Common Misconceptions About Buying and Selling Real Estate

One of the tasks associated with my business is educating clients who have various misconceptions about real estate.

Most believe information a friend has provided them is accurate without investigating themselves.

Here then are some of the most common misconceptions about buying and selling real estate my customers have presented me…

Foreclosures are the best deal

Many who purchase real estate either for investment or as their primary home are under the impression that foreclosures are the best deals.

While there are certainly some very good deals when purchasing foreclosures, often times making an offer on a property not in foreclosure is a better deal.

If a home or property has been foreclosed on, there is a high probability that the owner neglected maintenance due in part to financial implications. When this is the case, the property may require a significant financial investment to return the property to a “livable” condition.

When purchasing a foreclosure it is highly recommended that a full and thorough inspection be made of the property to ensure everything works and all significant features of the property are in good condition.

Look first get a loan second

First time home buyers as well as those who have not purchased a home recently are often misled into believing they should look at homes before obtaining proper financing.

While this may have been somewhat true during the boom years, many sellers no longer entertain offers on their property that are not accompanied by a letter of approval from a lender.

In addition, when searching for a home it is imperative that your real estate agent know not only your wants and needs, but also the price range of which you can afford.

Think for a moment about looking at several homes before obtaining pre-approval. An agent shows you several and you fall in love with one that costs $250,000. You make a full purchase offer with an earnest money deposit of $2,500 which is accepted, the sellers agent takes the property off the market so no other offers can be received.

You contact your lender for approval, who responds that you are qualified for a loan up to $200,000.

Not only have you found out you’re not qualified to purchase this home, but it may also be difficult to get your earnest money deposit returned to you. This can be a significant disappointment to you during your search for a new home. In addition, you’ve wasted the time of all parties concerned including yourself.

Therefore, it is highly recommended before you start looking at homes, you get a pre-approval letter from your lender. At least then you know how much house you can actually afford to purchase.

I must see all properties in my price range before deciding

Many buyers believe looking at every available property for sale will give them more options before making an offer.

Unfortunately the truth is actually the reverse – Looking at many properties tends to blur one into the next. When buyers view too many properties, they tend to forget or blend one properties prominent feature with another.

Also, it takes quite a bit of time to view every single property on the market and may cause you to miss that special property that meets your needs by not making an offer before someone else.

A preferred method of deciding which properties to view is to make a list of your wants and needs, discuss them with your real estate agent and together prioritize them.

Your real estate agent will be able to print out the properties that best match your criteria and show these to you so you can make a quick, informed purchase offer.

Real estate agents make too much money

This misconception is quite interesting – It is often expressed mostly by sellers wanting to haggle over a commission amount.

Did you know that the real estate agent actually only receives a small amount of the total commission?

Here’s why…

First off there is the split with the office broker so now the real estate agent only gets half. But wait; there are two sides to every transaction so there is another split with the selling agent and their broker.

So actually, the listing real estate agent only gets ¼ of the total of commission out of which their bills must be paid such as advertising, signs, MLS fees etc.

While some agents do make a very good living, it is not because of the amount of commission but instead because they treat their clients well, are well educated and have good business sense and ethics.

Buyers have to pay a real estate agent

This misconception is quite common in today’s market. Many buyers believe when they work with a real estate agent, it will cost them money.

Actually, in many areas real estate agents work with buyers for free. The agents fee is paid by the seller when the property is sold and closed.

So buyers go ahead and call a real estate agent and ask them – it’s the best decision you will make prior to purchasing your next property.

Going directly to the listing agent will save money

Often, a buyer will want to go directly to the listing agent in the hopes of saving money by negotiating or asking them to lower their commission.

Lowering a commission however, helps the seller and hurts the agent and most agents are understandably unwilling to do so.

Many buyers are not experienced negotiators, and may not be aware of what items may be negotiable besides the price of the property.

Having your own buyer’s agent represent you helps when purchasing a property by having an experienced negotiator guide you on what items are negotiable, price and other ways to save you money.

Working with more than 1 agent is OK

This extremely common misconception is one of the most wasteful of all.

When working with an agent as your representative, it is vital that you work with just that one agent.

Most real estate agents such as me work very hard for their clients. Their expenses tend to be quite high just getting clients: website fees, administrative fees etc are just a few of the costs real estate agents incur in their business.

There are many acceptable reasons a real estate agent may be unavailable to show you a property: personal illness, prior engagement with another customer, family matter etc.

These are not reasons to contact another agent and ask them to show you properties.

However, there are also many unacceptable reasons agents may be unavailable: they went on vacation without letting their clients know or they failed to provide another agent as backup to assist their clients, perhaps the agent does not work the hours clients are available to view homes or perhaps the agent doesn’t work weekends or holidays and many others.

