Norada Real Estate Investments

Archives for April 2008

Money Tight, But Good Time to Buy

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With falling prices and rising inventories, investors are finding themselves in the best buying position in almost a decade.

A recent polls by Reuters/Zogby tells us that it’s a good time to buy. And another poll by Associated Press and AOL also reveals that it’s a good time to buy but 60% of those polled won't buy any real estate within the next two years.

The disparity is probably due to economic fears which are causing consumers to tighten their purse strings. The Reuters/Zogby poll said that nearly 75% of American’s believe the economy is in a recession right now, and almost 50% rated their personal financial situation as negative.

The AP/AOL poll said that nearly 14% of mortgage holders fear they will miss a mortgage payment soon. And 30% said they are concerned their home’s value will decrease within the next two years.

The important thing to remember is that you should stay focused on your local neighborhood and those of your real estate investments. Remember that real estate is primarily driven by local economic factors such as jobs, housing inventory, and supply and demand.

Tax Considerations for the Real Estate Investor

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There is no human invention more complex than the tax codes, and among the most complicated are the laws surrounding real estate investing.  So, what follows is NOT to be considered legal advice — consult your attorney or tax accountant before making any decisions.

Well, now that the rear is covered, what considerations should the real estate investor keep in mind?  Since laws vary between countries, and between states within the U.S., any general advice would be worthless.  But here are some particulars that apply in many areas. [Read more…]

Top 10 Real Estate Investing Books

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There are literally thousands of books on real estate investing.  I myself have one of the largest collections of them known to mankind!  But seriously now, I do own a rather large bookshelf jammed full of real estate books, tapes, CDs and DVDs.

So I thought I would share my top 10 real estate investing books with you.  That's not to say that I only have 10 favorites, because I could easily add another 10.  But for those of you looking for some good book recommendations they are:

[Read more…]

The Road to Real Estate Recovery

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Road to Real Estate RecoveryInterestingly, the National Association of Realtors predicts a gradual recovery during the second half of 2008 as the mortgage situation improves.

I’m sure we would all love to see a recovery before the end of the year. But that remains to be seen given the current mortgage climate where more than 120 mortgage lenders have either filed bankruptcy or closed their doors all together.

We have seen home prices drop in most major markets with sales activity at its lowest level since at least the late 1980’s – around the same time the Savings and Loan Fraud Crisis hit its peak. [Read more…]

Short Sales Now Widespread 2035

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Roughly 20 percent of all U.S. home sales in March were “short sales” according to a real estate industry survey conducted by Washington-based Campbell Communications. According to their research, two-thirds of short sales are initiated by homeowners, and one-third are launched by mortgage lenders (as a foreclosure alternative).

In a typical home transaction, the seller gets the final say on which buyer gets the home, but in a short sale, the lender weighs in on that decision, since it’s the lender who won’t recoup 100 percent of the seller’s mortgage balance as in a “normal” home transaction.

Buying a Short Sale Can Be A Time-Consuming Process 2046

Buying a Short Sale Can Be A Time-Consuming Process 2035

It is important to know where the seller is in terms of discussions with the lender. The lender can drag the short-sale process on for a very long time. An offer may take anywhere from four to six weeks to get a response. But if the buyer is in the market to purchase a short sale, then patience is going to be vital in order to pick up that good deal.

Short Sales Now Widespread 2046

Mortgage Fraud Claims Rise 42% in 2007

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Reports of suspected mortgage fraud rose 42 percent last year as banks became more leery of lies on loan applications.

The Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network said Thursday that there were 52,868 reports for mortgage fraud in 2007, up from 37,313 a year earlier. Mortgage fraud reports were the third-most common type of suspicious activity.

The most common type of mortgage fraud was misrepresentation of income or assets, followed by forged documents, misrepresentation of a borrowers' intent to occupy a property as a primary residence occupancy fraud and inflated appraisals.

The Mortgage Bankers Association has called for more than $31 million over the next five years in new funding for the FBI and Justice Department to fight mortgage fraud, money that would go to new investigators and prosecutors.

This is just one of the reasons why most lenders today have pulled their stated-income loan programs, while others have raised the credit requirements to qualify for such loans.

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