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    <title>My Real Estate Blog and Information</title>
    <link>http://activerain.com/blogs/kthor</link>
    <description>Information about real estate</description>
    <language>en-us</language>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1006497/saratoga-california-relocation-and-information</guid>
      <title>Saratoga California Relocation and Information</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;The City of Saratoga, California may be considered a great place to live according to the 29,843 residents currently living within the city. The city is located at 412 feet above sea level and covers a land area of 12.1 square miles but has an average age of over 40 years old. The city has a medium population density with about 2,460 people in every square mile.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There is only one college within Saratoga, the West Valley College, but there are seven colleges and universities within 20 miles of the city's limits. These seven colleges include the De Anza College, San Jose City College, Mission College, the Foothill College, Stanford College, Ohlone College and the Evergreen Valley College.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There are 10 Elementary Schools in Saratoga City which includes the Argonaut, Marshall Lane, Blue Hills, Saratoga, McAuliffe, Foothill, the Saint Andrews School, Primary Plus, the Sacred Heart School and the Challenger Pre-School Elementary Schools. The city also has one middle and two high schools which includes the Redwood Middle School, the Saratoga High School and the Prospect High School.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Since Saratoga City is known for its green thumb, inside the city you will find the Villa Montalvo Arboretum and the Hakone Gardens. There are six major shopping centers in the City of Saratoga which include places like the Argonaut Place Shopping Center and Azule Crossing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There are several city parks in Saratoga City that includes Azule Park, Wildwood Park, Deer Park, Gardiner Park, El Quito Park and the Green Springs Park. The City of Saratoga is also home to an Amusement/Theme park called Bay Area Amusements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thinking of Moving to the Bay Area? Search your &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/bay-area-real-estate.php" title="Bay Area Real Estate and MLS" target="_blank"&gt;Bay Area Rela Estate and MLS&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:57:45 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1006497/saratoga-california-relocation-and-information</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/639943/austin-texas-real-estate</guid>
      <title>Austin Texas Real Estate</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;The downturn plaguing many housing markets across the country has not reached Austin, and experts do not expect a slump any time soon.&amp;nbsp; Strong economic growth and an appealing quality of life combine to make real estate in Austin an attractive investment.&amp;nbsp; Unlike other popular locations, however, property in Austin remains significantly undervalued when compared to other U.S. cities.&amp;nbsp; Let's explore what makes Austin an attractive and affordable venture, examine some of the economic factors at work, and investigate issues to consider about preferred areas poised for the best profit and appreciation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Find Deals in &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/foreclosures-texas/texas.html" title="Texas Real Estate Home Foreclosure" target="_blank"&gt;Texas Real Estate Home Foreclosure&lt;/a&gt; Market&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:19:33 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/639943/austin-texas-real-estate</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/552315/madera-california-real-estate-and-information-foreclosures</guid>
      <title>Madera California Real Estate and Information : Foreclosures</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="text-decoration: underline;"&gt;Madera County&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Madera County is one of the most attractive counties located in the hub of Californian State. Yosemite National Park, which is a gem of the nation, is an asset of the Madera County and makes it a preferred place for living, learning and earning. The County is not all about businesses and buildings in it. It is about its beautiful environment and the people living in it. The atmosphere of the county is perfect for people who desire to have a living in a way it should be. The surrounding gives them harmony and peace in conjunction with excellent facility in safety and health care. The educational facility is also one of the highest qualities in the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The county has an affluent scope in agriculture having a range of crops grown in the area. Along with agriculture, the county also has richness in development of new businesses, growing economy, lower rates in crime and excellent education facilities. Madera County is home to one of country's leading hospital for children along with companies such as Pacific Bells, Gottschalks, etc. Transport facilities have played an excellent hand in the development of the different industries in the county.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Most People find Madera County attractive for the atmosphere and the comfort that it provides them along with an opportunity to get a taste of its growing economy. The cost of &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/foreclosure-list.html" title="Madera CA Foreclosures" target="_blank"&gt;foreclosures&lt;/a&gt; and parking system are exceptional for people who look forward for moving in the county. Foreclosure listing of Madera County confirms the growing demand for &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/california/ca-foreclosures.html" title="Home Foreclosures" target="_blank"&gt;foreclosed properties&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:43:03 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/552315/madera-california-real-estate-and-information-foreclosures</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/403221/lake-county-lakeport-real-estate-home-relocation-information-and-foreclosures</guid>
      <title>Lake County &#8211; Lakeport Real Estate Home Relocation Information and Foreclosures</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Lake County is located in the north-central area of the state of California, about north of Francisco Bay Area. Commonly known as "The LC" or "The County" by inhabitants, its main geographical feature is the &lt;strong&gt;Clear Lake&lt;/strong&gt;, from which it derives its name. The Clear Lake is the biggest clear-water lake wholly situated in the state of California and hence is one of the most important features of the county as well as its centrifugal city of Lakeport.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The County was formed in 1861 from portions of the Napa and Mendocino countries. The Lake County is famously known for its farming excellence and geographically turbulent stature. It is famous for its vineyards and hence a reliable source for some of the best breweries and excellent wine products.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The geography of the county is chaotic and filled with several faults and active volcanoes that add to the majesty of the county and is one of the major reasons for high tourist traffic. The sustenance of life comes from the sources of the excellent soil conditions and obviously the Clear Lake itself, which is a vast reserve of fresh-water catch and other herbs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The city of Lakeport has also been an important place in American and world history.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A county that has the entity of having the biggest lake of the state in its premises is sure to have a rich host of real estate properties and areas on hold. &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/california/ca-foreclosures.html" title="California Foreclosures" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures &lt;/a&gt;in The County have been some of the most satisfactory procedures in the whole state. This makes The County an automatic choice for interested parties.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sun, 02 Mar 2008 01:52:40 -0800</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/403221/lake-county-lakeport-real-estate-home-relocation-information-and-foreclosures</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/378973/alameda-california-real-estate-relocation-and-information</guid>
      <title>Alameda California Real Estate Relocation and Information</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;The county of Alameda which is located in the state of California may be considered as a great place to live thanks to their 1,448,905 residents. Alameda County has an entire land area of 738 square miles and 83.6 square miles of water. The population density of Alameda county is fairly high with 1,964 residents in every square mile.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Inside the limits of Alameda County there are 10 cities that include the cities of Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, Berkeley, San Leandro, Livermore, Alameda, Union City, Pleasanton and Castro Valley&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are many notable locations in Alameda County, but if you are looking for wineries, there are a plethora of them thanks to their 2,711 acres of orchards in the county. These wineries include places like the Muriettas Well Winery, the Wente Brothers Winery and the Livermore Valley Cellars Winery&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Alameda County is also the home of the Altamont Speedway as well as several yacht clubs like the Livermore Yacht Club. Maybe you don't own a yacht but you are looking for great places to spend your weekends away from the city in places like the Hetch Hetchy Camp, Ardilla Group Camp, the&amp;nbsp; Retzlaff Vineyards or even the Livermore Dude Ranch. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Alameda County has great schools and great job oppurtunities for the whole family, &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/bay-area-cities.php" title="Alameda Real Estate and MLS Search" target="_blank"&gt;Relocate to Alameda and buy Alameda CA real estate, Search the Free MLS.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:57:55 -0800</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/378973/alameda-california-real-estate-relocation-and-information</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/360631/washington-relocation-information</guid>
      <title>Washington Relocation Information</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;All &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/real-estate-directory/washington.shtml" title="Washington Real Estate Foreclosures" target="_blank"&gt;Washington Real Estate Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt; are in Demand&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The State of Washington, which is located in the North Western United States, received its name from the first U.S. President, George Washington. Washington State was admitted into the Union as the 42nd state on November 11th of 1889.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The capital of the State of Washington is the City of Olympia. The State's nickname is the Evergreen State and their flag is the State's seal, which is centered on a dark green field. Since the state was named after President George Washington, it is a given that the official seal of the State of Washington features a portrait of George Washington with the words, "The Seal of the State of Washington 1889" encircling the portrait.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The State of Washington has their own Song named "Washington, My Home" and their State dance is none other than the square dance. The State Motto is Alki which means "by and by" and comes from the Chinook language. Their State bird is the Willow Goldfinch and a Steelhead Trout is the State's fish. While the State's flower may be the Coast Rhododendron, the Washington State tree is the Western Hemlock.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The State of Washington also has a State gem, but it is not a diamond or ruby, it is Petrified Wood. Since we all love a good Washington Apple, it is only fitting that the Sate fruit was chosen to be the apple.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The State of Washington celebrates all of the same federal holidays, but they also have their own state holidays. Besides &amp;nbsp;New Year's Day, the &amp;nbsp;Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day,; Thanksgiving Day and Christmas&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Day, those who live in Washington also celebrate State Admission Day on November 11th of every year.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Washington State is a leader in the lumber industry. The state is filled with a plethora of Douglas fir, spruce, larch, hemlock, white pine, ponderosa and cedar. Washington is the main producer of apples, red raspberries, spearmint oil, dry edible peas, hops, sweet cherries, lentils, pears and ranks high in peppermint oil, apricots, grapes, asparagus, and potatoes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The manufacturing industries in Washington include aircraft and missiles, shipbuilding, food processing, chemicals, lumber, metal products, metals and machinery.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are over 1,000 dams in Washington, including the Grand Coulee Damn which was built for a variety of purposes that includes irrigation, flood control, power, and water storage.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The major points of interest in Washington are Mt. Rainier, Olympic as well as the North Cascades National Parks. Mount St. Helens erupted in May of 1980. There is also some who are interested in the Whitman Mission as well as Fort Vancouver National Historic Sites, the Pacific Science Center and the Space Needle.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" title="Foreclosures" target="_blank"&gt;Thinking of Relocating to Washington, Consider Buying Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt; - it might be worth the buy !&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:56:05 -0800</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/360631/washington-relocation-information</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/185830/california-nightlife-why-moving-to-california-is-a-smart-thing-to-do</guid>
