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Now seems to be the best time to invest in properties in college towns where housing demand is high due to a soaring rental market according to the New rules of real estate by Business 2.0 Magazine. With home prices still out of home buyer’s range, and homeowners selling their homes due to rising interest rates, rents are expected to increase nationwide. This makes buying investment property in rental markets such as college towns an attractive option, one that is already being pursued by investors. Rents are expected to rise by 5 % by the end of this year according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), and investors are looking at college towns with increased interest.

There are two major reasons why it is prudent to buy investment property in college towns now. When compared with other rental markets, the rentals in apartment buildings in college towns are much stronger and hence more profitable. This has been augmented by the fact that apartment buildings in college towns are fewer in number. This demand for apartment buildings has also increased due to the rising admissions in colleges mostly from the Gen Y or the echo boomers, which has further increased the asking rates in the college town rental markets. These properties have a low vacancy rate, especially in buildings located near the campuses. Investors in commercial apartment buildings also get to increase their rent with the mounting demand making such investment a highly profitable venture.

So if you are a prospective landlord who has decided to encash this favorable situation, then you can start with choosing the college town that has the lowest ratio of university-owned beds to the student population. As Michael Zaransky, co-founder of Prime Property Investors in Chicago says, prospective investors would do well to pick the college towns that have the ratio of university-owned beds to students at 30 % or lower. One should also look into colleges that propose to expand their student ranks by 2 or 3 % every year.

Investors should also need to take into consideration the disadvantages involved in owning commercial apartment buildings in college towns. The business could be trying sometimes, and involves risks with college policies liable to changes and the difficulty involved in predicting volatile student demand. However, considering the high rate of returns that the investment has to offer, the pros seem to far outnumber the cons making buying investment property in college towns a smart option.

Women are working more, earning more and buying more than they ever did. Consequently, they have a significant influence on the American economy in general, and the real estate industry in particular.

The collective buying power of US women accounts for about 85 % of all consumer purchases. When it comes to purchasing patterns, women are estimated to make 94 % of home furnishings decisions, 91 % of new homes purchase decisions, and 89 % of travel decisions.

Women’s earnings have accelerated over the last few years and they have emerged as the Chief Purchasing Officers in their households. According to IRS data, women constitute 39 % of the top wealth holders in the country. This means about 2.5 million women possess a wealth of $4.2 trillion put together. Notably, the IRS estimates that by 2050, 42 % of these women will be single or widowed. The IRS further estimates that more wealth is bound to be accumulated among women.

Another growing trend that emerged in a December 2006 study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) was that about 22 % of homes purchased between July 2005 and June 2006 were by single women who were in the 25 to 34 age range. Women accounted for a record number of 1.76 million home purchases (1 in every 5 homes), a significant increase from 14 % a decade ago. Women’s growing success in their careers, higher education, financial independence and a desire to build an early nest on their own, are some of the reasons that have spearheaded this home buying trend.

Among the vast demographic spectrum in the real estate industry, women have become a force to reckon with. Real estate agents are increasingly taking note of their female clients and the power they wield in home buying decisions. By the influence that they bring into play in home buying decisions, women form a significant and growing market that simply cannot be ignored.

If you are considering buying a home, condo, or any other real estate, be sure to seek out the services of a local real estate agent to guide you through this complex process.

