Hard Money Loans

Eager to know the top cites in America where one can safely invest? Here are the best real estate markets in the entire country according to a recent report from Business 2.0 Magazine. The November 2006 edition of the magazine lists the top ten cities that are ideal to buy a home. These are – Panama City and Vero Beach in Florida, Bridgeport in Connecticut, Lakeland in Florida, McAllen in Texas, San Luis Obispo in California, Wilmington in North Carolina, Manchester in New Hampshire, Fort Collins in Colorado and Atlanta in Georgia. The report cites the appreciation rates of home prices projected over a period of five years.

Florida enjoys the status of having three of the top four cities to invest in. Panama City, which tops the list of best places to buy real estate is expected to have a real estate appreciation of 72% over the next five years. Major real estate development projects such as the building of a new airport and low property prices are expected to boost the economy and the housing market.

Vero Beach, projected to have an appreciation of 64%, comes second for its excellent weather, low property taxes and a lower cost of living. Lakeland, with a 59% projected gain in home prices is a tempting option with homes selling for a fifth less than the national median price.

Buying a home in Bridgeport, CT is a bargain now with median home prices at a very low $280,000 compared to the rest of the Fairfield County. Home prices in McAllen, TX which holds the fifth place, are expected to soar by 57%.

It is estimated that homes in the McAllen, TX area may appreciate 57 percent with an increase in the median home price from $70,000 to $109,000.

Homeowners making an investment in San Luis Obispo, California, today, are expected to get a good appreciation (40%) on their homes over the next five years.

The median home price in Wilmington, NC is expected to increase to $297,000 by 2011, up from the current price of $217,000, an increase by 37%.

Manchester, NH, which has twice been rated as the ‘best place to live’ in America by Money Magazine, sits at eighth place with an expected appreciation of 35%.

Fort Collins and Atlanta follow in the ninth and tenth places of top cities for real estate investment in the USA. Fort Collins, one of the most popular cities in America, has been ranked as the ‘No.1 small city’ this year by Money Magazine. Recent price reductions in the housing market makes ‘now’ the best time to buy a home or condo in this city with an estimated property appreciation of 28%. Atlanta is poised for a significant appreciation too with an expected rise of up to 24% in home prices over the next five years.

So, if you are a prospective homebuyer set to take a plunge into any of the top ten real estate markets, it is the right time to enlist the services of a good real estate agent who can guide you through the complicated home buying 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.

If you are thinking about Retiring in Mexico, or just looking for the ideal place to retire anywhere, Lake Chapala Real Estate is one of the best choices available.  Besides easy access back home, a near-perfect climate, lots of activities for all tastes and a large North American community, Lake Chapala Real Estate prices are very low, not only compared to American and Canadian prices, but also compared to other favorite Mexico retirement destinations.

If you choose Lake Chapala as your retirement destination, you will find getting here and back is quite convenient, for you or for friends and family who want to visit.  The main towns on Lake Chapala, Ajijic and Chapala, are about 50 minutes away from Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city.  The international airport is on Lake Chapala’s side of the city, so it’s only 45 minutes away.  This airport offers direct flight to most major cities in the United States and Canada.  Toronto or New York are about a 5 hour flight away, and many American destinations are even shorter.  If you friends or relatives who love road trips, Lake Chapala is only 600 miles from Texas.

While Chapala and Ajijic offer most services you’ll need on a daily basis, anything not availabe here can easily be found in Guadalajara, a major metropolitan city.  Top notch medical service with modern, state of the art equipment is readily available for very reasonable prices, compared to back home, with excellent speed as well.

Climate

When it comes to climate, Lake Chapala is perfect for retirement, offering a warm climate, that also never gets uncomfortably hot.  At 5200 feet sea level, the average temperature for the year is 74º F.  During the hot season – April and May – temperatures can reach up to 90º, but the evenings are still quite refreshing, often going down to about 60.  The “rainy season,” lasting from June to October, is the favorite time for most retirees, either visiting or living here, because of the overall moderate temperature, balanced with sunny mornings and rainy afternoons to cool things down.  During this season the trees are greener, the flowers are in bloom, watered by the rain, with their colors brought to life by the sun, and the air has a fresh feeling to it.  Since it is not by the coast, there is no problem with hurricanes or tropical storms.  It is not surprising that National Geographic has named Lake Chapala the second best climate in the world.  What better weather could you as for for your retirement?

Activities

Lake Chapala also offers a large variety of things to do, fun for everyone, and especially suitable for a retirement lifestyle.  If you enjoy sports, there are golf courses in the area; tennis, volleyball and softball are popular as well.  The climate and picturesque roads winding through provincial villages, the lush, green hills of the countryside, or mountain trails are perfect for jogging, walking, cycling or even horseback riding.  The lake offers more than just a beautiful view; you can enjoy boating and fishing very close to home.  Other kinds of activities are common, such as playing cards, craft clubs and shows, garden and plant shows or just having a barbeque in your back yard.  Lake Chapala offers something for whatever kind of retirement lifestyle you prefer, unless, of course, you like stress; here, there’s only relaxation!

Foreign community

Lake Chapala is one of the favorite retirement destinations for Americans and Canadians.  In Ajijic and Chapala and the surrounding villages, there are about 6,000 Americans and Canadians, not to mention a European community.  Many of these are retirees, but there are a large number of younger families as well.  You may find that most of your neighbors are from Ontario, New York or Texas.

Real Estate

one of the most important steps in getting ready for retiring in Lake Chapala is finding the right property to do so.  In Ajijic and Chapala there are properties available in a variety of styles.  There are colonial style Mexican homes to match the cobblestone roads, or modern recently built condos, and many choices between.  Real Estate prices in Lake Chapala are considerably lower than similar properties in the U.S. or Canada, and even lower than other destinations for retiring in Mexico.  A small, but well designed and built condo can be found for less than $100,000 US.  Larger, luxury condos and beautiful single houses can go up to around $300,000 US – which is more like the starting price for something very simple and small in many destinations near the ocean!

Since, finding the right house or condo for retiring in Lake Chapala is one of the most important decisions you will make, it is equally important to find a real estate agent who will provide you with all the information you need and make sure that the paper work and transactions are carried out correctly; this way all you have do is choose the place that’s best, and get ready to enjoy retirement!  Contact TOPMexicoRealEstate.com, “Your Expert Property-Finders,” to get start your property search on the right foot!

TOPMexicoRealEstate NETWORK; Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely

Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; “Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!” Region: Jaime Niembro has served on the Lake Chapala Real Estate board as vice president and treasurer. He also is an active member of the AMPI association having served as president including the Chamber of Commerce. Jaime is the owner broker of Ajijic Real Estate. For more information (512)-879-6546

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/lake-chapala-real-estate-ideal-for-retiring-in-mexico-1448249.html