Great Images of Homes
Check out these homes, could you live here?
Do you like these pictures?
People live in some nice wierd homes don’t you think?
1 year ago | Permalink
Check out these homes, could you live here?
Do you like these pictures?
People live in some nice wierd homes don’t you think?
1 year ago | Permalink
Having found this site do you think I should base mine on it?
I admire the way of writing and think that the topics are very interesting
The subjects on the blog are my kind of thing and I have read them with great interest. I can’t decide if i should try to write posts like them or write in my own style. Hmmm too much to think about!!
Maybe my blog could be as good as this one with a bit of work? I don’t know, what do you think?
1 year ago | Permalink
Here’s Lilly Allen shortly after performing on stage at the Big Day Out Festival in Perth Australia, leaving her drool on the tarmac as her helpers try not to piss themselves from laughing too hard. With her homeless-looking feet, her urine or beer smeared shorts (it’s a toss up, it could be a cocktail of
click hereHere’s Lilly Allen shortly after performing on stage at the Big Day Out Festival in Perth Australia, leaving her drool on the tarmac as her helpers try not to piss themselves from laughing too hard. With her homeless-looking feet, her urine or beer smeared shorts (it’s a toss up, it could be a cocktail of
1 year ago | Permalink
buy my property
Like many people who actually have a real paying job, with more then enough money in their personal checking account to pay their rent and utility bills every month, I have to go shopping once a week at Safeway to purchase my groceries.
We are talking about buying that wonderful and very important biological “impossible-to-live-without-it” eatable substance known as…food!
Yes, we are talking about the kind of food you would buy at a Safeway grocery store and not the fast food you would suddenly gulp down at Burger King or the slow food, like day old pastry snacks, you would nibble on from Starbucks.
Now, basic food, as we all remember from our home economics classes in high school, provides all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients to keep our bellies from growling and seemingly generates enough natural energy to sustain our very existence on this planet.
Since I do not do any nasty or disgusting, human habits like smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages, I do not have to worry about spending extra money at Safeway on items that would never produce anything of real nutritional value for my body.
After all, how many people do you know could successfully live on nothing but a diet of tobacco products and alcoholic beverages without eventually starving to death from a serious deficiency of any type of nutritional food?
I personally enjoy shopping for my food once a week at the Safeway store where I live in La Grande, Oregon. The Safeway store itself is huge, clean, safe, and is located within easy walking distance of where I live. This is a very good thing because I do not own a car.
Since I do not own a car, I am forced to walk wherever I want to go in La Grande. Not having a car also places a serious damper on my social dating life. I mean, how many women want to date a bachelor who does not own a car and has to ask the woman to pick him up at his place? However, that is a completely different story.
Right now, I would now like to share with you three great reason why I love shopping at Safeway.
The #1 Best Reason to Shop at Safeway - It is a Very Familiar Grocery Store Chain!
As an avid, daily consumer of nutritional food products, I always find it best to buy my food only from grocery stores that I know and respect the most. Safeway is as familiar of a major grocery store chain as Albertson’s or Wal-Mart. However, what I like best about the Safeway store in La Grande are the friendly and caring employees.
Every employee that I encounter is always asking me if I found everything that I was looking for today. To be honest, I might as well be shopping for a BMW instead of a can of tomatoes.
Only a car salesperson, or a grocery clerk, will keep asking you if you found everything, you were looking for and made sure that you were completely happy. I wish that I could get that kind of quality service from the property owner of my apartment whenever I am two days late with paying my monthly rent.
Never less, I certainly enjoy the friendly customer service I always receive from Safeway, and that makes me feel very warm and more secure about buying my groceries from them in the future.
The #2 Best Reason to Shop at Safeway - Plenty of Safeway Store Discounts!
One of the best reasons to shop for food at any Safeway store is the fact that you will always encounter a lot of generic or name brand products on the shelves that are on sale, or you can buy one product and get the second one free. This is always a great bargain for me because I love buying quick and cheap frozen TV dinners to eat and other quick to prepare items like soup, sandwich items, and instant bags of salad mix, packaged noodles, and other various products.
