Hard Money Loans

London, England, United Kingdom (AHN) – The Bank of England warned on Thursday of home ownership becoming out of reach for many residents as mortgage approvals dipped and lending rules tighten further.

British banks made it harder for residents to borrow for home loans when the credit crisis hit the country in the mid-2008. The ensuing global financial crisis led to mass layoffs that caused banks to be more cautious over fears of growing mortgage loan defaults.

Among the additional requirements imposed by banks the past few months were higher deposits, which made it more difficult for first-time home buyers to apply for a housing loan or for those with existing loans to get better deals with the banks.

A consequence of these restrictions was a decline in mortgage approvals to 47,400 in August from 48,300 in July. It was the fourth consecutive month of dipping approvals and the lowest level in six months.

Economists forecast a drop in mortgage approvals would lead to house prices likely going down by 10 percent in the last months of 2010 and will continue in 2011.

The Bank of England, in its Credit Conditions Survey report, said it expects mortgage lending rules to further tighten in the next three months as lenders take a more cautious approach.

To worsen the situation for potential house buyers, the Financial Services Authority has proposed that banks impose stricter rules on borrowers and perform regular checks to ensure mortgage takers could afford interest-only mortgages. Thousands of Britons shifted interest-only mortgages to after house prices soared.

With the FSA suggestion, the Council of Mortgage Lenders predicted interest-only mortgages would soon become a thing of the past.

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Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – Lawmakers passed a resolution on Wednesday, their last day of session before the mid-term elections, funding government operations until after they return from their recess. The stopgap measure was needed since both the House and the Senate haven’t passed a single appropriations bill for the next fiscal year, which begins on Friday.

By 228-194, the House passed a continuing resolution extending into December appropriations for the State Department, foreign operations and related programs past the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. Only one Republican, Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA), voted in support.

In the Senate, the the temporary spending measure passed 69-30 with Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) as the sole Democrat opposing. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) offered amendments providing funding until February and reducing all non-defense spending by 5 percent, but both measures failed along party lines.

“With the new fiscal year beginning on Friday, the continuing resolution put forward by my Democrat colleagues only perpetuates the out of touch federal spending levels we have witnessed in recent years,” Thune said in a statement.

Lawmakers are scheduled to return to the Capitol for a lame-duck session on Nov. 15, when the 12 annual appropriations bills for the 2011 fiscal year are expected to be approved. A backlog of bills will also be tackled, including the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the extension of 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts that are due to expire in January.

Democrats were hoping to pass a jobs bill to address the 9.6 percent unemployment rate before the elections, but could not muster enough votes to overcome Republican opposition. They sought to extend tax cuts for middle class families earning less than $250,000 a year.

The GOP, however, wants to make the tax cuts permanent for all including high-income earners. They’ve been accused by the White House of “holding the middle class hostage,” but they argue that the government should not raise taxes during a recession.

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There are different standards and strategies that real estate investor’s use when evaluating properties. In order for us to get involved with a property, the following standards are judged for the worthiness of any rehab project:
“You should look for the worst house on a decent block”
1) Whether your strategy is to “flip” properties, or to hold them for their rental cash flow, it’s important to be able to draw potential buyers, or strong potential tenants, as quickly as possible. With this in mind, you should look at properties on streets that are maintained properly. This does not limit you to higher end homes. There are many “blue collar” areas that properly maintain the condition of their homes and yards. However, a street that has poorly maintained properties or many vacancies do not lend themselves to fast turn around sales or well suited tenants.
Always remember that this is an investment. You take on a large risk, and a lot of work as a rehabber. No matter how much loving care you put into your property, you can do nothing about the condition of your neighbor’s property.
2) Make certain that there is no structural damage to the property. This could be a fatal blow to your investment!
“You make your money when you buy a property, not when you sell it!”
Purchasing Formula
There are many formulas used for the successful purchase of a rehab project. It’s important to use one. There must always be a comfortable cushion between the purchase price and the selling price of investment property. This cushion price will help you achieve a successful investment, even if you have repair cost over-runs, or hold on to the property longer than you had anticipated. Remember, every day that the property is not sold or rented comes right off your bottom line. The interest, taxes, insurance, and utility bills compound each day. Buying the property at the right price will protect you from Murphy’s Law.
Our Funding formula:
1) Establish an after repair value for your property.
(Get “area comps” and view each one. Pick out the property that has a street that is most similar to your house’s street, and a structure that is closest to your house’s structure, and then compare the square footage, amount of bedrooms and bathrooms that are all listed on the “comps.” This will help establish a real fair market value for your property).