The latter two are unacceptable for the mere fact that most potential buyers work during the day and are only available to view homes after work hours and on weekends.

If your agent is unavailable for any unacceptable reason, rather than contact another agent to show you a few homes, perhaps instead you should be contacting an agent who will work for you when you need them.

Listing with a friend/relative will save me money

This misconception can be quite damaging to a relationship. First off, if the agent is a friend and have agreed to reduce their commission, are you certain they are still able to market your property correctly?

Also, an interesting issue that often arises when working with friends or relatives – if your property does not sell and you believe you are not being represented appropriately, will you be able to fire them and hire an agent who will?

Working with a friend or relative may place a strain on this relationship and I highly recommend you hire a competent 3rd party to represent you.

You can always ask your licensed friend to help you find an agent so they can receive a referral fee.

Summary

As you can see there are many misconceptions about buying and selling real estate, working with an agent as well as the procedures involved.

When you’re looking to purchase or sell a property, get as many facts and information from licensed sources. This will ensure you not only have accurate information, but also can make an educated decision on your next property purchase.

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29 Healthy Fit Tips

1. BETTER POSTURE – If you have rounded or hunched shoulders and want to improve your posture, here are two things you can do. Backward shoulder rolls and shoulder squeezes with short sustained holds can help strengthen you upper middle back and stretch your chest. Think of your chest as if it were the headlights of a car and always keep your head lights up. Avoid arching your back. You’ll soon walk straighter, stronger and be on your way to better posture for life.

2. METABOLISM – Exercise not only increases the metabolic rate for the duration of the activity, but also for many hours after completion. Studies have indicated that the resting metabolism is still elevated some 18 hours after the exercise period. That means you’re still burning calories long after you’re finished working out.

3. WEIGHT LOSS – “It’s hard to lose weight and keep it off”. How many times have you heard that? The recent release of information saying that we have a fat gene is very depressing. It would be so easy to believe the “doomed to be fat” editorials or the notion that there’s little that we can do about how much we weigh. But don’t you dare for a minute, buy into that kind of thinking. If you watch what you eat and stay active, how much you weigh will be “OK”. Think about it, there are people you know who have been successful at losing weight and keeping it off. Think positively.

4. FLAT ABS – Don’t get too hung up on having the perfect flat stomach. For some people, this goal may be impossible. Even if you are very thin, your internal organs may give a slight roundness in your abdominal region. The flatness of your stomach depends, in large part on your genetics. That is, whether or not your body tends to store fat around your midsection or elsewhere.

5. HEART – Exercise has been proven to protect the heart. A moderate amount of exercise increase HDL cholesterol. It also lowers blood pressure, makes you less likely to gain weight, increases insulin sensitivity in the muscles and lowers the risk of formatting blood clots. Fit individuals have a lower risk of heart disease.

6. BMR – Our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is the number of calories burned at rest, decreases with age. Researchers have realized that a person’s lean body mass is the key to compiling a definitive figure. The best way to maintain lean body mass is by including strength training to your workout regime. Without strength training, the BMR may drop by 100 calories per decade, starting at age 20, so build those muscles and burn more calories.

7. STRENGTH TRAINING – Is an excellent way to slow down the aging process, In fact, one researcher indicates that much of what we call aging, is nothing more than the accumulation of a lifetime of inactivity. For example, muscles shrink due to inactivity – a process we call atrophy and body fat increases as a result. Also linked with inactivity are risks of diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis. By preserving muscle mass, we may prevent these problems from occurring.

8. SPOT REDUCING – It is a myth that abdominal exercises like sit ups burn fat deposits around the waist. The fact is, abdominal exercises can strengthen your abdominal muscles which in return help burn fat overall but it won’t selectively burn abdominal fat. You can’t spot reduce, which means to lose weight from specific regions of the body. However, this is not to say that doing abdominal exercises is a waste of time. When properly done, they strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles which are otherwise hard to exercise. Strong abdominals muscles provide better support for the back and may alleviate some back problems. The best way to lose fat is exercise combined with a low fat diet.

9. INFLEXIBILITY – in the quads can alter pelvic alignment, which in turn contributes to problems in the lower back. Lack of muscular coordination in this area increases risk of accidents and falls. Remember to include flexibility and coordination exercises when working out.

10. WOMEN – generally lose between 3 and 6% of their bone density annually just before and after menopause. Researchers estimate that in the women they studied, waling generally delayed osteoporosis by about 7 years and also conveyed cardiovascular benefits.

11. WOMEN & HEALTH – Women who exercise regularly experience as much as 60% reduction in the risk of breast cancer. Those who participated in at least 4 hours of exercise per week appeared to reap the greatest benefit.

12. WEIGHT TRAINING – Research has found that as women become stronger and fit with weights, they begin to spend time pursuing other physical activities, such as team sports like tennis or join a cycling group, all because their stronger.

