Existing Home Sales Fall In 2nd Quarter

Existing home sales fell in the second quarter of 2006, despite 20 states showing increases in sales activity.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the second quarter experienced a 7% decrease in sales, a seasonally-adjusted annual rate drop to 6.69 million units when compared to the second quarter of 2005, when a record 7.19 million units sold.

However, in the past year, several states have seen surprisingly strong increases in existing-home sales.

Alaska showed the largest quarterly rise in sales with a 48.6% increase in existing-home sales when compared to the second quarter of 2005.

Arkansas had the second strongest gain for the quarter, with resale pace increasing 17.9% from the previous year. Texas came in third with an 11.3% over the same period.

Twenty-eight states and Washington D.C. saw declines in sales.

NAR's chief economist, David Lereah, said that the two sets of market conditions are revealing a mixed market.

When you look at states with high housing costs or that have experienced a prolonged period of rapid price gains, you typically see slower home sales, said Lereah.

By contrast, states with moderately priced areas that have experienced healthy job creation are seeing sales gains -- the economic backdrop remains favorable for the housing market, which is helping home sales to level out.

All regional levels reported declines.

The South witnessed a decrease of 4.2% from one year ago. The West saw home sales fall 14.7%. The Midwest experienced a decline of 4.7%. The Northeast had sales decrease 5.2%.

NAR President Thomas M. Stevens suggests that borrowers take advantage of the decreasing interest rates currently seen.

This is good news for buyers who have been on the sidelines; now there is a window of opportunity in the market, said Stevens. In most of the country, buyers can take their time to make an informed decision. We advise buyers to consult a professional in negotiating the buying process, and to cautiously review mortgage options -- especially on non-traditional loan products.

Martin Lukac represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate and mortgage rates. We specialize in daily updates, mortgage news, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

Victoria BC Real Estate

Whether you are in the market for a new home, or you just want to relocate to a finer city, Victoria BC real estate is always a good bet. A lot of breathtaking attractions and beautiful scenery can be found in the city of Victoria. From the beautiful gardens to the streets lined with shopping and entertainment centers, Victoria BC certainly has a lot to offer to everyone.

Victoria BC real estate varies for its transient population. Most people travel to Victoria BC to enjoy the ocean and spend some time walking along the beautiful sand of Victoria?s beaches. If you are an ocean-lover, you may want to look into the many exciting properties included in ocean view and ocean front home listings for a nice vacation home in Victoria. You can check many of these properties by going online and searching for Victoria BC real estate listings.

In addition to this, Victoria BC is home to many tourist attractions making this one of the most sought after tourist destinations. Real estate is an excellent investment in Victoria, since a lot of people are choosing vacation homes or second homes as their accommodation when spending a week, two, or even months in this beautiful city. Because of this, you can be assured that your real estate property will hold its value even if you are miles away.

Victoria BC real estate is indeed an exciting and wise investment for your future. Since there are many options for real estate listings, you do not have to worry as to where you will find real estate property suited for you. All you have to do is to look for a reliable property listing website or a real estate agent to show you what properties are available.

Victoria BC provides detailed information on Victoria BC, Victoria BC Hotels, Victoria BC Real Estate, Victoria BC Restaurants and more. Victoria BC is affiliated with Calgary Herald.

Quick Tips To Finding A New Rental Home

Before the Journey:

Know what your looking for! Spend 5 minutes and write down a short shopping list of what exactly you need and want. Are you looking for hardwood floors, dishwasher, Washer/Dryer, Fireplace? Try and separate your list from needs and wants. Cover all your needs first. Anything left over would be an added bonus.

Be prepared!

You?ll first view the unit. If you want to be accepted into a particular unit, why not look your best? Bring your own pen, Resume, Credit Check, Pay Stubs or Tax Returns, References and proper identification ready. Some units also require your license plate number. Most people don?t come to a viewing with that much information. The landlord or property manager will know you?re a dedicated and responsible individual by your actions.

Your References!

So many times this office has contacted references that were caught off guard. When you add someone as you reference, make sure they know they?re your references!

On the Hunt:

Daytime! Everyone is different. However, we?ve had the most success with showing rental units during the daylight. In the daylight you?ll have a better understanding of the defects and what exactly the place has to offer.

The Tour!

Do you like the place? Why not see what kind of water pressure it has. How many electrical outlets are there? Open up the closet and just see if you have enough space for your items. How?s the Neighbors! Don?t be afraid to knock on the doors and meet them. You?ll want to make a friend but also make note of important character factors. If you like to enjoy having a quiet home. Ask the landlord if they have had any problems with regards to noise volume.

Will It Fit?