What do the letters behind a real estate agent’s name stand for? Real estate agents, like doctors, lawyers, and other professionals can ear designations, certifications, and other credentials. These are usually shown by putting a series of initials after the agent’s name. The most common designations and certifications are: Broker, REALTOR, e-Pro, CHMS, GRI, ABR, and CRS.
What does an agent have to do to obtain the designation or certification?
e-Pro requires an agent take a class on basic computer skills. It has no real estate content, but ensures your agent can use email and the web. It should really be a bare minimum bar for the technology aptitude of your agent.
REALTOR is the one of the easier credentials to obtain (but one of the hardest to live up to). A REALTOR is a real estate agent that belongs to the National Association of REALTORS and agrees to follow the Realtor Code of Ethics. You can read about the code here http://www.realtor.org/mempolweb.nsf/pages/Code?OpenDocument
Broker is a bit harder to obtain than REALTOR. In Texas, for example, a broker license is required to be able to operate your own real estate company. An agent must have their license for 2 years and complete over 600 hours of real estate education prior to applying for a broker’s license. The broker’s license is granted upon completion of an exam administered by the state. Brokers are basically real estate agents with advanced educations.
GRI stands for Graduate Realtor Institute. Less than 50% of agents have this designation. The GRI requires 12 days of continuing education with passing grades on three exams. There are no production or time requirements so an agent can literally earn this designation by sitting in class for 12 days and passing the tests. This designation is in no way a measure of real estate sales experience.
ABR stands for Accredited Buyer’s Representative. Less than 30% of agents have this designation. This designation combines 2 days of classroom work and an exam with the requirement that the agent show proof of at least five buyer sales. This designation shows that the agent has had both formal classroom time and in the field experience.
CRS stands for Certified Residential Specialist. Less than 4% of all agents have this designation. This is the most difficult designation to obtain and is a measure of a high degree of formal education and real world transactional experience. To obtain a CRS, the agent must attend three 2-day classes, pass three exams, and provide proof of 25 closed transactions within the last 24 months. While the transaction experience isn’t a huge amount, it does weed out the inexperienced agents and the classes weed out those agents who aren’t dedicated to continuing education.
Other designations are out there, but for the most part they are issued by inconsequential groups and have no real bearing on the agent’s abilities and are used more for marketing purposes than anything else.

Baby boomers, baby boomers, baby boomers; we all hear this term over and over again. So who are the baby boomers? Baby boomers are people in the United States who were born between 1946 and 1964. Approximately 78.2 million people fall into this category.

As a group, baby boomers comprise the largest population cohort in the history of the United States. The size of the group gives it vast influence over American politics, popular cultural, and of course, real estate. To evaluate the influence of the baby boomers on the future of real estate, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) conducted a study in 2006. The findings of the research were published in report entitled Baby Boomers and Real Estate: Today and Tomorrow. Below are some highlights from the NAR study.

AGE DISTRBUTION

According to the NAR report, baby boomers now range in age from 42 to 60 years old. The typical baby boomer is 50 years old, and the oldest of the baby boomers turned 60 in 2006. About 46% of baby boomers are in their 40s, and about 25% are at least 55 years old.

HOUSEHOLD INCOME

As a group, baby boomers are in their peak earning years. In 2005, baby boomers had a household income of $64,700, and about 25% them had a household income of at least $100,000 per year.

HOME OWNERSHIP

About 78% of baby boomers own a home, which is higher than the national ownership rate of 69%. About 96% of baby boomers believe that home ownership is a good financial investment.

FUTURE REAL ESTATE PURCHASES

About 10%, or 7.8 million of all baby boomers, said they were likely to purchase additional real estate in the next 12 months. Of these potential buyers, two-thirds were planning on buying a primary residence, 26% want to buy land, 19% want rental property, 15% want a vacation home or seasonal home, and 14% want a commercial property.

WHAT FEATURES ATTRACT BOOMERS

When baby boomers were asked about what features are most important to them, 38% wanted a lower cost of living, 38% wanted to be near family, 38% wanted easy access to quality health care, 37% wanted a better climate, and 36% wanted to be near a body of water.

PREFERRED COMMUNITY AMENITIES

When baby boomers were asked about the type of community amenities that interest them most, about 18% wanted to be near cultural offerings, 9% wanted to be closer to their family, 4% wanted to be on a golf course, and 3% wanted easy access to educational facilities.

WHERE DO BOOMERS WANT TO RETIRE

When baby boomers were asked about where they want to retire, 33% of them want to retire in a rural area, 30% in a small town, 25% in a suburban area, and only 12% in an urban community.

BOOMERS AND THEIR REAL ESTATE AGENTS

Baby boomers consistently use the services of a real estate agent. Approximately 60% of homebuyers and 79% of home sellers used a real estate agent in their last transaction.

SUMMARY

The baby boomers have had and will continue to have a significant impact on the real estate market. As the boomers near retirement, they continue to value real estate and will continue to invest in properties and land. Real estate agents would be well served to understand what baby boomers want in terms of their real estate investments, and design strategies that target the needs of this enormous population cohort. For more information, read the NAR report entitled, Baby Boomers and Real Estate: Today and Tomorrow

Despite a recent slowdown, the U.S. real estate market continues to be a popular investment destination for foreign investors. Attracted by a desirable return on investment, many foreign nations continue to invest heavily in the U.S. residential and commercial real estate markets. In fact, in 2005, foreign investment in U.S. real estate reached 1.83 trillion.

