The nationwide collapse of the real estate market and the severe upswing in unemployment numbers due to the poor economy have led to a record number of foreclosures in America. This is sad news for millions of homeowners of course, but there is some good that can come from misfortune. If you are in a [...]
Entries from January 2009
A Few Tips For Buying Foreclosed Properties
Jan. 20th, 2009
Renting Versus Owning Residential Real Estate
Jan. 20th, 2009
Renting versus owning is both an intellectual, financial decision and an emotional decision. The financial decision is first and foremost an analysis of the comparative cost of renting versus owning. It makes no sense to pay more than rental equivalence to own residential real estate. Many people still do because they are chasing the fantasy [...]
The Home Mortgage Interest Deduction is Widely Overestimated and Misunderstood
Jan. 20th, 2009
Debt subsidies, in particular the home mortgage interest deduction, are seen as a great benefit to home ownership. The benefit is widely overestimated and misunderstood. First, people fail to understand that to obtain a debt subsidy, you must have debt. You must be making an interest payment on this debt in order to qualify, and [...]
Home Mortgage Financing Impact on Home Equity
Jan. 20th, 2009
People who purchase real estate use the phrase “building equity” to describe the overall increase in equity over time. However, it is important to look at the factors which either create or destroy equity to see how market conditions and financing terms impact this all-important feature of real estate. Over time, the method of financing [...]
Tips to Find a Suitable Rented Property
Jan. 19th, 2009
Before you set out to find a suitable rented property its always good to know your rights as a tenant of rented property. There are tricky landlords out there who have no qualms about taking advantage of a gullible tenant. Here are some tips on how you can use the law to protect yourself: Get [...]
Dont Overlook the Exterior of a Building
Jan. 19th, 2009
There is another aspect to brick buildings and that is seismic retrofitting of the building. Southern California is known for earthquakes. The City of Los Angeles and many of the surrounding cities have regulations as to how brick buildings are dealt with. This is especially true of those built before 1933 which usually do not [...]
Wonderful Albemarle County Real Estate Outside Charlottesville!
Jan. 19th, 2009
If you are looking for variety as far as prices and properties go, then Albemarle County is the perfect place for you. This is a beautiful county surrounded by incredible properties all ranging from around $200k on up to $7 million! There are also several different types of homes you could be looking at including [...]
Timeshare: For That Pleasurable Vacation
Jan. 19th, 2009
Our usual daily schedules seem to bore us at times that we feel like getting away with it even for a while. We tend to get stressed with the demands of our daily life that at times we want to go somewhere else to chill and relax. There are a lot of activities that we [...]
The Small Town Of Bastrop, Texas
Jan. 19th, 2009
Bastrop is a wonderful “little” city to live in. Nestled in the middle of the “Lost Pines” it makes a beautiful place to live and it is convenient to Austin- Bergstrom Airport, Austin and is growing by leaps and bounds! Since 2000, the population has jumped by more than 42% and the cost of living [...]
Building Exteriors are Important Too
Jan. 19th, 2009
After more than 40 years in the construction trades I have noticed that the exterior of buildings is usually not given enough emphasis from a maintenance standpoint. The exterior is what keeps the weather out. It is to protect all that is inside. I thought it would be informative and hopefully useful to go over [...]