You might have a larger sized couch or kitchen table. When your in your possible place, you should see if your kitchen table will fit in the appropriate area.

Close the Deal:

Be prepared! We already talked about being prepared. But just as a re-cap. Bring your own pen, Resume, Credit Check, Pay Stubs or Tax Returns, References and proper identification ready. Some units also require your license plate number.

Your Lease!

What are the utilites included and what are YOU responsible for? Can you have your cat, dog, bird, fish? What is the security deposit? And will there be mandatory charges such as carpet cleaning when you decided to move?

We hope our basic list has helped guide you through the basics of renting a home, apartment or vacation rental. Remember to try and view as many places as possible. You?ll have a good idea of what your money will get you with the more units you view. Happy hunting!

Shane Toews is a Licensed Realtor who helps others to educate themselves on current real estate issues. He also provides assistance on how to locate quality homes, apartments or vacation rentals in Canada's Fraser Valley area. Visit his website RentFraserValley.com for more information on Canada's Fraser Valley Real Estate Market

Formalizing Rental Transactions

It?s sad that many people hardly spend time formalizing rental related transactions. In most cases, rental agreements (especially for small rooms and units) are done verbally or, if contracts are needed, not much effort is given in making the documents look more professional. Perhaps the reason for this is because the property is not changing hands, and the money involved is not substantial. Another reason why some landlords opt to just prepare their own contracts is because they want to do away with additional expense ? after all, professionals such as realtors and law offices will charge you a professional fee for their services. However, preparing professional and legally binding contracts involving rental of properties need not cost an arm and a leg. There are ways by which you can secure such papers quickly and at a very affordable price.

One of the quickest ways you, as a landlord, can secure the forms you need to properly conduct your rental business is through the internet. In some real estate sites, there are sample forms uploaded on the web which you can view and whose contents you can copy. This practice is okay if you only need one or two forms, but if you need a whole lot then viewing and copying the contents of online forms is not the way to do it.

If you need to have several rental-related forms, it would be better if you simply downloaded the entire set and keep it on file. These forms can be purchased through most real estate related websites as these sites do not only address the needs of home buyers and sellers, but landlords and lessees as well.

Standard Rental Packages available on the internet include samples of rental applications, state specific lease agreements, rental contracts for short term and long term stays, notices and warnings, and a lot more. These contracts have been prepared by professional real estate agents so you can be assured that although these are ?generic? documents, these will conform to local and state requirements and will stand in any court of law.

These downloadable real estate forms are very handy and convenient. They can be opened using any word processing program and in addition, these can easily be modified or adjusted to meet your requirements. Once these have been purchased, you can reproduce these documents as many times and as often as you want. You don?t need to worry about the cost of real estate forms packages as these are very affordable and payment can be affected online. Most real estate related websites honour major credit cards, and accepts transactions made via paypal or electronic cheques.

With all these affordable forms available at your fingertips, what are you waiting for? Go online, look for reputable real estate related websites and purchase then download the rental-related forms you need for your business. Once you have these on hand, you can finally formalize how your rental business is run and give your tenants the professionalism that is due them.

This is article is brought to you by Gloria Smith at LegalHomeForms.com. Created by a former, licensed Real Estate Agent, LegalHomeForms.com was designed to offer instant access to the most sought after type of real estate forms. For the cost of what others charge for one real estate contract, you can have instant access to over 60 downloadable real estate forms. You can find the Rental Application form at: www.legalhomeforms.com/rental-application.htm

Hawaii Real Estate

Imagine having a home of your own, located in a place where the sun does not tire from shining all year long. You can do anything any time of the year, and you do not have to worry about buying yourself a set of wardrobe for the summer months and another set for the cold months.

Hawaii is found in an archipelago off the North Pacific Ocean end. Because of its location, this state has been the ultimate building block that makes up tropical dreams. From the fresh breeze to the beckoning ocean to the warm sand and sun, this place exudes a paradise-like environment. That is why it is not very surprising to find out that Hawaii is a place where the real estate business is blooming.

If you are interested in looking at and planning on a piece of Hawaiian real estate, it would be a wise move for you to get more information first about the whole way of life in that state. Since the whole state is made of islands, there are locations where there are much different activities from the rest of the state. By knowing about the different locales, you can know which part of Hawaii you want to have your fancy little tropical home.

The Internet holds a wide collection of information on Hawaii. With regard to companies who are into Hawaii real estate business, the easiest source of information would also be the World Wide Web. Most of these companies also provide people with assistance regarding the deals on acquiring a Hawaiian property. Most companies whose businesses are into Hawaiian real estate provide a list of all the properties available. They also provide information regarding the location of the real estate as well as its type.