To evaluate the impact of foreign investment on the U.S. real estate market, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) produced a 2006 report entitled ‘Foreign Investment in U.S. Real Estate: Current Trends and Historical Perspective.’ The report provides insights into the trends in foreign real estate investment, its impact on the U.S. economy, and the major countries that participate in U.S. real estate investment. Below are some highlights from the NAR report.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the top seven countries that had significant holdings in U.S. real estate as of 2005 were:

Germany – 13 %
Latin America – 13 %
Australia – 11 %
Japan -10 %
United Kingdom – 10 %
Canada – 6 %
Netherlands – 6 %

The U.S. economy is wide open to foreign investors. Both investors and Americans significantly benefit from all this foreign investment. The NAR study estimates that without foreign investments in the securities market, the long-term lending rates would be four percentage points higher than the current rate, which would adversely impact the U.S. real estate market.

Foreign direct investment into the U.S. not only creates more jobs but also contributes to the demand for U.S. real estate. In fact, foreign investment may be responsible for creating two million U.S. jobs by the end of 2006, which further bolsters the demand for U.S. real estate.

Permanent and temporary immigration of foreign-born workers into the U.S. further bolsters the demand for real estate. According to the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, 1.2 million net immigrants are expected to arrive in the United States annually. This immigration pattern is expected to offset the decrease in housing demand by post baby-boomer generations.

In summary, the impact of foreign investment and immigration into the U.S. will continue to play a major role in the U.S. real estate market.

Second home sales have been increasing over the last few years with more people becoming second home owners. In 2005 alone, 40 percent of the homes sold were second homes. Demographics, all time low mortgage rates, and healthy rise in home prices have contributed to this development in the second home market. Besides these, a major factor that has helped augment the buying and selling of second homes is the real estate professional.

The National Association of Realtors conducted research on the profile of second-home owners in 2006. According to the NAR report entitled ’2006 Profile of Second-Home Owners’, a majority of second home sales transactions are conducted using the services of real estate agents.

The statistics are remarkable; 64 % of vacation home buyers purchased their home using the services of a real estate agent by the end of 2005 – a marked increase from less than 50 % of vacation-home buyers in 2003. Also, 65 % of investment-home buyers purchased their home with the help of a real estate agent – an increase from 53 % of pre-2003. In comparison, only 14 % of vacation-home buyers and 7 % of investment-home buyers purchased directly from builders from 2003 to 2005.

The growing role of the real estate professional is evident from the following figures:

1. Of vacation home sales made, 71 % of them were second homes and 74 % of the sales were made using the services of a real estate agent.

2. Of the investment properties sold, 85 % of them were previously owned and 62 % of the sales were made using the services of a real estate agent.

The use of real estate agents in second home sales transactions varied according to the home’ location.

1. Buyers used a real estate agent more frequently while purchasing a vacation home located in a suburb/subdivision (56 %) or a rural area (57 %) than for homes in other locations.

2. About 66 % of buyers who purchased an investment property in an urban/central city area or in a suburb/subdivision, used the services of a real estate agent more frequently than those who purchased a home in other locations.

Real estate professionals continue to be the first source of information to second-home buyers (38 % of vacation-home buyers and 34 % of investment-home buyers). The real estate professional also plays a major role when second-home owners plan to buy additional properties. If you are thinking of buying a second home or vacation home, seek out the services of a real estate agent to guide you through your next home purchase.

1. The percentage of second home owners who are more likely to use a real estate agent in their next home purchase is quite high. Among vacation-home owners it is 79 % and investment-home owners 73 %.

2. Among second home owners, 65 % of vacation-home owners and 64% of investment-property owners are more likely to use a real estate agent in their next home sales.

Given these statistics, it is no wonder that the real estate agent plays a pivotal role in helping people buy and sell second homes. So whether you are a second-home buyer or seller, enlist the services of an agent for a smooth, hassle free real estate transaction.