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If you have ever used auction websites to get rid of your old clothes but what about using the web to auction your house? According to most auctioneers, and former property developers, we should all be doing it because not only does an online auction remove the pain of gazumping, it also ditches the estate agents.
There are many new dedicated property auction websites that aim to combine the benefits of auction and private sales.
The only thing agents are really useful for are their databases of potential buyers. If you list your two-bedroom flat with an estate agent, you are paying them three per cent for them to give you, say, 15 people interested in buying a two-bed flat. But by listing your home on the web, buyers will find you. Estate agents try to make you believe they are working flat out to get the buyer or the seller the best deal. But if the buyer and the seller just got together and spoke directly they would be able to come to an agreement much quicker and not end up paying thousands of pounds commission.
What is more, often sellers could make several thousand pounds more because the price has not already been fixed with the buyer.
These auction sites work by sellers paying a one-off fee plus VAT to register their property. After specifying a hidden reserve price, the seller decides on a guide price, the advert goes live and an auction date is set for several weeks ahead. During this time potential buyers can arrange with the seller any viewings or any surveys or searches they may wish to carry out. Bidders can register free and bid on the auction day. To ensure bidders are genuine, the site requires them to provide several types of ID, including a scan of their passport. Bidders are also required to agree to terms and conditions, which are legally binding, to deter from dropping out of the purchase.
After the auction ends, the process is the same as a private sale and everything is handed over to the lawyer of the buyer and seller. After the buyer has won the auction he pays one per cent of the price to the solicitor of the seller to secure the property for six weeks. During this period the buyer can then arrange additional viewings or surveys if necessary. Once the auction is closed, the price is set. There is no gazumping or gazundering. If the buyer wants to pull out, he forfeits his one per cent deposit. For the seller, if the deal falls through, although it may be disappointing, they will pocket the deposit and start again.
But there are some pitfalls to selling your home yourself, warns Peter Bolton King, chief executive of the National Association of Estate Agents. People are not necessarily good sellers. There is more to selling a house than saying here is the bathroom, here is the kitchen. There is a knack to it. The idea of the online auction all looks very very good but there are a lot of questions sellers and buyers should ask. You are taking a big risk doing it yourself.

Investing in real estate is one of the wisest and soundest investments you will ever make. Historically, properties have had a tendency to continuously appreciate, unlike most other possessions which depreciate. Over time, properties can appreciate tens, hundreds, or even millions of dollars. It is because of this that the real estate investments market has become so large and lucrative. Like any investment, there is still risk, and a lot of work needs to be done to research and manage your investment property.
Unless you can pay off your house in full (most people cannot), interest will accrue on your mortgage. It is necessary to calculate if your estimated appreciation return exceeds your expenses. Besides just the mortgage, you need to cover repairs, insurance, and any other applicable fees. This is where risk comes in; if the appreciation is not great enough, you will take a loss. Losses from real estate investments are often the most frustrating, because real estate is a long-term commitment that usually lasts decades.
When choosing an investment property, there are many factors you must take in to account. Perhaps the most obvious would be the condition of the house. If the home is too dilapidated, the cost of repairs alone could outweigh any future benefit. Houses in disrepair are often cheaper, though, so after paying for repairs the total cost might be cheaper than if the house had been in perfect condition.
The most ideal and economic choice is to make any repairs yourself, as then you only need to cover materials and not labor. For this to work, you do need contracting skills and experience, which is not something everybody possesses.
How much land and what kind of land comes with your property is an important factor as well. A nice house with only a small plot might not be as expensive as a shabby one with acres. Land can be developed on, and it is one of the few assets that are permanent, as land cannot be destroyed in any way (except by certain natural disasters).
You also want desirable land. Owning a muddy, deserted forest does nothing for you, while possessing something like farmland is very valuable. Therefore it is critical that you consider the amount of land you will acquire so you can make an informed decision about whether to purchase or not.
The downright most important aspect of a property is its location, especially in crowded cities like New York or Los Angeles. When buying a home for yourself, location may not matter too much, as long as everything else is acceptable and high-quality. On the other hand, location plays a key role in determining the price of an investment property, because the demand for a prime location is so high.
Think about how important location is. It determines how easily you can access the city, how close you are to important places (such as supermarkets or restaurants), and, most importantly, how far away you are from your job. With rising gas prices, location is even more accentuated because it helps save money on fuel.
Many investors choose to rent out their properties, so they can make an immediate income instead of just a flat profit at the end of decades. Renting can offset your investment considerably, especially if you have multiple tenants who stay for a long time. The only downside is you may need to hire a property manager or help your tenants with house-related problems that occur.

