Real Estate Investing Is It a Cash Cow or Dud

Originally posted 2011-08-31 12:01:08. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Is real estate investing still a good way to make money?  To answer this question, we will examine what occassional debt  such as credit cards can do to your financial future.

Most people use a credit card like it is a never ending money tree and spend, spend, spend.  If this occurs, you will never achieve wealth.  Here is why.  If that credit card’s interest rate is eighteen percent, you are paying eighteen dollars, for every one hundred dollars you spend.  The latter is an example of “living rich while growing poor.”

The objective in growing rich is to use the concept that the rich use.  It is, use OPM, other people’s money, to become financial free.

The steps are simple.  Reduce consumer debt.  Next, build assets through homeownership, save money, and invest.  Third, borrow against those assets to increase your net worth.

A critical requirement of OPM is that the moeny acquired needs to be used to maintain and/or improve your wealth.  In other words, it is not wise to use your newly acquired funds to purchase stock because the stock may be a higher risk proposition than real estate.

After all, real estate can reduce in value, but it will never be worth zero, unlike stock.  Yes, real estate is always  worth something even if there is no structure on the land.

The land, the dirt, the trees, the air, is all worth something.  So, next time you have some extra money do your homework and consider real estate as your

Second Mortgage, What is It?

Second Mortgage What Is It Exactly

Everyone has heard a friend or relative complain about
having to take out a second mortgage but don’t really know
what that means. Let’s find out!

The real term for this is called a home equity loan. This
is a common loan type that homeowners can use for whatever
they want.

A home equity loan requires that you use your house for
collateral just like a normal home loan. There are
different types of home equity loan out there and you can
always use the money for whatever you want.

College, bills, and home repairs are some common uses. You
will need outstanding credit to be approved for this kind
of loan though.

A closed end type home equity loan gives you a big chunk of
money immediately and you can’t get another loan until this
one is fully paid.

The amount you can get depends on factors such as how much
your home is worth, your income, credit score, and similar
things. A closed end loan usually comes as a fixed rate
type and allows you up to 15 years to pay it off.

An open ended home equity loan is a little different. This
loan will let you borrow money whenever you have a need for
it.

The loan lender will set up a line of credit that is pretty
much based on all the same factors as the closed end loan.
These usually have an adjustable rate and you can make
payment for 10, 15, or even 30 years.

So why are these called second mortgages Because you are
adding yet another loan payment that uses your house as
collateral and adding another monthly payment. Though
tempting, it can cause you a lot of problems in the future.

 

Related articles

• A Guide To Mortgage Equity Loan Options (massrealestatenews.com)
• Home Equity Loan Alternative: Peer Lending (bargaineering.com)

Effective Anti-Recession Tips for Your Taxes

Tips for Effective Tax and Personal Anti-Recession Steps

Ask an economist to define recession for you and chances are, they’ll tell you that it is a state of the economy where it declines for at least 6 months.  But that’s just a pretty, picture-book definition.  Recession can affect not just cities and countries, it can also affect individuals and families on a more personal level.  To help you implement tax and personal anti-recession steps, here are things you can do:

Start saving.  Now.

If you have a nest egg stashed somewhere, good for you.  Boost it with more savings.  If you don’t, it’s time to start immediately.  Implement tax and personal savings steps in order to fight the effects of recession.

Cut back on spending immediately.

If you think you need everything you buy, gather your last few weeks’ worth of receipts and rate each item according to necessity.  Chances are, there are a few things there that you’ll realize now that you didn’t really have to buy.

If you see the same pattern in most of your receipts, that’s a sign that you ought to cut back on your expenses and seriously implement a budget or spending plan.  You could, for example, cancel gym memberships and take up running or home exercises instead, buy items on sale instead of at regular prices and put off any large purchases – cars, TVs, video equipment, furniture, etc.

Take big chunks out of your debt.

