Real Estate Services

By Dimitris Georgakopoulos
Whether you’re an active property manager, or you pay someone to handle management tasks for your rental properties, you’re investing time and money in juggling a myriad of tenant, property management and maintenance tasks. Just one of these is the collection of, and accounting for, rent payments.

• Issue of rent billing and/or reminders for prompt payment
• Delinquent payment reminders and action items
• Receipt of paper checks and accounting for proper tenant credit
• Preparation of deposit records and bank trips to make deposits

In an article titled Businesses Adopt Online Payments To Improve Cash Flow And Save Time And Money, WorkZ, a site for small business help, cites a Gartner research study on the costs of processing manual payments. The study indicated a cost of $2 to $5 to send a paper bill, and $10 to process a paper check. These numbers are related to a successful billing and on-time payment. As property owners and managers, we regularly experience late rental payments, with the associated costs of reminders and action to bring the tenant into compliance.

An actual property management example was outlined in the WorkZ article, beginning with this statement from the company involved: “Andrew Bloch, CFO and Alan Cusson, IT Manager of The Hamilton Company, Boston, Massachusetts, a large property management company, stated “that we have been looking for a solution where we could send a statement to our many tenants either by email or fax and to allow our tenant to be able to make payment over the Internet. Our company processes a significant number of transactions each month and it is very costly to send out statements. The problem with paper checks is that it takes a lot of time and money to handle them,”

Of course, there is the ability to accept credit cards. However, the costs involved will make asignificant dent in profitability. With the various fees involved in accepting cards, costs can be 2% to 4% of rentals. These fees are saved by the direct debit of the tenant’s bank account, and immediate deposit into the property management account. The electronic rent collection services offered by Buildium make this happen, and at a very low per-transaction cost. There are no credit card processing fees, and the cost to process a paper check is slashed by more than 80%.By using an online rental payment system, the tenant gets some advantages as well:

• Ability to track their rental account history online
• They can pay from anywhere, even on vacation or away for business
• They save postage and a trip to the post office or mailbox
• It’s convenience in a very busy world

We owners and property managers save time and money by avoiding those trips to the bank to make deposits. Our cash flow improves, as the funds are deposited into our account immediately.

The Buildium online payments system takes care of the accounting function as well, automatically crediting the appropriate rental account, as well as monitoring delinquency status and sending reminders.

Whether you own or manage five units or 5000, this is a proven way to improve cash flow, cut administrative costs, and reduce staff workload.

Dimitris Georgakopoulos is Vice President of Technology and one of the founders of Buildium LLC, maker of online property management software for landlords, professional property managers, condos and homeowner associations (HOAs) designed to help them operate more easily and with better results. For further details, visit the website, http://www.buildium.com

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By Ivan Cuxeva and George Mclovin

A lot of people hear about home refinance through family members or friends who have gone through the process of refinancing and they decide that this is a next step for them, too. It’s important to take refinancing seriously as there can be serious risks and benefits associated with the process. If you don’t take it seriously and you don’t do your home work you could end up in serious financial trouble and you could even lose your home. Many people think that you cannot go wrong with refinancing, but this isn’t the case at all! You need to take the process very seriously and consider each move before making a permanent change.

Don’t Rush into Home Refinance

There are a lot of things to consider before you jump into home refinance. If your intention is to save money you should know that there are many ways to save with refinancing. You need to think about your own personal situation and your plans for the future before you decide which refinancing program to go with. Many people are surprised to learn that the loans out there are so numerous that there truly is something to fit the needs of everyone, but refinancing is not one size fits all, you have to slow down and take a serious look at all of the options.

Wondering what you need to slow down and think about? The first thing you need to think about is what sort of loan you have now and how you could improve upon it. Many people sort of blindly refinance, not really knowing why they are doing it or how they could make their situation better. It would be difficult to choose a home refinance loan if you don’t know what you are trying to improve upon, so slow down and gather the pertinent information and then go from there.