For those investing in real estate, you may find that there are several unknowns that have to be accounted for that are related to money.
This investment relates to both home owners as well as those involved in the real estate business. There are several common fears that are related to money in real estate.
One of the major problems that are part of real estate investing is taking risks.
If you are investing in a property to own a home, you will have to take out a loan. If you are unable to pay taxes or the loan at any time, you will be at risk of loosing the home.
This can cause several levels of fear to occur, which may lead to the wrong loan being purchased for security. Knowing how much risk you are willing to take with your loan will define what type of loan you should get.
Another common fear factor with money is in relation to investing in a property during the wrong time.
If the economy is at a low or if the market price is not good, investing in a certain property may mean a loss. This is a risk factor that many real estate companies will decide to take in order to sell a home.
When deciding if this is a good investment or not requires some risk and can cause fear if you are unsure about the economy and sale of the home.
Money in the real estate business means taking risks. Whether you are a home owner or are in the real estate business, there will be several times where you will have to determine logical decisions without knowing if there will be money to back up the decision.
It is important to acknowledge these fears so that certain boundaries can be set in relation to them.
This means that you know when you are going too far with a purchase or investment or when the fears are holding you back from making the right moves.
By knowing the financial details of a home purchase, you can move past your fears and make the right investments.

For the first time, in over eight years, making a bank deposit is starting to become more profitable than investing money into Moscow real estate

. In the begging of 2007 investments made into Moscow’s real estate are predicted to give on average no more than 5% yearly gains. According to the real estate market investigation center “Indicators Of Real Estate Market” (IRN.ru), for the last half a year an average price of a square meter in Moscow only increased by $89 to $4120 for square meter of an apartment, in the remaining half a year this price will decrease at the rate of 0.1% a month. Specialists of prestigious real estate company Penny lane Realty also agree, that average gains from investments made into Moscow’s real estate market are leveling off. Because of it, we see increasing number of properties being offered for sale. Property owners are trying to recover the money they invested into their real state. According to market analysts, in present time we are observing reduction of investments made into real estate from 20% to 5-7%, but it does not mean, that investing into real estate became less profitable in comparison to making bank deposits. Investments made into real estate remains to be highly profitable business, but only for professionals, who knows all the unique details of real estate market. “Easy” money, made from real estate investments will no longer exist.

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When a person wants to invest in real estate business, they can make a choice to rent or purchase a property or they can also choose to flip it by selling or buying it quickly. One of the safest methods to invest, is to purchase a wholesale property, which at the correct location will earn you lot through the local rental market. One of the main objectives is to find a property for investment, with a perfect positive cash-flow and this is one of the best methods to generate money on real estate business.

Positive cash-flow is said to be the amount of income which is available after all the expenditure has been paid on the real estate property and what remains at the end of the month is the profits you have gained. Expenditures which you deduct from the payments of the rent you have collected may comprise items like mortgage payment, taxes and operating costs. The positive cash-flow which you earn from a property actually depends upon three dissimilar aspects which are the operating cost of the building, the amount of mortgage payment and the amount of rent being charged.

In order to generate income from real estate investing, you should analyze these three important aspects. By utilizing the money that is being borrowed to finance your real estate investment is how many real estate investors generate profits. Another easy method to earn a positive cash-flow is where you can make a small down payment on any property, however make sure that you obtain a mortgage which has low interest and of long term. Generally, a low mortgage payment means that you receive higher cash-flow.

For instance, if a person has purchased a four story apartment for 125,000 dollars and later rent each apartment for almost 600 dollars a month he will actually receive 2,400 dollars per month. In case the mortgage payment is as less as 625 dollars and the operating expenditure is 300 dollars then he would generate a positive cash-flow of about 1,475 dollars. However, if his mortgage goes up to 925 dollars per month then he would only get a positive cash-flow of 1,175 dollars per month. The key factor is to achieve low payments as possible and attain operating expenditure down.