Your debt can get you down and it will not hesitate to do the same thing to your credit score.  During a recession, a bad credit rating is just not something you want to have.  If you have debts in some form (loans, credit cards, mortgage, etc.), try to pay off as much of your debt as possible.  The earlier you do this, the better it will be for your finances.

Clearing your debts is an excellent anti-recession step because it helps save you money in terms of interest.  It will also give you peace of mind and the personal satisfaction of being in charge.

Consider investing?  Ask a professional.

An experienced financial adviser can help you understand the kind of options you have, given your own resources and the type of risks you are willing to take.  Recession can make investing much more of a challenge, particularly for the uninitiated.  That is why you’ll need all the help you can get in order to find the best places where to put your money in.

Know your deductibles.

Review your tax code for the types of items that you can include in your deductibles.  Remember that not all expenses can be used as deductions.  Only if you can prove them ‘ordinary and necessary’ will the tax man consider them.

Keep all receipts for deductions.

Audit or no audit, it pays to have documents that support your tax claims, especially if they refer to deductions.  Get organized regarding your files, particularly those that pertain to your business or work.  Keep things where you can readily access them and use for reference later.

Consider leasing your business vehicle.

If you want to give yourself better tax performance, a good anti-recession tip to follow is to lease that car of yours.  This will help get you better deductions compared to what you’ll receive if you purchased the vehicle.

When in doubt, always refer to a professional.

The personal anti-recession tips you obtain will usually work seamlessly but some steps involving taxes might have certain limitations.  Before implementing these steps, you might want to consult a basic taxation guide or see an accountant or bookkeeper.  They can guide you on what you can and should do based on your own unique circumstances.

Related articles

• Simple Ways to Recession Proof Your Home (taylorbrownrealestatetalks.com)
• How to Write Off Sales Taxes (turbotax.intuit.com)
• Four Tax Tips to Reduce Your 2006 Taxes (turbotax.intuit.com)
• Video: Federal Tax Deductions for Home Renovation (turbotax.intuit.com)

Is It Possible to Save Money During a Recession

Saving Money During a Recession: Mission Impossible?

Recession is a word that fills people with dread and bad visions.  It’s a time people consider bad for finances, a time capable of magically shrinking a dollar’s value overnight.  It also automatically increases the cost of basic living.  And where money is a huge concern, people always ask, ‘Can I still save for real during a recession?’  The answer is: of course you can.  You just need to be wise and creative about the whole thing.  Here are ways how:

Plan your purchases.

By planning your purchases, you’re effectively planning your expenses.  This will help eliminate the danger of impulse buying and unnecessary spending.  Try to look at the bigger picture when it comes to your basic needs.

Plan for a week’s worth of groceries, for example, so you’ll have an idea of which items you truly need (and want) and which items you can do away with.  To make sure that you maximize your planning efforts, consider incorporating items on sale into your planning.  If there are foods on sale that week, for example, why not plan your week’s menu using what’s currently on slashed down prices?

Implement the ‘B’ word.

Budget, that is.  If you want to be able to save money during a recession, learn to discipline yourself and your family.  Using your plan as a reference, come up with a weekly or monthly budget and then stick to it.  If you must overshoot it, you should have a very good reason to do so.  Otherwise, don’t spend.

Keep an eye out for bargains and discounts.

Learn to monitor stores for seasonal sales.  You’ll save a lot of money by buying items on sale than in their regular prices.  During a recession, that’s considered wise spending.  Check out store or newspaper ads and don’t be shy about asking for cheaper alternatives, getting store rebates or using discount coupons.  Consider buying at discount stores as well.  Each dollar you don’t pay is a dollar you save.

Buy in bulk.

If there are items in your house that are often in use (paper towels, canned beans, yoghurt, etc.), consider buying in bulk.  Many stores offer items in packs, which means you’ll save money in the long run if you buy them instead of paying for individual items.

Put off bigger purchases.

