent is usually paid out of the proceeds and not comes out of your pocket. Your attorney not only looks at the agreement between you and the seller from legal point of view but also safeguards your interests. Hire an independent attorney and not the one recommended by your agent or the seller. This professional will check if all the documents are in accordance with the provisions of the law at the time of closing. You can have total peace of mind when you are represented by an experienced attorney when buying a Palm Beach Property. By law, you are not required to hire the services of an attorney at the time of closing in the state of Florida. But having an experienced attorney by your side at the time of closing when buying a property makes you comfortable as you know there is a professional safeguarding your interests. He also expedites the process of closing and completes it in a smooth and hassle-free manner.

2. Overlooking problems with mold and cost of remediation

Mold is a big problem in homes in entire Florida. Mold thrives in warm and damp places and the climate in Palm Beach County presents ideal conditions for mold to develop and grow fast. High humidity is one reason why mold is such a big problem inPalm Beach County properties. Even if you and your family members are not allergic to mold, it is prudent to get the property properly inspected for the presence of mold. Mold can create breathing problems for your family and it can prove to be potentially hazardous for the health of your family. Mold remediation can be a costly and time-consuming affair. It is in your interest to either avoid buying a property infested with mold or negotiate with the owner to lower the asking price.

Some buyers skip home inspection just because they like to save their money that is paid in the form of fee to an independent professional. The cost of a home inspection in Palm Beach County can range from $300-$500 depending upon the size of the property and what is included in this inspection. Imagine the kind of risk these home buyers are ready to take just to save small amount of money. There are also buyers who would like to believe the words of their seller who says that the property is fine and there are no issues with it. Do not make this mistake as the seemingly beautiful house may turn out to be a headache for you in future as you discover various problems with it.

A home inspection, when done properly by a professional, can reveal problems that can take thousands of dollars to fix. But once you buy the house and move in, you cannot ask for compensation form the seller. If you skipped home inspection and now see mold growing at a rapid rate inside the home, it is you who must spend money on its remediation.

3. Not doing due diligence at the time of title search

The tile of the property you are buying in Palm Beach County is just as important as the structure. You worked hard to find a beautiful home in the area through Palm Beach property search. Now you must see to it that the seller has the full and clear ownership rights to the property so that these rights can be transferred to you without any problems. Title insurance and title search costs are paid by the seller in Palm Beach County. As such, you should not ignore this very important aspect of buying a home as it can have long term legal repercussions for you. Buyers not paying attention at the time of title search can pay dearly later when someone else lays claim to the tile of the property in future. Title search involves verification of title ownership records. These documents prove that your seller legally owns the title of the property and has the rights to sell the property to you.

Your lender in Palm Beach County asks you for a title search and title insurance to safeguard his money. This is because he holds the mortgage for a long duration and he doesn’t want to find out that the property does not have a clear title. Your ender cannot afford to lose on his investment because of defects or clouds in the title of the property.

4. Not reading covenants for HOA

If you have decided to buy a house in Palm Beach County that is a part of a homeowner’s association, you will be subject to the rules in the declaration of CC&R’s. If you do not know every HOA has its own covenants, conditions and restrictions that its residents have to abide with. If the single-family home or the condo you are buying is inside a planned community, you are bound to follow the rules and regulations imposed by your HOA.

When you close escrow, you are made to sign a series of papers, one of which is the CC&R’s. It says that you have read these CC&Rs and agree to abide with them. Violating them in future can result in penalties and forced compliance that you may not like. Many HOA’s restrict the size and type of breed that you can own as a pet. They also have certain covenants in place to restrict residents from renting their units. They do this to preserve the character of the community and to maintain the general comfort level of the residents. There are also terms and conditions about the usage of common properties that you may not like as a resident. It is therefore advisable to get a copy of the CC&Rs and go through the document to know what is allowed and what is not permissible once you become the owner of a Palm Beach County property. Do not leave it up to the discretion of your attorney as he may not be aware of your likes and dislikes in this regard.

Buying a Palm Beach County property in a wrong community can be a big mistake. You can do nothing but repent on your decision. This is where a knowledgeable real estate agent can help you when conducting your Palm Beach property search. Once you make clear your likings and requirements, he will avoid showing you properties in communities where you can face a problem because of HOA covenants. Yes, you can save hundreds of dollars by skipping home inspection at the time of buying a property in Palm Beach County. But you could end up paying not hundreds but even thousands of dollars if a big structural issue is identified after moving in.