Hawaii provides detailed information on Hawaii, Hawaii Vacations, Hawaii Real Estate, Hawaii Weddings and more. Hawaii is affiliated with Maui Hawaii Real Estate.

Advice for the Wise When Investing in Real Estate

Although real estate investing is known to most investors to be one of the safest and most profitable investment in general, some places in the past have known home prices to go down. Appreciating in one city doesn t necessarly mean that the same city will experience the same increase in home value the next year. Many factors are contributing to house price appreciation. Inventories, climate, crime rate, economy and population growth are the main factors. A good mortgage can also play a role in your investments. Always read your loan application carefully before signing it when it is approved. Avoiding a prepayment penalty for instance can save you thousands of dollars when selling your home. The purchase price of your investment home is capital too. Most investors who take their time have been able to buy their homes at 10-30% below market value. This obviously takes time to do and depends a lot on the market condition. Determining the best performing zip codes within a certain city. Remember that crime can be different from North to South in one same city. Price appreciation also varies according to different criteria like proximity to hospitals, malls, police station and crime rate.

Biswajit Das is a SEO manager and working for search engine optimizations for various sites. Article submission is one of the process to promote a website by link popularity, thats why this article is submitted by him to promote the real estate site: http://www.realestatease.com

New Housing and Planning Delivery Grant

As the report came that Ministers have formally begun consultations on a new housing and planning delivery grant (HPDG) in line with the recommendations suggested by the Barker review of housing supply the prices seem to be roaring in Sussex Farmland.

The news came when Farmland in Sussex are being sold by different Land Investment Companies and the government has already made it clear that this funding would be in addition to local infrastructure investment, give local authorities the flexibility to invest in their area and allow them to keep additional council tax receipts for new homes. Sussex Farmland is known for its closeness to nature and old buildings.

Seeing this the prices of the Sussex Farmlands are set to go higher and this leaves the investors with a dilemma of whether to invest in more plots of land, sell it or hold the piece of land so as to gain maximum.

A consultation document just published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said the measure should:

- Strengthen the incentive for local authorities to respond to local housing pressures.

- Support increased housing delivery to meet local needs.

- Encourage local authorities to become very actively involved in the delivery of new housing.

- Return the benefits of growth to the community through new funding streams.

- Incentivise efficient and effective planning procedures.

The government's aim is that the housing incentive element would be awarded to local planning authorities and urban development corporations (UDCs) and paid starting in 2008 when the existing PDG regime is due to end.

The author is a Land Expert based in the UK.

Spurt in Prices of UK Land ? An Ideal Investment Opportunity?

UK is becoming densely populated to an untenable level. This has led to an acute housing shortage and a sharp rise in UK Land for Sale prices.

Prices for housing and land in UK has shown continuous upward trend due to a robust growth in average earnings - predicted to be close to 5% this year - as well as cuts in interest rates that has combined to prop-up the housing market .

According to Milan Khatri, chief economist at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the medium term outlook is for steady price growth.

Despite a fall in the number of mortgage approvals in April, which are viewed as a forward indicator of housing demand, activity remains above the historical average and still point to firm demand conditions, Mr. Khatri said.

Thus investments in UK Land for sale market are increasingly becoming attractive to common investors.

UK Land Highlights

? Unlike equities, the capital growth of land investments is attractive and so is the downside risk
? Better growth and lower downside risk than ANY other investment.
? Growth is consistent
? Unlike equities and land in the right location does not suffer long periods of cyclical decline.

Today, there are a number of companies serving smaller investors select plots of land to buy, and investments typically start at about $10,000.

Following types of plots of land for sale are available across the UK -

Brownfield Land: Brownfield Land is the common term used for previously developed land i.e. land that is or was occupied by a permanent structure. This land is often smaller, resulting in High Rise Development e.g. old petrol station and factories.

Greenfield Land: Greenfield Land simply refers to land that has never been used for development eg Farmland.

Greenbelt Land: Greenbelt Land is largely undeveloped or sparsely occupied land, which historically has been set aside to contain development, prevent towns merging and provide open space. Greenbelt boundaries can change in response to the requirements for additional housing in a controlled manner.

While there is some opposition against moves to grant planning permission to builders on greenbelt and greenfield land but keeping in view the acute mismatch between expected demand for housing and the amount of land available for planned development such moves are necessary.

Moreover release of such land for planned development would create jobs and opportunities in those areas and by increase in the supply the house prices would automatically lower, thereby ensuring that everyone can afford to become a home owner. At present, for the ambitious young generation to own a home is easier said than done. It is also very difficult for the low waged population to build there own homes.

Thus be it a farmland, greenbelt land, greenfield land or brownfield land, buying plots of land for sale has the potential to make stunning returns quickly. Infact prices of land in UK have increased by a stunning 926% in last two decades.