13. HEALTH – Did you know that strokes are rare in women 25-44? Under age 45, only 10/100,000 women lose their lives to stroke or other brain disorders. After 45, however, the rate zooms to 65/100,000 and continues to increase with age. The best way to avoid stroke is to control your blood pressure by keeping weight and cholesterol in check through healthy eating and regular exercise.

14. AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN – More than 40% of African American women weigh more than 20% above their ideal body weight, which gives them a 90% greater chance of developing heart disease. This extra weight, combined with a lack of exercise, contributes to other conditions that weaken the heart and one’s overall health, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. So get movin’!

15. WEAK MUSCLES – A recent study indicated that half of women age 65 cannot lift 10 pounds. Women have less muscle mass to begin with, and they start to lose muscle strength more rapidly after age 60. Often times they become so profoundly weak that they must be put into nursing homes because they are unable to perform their daily functions. So start pumping those weights.

16. EXERCISE DURATION – How much exercise is enough? Well, fitness experts say at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity activity a day. If you don’t have 60 straight minutes, break it up into 6, 10 minute workouts or 30 minute workouts 4 to 6 days a week.

17. MUSCLE MASS – More muscle creates a higher demand for energy. In order for muscles to maintain itself at rest and during exercise, you’ll need to eat more foods high in nutrients. How do we create this formula…resistance training builds strong muscles, and eating foods low in fat will help to prevent the loss of muscle mass.

18. TOTAL BODY – just like baking a pie, you need all the ingredients to have a beautiful and tasteful pie, same with your body, it’s not one without the other, taking care of your body means as a whole, mentally, physically and spiritually!

19. HEALTHY FOODS – Eating foods that are rich in antioxidants are better for your skin, cells and body. Think organic, non-chemical foods that are not loaded with toxins. Eat fewer calories

20. REST – Your body needs rest to repair itself. Also, a rested mind is a happy mind that can think more clearly and has more energy. Active minds are more likely to remain healthy.

21. LIVE LONGER – Be active and live longer! Physical activity is critical to longevity and independent living. Death rates in non-active people double the rate of those that live an active lifestyle…so keep moving!

22. ADVICE – Eighty percent of women rely on their friends for advice and support when trying to improve health habits. Eating healthier diets and increasing physical activity are the main ways that women attempt to improve their health and succeed.

23. WORKING OVERTIME – Women who work overtime consume more high fat, high sugar snacks and caffeinated beverages, smoke more, and get less exercise. People snack more when they work in hostile, high stress environments. Snacking at work is not necessarily bad if you choose healthy foods such as fruit, low-fat yogurt, or high-fiber crackers.

24. MAGNESIUM – Calcium and vitamin D get all the glory when it comes to promoting bone health. While they are the major nutritional players in bone metabolism, minerals such as iron and magnesium are also important. Good sources of magnesium include fruits vegetables and whole grains. You can also beef up magnesium intake by taking a good multivitamin that contains it.

25. METABOLICALLY FIT – Sixty percent of Americans are overweight, while 25 percent are obese. Many of these people exercise regularly, some vigorously, but are still overweight. A few extra pounds are okay if you are metabolically fit- as long as you exercise regularly. It’s best to be lean and active, but you get some health benefits from exercise no matter how much you weigh. It’s easier for a fat person to increase physical activity than to lose weight through diet alone.

26. VITMAMIN D – Skin doctors have been telling women for year to stay out of the sun and avoid tanning beds to avoid wrinkled skin and skin cancer. While the bronzed tan look is still popular, many women cover up or use protective sun lotions to protect their skin. Avoiding the sun’s rays completely is not a good idea. The body gets vitamin D largely from a reaction that requires sunlight. The vitamin is essential for building strong bones, preserving muscle strength, and preventing multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and cancer. It also helps regulate cell growth, immunity, and energy metabolism. Dermatologists (skin doctors) countered that people with vitamin D deficiencies can take supplements and should avoid excessive sun exposure.

27. STRESS – Stress can literally give people gray hairs and cause cells to age and die faster than normal. Cells can only reproduce a limited number of times. Stress shortens that interval, which makes it more difficult to repair injured cells and fight disease. University of California, San Francisco found greater cell damage in women who were under high levels of stress compared to women who weren’t. Stressed women had cells that were judged 10 years older than the cells of unstressed women of the same age. The scientists speculated that free radicals- destructive chemicals produced normally during metabolism- were responsible for stress-related cell aging. Try to reduce the stress in your life- you might live longer.

28. WHOLE GRAINS – Eating more high grain foods contributes to weight loss and prevents disease. New FDA food guidelines recommend five to ten servings of grain products- at least three of which should be from whole grains. They also urged people to eat fewer servings of refined grain products. Whole grain foods must contain all three layers of the grain- the endosperm, the bran and the germ. Read the label carefully when shopping for these foods. Dark bread does not necessarily contain whole grains.