2) Multiply the ARV x .65 (After Repair Value)
(This will give you 65% of the ARV).
3) Establish a comprehensive and accurate list of repairs that you plan to do to the property, and estimate the costs for each repair.
(This is important. If you are knowledgeable and experienced in doing repair work, you may not need help. If you are not experienced or skilled in this, find someone who is and have them draw up a plan. Even if it costs you a little money to get them out there, this could save you thousands of dollars).
4) Subtract the cost of repairs from the 65% value of the ARV. (After Repair Value) This should be the maximum price that you pay for the property! This is a conservative formula, and it usually works well. Remember, anyone can buy a property at close to fair market value, but with your costs and risks, you must do better!
Written by Jim Olivero

Difficult to come buy and carrying a high price, Hard Money Loans  are the last resort for those who can afford it.

Let’s start with a quick comparison of conventional loans to hard money loans to create a distinction up front.

Conventional loans are the tool of most home buyers. Lending institutions loan money to the buyer based on credit history and income. Hard Money Loans are less dependent on credit score and revolve around assets, instead. There should be no confusion that one is a substitute for the other. When buying a house there are many choices in loan options, but the choice between conventional or hard money is not one of them. Hard money loans are for unique, often distressed situations.

Hard money comes from private investors who can take the time to assess a borrower’s entire situation, in a way that traditional lenders cannot. The private investor understands that a few missed payments resulting from something like loss of employment, does not mean the buyer cannot repay his loan. This is a perfect scenario of when hard money works. When the homeowner has fallen so far behind on his mortgage that he cannot catch up even though he has gone back to work and resume payments, the private investor can come in, provide hard money to pay original mortgage off, offering the borrower a chance to start fresh and preserve his credit. Soon the damages of the missed house payments are repaired on his credit report and he can refinance in a traditional manner.

The reason for refinancing as quickly as possible is that hard money loans carry stiff terms. Interests rates average between 10% and 18% making it a costly option, albeit a valuable one.

Another motivation to use hard money which is relevant in markets driven by foreclosures is rehab purchases. Investors find a great property to renovate quickly for profit and they want the loan fast because there is already a buyer for the house when it’s done. The hard money loan is available much quicker and without the red tape of a traditional loan.

Don’t be confused, though, hard money loans are not a simple alternative for those with poor credit. Even private investors aren’t interested in a borrower with a history of bankruptcy or non payment. In addition, the closing costs on a hard money loan must be paid up front. These fees could be a couple hundred dollars or a couple thousand, making the hard money loan a non choice for most borrowers in distressed situations.

Hard Money Loans  are difficult to come by. The loan to value rate is a relatively low 50 to 75%. Hard money lenders like to only finance properties that are nearby them in areas they are familiar and comfortable with so they can monitor the property. Be wary of a hard money lender who makes things look too easy and shiny, as there are individuals who prey on homeowners and set up situations that guarantee failure so they can seize the house and profit from its sale.

If you fit into one of the unique scenarios that would benefit from a hard loan, do your research before signing any papers. Get recommendations on the private lender when you can. With no bank regulations on private lending the only one who can separate a legitimate lender from a loan shark is you.

What do you know about Feng Shui? If you’re like most people, you probably are not even sure if I spelled it right just now. Maybe you picture an old man doing the world’s slowest kung fu at dawn (that’s Tai Chi, totally different.) Feng shui is a sorta guidebook about the placement and architecture of a house to allow good flow of energy. And it’s not just placement of the bed and couch. The placement of the actual house and landscaping will affect the ch’i (energy) of the house in a big way. Let’s start with a few tips to bear in mind when looking examining the location for your dream home.

