Denham Springs Louisiana Real Estate Buzz!

Archive for November, 2010

http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisers.net/ – Tremendous Opportunity in Greater Baton Rouge Pre-Foreclosures – Buyer Beware!

Tremendous Opportunity in Pre-Foreclosures – Buyer Beware! This was an email I received today and found the advice helpful!

“Real estate professionals, investors, and others that know a good opportunity when they see one, realize that today’s real estate market holds tremendous potential for helping them to reach their financial goals. If you’re thinking about jumping into this market, it’s important that you do your homework before investing, to ensure that you’re as happy after your purchase as you were before. Here are some pitfalls to avoid if you’re thinking about jumping into today’s market.

Don’t Get Loan Pre-Approval – One of the fastest ways of failing with a pre-foreclosure investment is by having no clear idea of how you’ll close the deal. Lenders want to know that they’re dealing with legitimate buyers. One of the best ways of establishing credibility with the lender in a pre-foreclosure property is to know how much you can spend. This will also allow you to pull the trigger quickly once the lender says it’s a go, which is critically important for lenders that need to move quickly.

Avoid Getting Accurate Comps – Comps – also known as comparative values – are used by potential buyers and lenders in establishing the actual value of a property. If your comparative values are flawed, you might overpay for the property, and not know it until it’s too late. Determining property value is somewhat formulaic; plug in the wrong number and the results are as deeply flawed as any politician.

Invest in High-foreclosure Areas – One of the quickest ways to get in over your head with pre-foreclosures is by investing in high-foreclosure areas. While the prospect of multiple properties in a given neighborhood might have some appeal, a closer examination of the facts shows that this is a bad investment strategy for one very good reason: too many foreclosures can mean that property values are going to decline even more, leaving you in control of a property that is worth less than you paid for it.

Guess at Repair Costs – This sounds like a no-brainer, but some investors have purchased real estate site unseen. With better market conditions, it might have made sense, but in today’s environment, you must know what your repair costs will be. Pre-foreclosures have a higher incidence of deferred maintenance and other repair issues, but in most cases, you can inspect the property prior to making a purchase decision. Take advantage of this opportunity, and accurately estimate repair costs. You’ll be in a better position to make a decision as to whether you want to move forward once you’re armed with the facts.

There are no guarantees when buying pre-foreclosures. This type of investment is relatively simple: Locate pre-foreclosure properties, negotiate a short sale (or other purchase) transaction with the borrower and their lender, close the deal, and either hold it for cash flow and potential appreciation or sell it for a quick profit (assuming you can buy it at a price that permits a fast re-sale at a good price). But to find pre-foreclosures, you need information, the kind you can find at www.defaultresearch.com“

http://www.denhamspringsappraisers.com/ – Denham Springs Real Estate Appraisers: Why do some houses sit on the market while others sell?

Here’s an interesting video by Jay Papasan, an executive of Keller Williams Realty. We see “Jay” on the month “This Month In Real Estate US: November 2010″ videos on YouTube. In this video, Mr. Papasan explains why some houses just sit there on the market while others sell, which is an appropriate topic for locals now that the expiration of the Federal tax credit means a lot homes locally are just sitting.

I thought his explanations were helpful explanations. The visual displays of these concepts of his x/y axis were helpful as well.

I’m curious to hear the experience of both home owners and real estate agents as to what if Mr. Papasan is explaining is reality locally? Any ideas on what it would take for homes to sell faster? Are locals just waiting for a bottom before buying or is there something more going on in their psyche – more of a concern about what’s taking in Washington, DC than a concern for the Baton Rouge economy maybe?

You can follow Jay Papasan on Twitter at @jaypapasan, and on Facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/jaypapasan . Mr. Papasan is also coauthor of The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, The Millionaire Real Estate Investor & SHIFT.

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http://www.denhamspringslarealestate.net/ – Denham Springs Real Estate Agents: Four Unique Open House Ideas

The Keeping Current Matters Blog has a helpful article today for Denham Springs Real Estate Agents: 4 Unique Open House Ideas

The first paragraph starts out, “Open Houses have long been a tool used by agents to get a home seen. On any given weekend, there are dozens of them in every community in America. How can your real estate agent position YOUR Open House differently to make it stand out from the rest? Remember, the goal of the Open House is to increase traffic and “thinking outside the box” can help drive traffic. Here are a few ideas to discuss with your agent:” followed by 4 thought provoking tips. Check out the article at the link above.