5. Not getting preapproved for mortgage

This is another big mistake committed by many buyers in Palm Beach County. These buyers are confident about their ability to secure a loan from a lender as they think they have a good credit and have decent monthly income. These buyers start their house hunt and even sign the agreement with the owner of the property to close the deal in certain number of days. It is only later that they find that lenders are not giving them the amount required to fund their purchase. For example, if the agreement has been signed with the purchase price mentioned as $400000 and the lender is only approving a mortgage loan of $300000, the buyer has to fill the gap and arrange $60000 over and above 10% down payment that he has saved in his bank account.

This can be a very embarrassing situation for the buyer and if he cannot arrange the money in time, the agreement lapses, and he even forfeits the deposit he has paid to the owner of the property. To avoid being caught in such a situation when buying a property in Palm Beach County, it is necessary to get preapproval for a loan form a lender. This gives you a clear idea of amount of money that the bank is willing to finance for the purchase of a property.

6. Not looking at credit

If you are desirous of buying a house in Palm Beach County, you know you need help from a lender to finance your purchase. The first thing that most lenders in Palm Beach County look at is the credit report of the applicant. Your application can be rejected by the lenders even if you are earning a decent monthly income if your credit score is below average. Many buyers make the cardinal sin of approaching lenders when they have a poor credit score. Their application is rejected as banks cannot take a risk on investing on a person who they consider as untrustworthy. This is the reason you should desist from approaching a lender if your credit score is low. You should work hard to improve your credit so that it becomes acceptable to lenders. You can always conduct your Palm Beach County property search later.

Even with an average credit score, banks will give you a rate of mortgage higher than what they provide to borrowers with excellent credit score. This can make you pay a lot more for a property than you would if you are charged a lower rate of interest. It will also mean that your monthly repayments will be much higher, making the loan very costly for you. This is the reason why you should first work on your credit and only then approach a bank for a mortgage loan.

7. Placing faith on mortgage information available online

First time homebuyers in Palm Beach County, like in other parts of the country, rely too much on whatever mortgage information that is available online to them. They have gone through these terms and conditions many times and they become overconfident about their financing. They do their financial calculation about money that they can secure from a bank for the purchase of a Palm Beach County property. But things happen a little bit differently in the real world and these Millennials understand this fact in a bitter manner.

Of course, you are entitled to all the free information available on the net from banks and mortgage brokers but you should not believe this information in Toto. Remember, information on internet is for general information purpose only. You need to seek clarification from the bank to confirm whether the rule applies in your case or not. Many buyers in Palm Beach County get a rude shock when they are told that they cannot get a particular rate of interest or a certain amount of money as mortgage.

The problem with information on the net is that readers accept it on their face value. You should contact lenders and have a face to face chat with loan officers so that you can ask questions and get answers to them.

8. Not anticipating associated costs of buying

This is a very common mistake committed by first time home buyers in Palm Beach County. Many young buyers, in their excitement of having saved money for down payment believe that it is all they need to become the owner of a house. Yes, they will get the mortgage from a lender based upon their credit report and financials, but they need to have extra money in their account to pay for associated costs of buying. In addition to credit report fee, appraisal fee, title insurance fee, Escrow, State tax, and survey fee, there are also property tax and mortgage insurance that the borrower must keep in his mind when calculating the cost of buying a home in Palm Beach County.

Let us understand this through an example. If the Palm Beach County property you are buying is priced at $250000, bank will finance 80% of this price and ask you to pay $50000 as down payment. In addition to this down payment, you require another 2-2.5% of the value of the property to be able to close the deal. Adding everything, the total amount of money needed to close the deal is $55756 in this example.

What this example suggests is that you should be prepared to spend money on closing the deal and you cannot hope to be the owner by just saving down payment in your bank account.

9. Not hiring the services of a real estate agent

There is so much information about home buying available on internet that many home buyers believe they can buy a home on their own. There is no dearth of buyers who believe they can save on the commission that real estate agents charge for helping in buying a home. This is incorrect as the fee of the buyer’s agent comes from the proceeds of the sale and it is the seller who pays the commission of both the agents.