      <title>California Nightlife &#8211; why moving to California is a smart thing to do</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.stateof-california.com/night-life/california-night-Life.html" title="california nightlife" target="_blank"&gt;California is noted for its unparalleled nightlife around the world&lt;/a&gt;. Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Long Beach, Fresno, Sacramento, Oakland, Santa Ana and Anaheim are some of the prominent places in California with exuberant nightlife. These are some of the cities that radiate with overweening energy when the sun goes down. All travelers who have had a taste of the nightlife in some of the major tourist hubs in California swear that the fun begins after sunset. And don't be amazed, if you bump into some of the tinsel world stars. If you are looking for a secure and hassle free nightlife, then California is the right choice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Los Angeles can be termed as a city that never sleeps. &lt;a href="http://www.stateof-california.com/tourist/hollywood.html" title="visit hollywood ca" target="_blank"&gt;Hollywood&lt;/a&gt; dominates the nightlife scene in Los Angeles. The streets are lively and are dotted with a variety of entertainments which fits the bill of any curious visitor. Hollywood is dotted with nightclubs of international repute which are frequented by renowned personalities from around the globe. Music that accompanies many of the nightlife activities is invigorating. Equally brimming with energy are the restaurants and bars of various origin. Some of the famous bars might create the feeling of nostalgia, even though you might be first time there. Don't worry; it is because some of them have featured in Hollywood hits.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The nightlife on offer at San Francisco is concentrated on the Union Square, Ghirardelli Square, China Town, Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. These places are dotted with bars and clubs of different taste. Almost all the different types of cuisines in the world are served in the restaurants of different origin. State Street is the hub of activities in Santa Barbara. Stern's Wharf, a 19th century pier, in State Street is dotted with clubs and restaurants offering various entertainment options. The setting of the Stern's Wharf in night is soothing to the eyes. The events that take place during each night changes periodically and new and interesting events are showcased regularly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego gives the feel of the 18th century and is occupied by restaurants, clubs and bars. People, who are used to the modern nightlife, will have a unique experience here in the backdrop of 18th century architecture. Another unique nightlife offering is the fabulous follies in Palm Springs. This hilarious comedy acts attracts visitors of all age. Special events are organized during the night at many of the important cities. Most the cities in California features the normal nightlife associated with the cities in the United States. The only difference being the glamorous nightlife in Hollywood. It is better to check with local city guides for important events in the night.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Like all other states, California also has its rules and regulations for nightlife. Certain places and events demand a particular type of dress code. The recent unhappy events taking place across the globe has led to tight security checks. Disturbing the neighborhood and driving under the influence of alcohol can invite stringent punishments. It is wise to get firsthand information regarding the basic laws followed by each city during night.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;so if you're thinking of&amp;nbsp;buying&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/bay-area-real-estate.php" title="bay area real estate" target="_blank"&gt;bay area real estate&lt;/a&gt;, please&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/contact.php" title="bay area mls" target="_blank"&gt;contact us&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:43:17 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/185830/california-nightlife-why-moving-to-california-is-a-smart-thing-to-do</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/172865/california-information</guid>
      <title>California Information</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;The "&lt;a href="http://www.stateof-california.com/" title="things to do in california" target="_blank"&gt;Golden State" of California&lt;/a&gt; has long been one of the most famous settlement spots in the United States. After the gold rush of 1848, countless people from all over the world came rushing to this geographically diverse land in search of opportunity and prosperity, seldom went away disappointed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;With almost 100 million acres of land, California is the third largest state in the U.S., next only to Alaska and Texas. It is nestled along the Pacific Ocean with a coastline of 1,264 miles stretching from the Oregon border in the north to the Mexican border in the south. It is one of the most culturally diverse states in the country, with its citizens having varied ethnic backgrounds like Native American, African American, Hispanic, European, and Asian. California climate is also one of the most diverse in the whole United States. With four different climate zones, one could always find a region in California suitable for their taste.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Although mountains and deserts dominate the state's landscape, &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/california-real-estate.php" title="california real estate" target="_blank"&gt;real estate&lt;/a&gt; lands is not hard to come by. In fact, one could even find an upscale resort community within the Colorado Desert - Palm Springs. It has become famous for its warm winter sunshine and its star-studded population. Other upscale communities can be found in the Bay Area, Central Valley, and the coastal strip between Los Angeles and San Diego. Low to medium scale real estate, on the other hand, could be found on the outlying communities and upland areas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For business and employment considerations, one could always find opportunities a few hours drive away from their home. Employment and business opportunities in the state are among the highest in the nation due to its continually booming industries.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Tourism remains as California's leading industry. Some of the well-known tourist destinations within the state are Disneyland, Hollywood, Golden Gate Bridge, and Sea World. There are many more similarly famous theme parks, national parks, and landmarks all throughout the state.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Foreign trade has also been a major industry. Among the leaders in this industry is the City of Los Angeles, whose ports have continually been one of the most busiest in the country for decades. In 1994, the city overtook New York as the country's premier gateway for foreign trade.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sports fans would never be disappointed as the state hosts a number of professional teams in different sports. Among the famous California professional sports teams are: the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), Los Angeles Clippers (NBA), Sacramento Kings (NBA), Golden State Warriors (NBA), Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB), San Diego Padres (MLB), San Francisco Giants (MLB), Los Angeles Angels (MLB), Oakland Athletics (MLB), San Francisco 49ers (NFL), San Diego Chargers (NFL), Oakland Raiders (NFL), Anaheim Mighty Ducks (NHL), and the Los Angeles Kings (NHL).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;National Security matters is not an issue in the State of California. Seized by the United States Marines at the height of the Mexican-American war (1846 - 1848), San Diego Bay houses the largest concentration of military personnel in any city in the United States.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;With its natural beauty, coupled with teeming opportunities, &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com" title="california real estate search" target="_blank"&gt;living in the state of California&lt;/a&gt; promises a future worth spending in.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:34:54 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/172865/california-information</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/172849/the-risks-and-rewards-of-investing-in-foreclosures</guid>
      <title>The Risks and Rewards of Investing in Foreclosures</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;There are many different things to invest in these days. One investment route which individuals take is with regard to &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" title="foreclosures" target="_blank"&gt;foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/san-francisco-bay-area-foreclosures.html" title="help with foreclosures" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures occur when the current homeowner of a property fails to pay their monthly mortgage and the property is repossessed by the lender&lt;/a&gt;. There are various risks and rewards which go along with investments of this type and some of these will be discussed below.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Advantages and Disadvantages to Buying Pre-Foreclosure Properties&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;One type of property sale which relates to &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/foreclosure-list.html" title="foreclosure" target="_blank"&gt;foreclosures&lt;/a&gt; is the pre-foreclosure sale. A pre-foreclosure sale occurs when the lender allows the homeowner with past due mortgage payments to sell the home on their own and pay back the lender what they can from the sale of the home. The lender often agrees to this so that they do not have to get involved with possessing then reselling the home and the homeowner likes this option because it prevents foreclosure. The investor also benefits from this type of sale as well.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some advantages to purchasing an investment property via pre-foreclosure sale include discounted price, speedy purchase and wonderful profit opportunities. As for the disadvantages, the investor who buys property by way of a pre-foreclosure sale may find that the homeowner is hard to contact and/or unwilling to sell, the research is cumbersome and there are other potential buyers who wish to purchase the property.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For those who wish to purchase property via a pre-foreclosure sale, they should do their independent research, approach the homeowner in a courteous manner and ensure that they make an offer that will not cause them to lose money in the end. By doing so, the investor may find that buying a house by pre-foreclosure sale will work to their advantage.