Conference Call Last Night
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So, this is to anyone who was on the conference call last night? What did you think about the system that Larry Goins was offering? Overall, I think there was a lot of good information there. I think he gave "enough" free information to get a beginner going and give them some good ideas on how to get started. Of course, his motive is to sell his system, so he's not going to give away his tools, etc. for free, but I would have liked it if he would have provided a little bit more.
... continue reading >>The 5 Hottest and Coolest Real Estate Markets
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by Brenda Spiering – RealEstate.comRemember the old adage about the three most important things when it comes to real estate? “Location, location, location.” It seems it’s still true. While home sales in many parts of the country may be down from what they were a year ago, in some regions they’re still booming.
What are the hottest and coldest real estate markets in the country? According to the February 2007 National Association of REALTORS® home sales report, the percentage change in the median sales price of existing single-family homes between the fourth quarter of 2005 and... continue reading >>
What Real Estate Investors Should Know About Security Deposits
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I had questions about this, so thought others might be interested as well. It sounds like you have to find out what your state's regulations are, because there are no clear cut answer that apply to everyone. If anyone has any links to specific state's rules, please feel free to post them in the comments.Thanks,
Matthew Charging a security deposit to cover potential damages a tenant might inflict on a unit is part of rental income property ownership inherent to smart real estate investing.
There are rules, however, and not unlike other landlord-tenant issues,... continue reading >>
Kitchen Cabinets
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We are working on completely pulling out a whole kitchen and replacing all cabinets, countertop, sink, appliances, etc. Once before, we bought unfinished cabinets from Home Depot and sanded and stained them ourselves (a lot of work). We're talking $40-100 per piece. I don't know how much that is per linear foot on average, but it's not cheap still.
This time we are doing a higher end kitchen and don't trust ourselves with the finish/installation, etc. At a local REI group here in Kansas City, there was a vendor there who sold building... continue reading >>
Empire - Audio Book
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Hey everyone, this audio book may not directly influence your business, but it is still entertaining and it features your favorite real estate investor, Donald Trump.
The files will only be posted for 3 days, so get them while they're there.
This book is the history of the ownership of the Empire State Building and it was messy. Some of you can probably relate to the ownership issues that were brought up.
Enjoy!
Part 1 - Download Here
Part 2 - Download Here
Part 3 - Download Here
Let me know what you think about the sleazy... continue reading >>
Popcorn
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We are about to close on a fairly large house (2,800 sq ft living space). The problem is, every celing is covered in popcorn. I guess that makes approximately 2,800 sq. ft. of popcorn, not including vaulted ceilings, skylights, etc.
I searched online and overwhelmingly found that the best (though messy) way of removing popcorn is to spray it with water using one of those pump garden sprayers and then scrape it onto a tarp. After that, you should be left with unfinished sheetrock again that you can patch, sand and paint. A lot... continue reading >>
Mixed Messages For Real Estate Buyers
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APR 17, 2007Realty Times
"It's a great time to buy," says the National Association of Realtors.
Alternatively, says NAR, existing home prices in February 2007 were down 1.3 percent when compared with a year earlier.
Unlike stock, there's no such thing as real estate short-selling, making a sale profit when prices decline. So can this really be a great time to buy if home values are falling?
The New York Times looked at this issue and concluded that "it's now clear that people who chose renting over buying in the last two years made... continue reading >>
MC Homes LLC
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It's official. I am half-owner of a company... a real life company.I just went online to the Kansas Secretary of State website and for $160, it took me about 5 minutes to set up an LLC. Then I called the IRS and 5 minutes later had an Employer Identification Number (EIN). I copied a sample "Operating Agreement
and made a few modifications. Now it's on to getting a business bank account set up and buying our first house. We already registered to bid at our county's tax sale coming up at the end... continue reading >>
A Surge in Foreclosure Filings
Just thought that this was interesting and good news for many of us...
A Surge in Foreclosure Filings
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/realestate/18WCZO.html
My New House... finally
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I feel kind of like Crystal now, having to write these horrible blogs about all the legal issues of buying a house, title issues, flood plain issues, property lines, etc.
If you haven't read about my problems, check out my previous blogs. We made an offer on a house (not for invesment, personal, but still a rehab) in January, were supposed to close in February and ended up closing a couple of weeks ago. Short story is that there were flood plain issues, IRS leins, etc. This is the end of the story:
We... continue reading >>