29. DARIY FOODS – Most women know the importance of calcium intake for building and maintaining strong bones. Dairy foods, such as milk and cheese, are the best sources for calcium. Dairy foods may also help fight fat. Iranian scientists found that men and women who consumed the most dairy products are 80% less likely to be obese and have a lower body mass index. Try to consume three servings per day of non-fat dairy foods.

The Power of an Affiliate Internet Marketing Tip

Affiliate marketing is a now common method in marketing wherein a business employs one or more affiliates that will be doing the marketing of their product on their behalf. The affiliates are paid by the number of customers that they coerced to visit the business’s website. If you’re thinking on cashing in on this highly lucrative industry then you would need all the help you can get because there are bound to be a lot of competitors in this field, so an affiliate internet marketing tip or two will give you the upper hand, or at least level the playing field.

One affiliate internet marketing tip, actually it is something that can be applied to other businesses as well, is to be extremely patient. You can’t expect to create vast amounts of money after just a few days of doing affiliate marketing. It takes time for your business endeavor to prosper, so be patient and don’t get too frustrated if you find that you’re not making money in the first few weeks.

Here’s another great tip, stick to what you know. You might be tempted at first to try and market something because of the high profit possibilities. But how will you effectively market something if you haven’t got the faintest clue as to what it is? It’s best that you market a product that is in your niche so that you’ll be able to give your own personal take on it. People are more easily persuaded when they hear it from someone who knows what they’re talking about.

When making content for your website, it is a good idea to make it rich in useful information. People will generally visit your website again and again if you provide them with good quality information that is related to the product you are marketing. Articles are a great way you can give useful information to your client base, just try your best and not stuff too many keywords into one article.

And another thing, you need to keep your website and its contents up to date. People will visit your website regularly if they find that there are new things to see every week or so. If your prospective customers find that you haven’t published a new article in the past few weeks then they would stop visiting your site and go visit one that has newer content.

Remember, you’re trying to sell the products or services to human beings not to search engines, so even if you do SEO to get your website’s page ranking up, if your content is not up to par then people will not stay there very long to actually want to try out the product. Give your customers what they need, information, not articles that are mostly keywords.

One cannot underestimate the usefulness of an affiliate internet marketing tip; you need to arm yourself with lots of tips if you want to survive, and most likely succeed in the highly productive world of affiliate marketing.

Easy Video Player Review

I’m an actual exploiter of Easy Video Player and you’ll be able to read beneath my own experience with this system software.

Video Marketing is indispensable if you would like to pull in attention, acquire more web traffic to your site, get leads and make money online or if you prefer to brand your online business.

Increasingly people are deciding to view videos instead of read text. It is actually a no-brain-er. Video beats up text, easy. Since I’ve been searching a video result myself, the thought of being capable to reexamine the Easy Video Player scheme and try it out was a chance I could not reject.

The trouble is that although it’s comfortable to upload a video to YouTube and embed the video into your site or blog, you’ve real few alternatives for advertising your site, products or services. You are able to add up frames to your video that tell people wherever your site is or even out include a telephone number, but that’s a really mediocre call-to-action.

What is exciting about Easy Video Player is that you are able to make things alike send out a viewer to any web address you desire as the video stops. So you may produce a short video about one and only of your products and once the video lasts, the watcher is directed straight to where can purchase the product.

As an alternative, you are able to add up a customised button deep down the video itself as a call-to-action, alike a purchase now push button that directs them exact to your shopping cart wherever they may purchase what you demonstrated them in the video.

Easy Video Player is the 1st software system I have tasted that really facilitates you advertise your product in a sense that I consider will serve me turn a lot of sales and give more leads. I do not become turned on about software package and schemes very easy, but I have not even started to think of whole the dissimilar ways I could use Easy Video Player for myself and for my customers.

At one time you buy the Easy Video Player and you log-in to their site with your newly user name and parole, you’re fancied to a page of instructional videos.

In the first two videos, you’ll discover how to arrange your Amazon S3 accounting. If you don’t know what that is, just explore Google for Amazon S3 and you’ll be conducted to the proper page in the 1st final result. Amazon S3 hosts your videos for you and Easy Video Player incorporates cutting-edge all right.

Hosting videos on one’s own server or hosting accounting is ne’er a fine thought. Your server isn’t bring about to flow live video. It does not have the resourcefulness. That’s why a lot of people use YouTube.com or Amazon S3.

Whenever you’re attending utilise Easy Video Player, you need the Amazon S3 accounting besides a YouTube.com account. The price to make an account is just $3 (+ $0.150 per gigabyte of memory which is really cheap), so it is deserving way much what you pay up for it. But if you prefer to host the videos on your own up web site as an alternative Easy Video Player generates you the option.

