Carey Frankel asked:


Building and buying homes that are energy efficient and environmentally conscious is what seems to be on a lot of people’s minds. More and more buyers are becoming increasingly aware of the advantages of building green or buying a home that already has environmentally friendly and efficiency standards in place.

With electric rates rising as well as the concern for our environment’s condition, statistics show that people are ready to listen, open their minds and see how living green is a shift from being more efficient to being more effective. Now in days, people are even willing to pay anywhere from 1 to 3 percent more for this type of home.

Just in case you aren’t familiar with the “Building or Buying Green” topic, the basic principle driving this is defined by making sure the products in the home come from sustainable resources, the items are non-toxic, are recyclable, and help reduce energy use. You can easily break it down into three basic categories which is water efficiency, smart energy, and architecture/landscaping.

When it comes to water efficiency, there are a few things that builder are doing can be implemented in your own home.

* Depending on your local building regulations, some homes are designed to collect rain water for the garden and landscaping.

* Manufactures have now designed what is called an “instant gas water heater” which only uses energy to heat water when needed preventing people from letting the water run until its warm.

* Installing low flow heads on faucets, and showers as well as low flow commodes are also water efficiency practices.

Smart Energy refers to both materials and products.

* EnergyStar appliances

* Passive solar day lighting

* Improved insulation

* Compact Fluorescent lights (CFL)

* Improved insulation

* High-Performance windows

* 12 to 14 SEER variable speed dehumidification controlled, electronic air cleaning, heat pump system

* Extra-sealed air conditioning ducts

* TVs and other electronics that automatically power down when not in use

* Ceiling fans in each room

Architecture and landscaping are also very important when it comes to either looking for or building a green home.

* Situating a home to prevent the heat from the sun

* Decrease the number of windows on the south and west sides of the home

* Tight construction (Sealing)

* Reused antique brick walkways

* Recycled content roof and wall sheathing

* Countertops made from recycled concrete and glass

* Locally handcrafted cabinetry

* Landscape with plants and trees that are compatible with the local environment and climate

You can find green homes in the Jacksonville Florida real estate area and other Northeast Florida areas. Within the last two years (2006 – 2008), 500 EnergyStar homes have been built in Jacksonville Florida. You can also find green built homes in Amelia Park. Currently there are approximately 420 homes there.

Ryland Homes, Cornerstone Homes, HabiJax, Beazer Homes (most active), and McClellan Homes are some of the named builders who are building green standard homes.

Organizations that are currently participating in the green built home effort is Energy Star, Green Built Homes of America, LEED-H, Florida Green Building Coalition, FPL (Florida Power & Light) Build Smart, and Florida Water Star. These are great resources to use when researching green built homes and how you can get involved.

We hope you find this article interesting and useful and find the advice motivating enough to “Go Green”.

No Rules, Evan asked:


I have been in the real estate market for about 7 years. I started as a Loan Coordinator, then credit officer/assoc. underwriter, call center manager, Product manager. The market is slowly disappearing, I’m unemployed now. I think I should try another field, maybe Financial planning. I don’t know if this market is already saturated, with other fellow real estate professionals. The market is only going to get worse, what should I do?

T J Madigan asked:


Selling homes can bring lots of fun and excitement but it also takes hard work.

It requires fixing and all those small problems that you have not bothered to look into for many years. You also need to decide if you are going to sell it all by your self or contact a professional real estate broker. The transaction will take time, depending on the local real estate market.

Some mental and emotional preparation is needed too. Are you looking forward to moving up to a new dream house or facing the uncertainty of a major move across the country? This will make you feel so hard leaving the memories behind or keen to start a new life without the home you have lived in.

The turbulent feelings that you will be facing should be replaced by a plenty of practical matters that need more attention.

There are many questions that will be considered in deciding if your home will caught up in the selling market. A for sale home should be visually appealing and in good condition that will attract potential buyers driving down the street.

It should be attractive to an outsiders eyes. This check list will help you decide if it passes the standard of an outsiders eyes.

- Are the lawn and shrubs well maintained?

- Are there cracks in the foundation or walkways?

- Does the driveway need resurfacing?

- Are the gutter, chimney (if the for sale home has it) and walls in good condition?

- Do the window casing, shutters, siding or doors need painting?

- Are garbage and debris stored out of sight?

- Are lawn mowers and hoses properly stored?