Trying to buy a home without a west Palm Beach real estate agent can be complicated and very tiring. There are many legal formalities to be fulfilled and the entire exercise right from making an offer to closing of deal can prove to be very intimidating if you are a first-time home buyer in Palm Beach County. Therefore, it is very reassuring to have a reliable and experienced realtor by your side all the way through. His knowledge and experience help in removing obstacles from your way. This professional makes the process of buying a Palm Beach County smooth and hassle free.

Searching for a home that suits your requirements and budget in a given community or neighborhood can be a long drawn out procedure. A good quality realtor not only helps in identifying but also negotiates with seller’s agent to lower the asking price. He helps in drafting a brilliant offer so that it is accepted and remains with you till the time deal is finally closed and you can move in your new house. Not taking help from a reliable and honest real estate agent does not save you any money. On the contrary, buying exercise becomes more difficult and nightmarish.

Buying a home can be tough without the help of best quality real estate agent. But when you have best real estate agent helping you, you will find that all your questions are answered and all your requirements in terms of location, features, and even price rage are fulfilled. Here it is important to note that you need to hire an experienced buyer’s agent, not a professional who is mostly handling sale of properties of his clients.

10. Not being ready to make the move

Palm Beach County is a hot housing market with a strong demand from buyers. It is a seller’s market with very tight inventory. Median home prices for single family homes here are $341500. Price per sq foot here is $190 which is less than $218 in Miami-Fort Lauderdale Metro Area. Sellers in Palm Beach County are getting multiple offers form buyers and they are getting over and above their asking price these days. In such a market, it becomes necessary for a buyer to be prepared in all respects. Many buyers try to buy a house in Palm Beach real estate market without homework with the result that they are mostly unsuccessful. If you are really interested, get preapproved and make an irresistible offer to stand out from rest of the buyers.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Christine Madalone

Okay, so we all can agree – listings are the lifeblood of the

real estate industry. And if the keys to selling them are

location, location and location, then the challenge in getting

them is self-promotion.

But how do you promote to the masses without going broke?

Below are a few ideas and strategies to effectively market

yourself on a shoe string budget.

Sponsor A Workshop

Sponsor a workshop for homeowners attempting to sell their

homes FSBO. Advertise it in your local newspaper and note

that seating is limited.

Then, require attendees to RSVP their intent to attend. So, with

little effort you will have developed a „warm list“ of prospective buyers and sellers.

The workshop should be relatively short; 60-90 minutes long.

Provide a movie, popcorn and a sitter for kids so that parents won’t have to worry about getting a babysitter. More parents are likely to attend and you’ll have their undivided

attention.

The workshop should be long enough to share useful information,

but short enough that you won’t stress about how you’re going

to fill the time. Heck you can even joke with callers that it’ll only

be as long as „Bambi,“ or whatever movie you decide to show.

Host the workshop in your office if you have adequate space.

If not, the local library, a Title Company, Mortgage Company or

other location will suffice. Do not rent a space, but do have it in a nice location.

Title and Mortgage Companies may even be inclined to pay a part or all of the costs for co-sponsoring the event with you. After all, each attendee is a prospect for their products and services, too.

In the workshop you’ll be instructing attendees on the dos and

don’ts of selling their properties; establishing the right price,

creating curb appeal, staging a home for sale, establishing how

and when to show their properties, and more importantly how to

be safe when showing properties.

One objective of the workshop is to give each attendee sentially

the same information you give when you go on listing presentations. It’s kind of like a listing presentation in reverse, where they come to you as a group.

So, at the end of it each attendee will have a greater appreciation of the advantages of using a Realtor, your marketing plan, contact number, email address, etc.

Be sure to follow up with a series of letters to continue building the relationship. As a general rule it takes 4 – 7 contacts before you develop enough rapport with prospects to earn their business, but it’s well worth the effort. Make it easy on yourself and consider prewritten form letters that are ready made to copy, paste and send.

Every attendee will be a potential customer for you; as a seller and a buyer. After all, how many are likely to sell their properties without the services of a Realtor?

Now, how many are likely to buy a property listed with a ealtor?

Right, again! And guess who can be there when they need professional assistance?

So, here are a few final questions before I close. Do you know of another Realtor that host events like this on a regular basis?

How about one who hosts an Open House for his/her office? Okay,

then how about one that conducts workshops on how to finance home loans? Still no?

Hopefully, you can now see the near endless possibilities for self promoting your services. And if you institutionalize them, meaning that you make them regular events, they could become part of the services you provide that distinguishes you from your competitors.