UK Land for Sale Market is thus expected to show a steady increase for coming decade and could prove to be an ideal investment vehicle for common investors

Stephen Brewood
Land Plots For Sale in UK

Is It Time To Move On: Evaluating Your Tempe Home

Tempe is a community that presents great options for home owners. Because it's a rapidly growing part of the Phoenix metropolitan area there is an interesting mix of homes,older homes and new housing developments.

As much as we'd like to believe we can find the perfect home, there really isn't such a thing. Every home has some flaws, and some have great features. The choice for many buyers is whether to fix the flaws of a home, find another older home that has fewer problems, or move into a new home that has the features they like.

The great thing about Tempe is a community with its own unique culture. Of course that overall feeling is an important part of whether you want to stay in a home. The neighborhood and community are some of the driving factors for keeping home owners in their home and contemplating making renovations or remodel plans.

So what should you consider when it comes time to make the decision about moving to a new home in Tempe or remodeling your existing home? There are several key factors.

Can you afford to remodel? Depending on what type of modifications you are planning, it can be quite expensive. Whether it's remodeling kitchens or baths, you can plan to easily spend tens of thousands of dollars, if not more. If you are planning major remodeling such as adding a family room, building a master bedroom suite, or expanding outwards, you can easily expect to spend close to a hundred thousand dollars. You also have to have a reserve budget for when the project goes over the estimated cost, as it certainly will.

What do love about your current home? Do you love the neighborhood, the schools, or the convenience of where you live? If you do, and you are certain you can't find something you love just as much in another location, then remodeling may make sense for you.

Have you considered what you'll lose or gain by selling? Sometimes you know that if you move to another neighborhood your property will appreciate at a higher level than your previous home. It's a no brainer, your house is an important part of your investment portfolio, then it makes sense to move. Of course, there are costs associated with selling your home and buying another: you can expect to pay 7% of the sales price of your home in fees and closing costs. You also have to consider that you will be stepping back in terms of your mortgage. You will be adding more time to your mortgage repayment, so you'll be paying less principle and more interest.

Tempe has lots of opportunities to find a great home, one that can work for you now and in the future.

Reg Gustin is a senior loan officer with Sun American Mortgage and specializes in helping families and their financial lending needs.

Get a FREE mortgage rate quote from a reputable Arizona mortgage company at http://www.arizona-homes-store.com/arizona-mortgages.html

Search the Arizona MLS at http://www.arizona-homes-store.com/arizona-mls.html

Click here: http://www.arizona-homes-store.com/arizona-real-estate-appreciation-report.htmland get a FREE copy of The Greater Phoenix Area Housing Appreciation Report, as compiled by Arizona State University with your free subscription to his monthly ezine, MARKET NEWS.

Lakefront Property

Lakefront property is land that is on the border of a lake. It is a highly valued type of property, in that there is a limited amount of lakefront, and a large group of people who would like to own it. The pleasure of having a home on the water so you can enjoy this serene beauty is incomparable. And this is one reason why owning lakefront property is so desirable. Any property along the borders of a lake is referred to as lakefront property.

The allure of lakefront property is partially due to the fact that one can go water skiing, fishing, hiking, sailing, boating and canoeing whenever they choose. Also, the scenic beauty offers a calm atmosphere. Lakefront property is considered a valuable asset, which can also be rented out or be used as collateral for a loan. A lakefront property should be looked upon as an investment, providing years of fun and family vacation.

On the other hand, some shortcomings are that many lakefront properties are jointly owned, and jointly utilized. These result in more disputes and clashes than other properties. In case of safety issues, there is always danger associated with drowning, fast boats or diving into shallow water. The lakefront property owners also have to pay higher taxes than other property owners. The maintenance costs are very high, as the lakefront property has to be kept clean. However, when it comes to price, the cost of land next to a lake can be expensive, but the memories that you will be left with will be priceless.

Lakefront Property provides detailed information on Lakefront Property, Michigan Lakefront Property, Lakefront Property For Sale, Wisconsin Lakefront Property and more. Lakefront Property is affiliated with Lake Havasu City.

Sarasota Housing Market Trends

According to the latest housing price forecasts from Fiserv Lending Solutions, a provider of mortgage and consumer lending services, prices in the Sarasota housing market will rise by 3.1% in 2006. The median price of Sarasota homes in the third quarter of 2005 was $222,000, and between the third quarter of 2004 and 2005, sales rose by 40.3%, top three in the rankings published by Fiserv. Sarasota housing market was only edged out by Phoenix and neighboring Naples in terms of the change in sales price within a one-year interval, between 2004 and 2005. Comparing this with the corresponding projection for 2005 to 2006, there is an indication of a dramatic deceleration of the market. The rates are slowing down and if conditions remain as they are at the moment, Sarasota housing market is bound to equilibrate in the years to come. Fiserv generally forecasts a significant stagnation in housing prices for the United States in 2006. Overall median home prices will only inch up by 1.5% this year. Many metropolitan areas in the United States will experience drops, including some of the largest, and most expensive, ones such as Los Angeles (down 3%), New York (down 2.43%), and Washington (down 1.9%).