It is important to clean the mess inside, this will affect the transaction. Buyers prefer clean and comfortable home. It is better to touch up the interior part of your home. Like put a fresh coat of paint in the most used areas. This will clean as well as brighten up the rooms.

Wash the walls where paints are not appropriate (for example wall paper, paneling and tiles). Wash all floor and bathrooms tiles. Clean or better yet shampoo dirty carpets. Get rid of clutter. Clean out all closets, basement and attic. Use self storage if necessary. Replacing air filters and put some fresh plants that will help keep the dust down.

It is common that sellers want to get top dollar for their home, but consider that it will scare off potential buyers. This may also cause the property to languish on the market for many months. And reducing price later may lead buyers to wonder if there is something wrong with the home. Here are some factors to consider in putting in the right price for your home:

- The location

- Economic conditions

- Supply and demand in the local housing market

- Seasonal influences

- Local schools

- Average home prices in the neighborhood

- Homes extras (like pool, fireplace, central air etc)

In determining the value of the home, you probably will want the advice of an estate agent or appraiser. Agents can prepare a market analysis for you, showing the recent selling prices of three neighborhood properties comparable to your own. They can also help you adjust for the unique features of the home youre selling.

If the seller has less of information around home selling market, its better to contact a realtor. In finding realtor, find someone that you feel comfortable with.

First ask your friends and acquaintances for any recommendations, still the final decision and choice should be based on your needs. Realtor should show you research to support any recommendations, this includes information about recent sales, current listings and recent expired listing in your neighborhood.

The realtor should be more knowledgeable in the area that the home located. And will get better co- operation from other agents. You should ask references from the realtor, he or she should be willing to give you names of previous clients. Look for a realtor who can tells you what he or she knows from experience in the market, and not what they think you want to hear.

This home selling tips can help seller stop headaches about selling his or her home. All these can be a source of problem and sellers should be serious about it. Do not make yourself regret everything for not doing the right thing.

Linda Polansky asked:


People might purchase a home foreclosure that requires some repairs before it is considered suitable for families to live in. They learn quickly about buying home remodeling items such as sinks, bathroom countertops, and toilets that might make the bathroom useable, and for the kitchen, people think about buying home remodeling items such as double-sinks with sprayers, new appliances, and a new light fixture that will light up the stove burners with elegant lighting.

When buying home remodeling items, people focus on two issues, quality and price. There are many appliances that will typically perform the same but it is the individual styles that people look before the continue buying home remodeling items in this type of price range.

The appliances might have a glass top that does not show burner fixtures, and would truly add to the value of the home. These cooking appliances are a large fixture in any kitchen and are considered carefully when people go buying home remodeling items.

The dishwasher is another item that many homeowners prefer to have, even if they do not use it all of the time. There are other people that plan to use it everyday because they feel that the heating elements will kill germs better than washing dishes by hand. All of these concerns are considered when people plan to go buying home remodeling items.

There are a large assortment of home lighting fixtures that need to be placed throughout the kitchen, and others that are perfectly suited for a bathroom. When buying home remodeling items for the kitchen, lighting sources can be found that fit over the stove, under the counter areas, and over the sink area.

When buying home remodeling items, people try to find discount coupons that can be used to save additional home remodeling budget funds. These discount coupons might be from the retailer, or from the manufacturer. People review all available discount coupons to make the right choice when they are buying home remodeling items.

There are home remodeling classes that homeowners can take that will teach them how to apply some of the grouts, wall textures, and wall papers items that they find when buying home remodeling items. The items will make a dramatic difference in any room of the home where they are used, and people want to do the job right on the first attempt. When buying home remodeling items, people want to be sure that they know how to create a professional finish with the items that they buy.

When people are buying home remodeling items for the bathroom, especially countertop and cabinetry, they want to take the time to measure the bathroom area correctly. Otherwise, they might not have enough room to place the bathroom fixtures and furniture items that they found while buying home remodeling items.

All fixtures are considered when setting up a budget to use when buying home remodeling items. From cabinet handles, to shower and curtain rods in a bathroom, to the knobs that will be used on certain cabinets in a kitchen. Some people prefer to use magnet closures on cabinets that are opened and closed everyday. When buying home remodeling items, the little details must be considered at all times.

Scott James asked:


If you crave for endless amounts of sunshine, unlimited beautiful beaches , excellent food , an abundant choice of entertainment , and a wide choice of homes at affordable prices , then you will find Spain almost too good to turn down. Although the vast majority of holiday makers (and residents) come to Spain to recline on a beach , there’s much more to the country than the Costas and its islands .