The next thing you will need to think about is how much longer you plan on living in your home. The reason for this is that if you only plan to live in your home for a couple more years you might want to go with a type of loan, such as a variable rate loan, that will give you a very low interest rate for the remaining time in the home. If you plan to live in the home for more than five or six years, then you may want to choose a fixed rate, which will give you a slightly higher interest rate but it will not increase as time goes along. This means that you will be able to budget your monthly payments for the term of the loan.

As you can see, there are some serious considerations when you are looking to refinance. You need to consider all of these things so you are sure to save as much money through the process as possible. The more informed you are the more money you save through the process, and isn’t that why you were doing it in the first place? Don’t rush, take every detail seriously, and if things don’t seem to add up in your favor, don’t think that you have to refinance now. There is plenty of time to refinance, but now is not the right time for everyone. Taking refinancing seriously and making each move with caution will pay off in the end.

Refinance.com provides more information about Home loans with affordable interest rates, to learn more and see if you qualify visit http://www.refinance.com/ today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ivan_Cuxeva

By Jamel Gibbs

he internet is a very viable way of doing business. You can take your business to new heights with the assistance of the internet. Since doing business online is the wave of the future, real estate investors are scrambling to convert their physical business to an online business. This article will explain how to buy and sell (wholesale properties) online.

The internet is still in its infancy and like an infant it is growing rapidly on a daily basis. Everyday there is a new internet surfer. Some of these new surfers are people who are looking to buy real estate at good prices, and others are people who are desperate to sell their properties quickly. So as an investor who is looking to set up an effective internet business what are some of the things you would need to do?

Get a website: The first thing you will need to do is get a website. If you want to be online then you will need a site. Nowadays you can get a site up and going very inexpensively. To compete with other investors make sure you have a professional looking site that will draw your clients in. Make sure that your wording on the site will attract the attention of your prospective customers.

Advertise the site: Next you will need to advertise the site. One of the best ways to do this is by using Google ad words. This is by far the best way to advertise your site for new customers. Another way is to join forums and blogs. Post some information about what you do on these forums and blogs and you will be able to draw traffic to your site using this technique also. Another way to advertise your site is good old fashion newspaper advertising. Using newspapers is always a good way to target your local market. Be an active advertiser and the leads will come.

Buyer’s information: When the leads start to pour in you will want to collect their contact information. The most important information you would want is their name, email address, and phone number. Since email is being over saturated with spammers right now, you would want see if you can get their physical address as well. The reason you want their physical address is so that you can send them post cards and other direct mail. This will increase your business dramatically. On your website make sure you have a form for your new clients to fill out so that you will be able to send them new leads when you get them.

Send: Now its time to cash in on your website. When you have gathered new leads and you have built a list to send the leads to, all you have to do is put the property information in an email and send it to your list. Once you do this just wait for the phone to ring and the money will start pouring in. As time goes on you will tweak your list and identify who the true buyers are. Once you have a descent amount of true buyers, focus your time on advertising for new leads to send them. Remember that the money is in the list of buyers. You can literally sell properties at rocket speed if the price is right.

If you want more information on how to make huge profits in real estate investing the easy way go to: http://www.freezerodownsecrets.com the information is free.Want to see how my last paycheck was more than some people’s yearly salary, and how you can make the same kind of money?

Find out here for free: http://www.freezerodownsecrets.com

Jamel Gibbs own one of the fastest growing real estate investment businesses in Pennsylvania. He’s originally from Brooklyn New York. He became a real estate agent at the tender age of 21 years old and a broker shortly after. Jamel started buying real estate when he moved to Pa and he now has a successful investment business. He also coaches others who are interest in making massive profits in real estate.

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By Brian Quigley

Lehman Brothers just posted their first quarterly loss since going public in 1994. The have raised 6 billion in new capital since February 2008, however analysts state that they have a massive portfolio of illiquid assets, like many of these institutional banks. i.e, Countrywide. State Street, another huge bank, just sold 2.5 billion in stock, cushioning against the loss of write downs, which has a negative effect on the value of their shares with their shareholders.