A good rule of thumb is, if you can’t afford it, don’t buy it.  If, for example, you have enough money for a downpayment on a new LCD TV but will have to borrow money off your credit card just to tide you over for the next few weeks, it would be really insane to make a purchase.  Wait until you can truly, comfortably afford something.  The worst you can do during a recession is not just failing to get money saved but also going into debt.

Practice prevention, not cure.

If you look closely, there are many things you do in your home that are siphoning precious dollars from your wallet.  Simple steps such as repairing and maintaining your home and appliances, using more efficient equipment and cutting down on unnecessary consumption can do wonders for your wallet and piggy bank.  And what better way to treat a recession than to be prudent?

Earn extra money.

If, after all your efforts, the money you have saved is still not enough, don’t let recession get the better of you.  There are times when your efforts are just not sufficient – mostly because you don’t earn enough.  Instead of asking for a raise that might never occur or waiting for a promotion to drop on your lap, consider finding other means with which to earn (and save) money.

Consider getting a part-time job, work extra hours, do selling on the side or offer your skills as a freelancer.  The extra income you earn, along with your recession-powered money-saving plan, will help you make enough until after the tough times are over.

Related articles

• Simple Ways to Recession Proof Your Home (taylorbrownrealestatetalks.com)
• Tips for Buying Property During a Recession (taylorbrownrealestatetalks.com)
• Billeater: 9 Money Saving Tips to Help You Conserve Cash (savings.com)
• 7 Tips on Improving Personal Finance Post Recession (moneyning.com)

Tips to Not Allowing Your Fixer Upper to Be a Money Pit

If you decide to become a real estate investor some time in your career you will purchase a “fixer-upper”. In today market, you find a lot of homes will need some work before they are habitable. Often you will purchase these houses at a bargain price. However, it should be noted that not every house that is available for a low price is a bargain. Sometimes, people only find this out after doing a lot of work. You do not have to be one of these people if you adhere to these tips.

First you need to realize what a  “money pit” is.  It is  a house which looks like a bargain when you initially buy it, but when you soon realize the extent of the renovations that needs to be done before the property is habitable you realize that you will have to spend a lot of money.  If you are selling the property, you may not make a profit.  If you plan to live in the property, you’d  spend more on fixing it up than you purchase the property for.   Of course, by the time you have found this out, it’s already a little late.

Before buying a house which requires work, it is always advisable to have a inspection of the property by the contractor that does your rehab work.   If the contractor you have do the inspection of the potential property is an employee or subcontractor that you use you may save money on purchase a property that you will have to put a lot of money into to make it habitable.

Therefore, the biggest piece of advice is hiring a contractor before hand, check his reference, and have the contractor bid on small jobs to get a feel for cost and establish a working relationship before using the contractor in your real estate business on a regular basis.

 

Related articles

• Would You Buy a Fixer Upper? (casasugar.com)
• Ask the Reader – a Fixer Upper Home Or … (moneyning.com)
• Should you buy a fixer upper [infographic] (holykaw.alltop.com)

Tree Houses Not Just For Kids Anymore

There are no limits to the complexity of a tree house.A tree house can have all the amenities of a home on a foundation.It would just be in a tree.

To begin building your dream tree house you must built it on a solid foundation.The best or idea scenario for building a structural sound tree house is having:

• Four trees evenly spaced with each tree supporting a corner of the structure.You could also have three or even two trees, but four trees is the best scenario.
• It is best to use bolts and steel hangars when securing the floating point of load to the tree.It is recommended to space the bolts eighteen inches apart to even out the load.

To find out more about hardware and especially tips on making a tree house into a home or work space visit www.treehouses.com or www.treehouseworkshop.com.

Related articles  about tree houses

• Tree Top House (neatorama.com)
• Treehouse Photos: Awesomely Unusual Creations (huffingtonpost.com)
• dass: tree house hotel (designboom.com)
• Mobile Tree House (neatorama.com)