Spain offers infinite variety with something for everyone , including terrific beaches for sun seekers and unbelievable scenery with tremendous views and wonderful mountain walks. For those who are comfortable living in cities, there are bustling sophisticated metropolises . For food lovers, you will find some of the best food to be found anywhere and wine to match.

To buy a home in Spain is not just to buy a dwelling but your chance to buy a lifestyle, and as a place for your holiday, second or retirement home, Spain is unrivalled, particularly if you’re seeking year-round sunshine.

Why would you want to purchase a home in Spain?

There are a number of extremely good reasons why you would want to buy a home in Spain, although it’s important not to fool yourself or try and manufacture something that isn’t there with regards to what you can expect. To get a firm handle on what you expect , ask yourself exactly why you want to buy a home in Spain? For example, are you seeking a holiday or a retirement home?

The Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol has the highest percentage of retired persons in the world, when both Spaniards and foreigners are included. If you’re seeking a second home, will it be mainly used for long weekends or for lengthier stays? Do you plan to rent all or a portion of it to offset mortgage and operations costs? If so, how important is the property income? Is the decision to buy purely based on investment criteria? Is part of the plan to open up a business and work from Spain? Fairly basic questions I’ll admit but they do need addressed, but especially in Spain because of the variety of choices Spain has to offer.

Quite often potential buyers have a number of reasons for purchasing property in Spain. For example, many people buy a holiday home with an idea of living there permanently or semi-permanently after they retire. In a lot of cases the motivation is to start by purchasing a holiday home with the intention of retiring there later on. If this is indeed the case then there a whole number of factors that need to be taken into consideration at the outset than you would need to consider if the motivation was to occupy somewhere just for say a few weeks every year. If, on the other hand, you plan to work or start a business in Spain, you will be faced with a whole different set of criteria. You may be thinking of buying a home in Spain and commuting to another European country to work. Many people are doing just that because Spain has a lot to offer.

Whatever the reasons, living and working within or from modern day Spain is such an attractive proposition nowadays that it is a very hard to not consider.

DCFawcett asked:


There are many ways to lose a home but signing away ownership in a manner that destroys credit, embarrasses the family and strips an owner of dignity is one of the hardest. For owners who can no longer afford to keep mortgage payments current, there are alternatives to bankruptcy or foreclosure proceedings. One of those options is called a "short sale."

When lenders agree to do a short sale in real estate, it means the lender is accepting less than the total amount due. Not all lenders will accept short sales or discounted payoffs, especially if it would make more financial sense to foreclose; moreover, not all sellers nor all properties qualify for short sales.

If you are considering buying a short sale, there could be drawbacks. For your protection, I suggest that all borrowers:

* Obtain legal advice from a competent real estate lawyer

* Call an accountant to discuss short sale tax ramifications

As a real estate agent, I am not licensed as a lawyer nor a CPA and cannot advise on those consequences. Except for certain conditions pursuant to the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, be aware the I.R.S. will consider debt forgiveness as income, and there is no guarantee that a lender who accepts a short sale will not legally pursue a borrower for the difference between the amount owed and the amount paid. In some states, this amount is known as a deficiency. A lawyer can determine whether your loan qualifies for a deficiency judgment or claim.

Although all lenders have varying requirements and may demand that a borrower submit a wide array of documentation, the following steps will give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Call the Lender

You may need to make a half dozen phone calls before you find the person responsible for handling short sales. You do not want to talk to the "real estate short sale" or "work out" department, you want the supervisor’s name, the name of the individual capable of making a decision.

Submit Letter of Authorization

Lenders typically do not want to disclose any of your personal information without written authorization to do so. If you are working with a real estate agent, closing agent, title company or lawyer, you will receive better cooperation if you write a letter to the lender giving the lender permission to talk with those specific interested parties about your loan. The letter should include the following:

* Property Address

* Loan Reference Number

* Your Name

* The Date

* Your Agent’s Name & Contact Information

Preliminary Net Sheet

This is an estimated closing statement that shows the sales price you expect to receive and all the costs of sale, unpaid loan balances, outstanding payments due and late fees, including real estate commissions, if any. Your closing agent or lawyer should be able to prepare this for you, if you do not know how to calculate any of these fees. If the bottom line shows cash to the seller, you will probably not need a short sale.