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Advantages and Disadvantages to Buying at a Foreclosure Auction&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Another way to purchase foreclosure property is through a &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/foreclosures-listing/auctions.html" title="foreclosure auction" target="_blank"&gt;foreclosure auction&lt;/a&gt;. Auctions of this type are usually held at the local courthouse of the county where the property is located within. This is a common way for foreclosed properties to be sold and this too has its pros and cons.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The main advantage to purchasing property at a foreclosure auction is the reasonable price for which one can bid on a property. Although there will be other bidders, the resulting price is usually one that is quite attractive. Another advantage relates to the profit which the purchaser will see when they resell the home. Since the home was won at a reasonable amount, when the highest bidder goes to resell the property they will most likely see a good profit margin from that sale.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;With regard to the disadvantages, purchasing a home at a foreclosure auction has a few which are tied in with it. The first disadvantage&amp;nbsp;is at auction homes are usually sold as is, the bidder who wishes to adequately inspect the home beforehand will be unlikely to do so. Another disadvantage to purchasing a home via auction is that the purchase price and deposit is due via cash or cashier's check in many instances which may be difficult for many investors to obtain on short notice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Advantages and Disadvantages to Buying Real Estate Owned (REO) Properties&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;One last type of property purchase which relates to foreclosures is real estate owned properties, or REOs. An REO is when the property returns to the exclusive hands of the lender and then needs to be sold from that point. The lender is looking to sell their newly acquired property as soon as possible since they do not want to be in charge of the property and its necessary maintenance. The lender will then look for potential buyers of the property.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some advantages to buying an REO are that they usually have good title, property taxes will be up to date and repairs may have been made to the property by the lender to ready it for sale. As for the disadvantages, those who purchase REOs may find that the savings which they see by purchasing an REO are not as great as they could be and therefore, the profits may not be as great as well.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Conclusion&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When purchasing property in any of the previously mentioned ways there are a few things to keep in mind when doing so. It is extremely important to do independent research with regard to the properties and purchase methods, ensure necessary funds for purchase and inspect the property whenever possible. This will help to ensure that the buying process goes as smoothly as possible.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:26:10 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/172849/the-risks-and-rewards-of-investing-in-foreclosures</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/172842/important-factors-regarding-how-to-buy-hud-fha-properties</guid>
      <title>Important Factors Regarding How to Buy HUD FHA Properties</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;There are many different types of homes which can be purchased on the general market today. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development is a federal agency developed for the purpose of managing federal housing and related issues. Within this encompassing federal department is the Federal Housing Authority which further carries out the goals of HUD. There are certain properties known as HUD-FHA properties and these will be discussed in detail as well as the process for buying these homes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What HUD-FHA Does With Regard to Property Purchases&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In order for a home to be a HUD-FHA home, it has to be owned by the federal agencies. They obtain the initial property in the following manner. Individuals can apply for a HUD-backed loan through their individual lender. From that point onward, HUD vouches for the repayment of the loan and will repay the lender should the borrower fail to do so. In the event that the homeowner fails to pay their mortgage and a &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/foreclosure-list.html" title="foreclosures" target="_blank"&gt;foreclosure&lt;/a&gt; is instituted, HUD will repossess the property, pay off the lender any amount currently due and then take full ownership of the property. From this point onward, the property belongs to HUD and the agency can dispose of the property as it sees fit.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;After the property has been taken and is in the rightful ownership of HUD, the next step is to sell the property to another homeowner. If HUD uses a real estate broker to initiate the sale of the home, the broker will take over certain pertinent duties related to the sale of the home and receive a commission, usually 6%, for doing so. It is important to note that real estate agents are allowed to bid on HUD homes and purchase them on their own but need to go through a HUD broker.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As for the condition of a HUD property, all HUD properties are sold as is on a cash basis. This does not mean that an individual has to have cash in hand to buy it but they will need to obtain a loan from an outside lender. HUD homes are usually of a lower to intermediate price range of home and some homes will be in better conditions than others will.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;How to Find a HUD-FHA Home&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are a few different ways to locate HUD homes. One who is interested in buying a HUD home can search the newspaper real estate advertisements, contact a HUD broker or contact HUD directly for a listing of HUD brokers in the area. Once a potential HUD home is found, it is time to proceed with the purchasing process.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Buying the HUD Home&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When a potential HUD home has been located and the individual is expressing an interest in purchasing it, it is important to adequately inspect the property and make sure it is what you are looking for, both inside and out. If the house is what you desire, you will need to submit a HUD bid package to the area HUD office with a 5% deposit. This deposit is non-refundable should the prospective buyer fail to follow through with the purchase. The individual will wait for the bid to be accepted and if so, will have 30 days to close escrow.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Reasons to Buy a HUD-FHA Home&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Perhaps the number one reason to purchase a HUD home is for the reasonable price that is being offered on the home. HUD homes tend to be more reasonable in price than non-HUD homes so it entices individuals to show an interest and ultimately purchase homes of this type.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some individuals buy HUD homes not only for the price but also for the overall quality of the home itself. Although most HUD homes are of a modest level, there are some which individuals find to be perfect for their needs. Whether they have the right amount of bedrooms and bathrooms or are in a desired location, some people buy HUD homes without ever really looking for a HUD home in particular.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Summary&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Taking advantage of the &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/san-francisco-bay-area-foreclosures.html" title="hud homes"&gt;homes which are offered by HUD&lt;/a&gt; is extremely attractive for many individuals. Not only are these homes reasonably priced but they are also on the market and off of the market as quickly as possible since HUD is anxious to sell the home and have one less home to look after. If an individual is looking to buy a home that is reasonably priced, usually a quick sale and at times in the perfect location for the homeowner, then considering the purchase of a HUD home might be the perfect thing for a prospective homebuyer to do.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:16:03 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/172842/important-factors-regarding-how-to-buy-hud-fha-properties</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/152674/content-theft</guid>
      <title>Content Theft</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Few Days back, I had a webmaster stole content from a page of mine located at my &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/east-bay-real-estate.php" title="east bay real estate" target="_blank"&gt;East bay real estate&lt;/a&gt; section. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here are some useful information on what I did to have those content removed within&amp;nbsp;48 hours&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;1. I &lt;a href="http://www.whois.net/" title="who is" target="_blank"&gt;whois&lt;/a&gt; the domain name to find the owner of site, from info I emailed site owner.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;2. Filled contact form, telling them of the content theft. Told them if content not removed within certain time, legal action would be taken against website owner(s)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;3. &amp;nbsp;I emailed hosting company, telling them of my situation and what they need to do and that they are also &amp;nbsp;responsible for that.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;content was removed within 48 hours of my warning.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;BTW I love &lt;a href="http://copyscape.com/" title="copyscape" target="_blank"&gt;copyscape&lt;/a&gt; - it checks for content theft for you.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sat, 21 Jul 2007 14:07:51 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/152674/content-theft</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/138771/good-luck-chrysler-cheaper-is-better-or-will-it-bring-deaths</guid>
      <title>Good Luck Chrysler - cheaper is better or will it bring deaths</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=businessNews&amp;amp;storyid=2007-07-04T104957Z_01_PEK15826_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHRYSLER-CHERY-EXPORTS.xml&amp;amp;src=nl_usbusinessearly" title="Cheap Quality Cars" target="_blank"&gt;cheap Quality Cars&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;going to the American market in two years..this year it was the dog food, the seafood and other problem foods that we imports from China. In two years, we are going to the fast lane for cheaper and low quality cars. Good luck Chrsyler lovers .. In the name of corporate profits - it's no longer an american car &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;At least Toyota is giving jobs locally (USA)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Jul 2007 12:57:09 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/138771/good-luck-chrysler-cheaper-is-better-or-will-it-bring-deaths</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/137060/blogging-the-wrong-way</guid>
      <title>Blogging the wrong way</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;This is a short blog post&amp;nbsp;... I see more and more Agents blogging today the wrong way. You need to be aware that blogging is one sure way of getting your website ranking in the search engine but you do have to have the proper Anchor text.&amp;nbsp;I mean how can potential client find you if your blooging and placing your url &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/"&gt;http://www.johnhomesonline.com/&lt;/a&gt; as anchor text instead of &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/" title="Bay Area Real Estate" target="_blank"&gt;Bay Area Real Estate&lt;/a&gt;. The difference here is that unless potential clients knows&amp;nbsp;your direct url,&amp;nbsp;direct anchor text won't help you rank for jack! now by placing &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/bay-area-real-estate.php" title="Bay area real estate" target="_blank"&gt;Bay Area Real Estate&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;as the anchor text, you have the potential to rank near the first page&amp;nbsp;of&amp;nbsp;google for that keyword when people search for real estate in your area. oh ya, diversify your anchor links such as &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/walnut-creek-real-estate.php" title="Walnut creek real estate" target="_blank"&gt;Walnut Creek Real Estate&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;or &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/dublin-real-estate.php" title="Dublin real estate" target="_blank"&gt;Dublin Real Estate&lt;/a&gt;. As you can see from the examples, I pointed the anchor text to&amp;nbsp;different pages of my website instead of just the main page.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Examples of Bad Anchor text : My Website, your Name, website url, visit my website or not placing active anchor text when blogging.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 02 Jul 2007 13:17:20 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/137060/blogging-the-wrong-way</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/130203/san-francisco-real-estate-neighborhoods-for-all-lifestyles</guid>