Another way to keep a positive cash-flow is to avail an interest only loan because this loan is short term loan that is normally for a period of 5 to 10 years wherein the borrower pays only the interest. After the loan period is over he will require selling that property or even refinancing the property. However, this does not offer a low payment and will only assist to get a high positive cash-flow from his investment property. With a positive cash-flow generating from his investment property he can utilize it to assist in availing more investment properties.

One of the essential factors to consider is that if you require generating income by investing in real estate business, then you must preserve a positive cash-flow on your real estate property. By making sure that your mortgage payment is low, you have to keep your operating costs low and even pricing the rental amounts properly. This will generate a positive cash-flow and thus you will be able to make lots of income in real estate investing.

Traditionally, property classifieds have appeared in local newspapers or in flyers that are meant to advertise estate agents. However, this is the old fashioned way to sell property and these days, you´ll find that you have far more success with online property classifieds.

You can even try to sell your property on your own, without the use of an estate agent. Advertising your house or flat online could be all you need to do to secure the sale at a fraction of the cost. This method would be a great idea if you are planning to move later in the year, you can post a classified ad and test the water. After getting a feel for the interest in your property you can make an educated decision on whether to bring in a estate agent or not.

The internet has made the entire world available to everyone. You can now list your property for sale in London and have someone in Columbia buy it! This opens up a world of possibilities for anyone looking to list property classifieds. Online is a better way to go because you expand your audience.

With property, it´s quite likely that you´ll have People interested from other countries. There are always those who dream of living in a foreign country, or perhaps a national who lives abroad and is thinking of coming home again. In either case, the internet allows you to reach these potential buyers through online property classifieds, drastically expanding your market and making it possible for you to get a higher price for your properties.

One of the big advantages of having your property advertised online is that you can often list for free, or a very low fee. Taking out an advertisement in the local paper will cost a pretty penny and if you want to take out a bigger ad with photos, etc. it will cost even more. Running a print property ad can be somewhat cost prohibitive, but going with online property classifieds allows you to have quite a few options, without having to pay a small fortune.

You will be able to list your property classifieds on more than one website, as well, ensuring complete exposure. Most people look online when they are interested in buying property these days, so you can easily make it work for you.

Tips and Tricks for Effective Property Classifieds

When you place a classified advert online, there are many advantages over print ads. For example, you have the search engines on your side. If someone is going to search on Google for property, they will probably have a specific area in mind. Using the words that they would search for in your ad will boost your chances of having people see the ad.

Not all services will allow the search engines to pick up the ad directly, but those that do will bring you some great traffic. Let´s say you have a property for sale in Cardiff, in this case you would want to include “Cardiff property” or something similar in your ad. This will help the search engines find your particular listing when someone searches for Cardiff properties and they will be taken to your property classified.

Using photos is a great way to boost your views. Most people interested in buying property are looking to see what it is like. Whether you have some land or a home for sale, your potential buyers will probably skip your property classifieds unless you include at least one photo. This gives people an idea of what the property looks like and will let them know almost instantly if they are interested in it.

Let people know in your advert if you are open to negotiation. This will open doors for you and make it possible to bring in more possible buyers who might be interested in negotiating. If they aren´t happy with your stated price, they´ll feel more comfortable giving a counteroffer if you mention it in the classified.

Using a good title will also draw people in. Don´t just say “Beautiful Property”. That doesn´t give them any reason to check it out. But using something more informative, like “4 Bdrm, 2 bath home in Cardiff” will catch their attention faster and bring in more viewers. One of whom might be your future buyer.

For anyone interested in selling their property, online property classifieds are an excellent way to go. You expand your market and make it possible to bring in clients from anywhere in the world. This makes it easier to get the price that you want, as well, since you´ll be able to pick and choose from potential buyers.