Hardship Letter

The sadder, the better. This statement of facts describes how you got into this financial bind and makes a plea to the lender to accept less than full payment. Lenders are not inhumane and can understand if you lost your job, were hospitalized or a truck ran over your entire family, but lenders are not particularly empathetic to situations involving dishonesty or criminal behavior.

Proof of Income and Assets

It is best to be truthful and honest about your financial situation and disclose assets. Lenders will want to know if you have savings accounts, money market accounts, stocks or bonds, negotiable instruments, cash or other real estate or anything of tangible value. Lenders are not in the charity business and often require assurance that the debtor cannot pay back any of the debt that it is forgiving.

Copies of Bank Statements

If your bank statements reflect unaccountable deposits, large cash withdrawals or an unusual number of checks, it’s probably a good idea to explain each of those line items to the lender. In addition, the lender might want you to account for each and every deposit so it can determine whether deposits will continue.

Comparative Market Analysis

Sometimes markets decline and property values fall. If this is part of the reason that you cannot sell your home for enough to pay off the lender, this fact should be substantiated for the lender through a comparative market analysis (CMA). Your real estate agent can prepare a CMA for you, which will show prices of similar homes:

*Active on the market

*Pending sales

*Solds from the past six months.

Purchase Agreement & Listing Agreement

When you reach an agreement to sell with a prospective purchaser, the lender will want a copy of the offer, along with a copy of your listing agreement. Be prepared for the lender to renegotiate commissions and to refuse to allow payment of certain items such as home protection plans or termite inspections.

DJP asked:


I plan on getting a real estate license for the education and qualification when managing my private real estate investment career.

Where/how do I deduct these costs on my taxes? Eventually I’ll set up a real estate company where I could deduct them, but that won’t be set up for a while.

Thanks.

Craig Berger asked:


Spring is the traditional time to buy and sell in the real estate business, and while the housing market has not been at its best, this just allows people to take advantage of excellent deals. Whether you are trying to buy property or sell your home, learn how to maximize your profits during this home-buying season.

Maximizing Profits From Home Sales

Those looking to sell their homes should follow a few steps before putting it on the market. Firstly, make sure you understand why you are selling or else you run the risk of spending a great deal of time and money on a project that goes nowhere. Once you are fully prepared to sell, start researching where you want to live next.

Interview real estate agents and ask for marketing plans to increase visibility of your home. Also, ask them for advice on to prepare your home for selling, home staging, pricing and the net profit. Develop a plan with the agent you choose and make sure they know exactly what you want out of your selling experience. Once your house is on the market, hold off on visiting new homes since it is usually more profitable to wait until you sell before you buy.

Getting The Most Out Of Home Buying

Real estate online is the easiest way to begin researching neighborhoods and prices. Determine what you can afford first, then start looking at all the places you would want to live. Open houses are a more traditional way of looking at property without having to commit to a real estate agent. Compare prices between new homes and older ones. If you can narrow down a few choices and are truly serious about buying, then start calling real estate agents.

Mortgages rates are at a historically all-time low, so find out all your financing options before you make any bids. With the housing market flooded with sellers, now is a better time to buy than ever. If you absolutely love the house, buy it regardless of whether you think the price will drop.

Just because there are more options does not mean the best deals go unnoticed. Look for foreclosed homes that are real estate owned (REOs) or find sellers that need to move in a hurry for your best bargains.

Maximizing Profits For Both Buyers And Sellers

Hire an appraiser to determine the value of your house and fix any major repairs before putting it on the market. If you are completely ready to buy a certain house, hire a home inspector to check it out for necessary repairs or damage.

Buyers and sellers should both talk to lenders and receive loan preapproval letters, so you know how much you qualify for when acquiring a mortgage. Do some comparison shopping for lending companies and mortgage types before settling on anything, and be careful of mortgage frauds.

Above all, make sure that what you want is to buy or sell before you are stuck with a huge loan you cannot pay off or a house that sits on the market. Taking time to prepare yourself for selling or buying a home will help you get the most out of this real estate season.

Julie Jalone asked:


As much as I would like to see short sales become a thing of the past there is some satisfaction in helping homeowners, who are having financial difficulties, avoid a foreclosure.  The Sacramento real estate market has been one of the hardest hit and unfortunately foreclosures and short sales are going to be with us for the foreseeable future.