So, whenever you hear somebody say location, location, location;

think self-promotion, self-promotion, and self-promotion.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Lanard Perry

1. What is a flat fee Multiple Listing Service (MLS) listing?

The MLS is an all-inclusive database shared by local Realtors. Agents can access this database to search for exactly what their buyers are looking for. This one resource provides Realtors with a significant advantage over anyone who is selling on their own. In fact, over 90% of buyers find their new homes through the MLS.

Real estate companies that offer flat fee MLS listings will input the information and pictures to the MLS for a fee which varies from between $99 and $995 depending on the level of services provided. However, a fee is typically offered to an agent who brings in a buyer. This fee can be any amount by law but is typically 2% to 2 ½% versus the 6% to 9% charged for full service listings.

2. What is the difference between flat fee listings and full service Realtor listings?

The owner undertakes duties usually provided by a Realtor. These include taking pictures, providing promotional copy, gathering information about the property, identifying repairs and improvements that will promote the sale and increase the return on investment, deciding on the best marketable price, monitoring the market, price adjustments if and when necessary, Arraigning showings, negotiating with buyers directly, obtain legal counsel, facilitating inspections, possible renegotiating and whatever else is necessary to bring the sale to closing.

3. What services are typically provided by flat fee brokers?

   Besides adding your listing to the regional MLS, the listing is typically syndicated to dozens of portal websites like Zillow, Trulia, Homes.com, AOLrealestate.com, etc. plus local real estate companies directly. Owner provided pictures that are added to the MLS and portal sites. A sign &/or lock box is usually provided.

   Some companies provide free renewal or listings that do not expire. If available in the area, companies will often provide appointment center services which provide a convenient means of scheduling showings. With higher priced listing packages more services are added.

4. What are the downsides of flat fee listings?

   Selling by owner is a lot of work. Over half of owners who were successful report that they would not try to sell on their own again. This is because besides the work involved it may not improve the return on investment. Realtors have years of hard won experience. If they can’t typically provide their clients with a better return on their investment than the owners can themselves they would not survive in the profession. Besides the logistics that can reasonably be handled by an owner, there is a good deal of judgment required. One misstep and the deal often falls through. Inexperience, even in new licensed real estate agents, can cost thousands of dollars or the entire sale. Most brokerages provide close supervision and training for their new agents for at least the first year. The owner does not have this essential advantage. Flat fee brokers who offer remote support cannot do so with the same expertise that a Realtor that has personal knowledge of the local market and property can. Finally, beware of invoking procuring cause claims.

In spite of the work and uncertainty involved many sellers do manage to sell on their own using flat fee broker resources to maximize their housing investment greatly.

5. How to proceed.

Contact a reputable flat fee MLS broker who you can speak with directly to answer specific questions. This brief article can only provide an overview of the process.

While for sale by owner packages vary from broker to broker here are some important considerations:

• Broker should be experienced and knowledgeable about local market conditions to provide ready guidance and counsel.
• Broker should be local and able to provide market data and referrals for attorneys, contractors, inspectors, etc.
• Broker should be readily available 12/7.
• Broker should be a direct MLS member where property is located not a portal site that remotely lists properties through affiliates.
• An exclusive website should be included that sends independent buyers directly to the owner to save co-broke commission.
• Appointment center showing scheduling services should be provided at no additional cost.
• Owner should retain right to sell on their own without paying addition commission.
• Changes or pauses to listing should be provided at no additional cost.
• Listing should not expire until home is sold or taken off market by owner.
• Electronic lock box and sign should be provided and delivered at no additional cost.
• All inquires should be directed to the owner.
• Professional quality photographic services should be available.
• Owner supplied photos and videos should be enhanced by broker to the standards typically found on the MLS.
• Broker should also offer full service upgrades with flat fee credited to final commission.

6. Steps to closing

• Engage local flat fee broker
• Provide details and pictures
• Approve listing on MLS and submit fee
• Arrange showing with appointment desk
• Negotiate offers
• Obtain legal counsel (recommended)
• Fulfill contact obligations. This is done with the help of the co-broker and your attorney.
• Close with more proceeds than if you had listing full service

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Dennis Maier

If you are considering getting involved in investment real estate, let me offer some of the amazing information available in my wealth-building system, Winning the Mortgage Game. In several parts of my system, I outline a strategy for getting started in investing in real estate, without being a landlord. Also, it can be done without a lot of money up front. The method I describe is purchasing mobile home notes.

