Home foreclosures and fixer-uppers have long been a focus of savvy real estate investors looking to quickly make big profits. Of course, if the target property doesn't meet certain criteria, an investor can lose their shirt almost as fast as a rock star on a tour bus. A cautious and methodical approach is best for rewarding and risk-averse decision making. Keeping that mindset, here are some critical area's that must be considered when looking for real estate bargains for investing purposes. They are not all equally important. But they must all be considered in their entirety. The property should firmly meet at least one of the criteria, and should have no unjustifiable issues in any one area. Following these principles is essential for achieving a higher return on your investment and lessening your risk.

KNOW WHY ON PRICE

Most investors focus on price first and foremost. They search for properties they think are selling for below apparent market value. It seems easy enough but there are several things to watch out for. First off, never buy for less than market price until you know exactly why the seller was willing to cut the price. What was their motivation. Are they relocating or in financial duress? If not, there may be problems with the property that require costly, time-consuming repairs. Structural problems such as a compromised foundation, or outdated plumbing and wiring could be deal killers.

CONSIDER HOLDING COSTS

A usually unforeseen profit drainer is underestimating the liquidation costs of holding and selling the property. This is not surprising when one considers all the cost components, including commission payments to real estate agents, closing costs, mortgage payments, taxes, plus repair and maintenance costs. An faulty determination of true market value is another obstacle to the successful deal. Market value is essentially a subjective exercise where the true value is not known until someone buys the property. It's essential to analyze similar properties in the area, keeping in mind that prices are set at the margins and may reflect the extremes of a particular housing market environment.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Investors often focus obsessively on price and location and discount other profit leveraging tools like the terms of the financing. This is especially advantageous if the property is intended an income producing rental. In fact, used wisely, an investor can pay full price and use this positioning to negotiate lower interest rates or a smaller down payment. Over time, the rental cash flow will be in the black because of the generous terms given, combined with gradual rent increases and price appreciation.

KNOW THE LOCAL MARKET

Experienced real estate investors often rely on the fact they know more about the market than the seller does. Rental market bargains come about because you know more about the market than the seller. Consider the absentee owner of a rental property. They might be primarily concerned with vacancy rates, so they keep prices low instead of upgrading the property. In contrast, your research shows that particular upgrades like air-conditioning, second bathrooms, or enhanced security allow for both lower vacancies and higher rental rates.

LOCATION IS RELATIVE

Other than price, location is usually seen as the most critical component of finding a good deal. In reality, this matters much more in terms of finding a long-term residence than it does for a quick sale. It's more critical to focus on the potential profit margins than the area it's located in. If the ugly home by the dump is more profitable than the fashionable condo downtown, then it's a better deal, aesthetics aside.

FIXER UPPERS AND FORECLOSURES

A familiar area ripe for investment picking is distressed properties or fixer-uppers. Of course these are the houses that need repairs to some degree. And the investors job is to discount the costs of these repairs enough so that the profit is still suitable. With small repairs such as painting, minor landscape, and basic flooring, profits may be available but not really worth the risk. More significant profits are found with extremely distressed properties. Those slipping down the hillside and selling for a quarter or less of normal area values. Or the plumbing is corroded, the roof needs replacing, and the interior needs to be gutted and remodeled, but the seller is asking 50% of the market value and you can repair it for much less.

GET IN A ZONE WITH ZONING

Zoning provides an opportunity to put the property to a higher or better use and is an area many investors ignore. Higher and better use means that the owner is getting the most out of the land. For example, if a lot is zoned for three units but contains a single lot, then it is not getting its highest and best use. Or if a lot is zoned commercial, yet there's a three unit residential building sitting on it, it is not getting its best and highest use, like a business or a store. These are often bargains because the price is based on current utilization. So the single unit residential is priced low while the double unit duplex could be sold higher or rented out. Harder to find as developers stay more aware of zoning allowances these days. Watch out for "midnight conversions" where owners, aware of the zoning ordinance, have made changes without the oversight of the local building authority. Garages being converted to second units on a duplex lot are common examples. Zoning maps can be found at the local planning department. The biggest thing to watch out for with zoning bargains is properties with multiple zoning that is not reflected on the map. Even if its not your core strategy, the zoning should be looked at just to avoid negative consequences. Something to beware of is a future zoning change from residential to commercial which might affect an income producing rental property.

BEWARE OF SQUATTERS

A common instance of buying bargain properties at foreclosure is handling a former owner who still resides on the property. Not facing reality or citing mortgage fraud, they refuse to move out. You can begin action to get the individual evicted, but if they battle it in court the judge may not dismiss the case and now you have a potentially lengthy court battle on your hands. Costs totaling in the many thousands and time measured in multiple months could be the end result of the purchase. In any other type of purchase, always stipulate the conditions of occupancy, such as the house must be empty, before closing the deal. In closing, these are some important areas you should use as a framework when searching for bargain properties. It serves to remind us that there's a bit more more to it than simply price and location.