Officially, the Florida Association of Realtors report that the statistics for the second quarter of 2006 showed ?signs of a market adjusting to a better balance between buyers and sellers.? All over Florida, existing-home median sales price rose 9% to reach $254,800 in the second quarter; the corresponding number a year ago was $234,500. In a more recent account, Bradenton Herald reported on August 23, 2006 that existing home sales continued to tumble throughout Florida in July. Every market in the state showed a decrease in the number of homes sold as compared to last July but only Naples saw a bigger drop off in sales than the Sarasota housing market. More recent numbers released by the Florida Association of Realtors confirm that sales in Florida dropped by 49% and home prices are starting to follow suit. Housing prices fell 11% from where they had been in July 2005, where the median cost of an existing home was $338,100. The median price for July 2006 was $302,100.

In the Sarasota housing market, residential home sales were down by 39% compared to last year, with the median sales price barely moving up from $317,800 to $318,500. Condo conversions also dropped 20% in price. A most likely reason for the general decline of prices is the difficulty in selling overpriced homes in the Sarasota housing market. No amount of advertising has ever sold an overpriced property.

Derrick Barwick, senior vice president of de Morgan Communities, figures that it will take the better part of a year for inventory in the Sarasota housing market to balance with demand. But even then, the statistics will not return to the headstrong 2004-2005 levels. The National Association of Home Builders also indicated that the Sarasota housing market is likely to remain depressed for the remainder of 2006. Evidently, the Housing Market Index for August 2006 declined seven points to 32, the lowest level reached since February 1991 when the measure was at 27. Only Housing Market Index figures above 50 indicate that more builders view sales conditions as good than poor.

The National Association of Home Builders has been doing the survey for 21 years. It weighs the perception of builders with regards to sales expectations for the next six months as either ?good,? ?fair? or ?poor.? Corresponding scores for each component are then utilized to extract the Housing Market Index. For the Sarasota housing market, all three components fell in August.

With these trends, erosion in the Sarasota housing market activity to continue through most of 2006 before hopefully stabilizing by 2007.

Earl Juanico - http://siestakeyrealestate.com

Is It Really Possible To Sell A House Quickly And Easily?

As a home owner, with a stable and secure job, I am now earning just enough to purchase a larger property. Although I have been already through the buying process once before, I am finding the new challenge of juggling the sale of my old property along with the purchase of my new dream home all very daunting. I found the house that I want to buy very quickly, but I now seem to be stuck in a common nightmare scenario trying to conclude the sale of my current home before the owners of the house I want to buy lose patience and decide to simply sell to someone else for a quick sale.

Like many sellers in my position, my current house has received a high level of interest from various buyers and several times contracts have been about to exchange, when suddenly it all falls through and the buyer drops out at the last minute. This is causing me many problems and I fear the owner of what I hope will be my new house, may soon put it back onto the open market. Frankly I have had enough of this now.

Whilst wading through all the information that has been provided to me by my Estate Agent, I under took some research of my own and happened upon some alarming statistics regarding exactly how difficult and stressful owning property can be, especially when you decide to move on and sell it. What I have found doesn?t exactly fill me with confidence that the financial side of buying of another house and selling my old one is anything near the relatively simple task the Estate Agent promised.

The information I found was the latest research from a property purchasing company, A Quick Sale, which although it is not the sort of thing I normally read, the information seemed pertinent to my current problems. They have revealed that potential the costs from estate agents, legal fees and additional mortgage payments which can be built up while waiting for a house buyer, is on average ?13,633.

The research also had the worrying statistic that 59% of people who lost a buyer for their house also lost their dream home as a result. As you could imagine panic alarm bells started ringing. Was I now going to lose my new home because of the actions of potential buyers for my old house?

I am very concerned about selling my house and this research appears to show that I am right to be and that I'm not alone. As soon as realisation dawned that it wasn?t just me that was in this predicament, several questions started to form. What have other people done to get out of this situation? How do I sell my house quickly to prevent losing my new home? Does this happen to everyone?

Obviously I don?t want to lose money selling my current house and I certainly do not want to lose my next dream property. I have numerous friends who have brought and sold property and they have never seemed to experience anything like this, and I find it very hard to believe that things can be this difficult especially when I'm paying an agent to supposedly take care of all the hassles of making the sale.