The special discounts on some of the food items that are sold at Safeway are actually very reasonable and taste very good to me. However, I am also a bachelor who lives alone at home with no wife, no kids, no pets and no girlfriends. That means I only have to feed myself and not worry about feeding a family of my own. That greatly helps me with saving on my food budget every month, and so do the great bargain food discounts at Safeway.
The #3 Best Reason to Shop at Safeway - No Large Crowds of Customers!
Unlike Albertson’s or Wal-Mart, Safeway doesn’t seem to have a lot of large crowds of customers whom all seem to flock at once into the store from their parking lot, even if their having a major sale on a very popular food item that has been reduced to a very ridiculous price. I enjoy shopping in a grocery store that does not have a large crowd of customers whom are always fighting to be first in the checkout lines. It is like a breath of fresh air for me. It is also something that makes my shopping experience at Safeway a real pleasure instead of feeling like a painful experience.
There you have it, folks. Those are my top three reasons why I really love shopping for my food at Safeway! Although we all have our favorite places to shop for our local groceries, I think Safeway is better then all the rest for its fast and friendly customer service, its outstanding daily discounts on food products, and never being too overcrowded to go shopping. If you have not visited your local Safeway store lately, try it and discover for yourself why I love shopping there every week!
2 years ago | Permalink
sell shop quick
I have purchased and sold real estate for several years. Thankfully, most of the tenants that I had in my properties have been very good. However, every once in awhile everyone gets “THE tenant” a tenant that has either abandoned your property or you have to kick them out. I have had both happen to me. Here are some ideas of what you need to do if you believe that a tenant has abandoned your property.
1. The very first thing you have to do is look at the law. Every state has different laws in terms of what is considered abandonment, and what to do if the tenant has left abandoned the property. If you are not very comfortable with the understanding of the law, then….
2. Get an attorney. Do not mess with this, because a mistake in this business can cost you a lot of money. This is critical! If you understand the law, moved to step three.
3. Once as you understand the law, you have to figure out whether the tenant has really abandoned your property or not. This is very important, because if you guess wrong, things will get a really ugly, really fast. Look for signs of abandonment which can include one or more of the following: A. the utilities have been turned off. B. Somebody saw them move. C. They have stopped paying rent (this is usually a pretty good indicator!)
4. Understand the tenant landlord relationship. It is important not to enter the premises unless you know what you’re doing. Even though you may be the landlord, when you rent the property, you give a tenant certain rights. If you just decide to go in, you could be considered to be trespassing by law. I cannot stress the importance of checking what the law says first.
5. Once you have established that the tent has LEGALLY abandoned the property, the first thing I would do is change the locks and bring a camera with you. Go into the property, and take pictures of everything you see, and I mean everything. It is very easy for an angry tenant to claim that his property has been stolen and sue you for a whole lot of money. If the tenant left and took all the property with him, count your blessings. More often not, tenants who leave in a hurry tend to leave some other stuff behind.
6. Do not throw the tenants property away. Check the law in your specific area as to what your obligations are with the tenant’s property. Go rent a storage unit somewhere nearby, and leave all the property there. Many states have laws that force you to advertise where the tenant’s property is located and how to get access to it. Many states have laws that state that the property must be available to the tenant for up to 30 days after you take over the property. You must make a reasonable effort to make it known in a place that is easy to access.
7. Study the law some more. Most states have provisions that entitle you as the landlord to obtain as liquidated damages the cost of storing that tenant’s property. If you understand and use the law, you will probably be able to save some money.
8. Another important step is to check the city and county for violations. Many times the tenants will leave the house a disaster which can incur the wrath of the city in terms of code violations.
9. Call and check all the utilities because chances are the tenant probably stop paying those well. Make sure that the city does not have grounds to place a judgment on your property based on the actions of the tenant.
10. Change the locks, clean the property, re-carpet and re-paint (as I have had to do in almost all cases where this has happened to me. The last step is something that we should’ve done long ago.
11. Be more careful when you rent to. You cannot underestimate the value of background and credit checks. Get referrals from the tenant and call them! An extra 20 bucks in a background check will save you thousands in damage and frustration.
2 years ago | Permalink
With the current recession and so many unemployed at the moment I have been thinking about those who have lost their jobs and are now quite financially vunerable. What would the options be to me if this happened to me. I am currently a homeowner so at least I could consider selling my home.