When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by
the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example
of empire building by George Bush.
He answered by saying, "Over the years, the United States has sent many
of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom
beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in
return is enough to bury those that did not return."

Enjoy the long weekend, but please take to heart and spend a moment of silence to thank the many men and women who have given their lives so that we may enjoy the freedoms that so many today take for granted.

What Is A Veteran?

A 'Veteran' -- whether active duty, discharged, retired, reserve or laid to rest --
is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made
payable to 'The United States of America, for an amount of --up to, and
including his or her life.'

That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country today,
who no longer understand that fact. 

If you have already heard the term reverse mortgage, it still sounds like a strange thing. If this is the first time you are hearing the term, it will probably sound like some kind of shady deal. Reverse mortgages are becoming more and more popular these days, but are they scams or are they legitimate?Is it really possible to sell your house back to the bank and still retain the deed to it? Will the bank really pay YOU the mortgage payments? Let's review what a reverse mortgage is so these questions can be answered.

The name is somewhat misleading. A reverse mortgage is a loan that is structured like a mortgage, with YOU as the lender and the BANK as the buyer. In the U.S., homeowners wanting to initiate a reverse mortgage must be at least 62 years old, and own all or most of their home. The qualifications may differ in other countries. These backwards mortgages are usually performed through a bank or broker. The senior citizen homeowner essentially sells his or her house to the bank, in return for receiving periodic mortgage payments. Sometimes the payments can be structured as a lump sum, line of credit, or a combination of the three methods.

Why would retired persons want to have a reverse mortgage? It provides a constant and dependable stream of retirement income. Many retirement plans such as 401(K) or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) generally increase in value, but are still tied to stock market interest rates. The amount of money they provide during retirement can vary. Social Security, Medicare, and other U.S. government programs have endangered funding, so they may not be reliable sources of income. A reverse mortgage can supplement a senior citizen's income. The amount depends on the homeowner's age, equity of the house, interest rate on the loan, closing fees, and a few other factors.

One very common misconception about the reverse mortgage is that the bank eventually takes ownership of your house. This is not true! The deed remains in your name throughout the entire term of the process. Note that there is interest on the loan payments, but it is deferred until the loan is repaid.

The homeowner can remain living in the house during the entire term of the reverse mortgage. The loan becomes due only when the homeowner moves out, such as moving into a nursing home, or becomes deceased. At those times, the survivors can repay the loan themselves if they want to keep the house. They can also sell the home and repay the loan plus the interest in full. The money paid to the homeowner as mortgage payments must be repaid to the lender when the loan becomes due.

These odd mortgages can provide much needed financial support during retirement. It is a time when medical costs are likely to increase, so an additional source of income can really help. Use a reverse mortgage to help yourself or your aging relatives to gain the financial security in retirement that they worked so hard to achieve.

Hi Folks,

 I personaly contacted Jessica at Mcaffery Properties and I must admit I made a hasty judgement.

With all the attacks that we endure on a daily basis I reacted before I researched.

Jessica can be reached at 315-699-1325 and to visit their website follow the link below:

www.mccaffreyprop.com

What Carl needs to do now is to be responsible for his responsibilities and for his future, and focus on his long-term goals, or he will never achieve his potential and will likely lose friends, family, jobs and opportunities in the process.

Carl should never give up the enjoyable things in life, but allow himself to plan for more of those moments and do fewer in the moment so he can feed his children; today and tomorrow!

•·        Self Esteem -Struggle with feelings of incompetence, and poor self-esteem.

•·        Pressure - Carl may use procrastination to deal with the pressure of daily life and all the competing obligations and tasks.

•·        Control - Carl may use procrastination as a means of control.

•·        Carl does not like to be pushed around and he may believe that he should decide what to do and when to perform the task. Carl will do what he wants to do, when he wants to do it.

•·        Justification - Carl may believe that others do not understand how busy he is and how complicated his life is.

Not that Carl procrastinates - he may have a belief that others do not understand his problems.

Carl may often feel like a victim and frustrated that others do not see how unfair his situation may be.

Green your building

• Apply green building principles to your office buildings. They affect natural resources, land use, energy use, worker and public health, and community well being. With sustainable design - or green building - tools, the federal government can protect human health and worker productivity, reduce costs and risks, and build with greater responsibility towards future generations. Green Building principles lead to building in greater harmony with the environment, consciously sustaining and renewing natural resources. (http://ofee.gov/sb/sb.asp)
• Go Green with GSA. The U.S. Government Services Administration has many environmental initiatives to help federal agencies Go Green. These initiatives range from green products to constructing and leasing green buildings. (http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/home.do?tabId=10)
• Clean Green. Using environmentally preferable cleaning supplies helps reduce pollution. (http://www.epa.gov/epp/pubs/products/index.htm)

Reduce energy use

• Use Energy Star's energy-efficient office products (http://www.energystar.gov) Make sure that you turn on the energy saving features.
  