A mobile home is a manufactured home, which has no land attached. It can be purchased and moved or purchased at a mobile home park. Now, you can actually purchase the mortgage from a private investor — meaning you will own the right to collect payments from someone who owns the mobile home.

In other words, you will be the bank — the entity holding a note on a piece of property, collecting monthly payments.

You are not, however, a landlord. The people paying you actually own the property. They maintain it and fix any problems that arise. You, as the bank, have the right to foreclose, if they stop paying. But, if you’ve bought carefully, you will never have to worry about them not paying.

Now, this is just a cursory lesson on owning a note.

For more details on owning a mortgage and collecting payments, as a way to make money in real estate, get the wealth-building system Winning the Mortgage Game.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Mark Barnes

If you are not aware of the things to be considered when buying real estate, it is more likely that you will be duped and will feel sorry in the end. Following are some guidelines which you can follow when buying real estate.

Research and gather comprehensive data on the real estate market. Lack of knowledge can lead you to nowhere, thus you need to equip yourself with adequate information on real property and apply it when choosing your house. Knowing the rules of buying real estate will assist you in your search for a house.

Picture in your mind the kind of house that you want. The real estate market offers various kinds of houses. With the so many designs and styles, you can be sidetracked on the exact house that you are looking for. The Internet offers plenty of options to help you decide prior to your purchase.

Look for referrals from your relatives, friends, co-workers, etc. If you have a new neighbor, you can ask him where he got the information on the house that he bought. People you know are one of the best sources of information apart from the Internet. They can lead you to the best real estate agents.

When you have finally found the real estate broker, set an appointment and discuss your immediate needs. You will know if you have found a reliable agent by checking on their previous records and meet up with them. Set the meeting in their office so you will know if they are bogus or not. Read the certificates posted on the office walls and look for their business license. If there are clients waiting, you can talk to them. Do not agree to meet them outside. The first meeting should always be in their office. You also need to check on their charges, if there is any. It is customary that the agent who sells the house and the agent who referred the buyer gets 2.5% each of the selling price from the seller. Therefore, the buyer is freed from this responsibility.

When you have finally decided on the house that you wanted, set an appointment with the real estate company so you can see the house physically. Once you are there, check on the surroundings if it is suitable for you and your family. Check each room, the paint, the ceiling, the walls, floors, the bathroom and toilet, etc. Check the outside premises, too. Make sure that the necessary furnishings or accoutrements are in proper order. Do not readily give any deposits or reservation fees without making a general check of the house.

Once you are finished inspecting the house and were pleased and happy with it, you can talk to the realtor about its prices. Once you have agreed on a certain amount, your realtor will process the documents like the deed of title and sale as well as other pertinent ownership documents. Before signing the documents, ask a lawyer to review it. Some legal terminologies may be difficult for you and that can cause you problems in the future. Ask the lawyer to explain those points that are quite vague to you. Ensure that you fully understand everything that is written in the documents before signing them. This will make certain that your house is protected and that you will not encounter any problems when the sale ends.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Ning Oller

Additional effort in managing one’s personal finances will result to a more positive usage of personal resources. With attainable, realistic goals, ones financial standing will progress in no time at all. However, for the part of the individual concerned, this calls for proper planning and monitoring. There is also a need to assess at some point to see if the goals set are being met or further intervention is needed to alleviate the financial condition.

Available Income:

• Regular household cash flow
• After Budget cash or net flow

Regular household cash flow is what remains after the expected yearly expenses are subtracted from the expected yearly regular income. After budget cash or net flow is simply what one ends up with after subtracting regular household liabilities from the known assets. The part of the regular income that does not go towards normal expenses is a very important resource that can be diverted towards other personal financial goals. A balance sheet should be able to determine the net worth before proceeding to plan further on how to save enough for bigger and more important purchases.

Factors to be considered if 50% net increase is desired:

• Full liabilities
• Outstanding debts
• Investment Instruments
• Savings yield- savings + interest gained
• Outstanding student loans

It only goes to say that when liabilities decrease, a person’s net worth increases along with it. The number one advice for people with plans to progress financially is to avoid taking juicy bank loans on offer as they are ever-potent dangers to one’s credit score specially when the interest pile up. Recovery from debts will be a much needed boost to personal finance. The more payables are settled, the fewer the liabilities are and this carries a positive reflection on one’s balance sheet and also his credit standing.

