Opportunity Knocks with Property Management

Many agents across the country are experiencing strong and stable sales. For others, the market is more uncertain. And if the recent economic situation of the last couple of years has taught us anything, it’s reinforced that old adage: You shouldn’t put all of your eggs in one basket.

One solution that agents all… Continue reading

Now Is The Time To “Recession-Proof” Rental Properties…

With continued talk of a down-turn in the economy, the Fed keeping interest rates low and first-time home buyers buying new homes at record rates, rental property owners should be employing any and all means possible to “recession-proof” their investments in real estate.

1. Revamp your application process….clean up/update rental application… Continue reading

ZingPM Question of the Day – Where can you find fixer-uppers?

They are literally everywhere, even in wealthy enclaves. What sets them apart is price. They have lower market value than other houses in the immediate area because they have either been poorly maintained or abandoned.

Home Finance Delinquencies at Three-Year Low

Total delinquent first mortgage balances were under $500 billion as of this past March, the lowest since January 2009. Also, as of March 2012 there were a total of 49.5 million outstanding first mortgages, nearly an 11 percent decrease from the peak of more than 55 million in March 2008.

This is the… Continue reading

Rented – Sight Unseen

A property manager returned from a trip in September and found a letter on her desk from a brand new tenant accusing her of fraud and misrepresentation. He was complaining that the garage in the house he had leased “sight unseen” did not have a double car garage “big enough” for his large… Continue reading

Just where do they live?

Where do criminals live?  Not the Enron-type criminals, but the ordinary, run-of-the-mill robbers and stealers, the drug dealers, the burglars.  I will go way out on a limb and venture to guess that better than 99 percent of them don’t own their own homes. That means that they live in rental housing.

How do… Continue reading

Are You a Renter? Some Things to Consider

Since the rental market is expected to thrive in 2012 with more homeowners either being forced to consider renting, or renting out their space, we checked in with Jessica Bosari, a writer for LowIncomeApartmentFinder.com, for some advice.

How do renters help protect themselves from landlords whose property goes, or is… Continue reading

HARP 2.0 to Provide Underwater Homeowners a Lifeline

While underwater homeowners may still be a common theme today, the government recently enacted a new Home Affordable Refinance Program to help eligible participants pay down the principal on their home mortgage loan without having to pay mortgage insurance.

The new HARP 2.0 Refinance Program was made available to U.S. homeowners as of March… Continue reading

Last-Minute Filers: 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Filing Your Tax Return

With just a few days left until the April 17 deadline, it is getting down to crunch time for taxpayers who have yet to file their 2011 tax returns. As Tax Day approaches, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service® is reminding last-minute filers of the most common mistakes to avoid when filing their tax… Continue reading

When selling becomes clear for your investment property

There comes a time during the course of any real estate investment when it becomes clear that selling off the property is the best course. When that time comes, getting the most out of your piece of real estate is crucial to seeing the big payoff at the end of the… Continue reading