Successfully completing a short sale certainly adds to the complexity of normal real estate transaction but the key to success is knowing what you are doing, having a process to handle them and experience in dealing with a variety of lenders.  At MagnumOne Realty we have had the opportunity to successfully complete a number of short sales and have a good handle on how to approach them.  We have developed a package for the homeowner that includes some basic documents we need to determine if the homeowner will be a successful short sale candidate, information our short sale team needs to get started quickly and some informative articles on what a short sale is, how they work, what will most likely be required and a general outline of how long it will take.

Getting started early is a key element in the successful short sale negotiations.  While the house is on the market we contact the lenders, provide them with the necessary authorizations and obtain their most up-to-date short sale requirements.  If they are a lender we have worked with before we talk with our contacts and let them know we would like to work directly with them again.  In addition we start working with the seller to develop a short sale package.  Because of our experience we can look at information provided by the homeowner and see questions the lender may ask and have those addressed so the first package we send is complete. 

Time is often not on our side when working with short sales.  We must have a complete package including an accepted offer prior to the home being foreclosed on.  Depending on when the homeowner hires us to help, this may be several months to weeks.  This means the marketing plan must be aggressive to attract a buyer.  Aggressive pricing will attract buyers but the sales price must be at or close to market as the first thing the lender will do is determine what current value is.   

An important element that too many Realtors are missing is that the home does not belong to the bank and it is the homeowner who negotiates with potential buyers.  This is exactly like any other sale with the only difference being that the contract is subject to lender approval as part of the short sale request.  Once the contract is accepted by the seller, it along with the short sale package and an estimated settlement sheet is sent to the lender.  We do not send multiple offers or send offers that come in later.  The potential buyer must be protected and their offer is the only one the bank will see unless the buyer withdraws.

Each lender is different and over time we have found that lenders change their process so it is important to maintain a steady dialog and use the contacts you have made over time to move the current short sale through the lenders organization.  Many of our Sacramento real estate clients have second and even third mortgages so we have to coordinate with the lenders and often negotiate between them to make sure each will release their lien.  We have found that most lenders are generally cooperative, understand the situation and will work with us to make the sale of the home a win for everyone concerned.  Occasionally we run into an overzealous negotiator who takes a position that won’t work for one or more of the other parties’ involved.  When this happens it often a good strategy to move the negotiation to the supervisor level or even get the homeowner to talk directly with the lender.

An important element in the short sale process that often goes overlooked is communication.  Not only between the short sale team and the lenders but with all the parties concerned.  Short sales take time, lenders are swamped and things you would think could be done quickly may take weeks.   During this time buyers can feel like they won’t get the house, seller’s start to think it would be easier to just let the bank foreclose and agents feel under pressure to get things done.  Frequent updates are vital to keep everyone up-to-date and focused on the sale and lender acceptance.

In conclusion, short sales are not easy for anyone but have a place in the current Sacramento real estate market.  They can be done successfully if the Realtor handling the short sale knows what they are doing, has a process to handle them effectively and has experience in dealing with a variety of lenders.

Nelson Stewart asked:


Anyone who has listed their home for sale knows there are a few secrets about maximizing your home’s appeal that not only raise interest in your home, but increase your asking price. Typically these are very simple and common sense things that anyone can do with a bit of time and effort. Usually it’s a good idea to go from room to room and make a list of simple upgrades. Try to think in terms of what you might want if you were buying the home again. Which things stand out? If you are having trouble picking them out then get a in dependant opinion, ask a friend to give you their thoughts.

Speaking in general there are a few areas of the home that can be “brought up to date” to increase the panache that a home possesses. An easy place to start is with the home’s fixtures. New lighting can dramatically change the look of almost any room and new lights are something that buyers will notice right away. Another great idea is to redo the home’s floors. The difference between old carpet and new laminate is astounding. Even just shampooing the existing carpets can bring new life to a home.

Now, how far you want to go to improve the value of your home depends completely on you. If you are willing to spend some money to make some money then why not redo the kitchen or bathroom. It’s a known fact that new and modern kitchens sell homes. This will usually include a new countertop, new sinks and faucets, new appliances and perhaps cupboards and flooring. Alternatively, you can also simply refinish the cupboards. This will take a bit of time, but it’s amazing what a new varnish and new doors can do for a kitchen. The same goes for flooring. Tile is a favorite surface for kitchens as it is highly resilient and quite attractive. New bathrooms are also a highly sell-able feature. The updating of all the fixtures and major appliances will almost always ensure a higher asking price for your home.