When you’ve bought Easy Video Player, you’ll be able to download the software package. The 2nd video says you how to set up Easy Video Player. You’re not setting up it on your computing device. You just unzip the data files to your PC at one time you download the zip data file. It is really simple-minded and they direct you by it whenever you’re not acquainted with zip files.

The data file you unzip will get a long name, but at bottom that data file is a folder named EVP, the abbreviation for Easy Video Player. That’s the data file that you’ll be interested with. You’ll require a file transfer protocol program. FTP corresponds File Transfer Protocol. It is an uncomplicated platform that is applied to transmit files to your host.

In the videos they demonstrate you precisely how to do that and even out urge a complimentary file transfer protocol program you are able to apply if you don’t have one. Among the things they did overlook in the video is that with more or less hosting accounts, people utilise their panel or file manager to upload files. All the same, if you’re doing it that mode, you’ll be able to still apply that technique and don’t call for a FTP program.

At one time the Easy Video Player folder is uploaded, at that place are a few technical affairs as though converting file permissions that you’ll require to do earlier you’re set up to portion out your videos worldwide by your site. None of them are actually hard and the 2nd video directs you by them stepwise.

A few servers won’t admit you to set the licenses they indicate in the video, but the people at Easy Video Player get a supporting section and they may assist you with any queries. I am sure enough they’ll get a few.

On that point are a lot of videos to look out at one time you’ve terminated the installing and technological topics.

In the 3rd video, Getting Started, they demonstrate you however to upload video or audio data files, how to make video pages without making any encoding yourself, how to add together call-to-action buttons and even out how to add up opt-in encode for subscribers signs within your videos.

You are able to also pick out additional settings, as if auto buff, allow for total screen or not, auto play or not, auto load or not, whether or not you desire people to be capable to social bookmark the video, whether they’re granted to en graft it into their own site or blog or not and more than. You are able to even decide whether they may look at your video in full-screen or not and whether or not to permit them to get commands like break or play.

I detected the platform a bit slow, but not to an annoyance level. On that point are a lot of backgrounds to bring through after you pick out your choices and I accept that the many video and audio files you upload, the more durable it could ask.

All the same, I also establish it’s deserving the waiting. The page it produced for my video loaded up just all right and worked even as it was presupposed to. My push buttons and subscribers sign-up form made up there and everything. It actually only called for almost 10 minutes to produce the page at one time the video was uploaded.

I buried to remark a different cool down characteristic Easy Video Player affords you. You’ve disparate skins or ways of video player to pick out from. Likewise on that point are ground colorize options and dissimilar call-to-action buttons to opt from.

You’ll have to stick to the formatting that Easy Video Player digests. It won’t back up WMV files as I’d have wished it to do, but at that place are complimentary changeover platforms online that will convert your WMV files in MOV files, which Easy Video Player does bear out.

In the 4th video, Using Statistics, they demonstrate you how to understand the statistics that you are able to see from the admin field of Easy Video Player. It boasts pie graphs and extra optical statistics. You recognise how numerous people see the video and how numerous of them really watch the entirely video. It gets in easy to determine however long your videos had better be and which videos are more favourite and even out which videos are bringing your full message over to your aim audience.

You will experience which days gain more watchers and which state or city they come in from. And so, once again, comparing utilising Easy Video Player to en-grafting a YouTube.com video is comfortable. You can not get over all of those statistics with YouTube.

More significantly, the video also indicate you how to track the sales that are begot because of each video. You enclose tracking codification into your sales and product webpages and once a user looks at the video, then attends those pages, Easy Video Player covers them by the sales operation and affords you that information. I can not accentuate sufficient how significant just that one feature is.

The Your files page reveals a list of your uploaded video and audio files with alternatives to edit out the settings to each one, cancel, view, get encode, download, etc I like the data format. It is easily to utilise and comfortable to empathise.

You’ll prefer to attend the settings page earlier you attend the fresh file page and so you are able to click the alternative to use Amazon S3. That’s likewise wherever you are able to readjust your parole and pick out additional generalised choices.

On the New File Tab you upload your videos and audio files. You pick out the selection to use Amazon S3 or browsing and upload the files to your own up host. Once again, I prefer to accentuate that uploading them to your own server isn’t the finest option. If the bandwidth of your host isn’t high sufficient you’ll find that the video won’t load quick sufficient to ask over users to remain to the page and look on it.

The Help tab conducts you to a page that will reply almost interrogations you have. It has links up to assist you set up your Amazon S3 accounting and more than.

My general belief of Easy Video Player is that it’s the most effective one I’ve discovered for utilising video in your site for selling your products and services.

The finest characteristic is however it conducts users to any web address you desire after looking at the video and the call up to action push button (or any other hypertext mark-up language code you need) within the video itself.