Personal investments make up most of a person’s net worth and thus it is a perpetually good move to gain as much valuable assets as a person possibly can in the course of his lifetime. This is not to say that forethought should not be employed here but the contrary. Investing by buying up profitable assets should always be preceded by careful analysis, so that a purchase will actually add vigor to one’s portfolio. The general trend is that if you are the risk avoidant type of investor high risk investments are avoided. These are properties which have value that changes with the ebb and flow of time like real estate, precious metals like gold and other physical goods that are known to have volatile values.

The riskier among us, those whose mettle are undeniably more resistant to fear easily trade in stocks and other financial instruments of our time. In this type of assets, the rule goes that the higher the risk, the higher the possible gains. This kind of investments no doubt needs to be studied and studied again due to the very nature of it to avoid excessive losses and to catch gains when and where they are likely to fall.

As savings is an important and integral part of a person’s net worth, due research is called for to yield the names of institutions that offer better products or simply better rates for one’s hard earned dollars. For example, American soldiers have the option and the privilege to take advantage of the DOD Savings Deposit program that has very high interest rates at 10%.

Savings accounts and CDs serve you in two ways: firstly by increasing your total net worth and secondly by giving a much needed buffer zone to your personal finance portfolio, as seen by prevailing trends all over. The reason for this is because such instruments are federally insured and grows at a steady, favorable rate every year.

One thing that has perennially damaged net worth are student loans as they can persist a long time after a person has graduated and worked. To counter the negative impact of this, one effective practice is to take advantage of seasonal tax breaks. With American opportunity tax credit alone, an individual can save as much as $2,500 and those who are still studying should altogether shun away from private student loans in favor of federally funded loans as these carry a lower, or fixed rates in general.

Most effective ways to maximize cash flow:

• Highly informed financial decisions
• Making and adhering to a budget
• Controlling impulsive buying
• Putting Cost cutting measures in place

Smart financial choices can sometimes spell the difference between ruin and progress. For instance, there is a choice between buying a house which becomes unaffordable later on as opposed to renting a modest accommodation. If the sale price of the house is proven to be a figure greater than 20, when the actual sale price is divided by the yearly rental, then you would be wiser if you rent. Managing personal finance need not be a daunting task; it only requires patience and practice.

Where you can cut costs:

• Cut back on unnecessary expenditure
• Cooking instead of dining out
• Look into car insurance cost cutters
• Collecting and using coupons
• Buying wholesale instead of retail wherever applicable

There is absolutely no shame in using coupons and the benefits are tremendous, it can even get to be a habit. Why pay the full price when a little vigilance in cutting and saving coupons goes a long way? If no printed material is available from where to glean coupons, the internet is always there, the perfect place to search for printable coupons.

Cook at home and cook in batches. Then freeze for later meals. Have the due diligence to look after leftovers and you will probably save a fortune in take-out budget. There is no shame in keeping eatable food and it does wonders to a family or individual’s food budget.

Cut down on company offers, like phone packages, cable or internet packages, whatever has hidden charges, zero in on them and ask to get only the basic service, pay only for what you actually need and use. The extra features cost and pile up in the long run.

Carpooling is also one way to save, and if you must absolutely drive, drive safely to avoid charges. These small things all contribute towards managing one’s finance in a sane and productive way. And the habits that are changed also stick, so it is best to make sure that you make changes for the better.

How to estimate: Tools in Determining Worth

• Simple Net worth calculator
• Retirement calculator- many are downloadable
• Mortgage rate calculator, again downloadable
• Spouse or partner income calculator for multiple income households
• Loan calculator, for free from many sites
• Currency converter- already in wide use everywhere
• Home budget calculator- a standard for many housewives
• FICO score range tool- again available for free online
• Student loan calculator- for up to date interest rates

These personal finance calculators are absolutely necessary when strategizing and setting up your long and short term goals, tax payments and schedules, mortgage resolutions and other financial steps. The closer the estimates are to real figures, the closer you will be to realizing your plans and these depend heavily on calculators.

Personal finance is simply net worth, cash flow, the relevant planning, savings, investment instruments, budget or allocations and cost cutting. If effort is made to understand the concepts in theory and applied wisely, a personal balance sheet and credit score will improve continuously beyond recovery and go well into growth.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Phil De Fontenay

Best Road Trips for Adventure: Explore the edges of the map on these remote roads.

