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.

Everyone is aware that these are troubled financial times, and that an ever increasing amount of people are losing their jobs and facing mortgage foreclosures, and that is why a home stimulus package such as this is so important. The latest improvements to the affordable home plan packages makes them even more beneficial to US citizens that ever before. One example of these new beneficial changes is one made during the amendment to the home stimulus package last August, which meant even those with an equity of less than 20% percent can now take advantage of the package. The result? Even more Americans now being able to benefit.

Secondly, the interest rate for paying back home loans has been lowered from 6.5 percent to 5.16 percent. This was done so it will be easier for people to pay off their debts. The loan period has likewise been increased to twenty to thirty years in order to give people more time to pay off their debts. Furthermore, payments need now be no more than 31% of your monthly income, which means that you can totally cover the other needs of your family before allocating money towards these debt repayments.

To put these changes into real life perspective, I’ll tell you about a friend of mine; he had wanted to purchase a new home for the past 6 months but was unable to do so, even with the former home stimulus package in place, because he had an equity of only 19%. Also, he was aware that even if he had had the necessary amount of equity, he would have had hard time repaying the loan due to the interest rate being beyond his means. However, with these latest changes to the home stimulus package he has now finally been able to buy the house he has dreamt so long about. For him, these changes really have been a blessing, and he is most thankful to President Barack Obama.

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the advantages and benefits this home stimulus package can give us. But, the bottom line is this: You too can now afford to buy your new home or do repairs on your current home as a result of this home affordable plan. So long as your income is lower than $95,000 (single) or $170,000 (married), then you have no reason to not at least research a little more into the great opportunity that is the first time home buyer stimulus tax credit. You have a lot to gain by giving further consideration to taking the government up on this offer, and nothing to lose.

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By Mark Walters.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/why-i-love-the-latest-home-stimulus-package-1488211.html

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

Some of the people involved with these scams have been real estate agents, lawyers, and mortgage brokers (among others); it seems like there is no restriction to which “profession” might stoop to taking advantage of the unfortunate homeowners who’re desperately trying to find a solution to their struggle to remain in their homes.

Many people across the country have unfortunately been taken in by “pay upfront” refinancing that results in the person who’s been given the money not helping the family renegotiate their mortgage and subsequently lost their homes plus any payment that they’d made to have their mortgages modified.

The US government has apparently had enough of people who’re struggling to remain in their homes and find work being taken advantage of and arrested forty-one people recently in a huge crackdown of mortgage scammers including lawyers and mortgage brokers from across four states. It is unfortunate that the very people whose job it is to help homeowners keep their homes are the ones who’ve turned their backs on them. Many government agencies worked together over many months to bring these fraudsters in; hopefully their arrests will save others from experiencing this kind of horrible betrayal.

Experts suggest that if you need to have your mortgage modified then make sure you work with reputable lenders and keep documentation of the process. You should not be required to pay money upfront for mortgage modification. Be wary of any “too good to be true” offers that you receive by phone; they may well be people looking for a free handout instead of the actual financial help that you need.

It seems that in this current climate of financial struggling and high unemployment, one of the most profitable money making endeavours is ripping off people’s money while they’re struggling to hold on to a roof over their head and that of their family. Hopefully law enforcement can keep up with the flood of ethically bankrupt gatekeepers who’ve gotten involved with these schemes.

Visit WaterfrontPropertiesAdmiralsCove.com for everything to do with Admirals Cove Jupiter. You’ll find information about a range of issues and properties in this beautiful area, including Homes For Sale in the Admirals Cove Golf Village.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/mortgage-crisis-amounts-to-opportunity-to-pillage-for-some-gatekeepers-1347750.html

Well we all know that real estate throughout North America bottomed out this year, or did it? In a lot of locations it certainly did, as the thousands of US homeowners who lost everything will definitely attest to. However, here on PEI things were a little bit different. The PEI real estate market doesn’t experience quite the same highs as some places but conversely it doesn’t experience the same lows either. In fact I noticed the lower end market pick up price this year. Having said that there definitely has been a softness in the market from the end of last year through this season.

As a result now is a great time to pickup that home on PEI. You will have an impressive inventory to choose from and there are lots of bargains, especially on land and homes that have a waterfront or water view aspect. If you make your home on PEI now of course it is always a good idea to be invested in real estate wherever you live. Real estate offers the double advantage of providing you a place to live while still working for you to create a return on your investment. The fact that homes are almost always bought with a mortgage or loan allows you to leverage your income to create a nest egg for retirement as well as a place to live now.

If you are thinking of moving to PEI and making this your home then you should realize a good equity gain from the sale of your home in your current location to the purchase of a similar home here. In many cases if you live in a more expensive location like downtown Toronto or Vancouver you may be able to replace your home here for 35 to 50 % of the price that you realized selling. Regardless of the market there is always a big difference between prices here and in large Canadian cities.

If you are thinking of buying into the PEI real estate market by purchasing a recreational property then you should simply have a care that you can wait until the property that you purchase sufficiently appreciates. In fact this true of any real estate purchase. If your financial situation is such that you might be forced to sell to survive then you might want to think again about your purchase. You should be financially secure enough to wait out any blips in the market and in this way be sure to sell when prices are at their peak.

Good advice on buying and or selling PEI real estate or in fact any real estate. If you are looking for more of that good advice you should contact a member of the PEI real estate association, your local real estate agent. If you are looking for an agent check out the web.

R Parker works with local realtors helping both local and distant buyers to enter the PEI real estate market. Whether buying or selling PEI real estate, have professional help.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/is-pei-real-estate-a-good-value-today-1324516.html

There has been a tremendous amount of recent focus on the housing crunch and the impact it has had on our economy as a whole. As a dedicated investor in multi-family real estate, I can tell you that the housing crunch has created a mass migration of consumers. Where are they migrating from? The homes that they purchased a few years ago, can no longer afford, and have since had to sell or unfortunately lose via foreclosure.

When consumers sell or otherwise have to leave a home, they have a number of options for where to go next. The one common element is that they generally all need to go somewhere because, after all, people still need shelter, the proverbial ‘roof over their heads’. This is where multi-family real estate gains tremendous value.

The options available to consumers who need a place to live include:

· A new single family home/condo that they purchase
· A new single family home that they rent
· A multi-family apartment unit that they rent

Given the current housing crunch and that many displaced home owners are now credit challenged, you should be able to see that being an owner of multi-family real estate makes you a source of housing, at a time when many people desperately need it.

I don’t want to overly make light of the current problems many consumers are having with real estate, as I know the current housing market has dramatically impacted many Americans. What I do want to emphasize is that multi-family apartment owners are now able to provide a valuable service to consumers who need a place to live, in addition to being able to pursue a solid and proven medium for investment.

The bottom line here is that, the sooner you see the present economy as a source of opportunity instead of a cause for panic, the better your portfolio will become and the sooner it will happen. Multi-family real estate represents one of the most logical and lucrative investments to consider and, especially in the current economy, it couldn’t be a better time to get started.

David Lindahl, also known as the “Apartment King” has been successfully investing in single family homes and apartments for the last 14 years and currently owns over 7,000 units around the US. David regularly shares his secrets and experience on the same stage as Tony Robbins, Robert Kiyosaki, and Donald Trump! For two FREE copies of his highly recognized newsletter Real Estate Insights, please go to http://www.davesoffer.com/ezine