The statistical tracking alternatives, particularly those that assist you track the sales you do from those who see the video is the following best boast in my judgement.

3rd, would be the alternatives for adding up extra calls to action and automatically fathering a video page without being forced to encode it myself. And 4th would be the easy-to-use admin field. No one will have a trouble navigating by that area and realising all of the choices at that place.

I’d unquestionably advocate Easy Video Player for anybody who prefer to advertise products and services on net or even to offer up Internet courses or just for furnishing data.

Click and Buy Your Stuff Through Online Shopping Websites

Are you a housewife shopping on line for the men in your family? Or conversely are you a banker planning to blow your savings on shopping online for the women in your life? Well regardless of whether you’re a man, woman, geek, shopaholic housewife, banker or fashion-ista, online shopping websites are your ideal destination. You could be too tired to shop during the week, too lazy to get out of the house on weekends, you could have a husband who isn’t productive in the dress store or you could simply be mightily frustrated with the collection in town; that’s where online shopping websites kick in. Sounds like some of you male readers don’t believe me. Let’s hash it out, shall we?

Exhibit A – Online Shopping for Men

Shopping in itself is a tough sell as far as men are concerned. On line shopping for men is a far cry till date. It would sound pretty bizarre to all when one would speak of shopping online for shoes for men and for apparels and accessories, which sounds like light years ahead in the evolution of man. But think of this, no nagging wife or girlfriend in the background, no wailing kids who make you want to run out of the store screaming and no more yammering salesmen going for the hard sell. Doesn’t ‘online shopping for men`s’ compare to a wanderer coming across an oasis? Well that’s for men in general. What happens when you have to shop for the ‘fairer sex’ the ‘mysterious species’ the ‘Venus’ dwellers? ‘Mars’ dwellers, your life would be a lot easier if you had another woman’s opinion helping you shop for the perfect gift. Easier than asking random women at the store for their opinions and getting slapped for it, is to go online and open a portal to a whole new world; by which I mean on line shopping websites. Online shopping for women is made child’s play- apparel, accessories, shoes, bath and beauty products, hair care products and even the stereotypical home and kitchen appliances for your woman in one place.

Exhibit B – Online Shopping for Mobiles

Irrespective of whether you’re a man or a woman, there is no one you or I know who does not have a mobile phone. Yeah, owning a smart phone is up for debate but mobiles nevertheless. Most of us purchase mobile phones after drooling over ads on the tube or after recommendation by a friend and many of us still end up being unhappy. What if you could read up on not only all the specifications of the phone but also on user experiences and once you have your heart set on one just go ahead and order for it right then and there. While on line shopping for men`s has just about started to sound appealing after my paragraph long monologue, convenience is always first priority for men and I’m pretty sure that the selling point then for online shopping for mobiles cannot be made easier than at the click of a button. I don’t really have to sell this stuff to women and geeks because they’re pre-programmed to be smart.

If you have concerns over how you can trust online shopping websites then you really have no reason to worry. Most websites these days offer ‘try ‘n buy’ options or for that matter if you shop online for shoes for men you can conveniently return them and get your money back within a couple of days. In fact a lot of these websites give you a thirty day period within which you can return it and either have their personnel pick it up at a location convenient to you or ship it yourself and be reimbursed for the cost you’ve incurred. Keeping up with the times whether it be with fashion or technology has never been easier than click-and-buy at online shopping websites.

San Diego Real Estate Market Outlook For 2010 – Market Prediction and Whats in Store For Next Year