Owing a home is a big part of the American dream. But not everyone is fortunate enough to become a homeowner due to delimiting factors such as insufficient income, bankruptcy, bad or no credit, loss of employment, etc. For people with such troubles, owning a home is a distant dream and some of these people resign themselves to a lifetime of renting. But such people are not without options. Rent-to-own, which is also known as a lease-purchase option, can be an excellent alternative available to some people who are currently unable to buy a home.
A rent-to-own or lease-purchase option is an agreement between a prospective home buyer and a home seller. The agreement is basically a rental contract with a right to purchase the property after a period of time (usually 1 year). When a home seller offers a lease-purchase option, what they are really offering is the option to rent the house at some monthly rate, and to lock in the sales price of the home now, even though the prospective buyer would not actually purchase the house until a later time (if at all).
Here is a hypothetical example. Let’s say the monthly rent for a home is $1700. Under a lease-purchase option, a prospective buyer would rent the home for the $1700 a month, but would also pay an additional premium (e.g., $200-$300) every month for the option to buy the home after a period of time (usually 1 year). So in this example, the total monthly rent is actually $2000, but $200-$300 of the money will be applied toward buying the house at a later time. In other words, the home seller would apply the $200-$300 extra paid every month toward the prospective buyer’s down payment at the end of the year.
The good news for prospective home buyers is that it allows them to lock in the purchase price of the home now, even though they are not purchasing the home until a later time. The bad news is that if a buyer decides not to purchase the home at the end of lease term, the seller often keeps the premium amount paid over the year, although this is usually a point of negotiation.
Prospective home buyers should know that many of the terms described above are negotiable such as how much the monthly rent will be, how much extra has to be paid every month for the option fee (if any), the length of the lease term, etc. The other issue to consider is if it makes sense to lock in a home purchase price now in markets where real estate prices are still declining.
When compared to renting, a lease-purchase can be an attractive alternative because it gives prospective buyers an opportunity to own a home before they normally would be able to. There are some advantages to a lease-purchase option such as:
1) Low or No Initial Down Payment. Many lease-purchase options do not require an initial down payment.
2) Equity Advantage. At the end of the lease term, the value of a home may have appreciated over time, which benefits the purchaser.
3) Living Experience. Prospective home buyers have the opportunity to try out a home and neighborhood before purchasing the property.
4) Leverage Advantage. With just a small investment, a prospective buyer can control a property; yet still have the option of not buying the home if market conditions don’t warrant it.
Rent-to-own or lease-purchase option can be an effective strategy to home ownership. However, there are both positive and negative aspects to this type of approach (as described above). A good real estate agent can help you navigate the complex world of rent-to-own and lease-purchase option properties.

Based on several factors that include lifestyle, retirement, opportunities for fun and investment, International Living magazine has chosen the world’s seven hot spots for 2007. Still virtually unnoticed by the world’s tourists, these seven regions are the best international real estate markets in 2007. They are:
1. Montenegro: This spectacular European country on the Adriatic Sea that many have almost forgotten has topped the list of best international real estate markets. The aquamarine sea, enthralling mountain backdrop, captivating summer villas and quaint fishing villages are just a few features of this jaw-droppingly beautiful country. An ideal tourist spot, this country has been adjudged the ‘fastest growing travel and tourism economy’ by the World Travel and Tourism Council.
2. Cartagena, Colombia: This is an ancient walled city embellished by magnificent Spanish colonial architecture and flanked by white-sand beaches. The city offers a warm weather, affordable lifestyle, and world-class diving and snorkeling for tourists and locals alike.
3. Malaysia: Southeast Asia’s top retirement haven, country is a very affordable destination. Malaysia offers a western lifestyle and a host of attractions including modern infrastructure, cheap accommodation and innumerable cultural charms. Its beautiful white beaches and clear blue waters offer sailing, diving, snorkeling, etc.
4. Calabria, Italy: A sunniest corner of Europe, Calabria is a beautiful peninsula that is enveloped by clear silver-blue sea on three sides. Life happens in a very leisurely manner in this place that possesses all the charms of a medieval village. A promising real estate market, the region is well connected by the low-cost Euro-carrier RyanAir.
5. Ciudad Vieja, Uruguay: This is another of the world’s inexpensive cities that remains undiscovered yet. The city has seen a booming real estate market since 1995 and the upward trend is sure to continue through 2007 too. Also ranked as one of the top 10 cheapest cities in the world last year, Ciudad Vieja remains one of the best places to invest this year.
6. Honduras Cloud Forest: With acres of mountain forests of breathtaking beauty, this mountain paradise is just minutes from a charming beachside town and an international airport. One can access this town by air in less than 2 hours from many places in the U.S. With the area poised for a real estate boom in a few years down the line, now is the time to buy.
7. Mexico’s Flamingo Coast: An enticing stretch of coastline with dozens of quaint little beach towns, side-by-side, the Flamingo Coast offers great beachside living and a laid back lifestyle. Its warm weather, white sandy beaches, emerald-green waters and cheap rentals are some of the attractions the region offers.

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.

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.