Reverse Mortgage Pros & Cons: Sinister Lending or Good Financial Move?

Robert Wagner pitches reverse lending on TV, but are these loans as shady as the fate of his former wife, Natalie Woods, or a smart financial move that will have you living like a star? Reverse mortgages have been attracting an increasing amount of interest from homeowners in the last couple of years, but it’s time to investigate and have a real “Hart-to-Hart” about their pros and cons. Reverse Mortgage Pros: The Easy Way to Tap Home Equity After several years of economic turmoil and tightening of underwriting guidelines, for many it may not be a matter of weighing reverse mortgage pros and cons, but this may be the only way to tap into home equity. As there are no repayments required to pa ...

How to Get a High House Appraisal

One common thread that runs through homeowners is that they typically think their home is the nicest in the development, according to Loreen Stuhr, veteran appraiser with Appraisers of Las Vegas. Stuhr goes on to say that the single most difficult challenge she faces in her business is trying to convince a homeowner otherwise. Whether or not you own the nicest home on the block, when it comes time to refinance or sell it, getting a high house appraisal is crucial. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to assure that you receive credit for all the ways you think your house is worth maximum dollars. If your house is on the market, and you’ve taken the time to properly prepare it for the ma ...

How Much House Can I Afford?

“How much house can I afford?” When many people ask that question, what they are really asking is, “How much money will somebody lend me?” They sound similar at first blush, but they are actually two different questions. The first is a matter of individual circumstances – and chances are you already have a pretty good feel as to what you can shell out per month in housing costs. The second question – “How much will somebody lend me?” is more complex. But it is actually more easily answered, because underwriting standards for the big three consumer mortgage lending sources – FHA loans, VA, or Veterans Administration loans, and conventional mortgages – are pretty well d ...

What is the State of Las Vegas Real Estate?

You may notice on your next trip to Vegas that the complexion of our city is changing and becoming ever more diverse. Real estate in the valley is getting worldwide attention, bringing buyers from far-flung reaches of the globe. In fact, a recent story in the Montreal Gazette tells its readers they can get a $50,000 investment property in Las Vegas and rent it out for $1,000 a month. We say, “Come on down!” We like Canadian money – and Chinese money and even California money. I had a little trouble believing there are really homes in Las Vegas priced under $50,000, so I ran my own check of current listings. The least expensive home on the market is listed for $7,900. Not a typo. That i ...

10 Best Home Improvements For Increasing Property Value

Most appraisers have stories of homeowners irate over the fact that the special remodeling job they performed added zero value to their home. The imported Italian tile you used in your entryway or the pool in the backyard may be of immense value to you while you live in the home, but unfortunately they aren’t items that buyers shopping in your neighborhood value. To get the most bang for your home improvement buck, consider these 10 best home improvements: 1. Indoor Systems Before you consider cosmetic improvements and even functional improvements (such as adding additional square footage) to the home, make all needed upgrades, repairs or replacements to the home’s major systems. Buyers wan ...

A Crash Course in Tax and Investment Property

One way or another, Uncle Sam is going to get his cut. Count on it. And so will your state and local governments. That said, there are certain things you can do as a real estate investor to help manage your tax bill, and maximize your after-tax return on your investment. In order to do so, however, you need to understand the primary ways in which investment real estate portfolios get taxed. You must also have a general grasp of some abstract concepts like calculating your tax basis, as well as the depreciation of capital investments. Hey, if this stuff were easy, we’d all be CPAs, right? Warning: This article will only arm you with enough information to be dangerous. You can click on any of ...

Buying and Selling New Jersey Shore Real Estate

The Jersey Shore has been a favorite vacation spot for generations of families from the Philadelphia, New York and the Washington D.C. region. Many own a second home there, which they rent out in the summer at eye-popping prices. But, the Jersey Shore real estate market hasn’t been immune to the economic downturn. Home prices fell in the third quarter of 2011, according to the Atlantic City Press. But the fall wasn’t as dramatic as in other parts of the country, the Press said. Perhaps the drop was cushioned by the rise in home sales, which was up 13 percent in New Jersey. Anthony D’Alicandro, president of the Atlantic City & Atlantic County Board of Realtors® and broker/owner of Coldwel ...

Welcome to the Flippin’ Insider

There’s no doubt about it – for those with a bit of know-how, real estate can be a fantastic way to invest. No other type of investment combines income potential, price appreciation potential and leverage the way real estate does. Plus, real estate is tangible. You can see it, touch it, and understand it. And unlike stocks and bonds, it can never go to zero. Buy a stock? The company can go bankrupt tomorrow. Buy a bond? It’s a piece of paper, representing a promise to repay. The company could vanish tomorrow, leaving you holding the bag. But when you buy a house, at the end of the day, no matter what happens in the economy, there’s still a house. The potential for terrific success is there e ...

Real Estate Glossary for the First-Time Homebuyer

Every industry has its “inside” jargon, and the real estate industry is no exception. Some of the lingo, such as “location, location, location,” is a snap to decipher, while other real estate terminology can be downright incomprehensible. Real estate agents sometimes have a tendency to roll this stuff off their tongues, assuming their clients understand every real estate term. In reality, they may as well be speaking a different language. Here is a glossary of some of the most common real estate terminology you will hear during the process of buying or selling real estate:   Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) - A mortgage with a fluctuating interest rate. ARMs tend to have lower initial int ...