What a year to be in real estate! I think I am one of the last Realtors left! The last 18 months have seen an exodus of real estate agents from the business, and the ones who remain are truly the ones you want to be working with. This is a professional’s market, and now more than ever, you need a great Realtor to help you with your real estate needs. But what is in store for real estate in 2010?Next year, we can expect somewhat of a roller-coaster ride for real estate, in general. We have a lot of good and a lot of not-so-good on the periphery, so how can you manage yourself and your home and investments as good as possible? Or will 2010 finally be the year that you jump into the real estate market for good? Let’s look at the good and the bad, and discuss both relative to each market segment out there (buyers, sellers, investors, etc).First, the bad:2010 will feature more of the same from bank foreclosures and short sales. In their most recent statistics, according to NAR about 25% of all transactions in America right now are distressed properties. Obviously things are different here in San Diego, where that number feels like 100%, but really is closer to about 2/3 of all sales, and it changes from area to area throughout the county. Because of a lack of cohesion and cooperation on the part of the banks and also on the part of government regulation, getting anything done with a bank in 2009 was (and is) pretty darn difficult. True, systems are in place and getting further refined, and more people are getting employed to take on the workload at the banks to get used to dealing with so many short sales, however, this has been a work in progress for the past 3 years and will continue to be so for 2010 and beyond.In fact, there were a record number of Notice of Defaults (NOD’s) posted this last month, and with loan modifications becoming less and less apparent (meaning the banks just aren’t doing very many at all of these) expect there to be a consistent flow of more and more short sales and foreclosures. Furthermore, there are several ALT-A loans (what people have been calling the next wave of bad loans) where the borrowers of these types of loans will see their loan readjust to an unaffordable amount, causing further increasing pressure on defaults and foreclosures. More than anything, doing a short sale has in my opinion become an acceptable social construction. Doing a short sale is now commonplace and not as stigmatized as is has been for the past few years; the same goes for foreclosure as well. A vast amount people have gotten involved in a bad loan or a bad investment that there is no hesitation anymore in holding on to the home.The trend now is to stop making payments and live in the property as long as possible then dump the property, and deal with the aftermath accordingly. Perception has shifted and I predict a heavy increase of short sales for 2010. I only hope that the banks are ready for it. Moreover, the IRS has an exemption on the tax you would typically pay on any forgiven debt for your primary residence. This is one of the main reasons folks have decided to do a short sale in the first place (among other benefits). This exemption is set to expire at the end of 2010, and this will be a cause for many homeowners who were just thinking about doing a short sale to get them to take action. You will want to consult a professional to get some real answers when it comes to a short sale, and you can contact me if you need that kind of help today.Foreclosures as well as short sales will continue to be a big part of the available inventory throughout 2010, and I do not see them going away anytime soon. Expect this trend of massive distress sale (short sale and foreclosure) inventory to last well into 2012 or 2013.Regarding the luxury real estate market and commercial real estate market; both of whom have struggled in 2009, they will continue to do so in 2010. I feel that the effect from the economic and market downturn will become even more pronounced for both of these market segments well into 2011 and on. For high end homes, perceptions are changing people are beginning to live more within their means. This recession has taught many a lesson on the excesses that had become commonplace over the past decade. Also, due to lending guideline changes, buyers who could normally afford an expensive loan can no longer qualify for it. More than anything, most people in this price point just aren’t ready to take the risk, or have lost their money and means to do so. As a result, the lack of sales in high end areas of San Diego reflects these trends. I am seeing that people with money are taking advantage of more lucrative deals at the lesser price points, and everything above a million still has yet to see the bottom. To cap it off, lending at this price point has just begun to turnaround; for most of this year it has been difficult to get financing for high end homes, even with a 50% down payments! Conclusively, I would not recommend entering the real estate market at any price point over $1 Million in 2010, unless you found one of those great deals that everyone is talking about (but very few actually find). Ultimately, I think there is just too much downside and risk here and not enough reward.For commercial real estate, we have yet to see the bottom as well. For one, the economic downturn has caused many businesses to close up shop, which increases vacancies and decreases the money realized by the commercial property owner. This also causes property values to decline as commercial property is valued based on the income it generates. There will continue to be a lull in this regard for most commercial real estate until the economy begins to rebound and jobs are created in mass. Secondly, many property owners have refinanced their commercial real estate loans in the past few years, and these loans are going to be called due, which is especially problematic for those properties worth less now than what is owed to the bank. As such, we will see more and more commercial property being foreclosed and sold via a short sale (which simply has not been happening anywhere near the levels of residential real estate). I personally haven’t seen a significant enough decline in most commercial property values to call a bottom in 2010. This trend will continue for the next few years as commercial real estate tends to lag residential, generally speaking. I believe we are seeing only the beginning of what is to come. That said, I feel there is immense opportunity in this regard. I am beginning to see great income property that was not realistically priced prior, but is now selling at price points where the owner can cash flow with a modest amount down. I would keep my watchful eye on this market segment.Importantly, the economy itself will also play a major role in both the local and national real estate recovery. We have seen how real estate got us into this mess, and it will also be one of the first industries to get us out. Although we have begun to see many signs of improvement, we aren’t out of the woods just yet. The issue at hand now is focused on job creation. Upon economic recovery, the creation of jobs will allow for substantial growth and appreciation in real estate.The good:2009 was the year where (most of) the market bottomed out. For any median priced property or lower, we saw the bottom of the market reached in early