A scheme that looks promising would be to sell and rent back my property. Looking at the websites visited I realised that the companies will not charge me any fees and would take care of most of the boring paperwork for me. They will work with the individual every step of the way to make the process as easy to understand and go through as possible.
A scheme of this type would mean that I would not have to move out of my home and would give me time to recuperate from financial distress and get back on my feet.
Property Reposession can be a frightening prospect not to mention the stress it would bring and the shame . Visiting a company that allows an individual to sell their home and remain in it by renting it back can be one way of avoiding all this. A good rent and buy back firm will recommend a solicitor and will pay the costs.
This is of course a relief for those who are struggling financially and means there will be no increased burden by having to pay out cash you cannot afford. I am very glad that I am not really in this position.
2 years ago | Permalink
2 years ago | Permalink
fast property sales
Anyone who turns on a TV, or listens to the radio, or reads a newspaper these days would be hard pressed to find any good news related to the real estate market. Much less find any of the stories of quick riches and easy profits that filled much of the social zeitgeist for the last several years. Two years ago everybody knew of somebody who had made tens of thousands of dollars in a matter of months flipping houses. Yet today, it seems that everyone now knows somebody who is stuck paying mortgages on houses they flipped and can’t sell. So, the obvious question is: Is there anyone who is able to make money investing in real estate in the current market? The simple answer is, of course, yes; but knowing the types of people these are and the strategies they employ provides insight into the current market and guides those of us who are interested in investing.
The singular fact universal to all of real estate is that “Real Estate is Local”. This also applies to investing in real estate. There are some areas of the country where real estate is just not worth the time or money right now. If you are in an area where prices were overly inflated and are now falling like a brick, then the chances of you being able to turn a quick buck are small (though not impossible). And at the same time there are regions where housing is in such high demand that you can’t help but make money even if the economy slides into an extended recession.
So which people are making money now? Mainly those that have money. Given the scarcity of 100% financing and tightening of lending standards it is becoming more and more of requirement that investors put some of their own money down. This only has to be 10 to 20%, and given the lower prices due to foreclosures and depressed markets that isn’t much. The lenders just want the investors to “have some skin in the game” so that you are less likely to just abandon the property and walk if times get tough. The current successful investors also have good credit and a track record of success. If banks are lending less money, the money they do give out is going to be to proven winners.
Even if a proven investor can get banks or private partners to lend money, we are currently experiencing a swing in the market that will separate the real smart investors from those that just rode the wave during a time of prosperity. How is this so? The current market requires a change in investing strategy and the best investors will be the best at adapting. From 2003 through 2005 the fast money was in flipping houses. This was a perfectly viable and profitable strategy, but it worked best in a seller’s market where holding times were minimal.
Now, when buyers are relatively scarce and loans are more difficult for buyers to get the residential landscape has shifted. Since it is hard to buy, many people now need to rent. In markets such as parts of the Midwest and South that didn’t experience as much of an increase in purchase prices, houses can still be bought at rates that allow for rental income to exceed the mortgage payments and expense netting a monthly profit. This strategy does require land lording which can be a hassle without guidance regarding structuring a good lease and screening tenants, however, so it’s not for everyone. But, in addition to the monthly income and principle pay down, if the house is held for more than 12 months while the market rebounds, all the profits are taxed as long term capital gains which can make a sizeable difference in final yield.
For the new investors without a track record, or those without much starting capital, or those who just don’t like to be land lords, investing in real estate right now might not be the best idea. That doesn’t mean that investing in real estate will never be accessible to those people though. Now would be a great time to pay off existing debts, repair damaged credit, and save cash. All markets are cyclical and those that prepare best now will be the most prepared in a couple of years when the housing pendulum swings back towards the seller’s favor.
2 years ago | Permalink
If you have just looked outside to find that ToLet signs have appeared around your neighbourhood whilst you were unaware, then you are seeing the spread of the accidental landlord trend - yet another phenomenon of the current downturn not seen in previous times of turmoil.
While this provides a welcome increase in houses available to rent, many of these landlords are quite unaware of the many regulations involved.