Classic American road trip destinations, Death Valley and The Pacific Coast Highway both have names promising adventure. Death Valley and the ghost towns, narrow canyons and open deserts around it are like an invitation for tough guys and people looking to escape society’s bars, while the Pacific Coast Highway promises the clear beauty of American beauty oceanside – dramatic cliff-faces, beaches, secluded coves, mountainous forests, and protected wildlife.

Best Road Trips for Luxury: Wind in your hair freedom in style.

These road trips are made for honeymoons. Best case scenario the car is something sleek, open topped and Italian. The clear seas, bright villages and stone churches of the Amalfi Coast between Positano, Sorrento, Ravello and Amalfi, are well stocked with small boutique hotels, hidden coves and intimate cafe terraces on which to watch the sun go down, and make for the classic eloper’s dream. A trip along the French Riviera between Nice and Monte Carlo reeks of playboy chic, especially if you happen to win money in any of the casinos lining the route. For lovers by title, the Romantic Road from Heidelberg Castle to Neuschwanstein Castle, runs along the old trade route between medieval towns and fairytale castles.

The Karakoram Highway follows the route of the old silk road up to one of the world’s highest altitude passes amongst some of the world’s highest scenery round K2, Nanga Parbat and Gasherbrums I-IV. The Carretera Austral or Southern Highway runs on a largely unpaved odyssey through Patagonia, stopping at remote towns along the way.

Journeying between Marrakech and Essaouira via the Atlas Mountains is going a bit out of your way, but the trip south, through spectacular desert scenery, amongst the snow capped sky scrapers of the Atlas Mountains and along ridges over lush, hidden valleys will take you to the edge of the Sahara, as well as into the Atlases before the coast lays out in front of you at Essaouira.

Best Road Trips for Sightseeing: Drive by some of the world’s best sights.

For scenic days packed with distractions and attractions and evenings spent in comfortable B&Bs, a trip along Ireland’s Antrim Coast Road, past the Mourne Mountains, Carrickfergus Castle, Bushmills, Dunluce Castle, the Giant’s Causeway and the Glens of Antrim, or on America’s Blue Ridge Parkway, though the Great Smoky Mountains, are great family road trips.

Finland’s 1000 Lakes Trip is an eight or nine day Scandinavian family classic. Ex Helsinki it weaves around the beautiful lake country, between the 187,000 lakes, with overnight stops in cozy country towns. The Reykjavik to Akureyri Route by Geysir, the Reykjanes Peninsula and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is another excellent choice for sightseeing and you can do it in a day, taking snaps along the way or go slow and admire the sites.

Hawaii’s Hana Highway, from Pa’ia to Hana, is a much shorter trip, but with plenty to see, from bamboo and eucalyptus groves by waterfalls to panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean that you’ll remember for the rest of your life, while the Overseas Highway from Miami to Key West, which runs for 113 miles over 43 long, flat, straight ocean bridges, is the road trip equivalent of island hopping.

Best Road Trips for History: Retracing historic routes.

Follow in the unpaved footsteps of Che Guevara between Santa Cruz and Vallegrande, as he travelled though Bolivia and was finally laid to rest, or trace the Viking’s first inroads into Canada on the Viking Trail. Past the Norse landing site at L’Anse aux Meadows, and though the Gros Morne National Park, for the rock art and remains there, this trip also passes between pretty coastal towns most of which have a local Viking museum in which to house the local relics.

Route 66 is the classic road trip route into American folklore, following the old commercial route between rural villages. From the fields of Illinois, Kansas and Oklahoma, to the deserts of Texas and New Mexico to the coastline of California, this road is also referred to as Main Street USA.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Bea Metcalfe

Basic Real Estate Statistics Explained

We are going to define some of the basic real estate statistics that get thrown around on a regular basis. To do that, we will use one real estate market, located in Hood County Texas. Even more granular, we will use the single family numbers for homes in Granbury Tx, a small town of approximately 8,000 residents which has seen substantial real estate growth in the past 12 months. It is important when reviewing real estate statistics to use a group of numbers large enough for consistency, but granular enough to tell your story.

The statistics that we will be referencing are true and accurate for the year discussed but are being used to define the real estate statistic itself.

We have chosen Granbury Tx as our example because the growth of the local real estate market there make the statics stand out.