      <title>San Francisco Real Estate&#8212;Neighborhoods for all Lifestyles</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;When choosing to move to San Francisco you have a lot of things to take into consideration and one of the most important is your lifestyle. If you are single and like to party then you are looking for a particular type of neighborhood. The same goes if you have a family. So, the overview of a few neighborhoods below will help you decide where you want to buy &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/san-francisco-county-real-estate.php" title="San Francisco Real Estate" target="_blank"&gt;San Francisco real estate&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Richmond and Sunset&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;These neighborhoods are perfect for families who don't mind a long commute to the city. Many Asian and Russian communities are in this area, which is perfect for immigrants looking for some familiar faces and languages. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Haight&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you were once a hippie and still have a little bit of that lifestyle in your blood then you will enjoy the Haight neighborhood. There is a lot of counter culture and shopping and it is not the safest area in San Francisco. But, if you like the alternative lifestyle Haight is the place. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Marina&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This neighborhood is close to the Bay and it is a very exclusive and expensive area to live. Mostly professionals and well to do families live in this area.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Saint Francis Woods&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This neighborhood is not very close to the downtown area of the Bay but it is family oriented and upscale if that is what you are looking for. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mission &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Beautiful weather and plenty of artsy professionals in this area make it a wonderful and cultural place to live. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Castro&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For all of you living alternative lifestyles, gays and lesbians, and the like you will love this area. It's the most popular area for Gays in all of the Bay Area. &lt;/p&gt;These are just a few of the neighborhoods in the &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/bay-area-real-estate.php" title="Bay Area Real Estate" target="_blank"&gt;San Francisco Bay Area&lt;/a&gt;. No matter what you are looking for or the lifestyle you lead you will find &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/bay-area-cities.php" title="San Francisco Real Estate" target="_blank"&gt;San Francisco real estate&lt;/a&gt; that will make you happy to call this area home.  &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sat, 23 Jun 2007 02:53:44 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/130203/san-francisco-real-estate-neighborhoods-for-all-lifestyles</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/98799/foreclosures-no-the-bank-doesn-t-want-your-house-</guid>
      <title>Foreclosures - No! The Bank Doesn't Want Your House!</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;When faced with the threat of &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/san-francisco-bay-area-foreclosures.html" title="foreclosure " target="_blank"&gt;foreclosure&lt;/a&gt; it is very easy to assume that your bank or lender simply wants to foreclose on your home and it isn't worth the fight to keep the home. This defeatist attitude will not help you keep your home, and the reality is that the bank does not want you to think like this! The bank really doesn't want your home, and a bank never wants to foreclose. Ever. Having this information can help people that are in the process of being foreclosed on develop the right attitude and keep their homes instead of losing the homes that they have worked so hard for.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The fact of the matter is that &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/san-francisco-bay-area-foreclosures.html" title="foreclosures" target="_blank"&gt;foreclosures&lt;/a&gt; are a pain in the side of banking or financial institutions. They do not want to mess with the court proceedings, with the auctions, and with the local laws in your state or county. They simply want the money that they lent you when you purchased the home, paid in full with interest. If they foreclose on the home they aren't getting that. Sure, they are getting the home back, but that is not what they set out to do. Foreclosure costs the bank money and they aren't in the business of spending money, they are in the business of making money. So, if you work with your bank you can stop foreclosure a good deal of the time because they are just as adverse to the process as homeowners are. The bank will often work to keep the home with the owner harder than the owner is willing to work to keep their home.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;While many of us feel contempt toward the bank while going through a foreclosure or when we are threatened with foreclosure, this needn't be the attitude. Your bank wants to work with you to arrange for repayment, so start taking their calls and responding to their mailings. In the long run both you and the bank will be better off. The bank is so willing to work with most people that fall behind on their mortgages that they will often allow them to repay their debts before making current payments, they'll help owners refinance so that they can more easily afford their monthly mortgage payments, and they'll even waive late fees that can add up and make the situation even more overwhelming for those trying to get on top of their debts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Most of us don't think about it, but foreclosure isn't good for the bank, either. It takes time to foreclose on a house, and during this time the bank will not be making any money off the money that was borrowed from them by the buyer of the home. The home will be sitting, sometimes empty and uncared for and the bank will often have to repair the home to make it suitable for sale or to keep up with deed restrictions. All of this costs the bank money that they did not intend to spend on your home.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Even when the foreclosure process comes to an end, the losing of money is not over for the bank. Many foreclosed homes are sold at auction, and while most of us assume that the bank makes back all of their money at auction, they often do not. The first buyer is usually required to pay the difference, but this is a debt that will commonly go unpaid for years because the foreclosed on owner simply cannot afford to pay back the money. So, the bank is still short the money that should have been paid on the principal, not to mention the interest that would have been paid over 13 or 30 years for the original mortgage.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many people that are about to be foreclosed on will file for chapter seven bankruptcy. While this provides the owner with the respite that is needed from over due bills and collection agencies, this is not what the bank wants you to do. In a chapter seven bankruptcy all of the debt is usually taken away, meaning that the owner will be allowed to keep the home, but the unpaid debts will never be paid. The bank is expected to just deal with the loss and go on. This is another reason that a bank or lender will usually try really hard to work with the owing party, because they would rather wait for the money than not get it at all.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As you can see, the bank simply wants their money. They don't like to foreclose on homes because it means that they won't be getting their money right now, and they certainly won't be getting the interest on the money that was borrowed from them, that they were planning on. Working with individuals that owe money gives the bank a better chance of recovering the funds that they are owed than taking a house.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It is important for people to realize that the bank simply does not want your home. They want to work with you so that you can keep you home and they can get their money that is due to them, with interest. Because the bank is watching out for themselves and they want their money, this gives the individual in debt quite a bit of wiggle room to work out payment arrangements and keep the foreclosure process from going any further. With this knowledge you can change your attitude toward the bank or lender and pick up the phone and respond to mailings so that you can get the situation straightened out. If you make a reasonable attempt to pay off the debt you will realize that the owner actually has the upper hand because the bank is willing to avoid foreclosure just as much or more than the owner! Foreclosure simply costs everyone too much time and money, and this does not just apply to the owner, it applies to the bank as well!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 14 May 2007 20:39:11 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/98799/foreclosures-no-the-bank-doesn-t-want-your-house-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/93724/understanding-probate</guid>
      <title>Understanding Probate</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Probate is known as the legal process that settles the estate of the deceased and how the property of that person should be distributed. The probate process can really vary from state to state, so these are just general guidelines. If you are involved in the probate process you might want to seek legal counsel with an attorney that has experience with wills, or even those that have experience in probate court to protect your rights and really understand the probate system in your state. If you are looking for general information, you have come to the right place. Every probate is different because there are different sums of money, different pieces of property, different debts, and different people that want or do not want to take part in the process. Probate does not have to be an ugly process if all parties can agree to work together to preserve the memory of their deceased loved one. We've all seen the ugly probate hearings on television, but real life needn't be so dramatic if the key players do not allow it to become this way.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;In most states, if someone has passed away without completing a will or trust, the property of the deceased will automatically become the property of his or her spouse and there is no need for probate. Yet, there are cases where the surviving spouse does not automatically get the deceased individuals property, and then it is necessary to divide the estate of the deceased, whether or not the decedent had a will. The probate court, the court that has jurisdiction over such matters, will help those involved decide how the property is divided, and that it is divided in a legal manner. The laws vary from state to state, and this is where the division of property can get quite tricky if you or the people are you are working with do not know the laws well.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;A will generally names an executor, which is a person that has the huge task of ensuring that the will is carried out according to what the deceased wanted. Obviously, the most common job of the executor is to organize the whole assets with the help of the probate system. If there is not a will and there is not an executor of the estate, then the probate court or another court that has jurisdiction can appoint an executor. The appointed representative of an intestate estate is called an administrator instead of an executor. If the representative of the estate is anyone other than the named executor they are known as the administrator with the will annexed or administrator c.t.a. from the Latin phrase cum testamento annexo. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;What to expect during the probate process&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The first task of the executor or administrator is open the case with the court. This process differs from state to state, but is generally not all that difficult. Next, the executor will need to inventory and collect the property of the decedent. Some of the decedent's property will not be involved because they will pass through contracts from one person to another, so there is no reason to probate these items. Items such as life insurance policies, bank accounts, or other things that clearly name a beneficiary or have a "payable on death" clause that so names another person will not be a probate issue they will simply transfer to the named individual. After all of the assets have been inventoried and organized, the executor will pay any debts and taxes that are owed. Then, the executor has the task of actually distributing the remaining property to the beneficiaries of the decedent as they have been instructed to do so in the will, or if there is not the will, according to the law.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;It is not uncommon for there to be disputes during this process. Anyone can make a claim on an estate by petitioning the executor or the court. If the court rejects the claim, the individual with the claim may file a lawsuit to attempt to prove their claim and collect the money or the objects that they are saying they are entitled to. If there is a lawsuit, the court is more inclined to treat the probate process more formally, which makes the process much more difficult as it must approve of every single transfer of property in the will.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;How to avoid probate&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Unfortunately, probate can take quite awhile. It is not uncommon for the probate process to take more than a year and for all property to be distributed. The best way for people to avoid putting their loved ones through the probate process is to establish a living will. A living will is a separate entity that enables a person to transfer ownership of all of his or her real property such as houses and cars from him or herself to a trust that can be revised at any time. If the person passes away, the people named as the beneficiaries in the trust are now the owners of the trust and the property mentioned within. The great thing about the living trust is that it's not a public process, so it really helps to preserve the privacy of the deceased as well as his or her family members. When probate is required, an estate tax is generally required as well and a living will can help avoid this, too. While a living trust may reduce the estate taxes, some will generally have to be paid regardless of whether there is a living trust or not, but every little bit helps!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Because probate can take a long time, it's understandable that people would want to avoid it. The problem is that avoiding probate takes foresight that many of us simply do not have. Living wills and trusts are the best way to help you loved ones avoid the stress and disheartening experience of probate, so plan ahead and see if you can't establish how things should be and who should get what when you pass away.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;if you like to buy &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/foreclosure-list.html" title="Foreclosures" target="_blank"&gt;foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;, visit my &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/foreclosure-list.html" title="Forclosure" target="_blank"&gt;foreclosure&lt;/a&gt; website and my &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/bay-area-real-estate.php" title="bay area real estate" target="_blank"&gt;bay area real estate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Tue, 08 May 2007 12:45:30 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/93724/understanding-probate</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/93716/what-to-expect-at-a-foreclosure-auction</guid>
      <title>What to Expect At a Foreclosure Auction</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Whether you are an investor that would like to get into buying &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/foreclosure-list.html" title="foreclosed homes" target="_blank"&gt;foreclosed homes&lt;/a&gt; for your personal use or to flip the property or if you are having your home foreclosed on, you should know what to expect at a foreclosure auction. Of course, the actual steps that will be taken can vary a bit from state to state and from house to house, but it's good to know what you will be getting into when you go to a foreclosure auction. Foreclosure auctions can be exciting, even fun, but knowing what to expect will help you make the most of the experience, whether you are an investor or a homeowner that is trying to get your house back.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Before the &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/foreclosure-list.html" title="Foreclosure Auction" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosure Auction&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You'll likely find out about the foreclosure auction in a local newspaper and on the flier may be information to pre-qualify for bidding. This will allow you to put down a deposit so that the auctioneer knows that you are a serious bidder and can fulfill your bid if you are the winning bidder. Being pre-qualified just sort of speeds up the process so that you don't have to mess around with the deposit on the day of the auction. During this time you should also do some research on the house by looking into any liens that may be against the property, how much the property is worth, how much it has appreciated in the last few years, as well as property values in the area. If the home looks as though it will need some repairs, you should consider this as well when trying to come up with how much you will be willing to pay for the house. Without this research, no amount of knowledge about what goes on at a foreclosure option will help you because you won't know where to start when it comes to actually making a good bid.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What Happens At the Auction&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The auction will typically start with the auctioneer reading legal notices as well as a legal description of the property. The auctioneer will usually then begin taking bids on the property. If the auctioneer has pre-qualified bidders the process is more streamlined, if not, each time a bid is made the auctioneer will then ask for the bidders deposit check, which is typically right around $5,000 for residential auctions. After each bid the auctioneer will attempt to solicit bids for higher amounts. Each auction is different, but the auction increments usually are set by the auctioneer and may be by $100, $500, or $1,000 per bid. The auctioneer will continue to solicit bids by this increment until it is clear that the highest bid has been reached. Then, the auctioneer will announce, "Going once, going twice, three times, sold!" indicating that the auction is over and the property has been sold to the highest bidder.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Once the bidding has ended a foreclosure deed and purchase papers will be drawn up and validated by the new owner or purchaser and the mortgage holder. A grace will likely be given to allow the purchaser to find financing or to come up with the funds to cover the full amount of the bid. This grace period is usually 30 days unless the purchaser and the mortgage holder agree to other terms. After the grace period a closing will take place, so that the new owner can formally take the title to the property.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What Happens, Now?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The purchaser can do what he or she intended to do with the property, whether it is to move into the home or to sell it for full market value. The money paid by the purchaser will be distributed in order of priority, first of which would be taxes. After taxes money will be paid to the mortgage, then the second and third mortgage if applicable. If there is still money after paying these debts, remaining money will be paid to lien holders and creditors. There is a very slim chance that there will be money left over after all of the debts are paid, if this is the case then the monies will be paid to the former home owner.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What about the Original Owner?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The original owner will often be at the auction so that they can bid on their home, and this is legal as long as they have the deposit required. If the owner of the home that has been foreclosed does bid on the home they must remember that the deposit is not refundable and the deposit assumes that they will be able to finance the home within the grace period. Owners must also remember that if they buy the property back old debts may merge and become reinstated such as second and third mortgages that became void when the first mortgage foreclosed on the property unless one has filed bankruptcy and is truly free and clear of these debts. Owners will often drum up the funds to make the deposit so that they can have another 30 days to try to save their home. Owners may or may not be successful in their attempts to save their home at a foreclosure auction.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As you can see, there are a lot of things that go into a &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/san-francisco-bay-area-foreclosures.html" title="foreclosure auction" target="_blank"&gt;foreclosure auction&lt;/a&gt;, but none of them are all that difficult to understand, but knowing about them makes the auction more enjoyable. The auction itself is not all that complicated, but it can be very fast paced. At some foreclosure auctions there are a lot of people, at others there are only a few because of the location or just the debts attached to the property, or even the state of the property. If you are serious about the property you should pay close attention when bidding starts so that you are sure that you can get your bid in when you feel it's time so that you have the best chance of being the top bidder.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;please visit my other &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/bay-area-real-estate.php" title="bay area real estate" target="_blank"&gt;bay area real estate&lt;/a&gt; sites&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Tue, 08 May 2007 12:36:00 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/93716/what-to-expect-at-a-foreclosure-auction</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/89060/san-francisco-bay-area-information</guid>