When I look back, the purchase of my first home was great. I had arranged a first-time buyer?s mortgage and I had no house to sell. When I finally moved into the first house of my own, I felt like I had become a full member of society. The future looked rosy. The dream first home which I bought back then is still in a well kept and attractive state, positioned in a good location and is apparently competitively priced for the current market. Back then there was a high level of competition from other buyers, but I managed to come out on top, and the purchase went through without any real problems. Today however I am becoming angry that although I have achieved a good level of interest, the buyers seem to be taunting me with offers then suddenly pulling out.

As a result of all the difficulties, my feelings towards my current home are rapidly starting to sour, along with my patience. Another of the research statistics which has particular resonance for me in my present state, is that apparently 39% of people stated they wanted a quicker and easier way to sell their home rather than the mess we currently have to deal with, and I can definitely say I'm now one of them.

Michael Hanna is a keen writer, and internet marketer living in Scotland.

Contact details:
E-mail: samqam@googlemail.com
Phone: 0131 561 2251
Michael's Website: Taxis Belfast

Emerging Trends in Dubai Property Market

Dubai real estate is witnessing a number of changes in the commercial sector.

One of the emerging trends in the commercial property market is the conversion of warehouse space to office premises. Companies that require large open plan spaces, such as advertising or marketing companies have been seen to lease warehouse space and easily transform it into efficient office space. This provides a cost effective solution for businesses that need to be near the business centre but may not wish to pay the premium rates of prime location office space. Warehouse rental rates suitable for office conversions fluctuate between 40-65AED per sq. ft (warehouse space rent exclusively used for storage purposes averages 28-35AED per sq. ft), whereas rents in the Central Business District (CBD) may be 225-250AED per sq. ft.

The property market in Dubai is tight and therefore the concept of Split Offices has come into being. Many professional services firms, faced with the prospect of particularly high rents in prime locations tend to lease a small space suitable for client meetings in the Central Business District so as to boast an address on a prestigious location such as e.g. Sheikh Zayed Road, and move their operations to a secondary location where rents may be more affordable e.g. Garhoud, thus effectively saving on huge overheads.

Thus, supply of the real estate market in Dubai is shaping up to meet the property demand.

This article has been sourced from the 'Better Homes Commercial Review, June 2006' issue - the quarterly newsletter of the Better Homes Commercial Advisory Division, Dubai, UAE. Better Homes has been extensively involved in the leasing of large commercial projects in UAE over the past few years and now shares this knowledge and market information through this quarterly Commercial Review.

Visit http://www.bhomes.com for buying, selling, renting, investing, managing and short-term renting your Dubai property.

http://www.bhomes.com/commercialadvisory.aspx?ezine

Find A Real Estate Agent

There comes a time in everyone?s life when they have to make decisions, whatever the reason. One such decision is buying or selling a house.

Once this decision has been made, it follows that you need someone who can help you and in comes the estate agent. So how and where does one go looking for one?

The Internet is one medium through which you will find a host of brokers and agents. The other places would be the local publications and the best, of course, by word of mouth, especially if they are referred by someone you know and trust.

But how does one tell whether a particular broker selected by you is going to prove to be the right man for the job? How does one know that after running ads in various news publications, and showing the place to prospective buyers, whether it is going to turn into a sale?

One needs to know that the agent you have hired for your job is one who understands your requirement, deals with it in a professional manner and sees the job to its completion. He must be conversant with the pricing in a given area as well as have a clear idea of the area in which you have shown an interest. He must have professional qualifications and also have references from previous satisfied customers.

Similarly, given the number of cases that come up each year wherein agents have been robbed, raped or murdered by people under the guise of being sellers or buyers, the firms themselves have to ascertain that the customer is a genuine one and that the case is authentic in nature.

The best way to do this is by putting the prospective customer through a verification program, getting all the pertinent information as regards his contact numbers, a proper home address, ensuring that if and when you do go to show the property in question, there are two or more persons with you. Working alone is not a very good idea. Ensure that all safety precautions are met with and being a real estate agent can be a fulfilling experience.

Real Estate Agents provides detailed information on Real Estate Agents, Find A Real Estate Agent, Las Vegas Real Estate Agents, Commercial Real Estate Agents and more. Real Estate Agents is affiliated with How To Get A Real Estate License.

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Northern Ireland House Prices Rise By 600 GBP Per Week!

The latest quarterly price index compiled by the University of Ulster shows that the average price of a home was ?153,868, an increase of ?31,000 since last year. Detached houses are experiencing the greatest price rise, showing an average of ?237,749 - an increase of almost 30%.