Anytime you are evaluating statistics, especially in real estate, the source of the numbers are extremely important. In most instances, the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) provides the most accurate numbers when referring to real estate. This is because they have all listings by all local real estate brokers in their database. For the sake of explanation of the data, we will be looking at the numbers for home sales in Granbury Tx, directly from the MLS. These numbers are meant to give an example of how to read the statistics themselves. Anytime you evaluate real estate numbers, its important to pay close attention to how the numbers are gathered. In this instance, we will be using ONLY single family properties in the city of Granbury.

Basic Real Estate Statistics

• Number of Sales – This one is pretty self explanatory. It is simply the number of single family homes sold in a particular month. In January of 2015, they had 51 single family homes sold. One thing to pay attention to when looking at this statistic is are they using the Under Contract date or the day the property actually went to closing. These two dates are usually between 30 and 60 days apart, so its critical that you know which one is being referenced. In addition, many of the homes that get calculated, if you are using the „under contract“ number may not actually close! In our example, we are using the number of homes that actually closed. In January of 2016 they had an increase of over 49% which brought the total to 77 from 51. Growth of that level is very seldom ever seen.
• Sales Volume – Sales Volume is simply the total amount of dollars spent on single family housing within that month. Once again, when reviewing this statistic, its important to keep the property types consistent. If you are comparing two areas to see which one has grown more and you include vacant land in the number for one area, you must include it in the other too. As previously mentioned, our examples only include single family properties. With Number of Sales looking at the units, you would expect the Sales Volume to go up appropriately, but in this instance, it went up even more than the units (by percentage). The total Sales Volume of single family homes in Granbury in January of 2016 was $15,191,500 as opposed to the January of 2015 number of $9,281,915. That is an increase of over 63%. Because the Sales Volume went up at a larger rate than the number of units, this reflects the average home sale being much larger in 2016 than 2015.
• Months of Inventory – This is a commonly referred to statistic when examining a real estate market. This statistic refers to at the current rate of sales, how long will it take to sell through the existing level of inventory. This reflects the supply and demand for the market. In our example, in January of 2015 the level of inventory was 9 months and in January of 2016 it had dropped to 6 months. That is a 33% drop in available inventory! This means if you are looking to buy a home in Granbury Tx, it will be a little tougher in 2016 as there is less inventory available to buy.
• Median Days To Sell – This stat simply refers to how long it takes for single family properties to be put under contract. Don’t let the „to sell“ confuse you. To accurately show the demand for active homes, you really want to track how long it takes to go „under contract“. The process of acquiring final lender approval, insurance and getting to a closing can vary on a variety of factors. In January of 2015, the Median Days to Sell was 88. That number dropped by over 30% to 61. Once again, this tells you if you are looking for homes in Granbury TX, you better get your offers in quickly as the most desirable homes are going fast!
• Average Price – This statistic can be derived in a variety of ways. We are going to use it in its most raw form and simply be the Average Price of Homes Sold within that month. Be careful when looking at this statistic printed anywhere as how the user defines the date sold can vary. Needless to say, Average Price can be used for active homes for sale or for the homes that sold. The Average Price of ACTIVE homes for sale is generally a pretty useless number as you can list a home for any price, without any possibility of it ever selling. Many homes listed for sale are at unrealistic prices thus the Average Price of Active homes for sale can fluctuate dramatically and give little insight into the market. You will want to look at the Average Price of SOLD homes. In January of 2015, the Average Home Sale was $181,998 and it jumped to $199,888 in the same month in 2016. This is an increase of almost 10%. This is not a number that truly tells the increase in home values across the board, but simply of the homes sold in that month, what the average was.
• Median Price – The Average Home Sales Price can be skewed by a variety of factors. All it takes is one 5 million dollar home sale to throw those numbers off. To get a better view of the overall increase in value, it can be better to look at the Median Sales Price. Median Sales Price takes the number that is perfectly in the middle. For instance, if you have 11 homes that you are using in your statistic, you would take the sales price of the 6th one. This leaves 5 homes sold higher and 5 homes sold lower. In this instance, they are pretty close as the Median Sales Price increase from January 2015 to 2016 was 9.69%. This shows that we didn’t have the Average Price skewed too much because of an extremely large or extremely small sale.

There are hundreds of ways to look at the same numbers, when referencing to real estate, so be very careful to read the fine print on exactly what numbers they are using. When making comparisons, you will want to make absolutely sure that both are referencing the same property types, dates etc. It like the old saying says… there are lies, damn lies and statistics.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Source by Dean Cacioppo