      <title>San Francisco Bay Area Information</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Nestled along San Francisco Bay, the Bay Area boasts of one of the finest natural harbor in the world, which has a total area of around 450 square miles. Home to almost 8 million people, the San Francisco Bay Area provides the only real break in the coastal mountains of California making it one of the most ideal spot for living within the state. It is divided into 6 sub-regions (North Bay, San Francisco, East Bay, Peninsula, South Bay, and Santa Cruz) and composed of 10 counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;North Bay is a sub-region north of the Golden Gate Bridge, is separated by water from the rest of the Bay Area. It has numerous affluent communities and is probably the least urbanized among the 6 sub-regions. North Bay has many undeveloped parks, farmlands, and plantations. One popular location is Napa Valley, which is well-known for the world class red wines produced from its vineyards.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The City and County of San Francisco was once the largest city, in terms of population in the whole Bay Area. Although it no longer holds that distinction, it remains as the traditional, cultural, financial, and urban center of the region. The most famous landmark in this area is the Golden Gate Bridge, which spans the Golden Gate Strait, a water passage connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The bridge connects the city/county of San Francisco with Marin County in the North Bay.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The East Bay area is split into 2 regions, the Inner East Bay and the Outer East Bay. Inner East Bay, located along the bay's coastline, is more urban, densely populated, and has a more ethnically diverse population. Old buildings in the area suggest that it is one of the oldest developed regions. Outer East Bay, on the other hand, is composed of inland valleys separated from the Inner East Bay by hills and mountains. Its development dates back to less than 60 years ago and is mostly suburban to rural.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;San Francisco Peninsula (or simply Peninsula) is the area between East Bay and San Francisco. It is composed of a series of towns, small cities, and suburban communities along San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;South Bay is the sub-region where the past blends well with the present and the future. The past is typically characterized by the city of San Jose, the oldest city in California, while the present and the future could be gleaned from the products churned by Silicon Valley. In 1990, San Jose became the most populated city in the area.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Santa Cruz, although regarded by most as part of Monterey Bay Area, some agencies and records show it as a part of San Francisco Bay Area. It is sprawled along San Francisco Peninsula, Santa Cruz Mountains, and Monterey Bay.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;With tourism being the region's leading industry, the Bay Area is teeming with tourist destinations and historic landmarks. It is one of the wealthiest regions in the United States. Of the 280 metropolitan areas nationwide, the Bay Area has the highest median household income with $62,024. Six of the top ten places in California with the highest per capita income could also be found in the Bay Area. These figures are a testament of the boundless opportunities available for the citizens residing in the region.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;With its idyllic setting and mild climate, living in the Bay Area is an investment that you can never be wrong about.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Thinking of moving to the SF Bay Area? please visit my &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/bay-area-real-estate.php" title="bay area real estate" target="_blank"&gt;Bay Area Real Estate&lt;/a&gt; website ans search the &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/mls-search.php" title="bay area mls" target="_blank"&gt;bay area mls&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2007 12:44:17 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/89060/san-francisco-bay-area-information</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/89013/pleasanton-real-estate-and-information</guid>
      <title>Pleasanton - Real Estate and Information</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pleasanton, California-An Amazing Place to Live and Work&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Known as the jewel of the Amador Valley, Pleasanton, California, is an especially wonderful place to call home. Pleasanton is located on the San Francisco Area's east side. This location plays a huge role in the lifestyle and environment in Pleasanton. Additionally, there is no better place to live in California if you want a laidback lifestyle with outstanding work opportunities, highly ranked schools, an amazing community, and fabulous shopping. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Schools in the area are outstanding as well and one of the reasons many families choose to live here. The school district is known as the Pleasanton Unified School District, which works directly with the city to create and build a community of character. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In fact, of the 14 schools that make up the school district 12 of them have been recognized as California Distinguished Schools. Included in this distinction were both high schools, the three middle schools, and seven of the nine elementary schools.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, several of these schools also received the honor of National Blue Ribbon Schools and one was even named a National School of Character. There are only 10 schools with the ranking of National School of Character in the nation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Community&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Obviously, Pleasanton has something to offer everyone. There is even a downtown that makes the city seem much smaller than it is thanks to its street parties, festivals, concerts, parades, and even its farmers' market on Saturdays. These events give a small town feel to Pleasanton, but Pleasanton is anything but small town. There are outstanding restaurants and shopping areas to take advantage of as well as beautiful real estate. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Pleasanton, California is one of those rare cities that have it all. You won't find another city with such outstanding schools, amazing job opportunities, and such a close knit community feeling. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;History&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Ohlone Indians inhabited what is today known as Pleasanton some 4,000 years ago. In 1772 the Spanish settled in the area and created Mission San Jose. Eventually a secularization law was passed sometime after Mexico became independent from Spain. Instead of sharing the lands of the valley with the Ohlone the majority of the land became property of loyal Mexicans. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Then in 1850 California became part of the United States and the area changed once again. Pleasanton was known as Alisal at this time and was one of the stopover towns on the gold route. Everyone was in search of gold and Pleasanton saw a hustle of activity, but the landscape did not change too much.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Throughout the 1900s Pleasanton remained small and rural, however the &amp;lsquo;60s and &amp;lsquo;70s brought industrialization and an increased population. With this came lots of new jobs. The business parks built in the area really changed the landscape and Pleasanton was California's third fastest growing city by the 1980s.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Today, Pleasanton is still a wonderful place for families to live and is also one of the best places for business to relocate. In fact, many businesses have moved their headquarters to Pleasanton due to the wonderful business environment that is complemented by the laidback lifestyle.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Currently there are almost 5,500 businesses in Pleasanton that provide more than 50,000 jobs to locals. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;if you'r looking for &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/pleasanton-real-estate.php" title="pleasanton real estate" target="_blank"&gt;Pleasanton real estate&lt;/a&gt;, please visit my site for &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/mls-search.php" title="pleasanton mls" target="_blank"&gt;pleasanton mls&lt;/a&gt; search&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2007 12:00:59 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/89013/pleasanton-real-estate-and-information</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/89007/investing-in-tax-liens</guid>
      <title>Investing in Tax Liens</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Just wanted to meet other &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/tax-lien.html" title="tax lien" target="_blank"&gt;real estate tax lien&lt;/a&gt; certificate investor here. maybe we can share idea's and other county tax lien investing oppurtunities.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For those people who doesn't know what a tax lien is - a tax lien are liens against property for unpaid taxes (other states or county it's called tax deed&amp;nbsp;- works different from tax liens)&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why do&amp;nbsp;I invest in tax liens? 1. High Yield&amp;nbsp;2. secured by real estate 3. start investing small as little as $50 3. you can steal property free of mortgages if tax lien&amp;nbsp;arent paid (very rare) 4. it's fun to make money!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2007 11:55:39 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/89007/investing-in-tax-liens</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/22476/looking-for-real-estate-related-link-exchange</guid>
      <title>Looking for Real Estate Related Link Exchange</title>
      <description>-pls link to my sites first&lt;br&gt;-Link Pages MUST be Cached by Google - Yahoo - MSN (so basically Websites that are Search Engine Friendly)&lt;br&gt;-Resources/link page must be two clicks away or less from home page (yes must be accesible from home page)&lt;br&gt;-please limit link/resource pages to 50 or less partnes per page&lt;br&gt;-can't do html code ? check here for linking info (&lt;a href="http://www.my-ranking-online.com/link-exchange.htm" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.my-ranking-online.com/link-exchange.htm&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I recommend Adding unique Contents to your Link Pages for Google to index/cache it&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;7 websites ready for Trading links for new or existing partners.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;-------------------------------------------------------------------&lt;br&gt;1. JohnHomesOnline.com&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Mondays and Tuesday&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;I want my clients to know about all &amp;lt;a href="http://www.JohnHomesOnline.com/" target="_blank"&amp;gt;California Real Estate&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; and homes for sale, search homes using the MLS with privacy. If you're planning on a relocation to California... and whether you're a seller or first time home buyer... my website is the place for you.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Wednesday and Thursday&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Many housing options are available in the &amp;lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/east-bay-real-estate.php" target="_blank"&amp;gt;East Bay Real Estate&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; market. Ranch style suburban homes and urban apartments, bungalows and elegant Victorian style houses are available in accordance with your financial resources.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Friday and Saturday&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The Bay area is considered a beautiful and interesting area to live as well as to visit. If you're looking to start your search for &amp;lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/bay-area-real-estate.php" target="_blank"&amp;gt;Bay Area Real Estate&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; please visit my website or call me John Nazareno at 510-410-8026.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;For Sunday free choice, pick one and win!! lol&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;--------------------------------------------------------------------------&lt;br&gt;2. Free-MLS-Online.com&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Mondays and Tuesday&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Search homes using our &amp;lt;a href="http://www.free-mls-online.com/state/california-real-estate.html" target="_blank"&amp;gt; California Real Estate &amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; MLS online. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Wednesday and Thursday&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Search the free &amp;lt;a href="http://www.free-mls-online.com/state/texas-real-estate.html" target="_blank"&amp;gt;Texas MLS&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; for homes online. All 50 States available. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Friday and Saturday&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Search &amp;lt;a href="http://www.free-mls-online.com/state/texas-real-estate.html" target="_blank"&amp;gt;Texas Real Estate | Texas MLS&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; for homes for sale. Learn your home's value and find a real estate agent to assist you.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Sunday is your free day to pick&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;--------------------------------------------------------------------------&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;3. Stateof-California.com&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Monday and Tuesday&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.stateof-california.com" target="_blank"&amp;gt;California Information &amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; Visit the beautiful State of California, California information and places to visit with the entire family or business&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Wednesday and Thursday&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Whether you are looking to buy real estate for vacation, retirement, or investment, &amp;lt;a href="http://www.stateof-california.com/california-real-estate.html" target="_blank"&amp;gt;California Real Estate&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; is a good choice for your family.