1. First and most important, research the history of a property. Find out what happened with the previous tenants, and the ones before them. And even the ones before them. Ask neighbors, or selling agent. If all the previous inhabitants have had money problems, family problems, etc., chances are there’s bad feng shui going on. Best to move on and look for another house.

2. Pay attention to the road placement. The road in front of your house should not be pointing directly into your home. If a house is sitting at a dead end, in a T-intersection, or in the center of cul-de-sac, then energy is constantly flowing straight down that road into the house, then building up and stagnating there. This is not good; the ch’i must continue to flow, like air. If it gets stuck in your home, it can go bad.

3. Pay attention to what’s around the house. Examine the terrain closely. Ideally, the property should have a dark turtle in the back (a mountain or hill, another house, a row of trees, a fence, etc.), a dragon (a house, a tree) to the left, a white tiger (a smaller house or tree) to the right, and a phoenix (open ground, a circular flowerbed, a meandering river or road) in front. All those exotic names are just a fun way to state the obvious —a house by itself is not ideal, since there is nothing to slow the flow of ch’i. Most houses will have all of these things around them already, but it doesn’t hurt to think about it your first time seeing a place. Other things to think about are “poison arrows,” like telephone poles, flagpoles, or the corner of a house pointing your way. They can hinder the energy flow to the house. Even a hospital can be a source of bad energy.

4. Something that probably doesn’t automatically spring to mind is the shape of the property; but that can be very important as well. Always go for something symmetrical, like a square or a rectangle. If your real estate is pretty close to square, use hedges to fill in the spots that make it irregular. Triangle-shaped properties can create disharmony. If you just love a place and absolutely have to have a it but it’s on a triangle-shaped lot, it’s better for the wide side to be in the back; the other way indicates an inability to save money.

When you visit a property, notice the shapes of the things around. I know it sounds strange, but kind of squint your eyes and see what you see, like you used to do as a kid, when you were looking at the clouds in the sky. If anything looks like something hostile, then be careful. That could be an indication of some anti-ch’i. You want enough stuff to slow the energy down to capture it but allow it to also flow.

When people call me, typically one of the first requests they make is for a house in a “nice” neighborhood. And this makes sense to want a neighborhood that is safe and enjoyable. But there are some benefits to buying real estate in the rough part of town or on the wrong side of the tracks. This article highlights some of them.

- There is less worry of your neighborhood going downhill because it is already downhill. Good neighborhoods can get bad and bad neighborhoods can get better. Since the price usually reflects the current condition, buying in a neighborhood that has room for improvement might be a good idea.

- If you are buying a rental, you usually get better cash flow in rough neighborhoods. If you are renting your property, there are more renters and they are more long term. It’s difficult to rent in good neighborhoods because fewer people are looking to rent and those who do are generally there short term while they look for a house to buy.

- You can look better in comparison to other landlords. Landlords in rough areas frequently don’t maintain their properties as well as people in nice areas. Therefore, if you maintain your properties, you can blow away your competition, and charge more for it.

- If you are in a rough neighborhood, you can propose that your property change will improve the neighborhood and you have a better chance of getting a different zoning. Conversely, if you are in a good neighborhood, it’s hard to make the same argument.

- You can buy more property. If you want to spend 500k, you can either buy one house in an upscale neighborhood or six or seven houses in a rougher neighborhood.

- They’re more recession proof. When the economy goes south, real estate in rough neighborhoods is less affected.

In summary, I am not saying you have to buy in a bad neighborhood. But simply that if you are looking for long term investments sometimes its a good idea to wander over the tracks and look around a bit.

Some people choose to use a real estate agent and some people choose to go it alone. One thing I have noticed over the years is that a number of seasoned investors looking in a new city will seek out a good agent while novice investors will frequently go it alone. I have even had a number of successful real estate agents seek out my help when they are moving to our city. Why do some of these seasoned investors choose to work with an agent? Below is a list of 7 benefits of using an agent.

1. Understand potential restrictions of the property. I recently heard a story from a friend at the city development office in Austin Texas. A couple had saved up for their retirement. They wanted to retire and live out in the hill country. They went to the foreclosure auctions. At the auction they purchased a lot for 500,000. It had great views and they were going to build their dream house on it. They had researched the lot before the auction and found it was zoned SFR which means a single family residence can be built on it. After purchasing the lot they started plans to build their retirement house. At this time they discovered the lot was in the 25 year floodplain. My friend at the city development office explained that the lot could not be built on and was basically worthless.