spring of this year. Since then, we have been experiencing a lack of inventory which has increased demand and caused price stability, and in certain areas, price appreciation. What I can buy in Chula Vista, El Cajon, or North Park today costs more than it did earlier this year. Again, we are seeing that perception shift and the mentality of buying a home has changed. As a result, the buyers are out in droves. Multiple offers are a normalcy and it is challenging for an active buyer because of the competition in the marketplace. Furthermore, interest rates are seriously phenomenal and I wouldn’t expect them to be this low for that much longer.All that money that’s being printed and the debt that the US is taking on is going to have a serious impact on inflation. This increase of inflation will indeed increase interest rates (the reason being is that inflation means the dollar is worth less. If the dollar becomes worth less, the interest rate on a home mortgage needs to increase to take into account the loss of value that the dollar has incurred – this is simply cause and effect). I am sure the fed will try to hold this off as long as possible, but if you are in the market to buy a home, why not do it now? Prices are fresh off their bottom and with rates like these, one would look back in the future and say “why the heck did I not do anything when I had the chance!! Now everyone is rich and I am still renting a studio in Claremont!”To make things even sweeter, the Government extended the first time home buyer credit to mid 2010, and also included a credit for move-up buyers to help stimulate this other important aspect of the market. (For more on this, call me)On a separate note, people have come up to me on numerous occasions throughout the year talking about a shadow inventory of REO/Foreclosure/Repossessed homes that the banks are holding on to. These people say this because they are going to wait until the banks dump all that inventory on the market with the intention of then buying a property to get a smokin’ deal. To those people I will say this: ITS NOT GONNA HAPPEN. Banks are conducting a “controlled asset release”. They are slowly going to be releasing their large supply of foreclosed homes on the market little by little over a long span of time. This is a GREAT thing because it preserves value and keeps the prices from dropping anymore. This makes all current homeowners happier and more confident in general. It is absolutely necessary in this market, and it is one of the few things that the banks are doing RIGHT, in my opinion. This strategy is the one reason why you should get comfortable with foreclosures. There are so many of them (and they keep coming) that it will take a long time to absorb and sell off all of these non performing assets. As such, I see foreclosures as a large part of the total amount of transactions continuing for at least the next 18-24 months.Moreover, earlier I spoke of the ALT-A loans that will be coming due and re-setting. Many people believe that this round of mortgage resets in the next few years are going to be much worse than before. It is important to note that the size and scale of these loans are not as large (or bad) as the sub-prime loans that began the mortgage meltdown mess. Yes, they are a problem, but as many experts in the industry have been saying, the worst is behind us and the issue now is how to pick up the pieces and make this picture whole again.Lastly, from the beginning of 2008 we saw nearly all real estate development seize in all parts of the country. The population has not stopped growing, but the development of new homes has for the past 2 years been flat-lining. Expect to see the home builders and developers begin to get back on their feet now that prices have begun to hit their support. The fact that there has been no new building is a testament to the overbuilding that had occurred in the years prior to 2008, and since then the remainder has either been sold off on the cheap or absorbed organically. Regardless, new development is going to be needed sooner rather than later to catch up with demand, but this lack of building has also been one of the other reasons for price support in the market generally speaking.So what to do now?So for investors, proceed with caution. The best deals are the ones at the bottom part of the market (under $250,000), or the larger commercial developments where the principal investor/developer ran out of money. I won’t divulge my best sources in this newsletter, but call me for the most lucrative deal sources and property lists for San Diego.For Sellers, 2010 will actually be a great time to sell. Inventory is down to a 2 month supply currently in most parts of San Diego, meaning that it is a seller’s market. As such, most places are beginning to see an increase in value. Buyers are eager to find and buy good property, and there is a lot of competition out there, so your property will get a lot of action (assuming it is below $700,000) – anything higher is more and more challenging as you increase in purchase price – so if you are one of those homeowners thinking of selling a high priced home – get out now while you still can.For buyers: 2010 will be a year of ups and downs, but for the most part, there really hasn’t been an opportunity like this for quite some time. We are going to see some record months and then some real dead months depending on market swings (heavily tied to the financing of loans). Getting a loan through will continue to be difficult, but not as bad as it has been in 2009. Affordability is at a 30 year high, and the interest rates are at near-historic lows. As more and more people realize the opportunity at hand, more buyers will enter the market which will help to further stabilize the market and increase purchase prices. I predict a low, single digit appreciation for most zip codes across the board for San Diego in 2010. It is a phenomenal time to consider making your first purchase, or selling your home to move up to a bigger home for your growing family. I am actually finishing up a book specifically geared towards first time home buyers which will help guide you throughout each step of the process. My book is going to be available in the 1st quarter of 2010, available on Amazon.com, and will be a great help for anyone looking to buy their first home. For more information on this, call or email me anytime.All in all, 2010 will be a weird year in real estate. I don’t see an overarching trend to work off of because all market segments are correcting at differing timescales and with different intensities. Further, the government and banks are continuing to tinker with processes that attempt to increase efficiencies with short sales, foreclosures, and loan modifications, and the results will be mixed. I am positive there will be some unexpected surprises and anomalies, but the bottom line is this: if you need help in real estate, use a professional and give us a call anytime. We are here to help you realize success.May you experience health, wealth and joy in 2010. We look forward to hearing from you and happy to help you or any of your friends who need solid professional service, advice or assistance. If you know of someone who can benefit from our level of service, send us their information and we will follow up and take great care of them.

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