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Friday and Saturday&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Welcome to the Golden State. Here you will find Information about &amp;lt;a href="http://www.stateof-california.com/tourist/things-to-do-california.html" target="_blank"&amp;gt;California&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; and the many things you can do in the state.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Sunday is Partner day, pick which one you like&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;-----------------------------------------------------------&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;4. Alameda-California-RealEstate.com&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Monday and Tuesday&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Visit Alameda for your &amp;lt;a href="http://www.alameda-california-realestate.com" target="_blank"&amp;gt; Alameda California Real Estate &amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; needs.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Wednesday and Thursday&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Visit Fremont for your &amp;lt;a href="http://www.alameda-california-realestate.com/City/Fremont.html" target="_blank"&amp;gt; Fremont California Real Estate &amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; needs.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Friday and Saturday&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Visit Oakland for your &amp;lt;a href="http://www.alameda-california-realestate.com/City/oakland-real-estate.html" target="_blank"&amp;gt; Oakland California Real Estate &amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; needs.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Freedom Sunday, pick which code you prefer&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;-------------------------------------------------------------&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;5. Bay-Area-Cash.com&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Monday and Tuesday&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Want to relocate in &amp;lt;a href="http://www.Bay-Area-cash.com" target="_blank"&amp;gt;Pittsburg CA &amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, John Nazareno is the local real estate expert. Call me at 510-410-8026.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Wednesday and Thursday &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Find &amp;lt;a href="http://www.Bay-Area-cash.com" target="_blank"&amp;gt;Pittsburg Real Estate &amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, Pittsburg real estate agents, and Pittsburg home values.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Friday and Saturday &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Pittsburg offers a variety of housing options in many of the newly improved neighborhoods. Recently, &amp;lt;a href="http://www.Bay-Area-cash.com" target="_blank"&amp;gt;Pittsburg Real Estate &amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; prices have been rapidly rising and out performing every other city in Contra Costa County.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Sunday is my day off - whatever&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;------------------------------------------------------&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;6. Theforeclosuresinfo.com&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Monday and Tuesday &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;There are three basic types of &amp;lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/foreclosure-list.html" target="_blank"&amp;gt;foreclosure&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; properties, representing different stages in the foreclosure process: notice-of-default (NOD) and notice of trustee sale (NTS), which are both pre-foreclosure properties; and real-estate-owned (REO), a foreclosure property which has been re-purchased by the bank.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Wednesday and Thursday &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Information about &amp;lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/foreclosures/California/california-foreclosures.html" target="_blank"&amp;gt;Foreclosures&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; in California and other states including tax liens and tax deeds.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please link to this code on Friday and Saturday&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Information about &amp;lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/tax-lien.html" target="_blank"&amp;gt;Tax Lien&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; and foreclosures in all 50 states.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Sunday is either you take a day off or else! anyway pick either of the three above&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;-------------------------------------------------------&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;7. Stateof-NewYork.com&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Used HTML code on Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesday &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Buying or Selling &amp;lt;a href="http://www.stateof-newyork.com" target="_blank"&amp;gt;New York Real Estate&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, Find homes for sale, houses, &amp;amp; real estate in New York.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Use HTML code on Thursdays, Friday, Saturday and Sunday &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Buy or Sell search &amp;lt;a href="http://www.stateof-newyork.com" target="_blank"&amp;gt;New York MLS &amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, Find homes for sale, houses, &amp;amp; real estate in New York.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;--------------------------------------------------&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;NON HTML code, please visit my site for info.&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.my-ranking-online.com/link-exchange.htm" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.my-ranking-online.com/link-exchange.htm&lt;/a&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sat, 25 Nov 2006 15:50:03 -0800</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/22476/looking-for-real-estate-related-link-exchange</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/20968/how-to-avoid-foreclosure-from-happening-to-you-</guid>
      <title>How to Avoid Foreclosure from Happening to You </title>
      <description>Foreclosure is a term many people may have heard of yet are unsure as to what the term means exactly. &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/san-francisco-bay-area-foreclosures.html" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt; is something which affects homeowners who have a mortgage or lien on their home and do not own the house outright. There are a few things which homeowners should be aware of with regard to foreclosure in order to prevent this from happening to them.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;What Is Foreclosure?&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Foreclosure is when a lender who currently holds a mortgage on one's home can come in and repossess the home due to a number of reasons but mainly for nonpayment of a mortgage. For those individuals whose home is less valuable than their current loan balance, they may also owe a deficiency judgment as a result thereof.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;How Do &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/blog/?" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt; and Deficiency Judgments Affect the Individual?&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;There are many ways in which foreclosures and/or deficiency judgments can affect an individual. First and foremost, when a home is foreclosed upon that individual loses their living quarters plus any money which they have already paid for the home. When one has a deficiency judgment issued against them they will find that they will owe varying sums of money in order to make up the difference between the value of the home and the outstanding loan on the home. Also, it is important to note that either one of these incidents can affect the credit of an individual and cause a blemish on their credit rating for years to come.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Ways to Prevent Foreclosure&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;There are a few ways in which homeowners paying mortgages can avoid foreclosure on their beloved home. The first way in which to do so is to pay the mortgage bill on time. This is the primary answer for those who ask how to avoid foreclosure. For those who have difficulty with doing so from time to time, there are other ways to prevent this from occurring. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The homeowner should always address letters from the lender which revolve around late payments. Within these letters the homeowner will find important information that tells the homeowner what to do if they are having trouble making payments. The letter will ultimately include phone numbers and names of contact individuals at the financial institution so that they can discuss their payment issues with a lender representative. It is crucial for the homeowner to speak with the lender and not bury their head in the sand to avoid it. Avoiding a problem such as nonpayment of mortgages will not make it go away and will only make it worse. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Individuals who are having trouble making mortgage payments should also be certain to stay in their homes and not abandon the property in any way. This will only hurt the individual in the long run and make foreclosure even that much more of a possibility. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Lastly, if the home is a HUD home, there are HUD counseling agencies which will aid the homeowner in preventing foreclosure issues from arising. The homeowner should contact HUD authorities to discuss ways in which to keep their home and make payments.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Possible Alternatives to Foreclosure&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;For those individuals who have trouble making mortgage payments on their home and fear &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/foreclosure-list.html?" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt; it is important to know about other alternatives which may be recommended besides the dreadful foreclosure. Not all of these alternatives will apply to each and every individual but some may prove to be very handy when all is said and done. The first is called a special forbearance.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The special forbearance is something which may be arranged by the lender whereby the homeowner receives a payment schedule adjustment and may also receive a suspension of payments for a certain period of time. The representative of the lender will discuss options with the homeowner and after reviewing their situation decide if a special forbearance is warranted.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Another alternative to foreclosure is the mortgage modification. A mortgage modification is where the homeowner has the option to extend the loan period or refinance their current loan to get a lower rate and therefore have lower monthly payments. This is a wonderful option for those individuals who do not make enough each month at the moment to currently pay their mortgage.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;A partial claim is another alternative for homeowners facing foreclosure to consider. The partial claim is available to those individuals who have HUD loans. With this payment alternative, the Department of Housing and Urban Development would help the homeowner bring their mortgage up to the current balance by paying the money which is overdue. This is a way to help the homeowner get out from under the mounting debt and then try to get them on the right payment schedule.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Some individuals may find that selling their home is the best bet and they can do so by way of a pre-foreclosure sale. This allows the individual to sell their home for an amount less than the total mortgage amount due prior to having it sold via foreclosure sale. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Lastly, one may be able to submit a deed in lieu of foreclosure. Although this still will not prevent the homeowner from losing their house, it will help them in the long run by not having a foreclosure on their credit history.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Summary&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com/foreclosure-law/law.html" title="Foreclosure Info" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosure&lt;/a&gt; is a serious matter for homeowners to face. However, it is important to know that there are ways to prevent foreclosure and alternatives to foreclosure do exist should such a thing be necessary in the end. &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Thu, 16 Nov 2006 12:12:39 -0800</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/20968/how-to-avoid-foreclosure-from-happening-to-you-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/20063/a-questionaire-for-my-fellow-realtors</guid>