Conversely, one of the nations largest homebuilders of luxury homes, Toll Brothers, is seeking another form of recourse. HELP! They are calling on Congress to jump start the economy by inducing homebuyers to get off the sidelines, and buy homes. They want governmental aid with helping their business. They are losing millions and already posted their second quarterly loss. They have 174.6 million in write downs this year, with revenues down 30%. Most of this is due to cancellations of contracts, as homeowners are opting for less expensive homes during this economic downturn.

It is no question that everyone is feeling the pinch right now. With all the doom and gloom in this market, there is opportunity. The old adage, “when there is blood on the street, someone is making money”, holds very true. Foreclosures are at record highs, as investors are picking up deeply discounted real estate, and moving into these homes as their primary residences. Getting qualified for a mortgage is a lot more stringent in this market, however if the loan makes sense, underwriters will approve your loan.

In closing, everything is cyclical, and we are going through a very nasty downturn, however the buying season is in full force, so hopefully these banks can start recouping some of there losses in Q3 and Q4 of 2008. Highly unlikely, however it sets up a more promising 2009 and 2010.

Brian Quigley is owner of Fusion Financial Mortgage in Denver, CO and is a full service mortgage broker in Colorado. You can learn more about Brian and Fusion Financial at http://www.fusionfinancial.org

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By Thomas McGiveron

Let’s face it. Real estate is a long term investment. When you buy your own home, you’re buying for the long haul. Families aren’t speculators and most people don’t buy a home strictly as an investment. So while you may be sweating over the fact that your home is “losing equity” as the market depreciates, remember that everyone elses home is doing the same.

How is this a good thing? Well, if you’re selling now, it’s good mainly because while you may be losing value in your home, you’re also going to be a buyer as well. Afterall, you’ve got to live somewhere. Now unless you’re thinking you are going to rent for some reason, you’ll be selling at a lower price, but on the bright side, you’ll be buying low as well.

Many homeowners I speak with seem very stressed out. They hear what I say about the value of homes in the area and how certain statistics I review with them indicate the value of their home is not what they want it to be. Homeowners immediately think the worst and some even go into “panic mode”.

But I have to point out a few bright points. One, over 50 homes a day are sold on Long Island, every day. Yes, that’s everyday. Second, while home values may be lagging, over the past 4 years, home values increased over 115%. This has to be taken into consideration. The fact that home values on Long Island are double the national average is one great indicator that this is a prime area to own real estate. We live right next to the greatest city in the world and financial mecca of the United States.

Most homeowners are bent out of shape because they’ve lost 10% of equity in the value of their home. However, most, if not all, forget about the over 80% of accumulated appreciation they’ve had from 2002 to 2005! It’s crazy when you actually sit back and think about it. Now of course the people who bought in 2005 and are now trying to sell (either as a speculator or tragically, a family who has found they can’t afford it) have made poor decisions, so that’s a little different. The other group of homeowners that aren’t happy at all are the ones who took out all their money and used their home like a personal ATM via refinancing and home equity loans.

Ultimately, many homeowners find themselves in great positions. Even though the market is slowed and prices have dropped, the 115% appreciative value in the past few years must not go unrecognized. I mean, seriously people, let’s wake up! That’s a good thing!

I just sat with a homeowner who kept telling me “I have to walk away with $200,000 in my pocket…after I sell”. Despite my best efforts to educate them on the market, highlighting high taxes, food prices, energy prices, and a weakening economy overall - they insisted their home is worth $550,000, when I was trying to inform them that it’s more like $499,000. Clearly, this homeowner doesn’t see the positive. He doesn’t want to understand that hey bought in 1999 for $190,000 and stand to make over 100% on the investment overall (not to mention the $100,000 he took out of the property in a home equity loan)!

So in this market, when you go to call me and ask for an appointment,don’t close your mind to reason. Think positive by all means! Realize that every day 50 houses get sold! Remember your appreciation values over the past few years and of course, recognize that you happened to have contacted the best in the business!

Positive thoughts!

(c) Copyright 2008 http://www.tommcgiveron.com

by Tom McGiveron

Visit my website at Tommcgiveron.com.

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