• Turn off your computer monitor, printers, copy machines, and the lights when they are not being used.
• If possible, take the stairs instead of using the elevator.
• Use the consumer's guide to energy efficiency and renewable energy. (http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/)

Reduce, reuse, and recycle office products

• Buy recycled content, remanufactured, and recyclable office products, and recycle them when appropriate (including e-cycling electronics). At a minimum, buy recycled paper and recycle it again. See the small business guide to pollution prevention for more information: http://www.epa.gov/ecycling/index.htm.
• Clean Out Your Files and recycle papers you no longer need. Many organizations sponsor cleaning weeks; check with your office management staff.
  
• Use spell check and proofread before you print or copy. Print double sided whenever possible. Minimize the amount of paper you use.
• Buy reusable office supplies instead of disposable supplies.
• Set up an area to store and exchange reusable office supplies, such as binders
• Recycle fluorescent bulbs properly to prevent hazardous mercury from entering the environment.

In addition to these items, check the Environmental Protection Agency's "At the Workplace" page http://www.epa.gov/epahome/workplac.htm.

 What should Carl do?

Sometimes it may be difficult to determine why people procrastinate.

If Carl were to step back and analyze his procrastination, he will find it worthwhile, it may even be hard to supply any answers in the beginning of the process.

Eventually, this self-introspection and analysis will provide positive results!

Procrastination may stem from one or more of these issues:

•·        Motivation - The project is irrelevant and has no meaning.

•·        Training - Carl does not have the training or knowledge to accomplish the project, or he is uncertain about taking on something that he has not done before.

•·        Standards -Carl may be afraid that the tasks will not be performed perfectly.

•·        Obligations - Fear of the inability to fulfill all the obligations because there may be so much to do.

•·        Assumptions - Belief that if he avoids or ignores the task it will evaporate. Assume that it will take less time or effort to accomplish.

•·        Fear - Worried about how others may evaluate or judge.

•·        Avoidance - Hate doing this kind of thing.

Carl must focus on the very real fact that his tendency to ignore projects and tasks and to seek pleasurable activities instead, can only lead to failure.

Procrastination

 People find it easy to procrastinate, avoiding procrastination will provide for greater success in life and help in getting the job done.

 Carl Robins successfully recruited 15 new hires (trainees) since becoming the campus recruiter six months earlier. Monica contacted Carl and advised that drug tests, training schedules, orientation, manuals, policy, physicals and many other issues would need to be taken care of. Carl assured Monica that all the issues would be arranged and on schedule. After returning to work from the Memorial Day holiday, Carl took out his new hire-training file and discovered that many of the required tasks had not been completed.

 To understand Carl's procrastination, look beyond the ancient concept that laziness alone is the root of procrastination. If it were, procrastination would be easy to eliminate, it's more complicated than a simple behavior modification.

Like so many other problems, procrastination is not the problem but a response to other problems that creates a domino effect. When people procrastinate, they may be trying to solve another problem.

They are not trying to create a problem.

The problem may be that people are afraid to take on that new project for fear of failure, or that they fear success and attention and feel they are not worthy of that attention, or that they feel they will not do a good job and everyone will judge their performance harshly.

At the subconscious level, these drivers of procrastination are forms of self-sabotage.

Fact is many reasons exist why people procrastinate and those reasons may change depending on the person and the situation.

 More about Carl in a few days, or whenever I get around to it!

Reduction at Home

Consider reducing your purchase of products that contain hazardous ingredients. Learn about the use of alternative methods or products-without hazardous ingredients-for some common household needs. For more information on this review suggested alternatives to common hazardous household items.

Collection Options-Municipalities and Local Governments Facilitating Reuse, Recycling, and Proper Disposal

• Permanent collection or exchange. See if your community has a facility that collects HHW year-round. Some of these facilities have exchange areas for unused or leftover paints, solvents, pesticides, cleaning and automotive products, and other materials. By taking advantage of these facilities, materials can be used by someone else, rather than being thrown away.
  
  
• Special collection days. If your community doesn't have a year-round collection system for HHW, see if there are any designated days in your area for collecting solid waste at a central location to ensure safe management and disposal.
  
  
• Local business collection sites. If your community has neither a permanent collection site nor a special collection day, you might be able to drop off certain products at local businesses for recycling or proper disposal. Some local garages, for example, may accept used motor oil for recycling.