Belfast has also seen the average house price rising by 23.6%, however Lisburn saw the greatest price hike with the average increasing by 44% The report, which was produce in association with the Housing Executive and the Bank of Ireland, covered 2200 transactions reported by 108 estate agents` firms. Terraced and town houses saw an increase of 29% with semi-detached houses rising by 23% and bungalows rising more steadily by 19.7%. Detached bungalows also failed to match the growth of the rest of the market with a rate of 11.9% reaching an average of ?184,045. Apartment prices continued to show a variable performance over time, rising by 19.2%. In Belfast, the overall average price of a home was ?145,051, whereas South Belfast remained the strongest performing area in the city.

All property types in Lisburn experienced rampant rates of increase. Prices in Craigavon and Armagh also saw a 39% annual rise while Londonderry and Strabane experiencing significant growth at more than 30%. The number of properties with a value of less than ?100,000 also appear to disappearing, with only a fifth of the sales (20%) in the ?50,000 to ?100,000 bracket. Louise Brown, one of the authors of the study, along with Professors Alistair Adair and Stanley McGreal, said it was difficult to see how the growth rate of 25% across Northern Ireland could continue. She said: Having said that, the 25% growth in this survey is not a one-off - it's very comparable with the rates of increase during the second half of 2005. These are boom conditions that appear to be the result of strong investment activity, relatively cheap borrowing costs and an undersupply of properties. Despite the housing boom, the average cost of a house in Northern Ireland is ?30,000 lower than those south of the border.

The average cost of properties are: Lisburn, ?188,772; South Belfast, ?188,069; Enniskillen/Fermanagh/South Tyrone, ?169,402; Mid and South Down, ?167,886; North Down, ?166,264; Coleraine, Limavady and the North Coast, ?165,591; East Belfast, ?165,432; Mid Ulster, ?163,446; Antrim/Ballymena, ?155,319; Craigavon/Armagh, ?144,157; Derry/Strabane, ?140,747; East Antrim, ?120,163; West Belfast, ?113,052; North Belfast, ?107,673.

By George McGonigal, a partner in moving. Why not visit moving estate agents northern ireland: for a full estate agency service at a flat fee of ?750 or our sister website for competitive n ireland insurance where you can compare car insurance quotes from lots companies without obligation.

3rd Party Buying Tips What You Need To Know

Save Your Money and Be Smart!

As your investment profile grows larger and larger you?ll notice that assigning a family member, wife or good friend to a home could be a definite advantage on your overall net worth. Especially in a rising real estate market where you can re-sell the property at a higher price before the completion date. Since half the property value is added onto your net worth, depending on the tax bracket your in, it might prove necessary to do a 3rd party buying. In this situation it?s important that in your contract you do not use ?and or nominee?. But rather be straight forward with the name of who the purchaser is.

The general rule is that a buyer may assign their rights under the contract as long as they do not prejudice the rights of the seller. The seller must know who the buyer is. However, if the seller does not feel her rights are prejudiced then the seller may consent to the assignment identity not to be required. This is provided that you have notice in writing of the assignment. Both buyers and sellers should receive copies of this from their realtor.

If your still debating whether or not to have an assignment sale or 3rd party as ownership then you may impute a temporary clause to give you a few extra days to contact your assignee or 3rd party to ask for their permission. Your realtor will insert a ?Assignment Option Clause? which should read something like the following sample clause:

?The buyer reserves the right to assign this contract in whole or in part to any third party without further notice to the Seller; said assignment not to relieve the Buyer from his/her obligation to complete the terms and conditions of this contract should the assignee default.?

Of course this is only a sample of what a realtor MAY use and should not be taken by person as a clause without first contacting their lawyer. When buying always remember the issues that affect an owners interest. You should keep your eye on the road. Rights-of-ways, passage or road widening may not have been surveyed or registered. Driveways and culverts may not have been constructed on any public roads without the permission of the Ministry of transportation. Permission could also be denied due to limited access roads.

Also, when building near to streams, rivers, oceans, lakes and cliffs; be sure to check your restrictions. You may find that the property your buying will be shrinking before your eyes in a matter of months. This applies to All Real Estate in the Fraser Valley market and all other British Columbia Real Estate. These tips may be useful in other provinces in Canada such as Calgary, Alberta. Again, this should not be relied upon as legal advice but simply as a guideline for your next real estate investment.

Shane Toews is a Licenced Realtor who helps others to educate themselves on current real estate issues. He also provides assistance on how to locate quality homes, apartments or vacation rentals in Canada's Fraser Valley area. Visit his website RentFraserValley.com for more information on Canada's Fraser Valley Real Estate Market

Why Do Successful Realtors Earn Money When They Sleep?