There are more than 50 Acts of Parliament and 70 sets of regulations governing the private rented sector and all risk fines if they don’t comply with these laws.
A decent nottingham carlton letting agent will always be able to recommend tradesmen at good prices if any work need doing to the property. The letting agent would make sure that all applicable laws and regulations are abided by and you should be advised accordingly. You can and always should use a professional letting agent to source a suitable tenant and manage your property.
2 years ago | Permalink
You do know that everyone in the world has to have a roof over their heads. Real estate is a necessity in this world. Without shelter, people would suffer in the hands of weather as well as the city conditions. Therefore, there is much money to be made in real estate. You will never run out of inventory when it comes to real estate since people do need a place to live. Single family homes are among the most popular housing units to invest in. You can do a lot with a single family residence. You can rent out a single family home, or you can hold on to it for a certain amount of time so you can make a huge profit.
If you are going to rent out a single family home, you will have a better time with the tenants than a person who owns an apartment building. Of course this is what you will do if you are dealing with a down cycle. If you are dealing with an up cycle, you will be able to get quick profit when you sell it. You can always make a profit from renting single family homes if your expenses are less than the monthly mortgage payments.
If you are a new investor, buying distressed properties can help you get started and get money in your pocket faster. Single family homes are the easiest to deal with because there isn’t much that you have to deal with. Beginning investors have an advantage when you are investing in single family homes. There’s not much maintenance that you have to do, and the strategies are easier because all you have to do is find out what type of market you are dealing and choose the best strategy to implement. If you are in an up cycle, you can just sell the property fast for a profit. If you are in a down market, you can hold on to the property, rent it out and sell it later to profit big on it.
Single family homes are also a great way for you to get your start because you can live in it. It is always recommended that your first property be a property you live in so that you can take your time to make the improvements on it. When you feel like it, you can sell the property for a profit and start over in a new home.
2 years ago | Permalink
More short sales out there…
With the current real estate conditions, there are naturally increased levels of foreclosures and short sales available and more so than there have been in previous years. A short sale is when a seller owes more to the lien holder than the home can currently sell for. As a result of the negative equity, the seller is asking the mortgage holder to write off or forgive part of the monies owed on the property. These properties are generally distressed properties and offered at extreme discounts in order to expedite an offer from a savvy investor.
Why would the lien holder and the seller do this?
To avoid foreclosure: The costs are high for both the mortgage company as well as the seller when foreclosure happens. A short sale can save a lot of time and money for all parties involved and reap great rewards for the investor who comes along to buy the property.
Navigating a short sale transaction can be one of the trickiest real estate transactions that there is, but can be big on payoffs if it works. Here are some tips on being successful at both avoiding foreclosure by selling your home via short sale as well as for buyers who are interested in successfully investing in short sales.
Short Sale Sellers:
If you find yourself in a situation where you are upside down on your mortgage (you owe more than your property is worth), a short sale might be a good option for you. It is important to know, though, that a short sale transaction is never guaranteed and hiring a Realtor who is experienced in short sales is a vital key to your success in avoiding foreclosure.
The biggest requirement for being eligible to sell your home via a short sale is the element of hardship. If you do not have financial hardship, the banks aren’t willing to look at your situation in most cases. If you do have a financial hardship, then you might be a prime candidate for a short sale. Make sure that you are able to gather all your important financial paperwork - bank statements, mortgage statements, medical bills, tax returns, etc. The bank will want copies of all of these items to evaluate your case. They will also give you a short sale package which will include a financial worksheet. The biggest mistake potential short sale sellers make is not providing the information the bank needs to complete the file and evaluate whether a short sale is a reasonable measure for them to take.
Short Sale Investors:
If you have money to put down and time to wait, then a short sale is a great way to get your foot into the world of real estate - it is also great investment because in most cases, the properties that sell via short sales are sold at a deep discount in order to attract buyers and avoid foreclosure. These properties are in the MLS listed at ridiculously low prices and you might wonder what the catch is. The catch is that they are almost like false advertising or bait and switch - although not intentionally because these prices are not prices that the lien holders have agreed to as of yet. Short sales are listed lower than market because there is usually a financial hardship and the seller needs to off load the property in order to sell it before they are foreclosed on.