2. Know about new developments that might affect a properties value. A good realtor will know of proposed new developments that might affect different properties in which a buyer is interested. Whether these developments are positive or negative can be valuable information when weighing different housing options.

3. Find potential problems with a property. It is always a good idea to have a home inspector look at a potential house. However, a Realtor is a good first line of defense to see if a house has inherent problems. A Realtor that can know about common problems, such as foundation or electrical, that affect a particular neighborhood.

4. Understand contracts specifics. Whenever you buy or sell a house you are entering into a large personal transaction. It helps to have someone on your side that deals with these types of transactions on a daily basis. A Realtor can help you understand contracts and can explain what is typical for your area. The most common pitfall into which I see unrepresented buyers fall is to become involved in an atypical contract that is not to their benefit. For instance a seller will sign an offer that has an option period that is 4 times longer than what is typical. A buyer might put in offers on multiple properties with long option periods. The buyer will wait and see if the market appreciates. If the market has appreciated the buyer buys the house at now and undervalued price. If the market has gone down the buyer walks away.

5. Misperception of a benefit of going it alone. Buyers frequently think that by not using a buyers agent they will get a better deal from the seller. In most situation the listing agent asks for 6 percent from the seller. If a buyer comes with an agent the listing agent splits the 6 percent with the buyers agent. If an unrepresented buyer comes the listing agent keeps the whole 6 percent. On the selling side, For Sale By Owners (FSBO) often think they are saving alot of money by avoiding a listing agent. Nationally, FSBO homes sell for 14 percent less than agent listed homes in the same neighborhoods. In addition alot of FSBO’s still end up having a buyers agents involved. There is also money spent on advertising. Since an agent has experience marketing homes the agent often can spend money more effectively on advertising. Agents often know which advertising sources produce the most potential buyers.

6. Save time when looking for listings. Looking for listings without an agent can take up large chunks of time. When looking with an agent you can see several homes in a few hours. When going it alone you have to call the listing agent for each house and wait at the house for the agent to arrive and open up the house. In addition agents often know houses which are not listed or may have already identified potential problems with a particular house of interest.

7. Insure Security. When a home is listed with a broker, agents coming to the house have to usually log in. This allows the listing agent to keep a record of every party coming into the house. Since their business is on the line, agents are more likely to protect the house from damage or theft. For a variety of reasons, it is generally not a good idea to have random people you do not know come into your house. Often sellers simply have a phone number, but that phone could be their house, a friend’s house, a pay phone, or even a stolen phone.

Searching for a home can be stressful and difficult but it can also be fun. Whether you choose to look for a home on your own or with a Realtor its a good idea to be a extremely careful when you seek out your dream home.

Green Happiness

“He who plants a garden, plants happiness” is an old saying. However, things have changed a lot nowadays. Today, the proverb could be thought of as “He who plants a garden, plants money!” When it comes to selling a house, landscaping is an important factor that determines the value of the property. Real estate gurus believe that gardens around a house can contribute more than 10% to the total value of the property. Moreover, the houses with attractive gardens, particularly mature trees, are easily saleable when compared to the other houses with limited or underdeveloped landscaping. Investing a little time in tending your garden can really pay dividends when it comes to selling your home.

Enjoying Green

Houses with gardens around them are excellent choices for those who wish to enjoy time outside, while not travelling far to do so. It is always refreshing to open the door and go out into the garden and smell the flowers, plants, and trees. Most of us spend less time enjoying the greenery in public parks and sanctuaries since they are becoming more scarce and because of urban sprawl are often far away. Since most of us will never have a chance to visit the tropical rain forests of Central America why not invest a few dollars and house and have your own piece of nature right outside your door?