With the Internet penetrating every aspect of our life, it?s getting impossible to stay uninvolved. You can?t ignore the World Wide Web with its millions of users, or else it will ignore you. If you deal with vacation rentals business, but you haven't yet gone online, you are missing an opportunity to vastly increase your exposure to potential customers and increase your revenue.

?I wish I could work 24 hours a day as my web site does?, - said one of my friends. And here it is, the main secret of online presence: You can be in many right places at many right times. In fact, the time and place are always right on the Internet. Discover other secrets:

Full automation of your business
If your business is online, you can earn money round the clock. The property management software, which your rental portal is based on, automates guest-owner negotiations, accepts payments, tracks the statistics, shows property photos, and displays the available/ reserved dates for a property. The best thing about it is that it requires no involvement from your side.

Money Flow
You may charge property owners for being listed on your rental portal. This is more convenient than taking commission on every rent. A regular, stable income is better than one time commission ?jackpots? from rents; at least if you intend to be in the business for a long time. Still, no involvement from your side is needed. Owners can simply pay the membership fee via a built-in credit card processor. You may clean your teeth, sleep, eat, do whatever you want to do; the Internet means that you can accept payments from eager property owners to your online account at any time.

Word-of-mouth advertising
Those who offer rental property via your web site and see good results are likely to recommend you to their colleagues. Thus, more and more owners will want to be listed on your web site. The more owners you have, the more money you earn.

Likewise, those who rented a property via your web site and liked the ease and availability of the online service are likely to recommend you to their relatives or friends. Bringing them to your web site is better than to just giving your phone number. Via phone, you can not show property photos and very often can not check immediately the availability of the property within the specified period of time.

Affordability
To market your properties online you do not have to invest a lot of funds. You may purchase a turn-key solution and install it in a few clicks. It costs from $200 to $400 depending on the features. Other expenses you will have are customization costs (if needed), hosting fee, and advertising. But the online world charges for all this much less than an offline one does. All this can be done from your home computer, isn?t it a real honey?

Quick return on investment
The beauty of taking your business online is the speed you start returning your investment with. Most online realtors state that to become conspicuous in an Internet media is easier and quicker than in other media. Indeed, you may promote your rental web site all over the world. Anyone from any location can access your web site 24 hours a day. More visitors result in more customers. Would you mind being globally known?

Dear realtors, I urge you to take your business online. Do not lose precious time.

Stacey Daniels is an advertising copyrighter and a marketing consultant of iStateSoft LLC

Private Annuity Trust vs. 1031 Exchange When a PAT Makes Sense (Part II)

In the last article, I pointed out when, as a real estate investor, doing a 1031 Exchange on the sale of a Real Estate Property may not be your best option.

So, let's assume you do want or need to sell a real estate investment, don't want to do an exchange, and don't want to pay a huge lump sum capital gains tax payment of 15-40% on your gains. Now is the time to see how a Private Annuity Trust can save you money.

It's important to know that you don't avoid paying your capital gains tax obligation, you just get to defer all payment for a while if you're under 70 years old, or you at least get to spread out the obligation over many years. The total of years can be your lifetime or a fixed number of years determined by you when you set up the trust.

So, how does that help you? Well, if someone were to offer you a 0% interest loan on let's say $300,000.00 for the next 30 years, and you only had to make minimum payments, would you jump at the chance? Most people sure would. Think of how you could invest that 300K so that you could enjoy the benefit of the interest it accrued. This is effectively what a Private Annuity Trust does for you. It allows you to keep most of your gains working to your advantage, while paying back the money owed to the IRS over a long period of time.

This also holds for the depreciation recapture if you owned your property for a long period of time and depreciated it according to a schedule to realize annual tax advantages of owning investment real estate.

If you do not put a tax strategy in place and sell outright, not only do you owe capital gains tax, but you also owe depreciation recapture, which can be another 25-35% of your total depreciation taken over the ownership cycle of your investment.

And, you will avoid the possibility of the dreaded Alternative Minimum Tax trap. This is something else that may catch you by surprise when you least expect it triggered by your outright sale of property. This could mean having other legitimate tax deductions disqualified and a higher tax payment owed by you.

As you can see, it's definitely worth it to consult with an expert in Capital Gains Tax saving strategies before you make the decision to sell your real property.

The PAT can also work with the sale of a second home, vacation home, or even your primary residence. With these assets, a 1031 exchange is not an option.

Paula Straub will help you understand the Capital Gains Tax Saving Strategies and save you money. Get your free report Seven Secrets to Help Real Estate Investors Hang onto Their Capital Gains at the Keep Your Capital Gains website.