Go ahead and put in an offer, but be prepared to wait…and wait and wait in many cases - sometimes as long as nine months, but not usually. Three to six months is the average range although banks are starting to move a little faster in order to get some of these properties off their books in this current credit crunch. The problem is that while they are holding your offer “processing it”, the property is still usually being marketed and other higher offers can come in and knock yours out of first position. The NWMLS in Seattle has actually come up with a short sale addendum to address this problem. The NWMLS Form 22SS has a box where a potential buyer can check that they do not want the property to be listed as ACTIVE while they wait for an answer. As short sales increase across the country, these protections have become more of the norm which is good news for investors.
What do you need to invest in short sales? These properties are in the MLS so find a Realtor who has experience selling them and can easily find and identify short sales among all the other listings. Make sure that you are preapproved and know exactly how fast you are able to close if an opportunity comes up. Have your lender give you a strong preapproval letter and have proof of funds for your down payment. Follow up is also a key to short sale success. You have to have a Realtor who is willing to follow up and make sure that your offer is getting looked at and pushed along.
Final thoughts?
Short sales can be a great tool for both buyer and seller, but it is extremely important that you navigate the process carefully and diligently. The success rate of short sales is very low, but being prepared on both sides will go a long way in improving your chances of avoiding foreclosure or getting a great buy!
2 years ago | Permalink
The words unsecured and low rate cannot usually be used to describe the same loan. Usually in giving an unsecured loan a bank is taking a greater risk with you and will therefore charge higher interest. This may be about 2-6% more per annum than a secured loan for the same amount.
Unsecured loans for someone with poor credit will definitely have bd interest rates as someone with bad credit and low security you would pose a big risk for the lender.
Unsecured loans, especially for a person with poor credit are likely to be lower in value in the region of a few hundred pounds. This is another way that the banks limit their risk, by lending only small amounts at this high risk level. If you need a bigger loan amount or a less interest rate it will pay to shop around.
I may need a unsecured loan bad credit oneday, it can be useful to do the research now to find the best value loan. You should seek advice from a qualified financial advisor.
2 years ago | Permalink
This is a pic from my favorite film ever.
I knew it would do well as a movie after reading the book.
Can you guess what it is?
2 years ago | Permalink
Now after years of picking up no press coverage companies that offer rent back schemes are now under the media spotlight. Lately there has been lots of activity in the press focusing on landlords who offer to buy house’s and rent it back to the old owners.
It has come to light that some bad operators in this market have been putting profits before being fair and ethical. For most homeowners that have sold their property and need to rent it back their most important concern is the security of tenure. Many rent back operators give only Assured Short hold Tenancies.The reason they do this is that there are few other tenancies which protect their rights as landlords as well. The problem with these tenancies is that once the fixed term is finished the landlord is legally allowed to ask the tenant to leave by issuing a section 21 notice..This will leave the tenant vulnerable to eviction even if they wish to stay in the property. This minor point is usually forgotten by the company.
People who are thinking of entering a sale and rent back scheme should be aware of the dangers and talk it through with the person who is buying their property. Homeowners should ask for references from previous clients who have sold and rented back their homes.
A Company with good references and solid ethical standards is RentBack Direct.Contact them regarding rent back and you will not be dissapointed.
2 years ago | Permalink
With the economic recession and so many unemployed at the moment I have been thinking about people who have lost their jobs and are now quite financially unstable. What would the options be to me if this happened to me. I am a homeowner so at least I could consider selling my home.
A scheme that looks appealing is to sell and rent back my house. Looking at the websites visited I realised that the companies will not charge me any fees and would handle most of the paperwork for me. They will work with the individual every step of the way to make the process as easy to understand and go through as possible.
I could get on with my life and not worry about financial stresses anymore with a scheme like this.
Property Reposession can be a frightening prospect not to mention the stress it would bring and the shame . Visiting a company that allows an individual to sell their home and remain in it by renting it back can be one way of avoiding all this. A good rent and buy back firm will recommend a solicitor and will pay the costs.
This type of scheme can provide comfort to those whose options are limited. I am very glad that I am not really in this dilemma.
2 years ago | Permalink