Green can be healthy

Plants not only contribute value to the property, but gardens also have great health benefits. The health benefits of gardening are impressive. According to medical experts, gardening is a great exercise for legs, shoulders, arms and neck. Gardening also helps to strengthen the joints in our body. Recent researches indicate that gardening lowers blood pressure, reduces cholesterol levels and also prevents diabetes and heart diseases. Gardening is also an ideal physical exercise for people who want to reduce their weight. Gardening helps to burn fat and as an added bonus, creates some healthy, organic fruits and vegetables for your entire family to eat.

Green in real estate

Based on a recent survey or property owners, it was noted that 95% of residential homeowners and 86% of commercial property owners believe that good landscaping adds more value to their properties. Also real estate brokers around Austin think that merely having a garden is enough to attract the buyers. Moreover, gardening has lots of benefits like offering a healthy body, fresh air, a fresh mind, fresh food, bringing birds, attracting butterflies, sustaining beneficial insects and added value to your property. Finally, gardening and makes your property look its best. So plant gardens around your home and grab the sure ticket to quick and valuable resale!

Real estate photography is a new, exclusive initiative to promote international property business to inspire by the theme Development, Nature and Architecture. Real estate photography leads to increased competition in the photographic market. Most of time people would likely visit their property for sale because of the attractive images.

Tips of good real estate photography
- A good source of light.
- Wide angle lenses make real estate photos appear spacious, inspirational and motivational
- Digital formats cut down on printing and developing expenditures and makes photos available immediately.
- Same images should be available in different sizes so that according to the specifications you can provide it.
- take a shot of every part of house for sale including living room, kitchen, dining room, and other parts of the house.
- highlight the best features of your house.
- clean the entire house before taking its photos.
- hire a professional real estate photographer.

Real estate photography is of following kinds:
- Standard real estate photography,
- Elevated pole real estate photography,
- Exterior twilight real estate photography,
- Interior real estate photography services,
- Real estate photography for builders and architects.

Real estate firms have totally booming nowadays. If you are a property agent, you have probably faced a lot of competitions. Over few older years, when all you require is a well written advertisement to sell a real estate. Currently in order to fully publish your listings, you need to attach a good real estate photographs. With the emergence of digital cameras, the realestate that you are selling can be photographed and placed online. Potential purchasers from different parts of the world can actually see your listings with the images in it. Don’t underestimate the value of these photographs because a purchaser can definitely decide to check out the real estate based on the pictures that you have.

Real estate photography makes the property images impressive. If you have a house which looks unattractive and you want to sell that but because of appearance no good investor wants to buy it. Through the technique of real estate photography you can make your house to appear better and most of the investors search online for real estate images to buy it. Based on recent estimations, the number of individual searching home for sale online has increased. Almost half of these property seekers found their dream property instantly online through the help of real estate photography. An image is worth a thousand words. Especially when your words may be limited by the Multiple Listing Service use real estate photography techniques to express your quality difference in properties.

Everyone has dreamt of owning a house.  When that happens, for sure you will savor your new home just like you would a piece of cake, aesthetically appreciating everything that makes it special to you.  So when looking for a real estate to make it possible, it should be in a place that is equally enticing.

Carmel in Monterey, CA. is definitely one of the most-sought after town in the United States as of late.  One reason for its appeal is the majestic scenery of the location.  If your ideal real estate property is somewhere with a rich history regarding arts.Carmel certainly has class like no other.

Situated on the Pacific Coast, Carmel in Monterey, CA is home to notable artists such as actor and director Clint Eastwood, who was once the Mayor of the town for one term.  In fact, the dominance of arts in the area paved way for a full-length feature of Carmel’s artists, writers and poets in the San Francisco Call in 1906.

Buying a property in Carmel demands careful weighing of all the factors that would affect your decision.  Before anything else, you might want to consider the following aspects before settling to the idea that Carmel is the best place for you – the schools within the town, Carmel’s public services and available mortgages.  You can consult the Website of Monterey County, CA for this purpose.

Once you’re done checking the background of the mentioned factors, you can now proceed to having a free mortgage pre-qualification to know the range of your financial capabilities.  Also, it would help if you will research first the types of mortgages you can avail of before making any further deals.

The town of Carmel in Monterey, CA is one of those places one would want to settle down. Just like purchasing Carmel real estate in any other areas, it also demands careful planning.

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