      <title>A Questionaire for my fellow Realtors</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Just wanted to know how many of you have a website you can call your own, not your Brokers?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why am I asking? I recently attended a seminar, and swap cards with fellow Realtors. When I got Home, I emailed everyone and notice that 75% dont have a website or are using brokers email address (which usually means they dont have a website) I believe in today's society people are taking advantage of what the online community are offering such as searching for homes online, searching for free MLS on your website and emailing you for showing. People or Leads are now opting for email instead of phone calls from you, and the trend will just keep going up. so I ask again how many of you have a website? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why is having a website important? because it gives you a web presence and at some point make those people notice that you are as savvy as they are. But dont just get a website, I've seen many people get a website something like this &lt;a href="http://www.alameda-california-realestate.com/" title="Alameda Rela Estate" target="_blank"&gt;Alameda Real Estate&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;(dont worry it's my website Im practicing on)..people probably will exit out asap, instead opt in to something more professional looking like my &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com/berkeley-real-estate.php" title="Bay Area Real Estate" target="_blank"&gt;Bay Area Real Estate&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;website. It's a website that has generate enough business that I don't even remember how much I paid for it. My only recommendation is dont go looking for a website on a newspaper or magazine but search online, and most great webmaster have forums, ask questions and do lot's of research before commiting to buy a website. If you have a question or two, fell free to email me..&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sat, 11 Nov 2006 12:50:15 -0800</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/20063/a-questionaire-for-my-fellow-realtors</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/17857/road-to-the-top-how-i-got-my-site-to-the-first-page-of-the-search-engines-</guid>
      <title>Road to the Top : How I got my site to the first page of the Search Engines </title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Reaching the top of the Search Engine doesn't happen overnight as a lot&lt;br&gt;of you might know or not know. People takes shortcut in hopes of finding a link exchange miracle (joining automatic link farms etc...) here is a small but incomplete guide how I made some of my sites TOP in it's Search class :&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;this are my ranking : many of the sites just started this year and I will continue to experiment.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.my-ranking-online.com/my-ranking/number-one-real-estate-website.htm"&gt;http://www.my-ranking-online.com/my-ranking/number-one-real-estate-website.htm&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;(this&amp;nbsp;are very old data, I can assure you if I have a new one, it's better with more competitive Keywords in the first page, more pages with more keywords, etc...)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;1. link with quality sites&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;2. make sure you have tons of link pages for this purpose (it's a turn off to have only 1 page dedicated to link partners, make a 50 page state link page or more)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;3. check once in a while to see if people are linking back to you.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;4. have plenty of unique contents on your websites (the Search engine loves unique contents) I try to Add at least 2 to 5 unique new pages a month per website. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;5. a good website is always under Construction - always adding new unique contents, fine tuning some sentences and etc..adding more pages..&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;6. make sure you have a link/resource that's two clicks away from homepage or less and make sure link page/resource links from homepage.&amp;nbsp;Make sure it's the same for the site you're linking&amp;nbsp;2, or&amp;nbsp;it might be orphaned page and it's useless to you, more benefit for your partner.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;7. limit link page to say 30 to 50 link partners (outbound links)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;8. In two years of doing link exchanges, have never found a single automatic link exchange to be of any Value so manual link is best to insure quality of partners (lot's of those automatic link partners dont have link page cache etc..)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;9. Join as much quality real estate or related forums as possible and make sure you have a signature in place pointing to your website. &lt;br&gt;(usually when you join a forum it's the user's CP,then signature, make sure read the instruction on how many you can place)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;10. be creative - find things that would help get you incoming traffic such as maybe article submission or things like that) &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;11. be patient with link exchange - it's not overnight that links will benefit you ( A body Builder takes a while to build muscles right? just gonna keep working on them links and you shall see the result)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;12. Read ! read and read some more ! cant learn if you don't read.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;13. Ohhh, a home page link is good but what good is it if they dont link back to you home page too right ?(then they bury your link so deep you cant find it)) some of the website/directory loves to fool link partners into thinking they are worth more than the average site, sites like the top million agents (just made this site up and eveyone can't be top million right?), it's just a name and a banner..(link with individual realtor sites or sites you trust.) If you want a nice banner, I suggest go hire someone and have them make a award banner for you! otherwide those REAL ESTATE DIRECTORIES are all real estate agent competition..unless you want them to rank ahead of you and charge you for the lead you could have generated yourself ! your choice..&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;14. when linking , make sure all link pages are cache by Google, Yahoo and MSN. I never link with someone's who's website was last cache 2 years ago!&lt;br&gt;(yes i know of a few)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;15. link request email - 95% are NOT good..(was 99% a few months ago) but lately I have found a few good partners via email request. yes I check all request and do take the time to navigate thru potential link partners site.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;16. If you dont have a website and are thinking of getting one? email or pm me! I let you know who's the daddy of this biz..after-all I've tried nearly all of those bigger companies (Im not sure why NAR would endorse some companies over others unless they are getting a cut - I've tried those companies too - not good - good info when you want to sign in and bad after they have your $$) &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;one company had an excuse why they didn't answer my emails for the last 7 weeks - " 5 of your customer reps had change jobs" 5 in 7 weeks?#%&amp;amp;^*&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;the other had great service before I sign in, then customer service went from 100% great to 0% really bad in 1 month..&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;this are all my opinion, it cannot be used to point fingers at me when your link programs goes down the tube! all opinion are the express opinion of myself only, use at your own expense.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;17. yes I do have bad grammar (Foreigners! my&amp;nbsp;7 yr old kid alway corrects me), damnit, but that has never stopped me from making the $$..&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;18. If you're in the business, I recommend get a website! not your brokers website but your own personal one. I mean how would you generate business if you don't have one right ?&amp;nbsp;see mine at &lt;a href="http://www.johnhomesonline.com"&gt;www.johnhomesonline.com&lt;/a&gt;. One deal paid for itself&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Well if you have any questions Just email me at &lt;a href="mailto:kthor@comcast.net"&gt;kthor@comcast.net&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;| always looking for good link partners.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Tue, 31 Oct 2006 22:52:01 -0800</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/17857/road-to-the-top-how-i-got-my-site-to-the-first-page-of-the-search-engines-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/17832/why-buy-an-reo-real-estate-owned-by-banks</guid>
      <title>Why Buy An REO? Real Estate Owned By Banks</title>
      <description>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;An &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" title="REO" target="_blank"&gt;REO is real estate owned by the bank&lt;/a&gt;, and many investors consider an REO property to be money just waiting to happen. An REO is different from a foreclosure property in that the bank has already tried to sell it at a foreclosure auction and has had no luck getting bids. Because the property was not bid on, the bank then became the owner of the property. Naturally, the bank does not want to keep the REO any longer than possible, and this makes it a great opportunity for an investor. Not every REO is a good deal, but when you look at an REO you&amp;rsquo;ll commonly find that there is a lot of money to be made.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;So, is this a &lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" title="Foreclosures" target="_blank"&gt;foreclosure&lt;/a&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Technically speaking, the home was foreclosed on because the owner of the home failed to make their scheduled payments. The bank set up and went through a public auction, but there was not any bids placed on the home, so the bank ended up owing the property. Yes, the home was foreclosed on, but it is well past the foreclosure process and the bank will be anxious to get rid of the property.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Advantages of REO vs. Foreclosed Property&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;When you are thinking of buying an REO you have to distinct advantages that a buyer does not have with a foreclosed property. The first is that you are able to buy on your schedule, as you do not have an auction date to work with and around. You can make an offer of the home any time; you don&amp;rsquo;t have to wait for bidding to begin. Another big advantage of an REO compared to a foreclosed property is that you can inspect it before you buy, when you cannot do this with the majority of foreclosed homes that you think about purchasing. Being able to inspect the property before you buy will let you know how big of a project you will be dealing with.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Best types of REO to purchase&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;You might not think the type of loan the home was purchased with the first time around matters but it does. You should attempt to purchase REO&amp;rsquo;s that had a conventional loan the first time around, as you will likely get much better deals with these than you will if you look at FHA and VA loans. The federal government backs FHA and VA loans, and the government can actually buy them back if they are so inclined. Homes that had conventional loans the first time are often purchased for just a fraction of their value, meaning that they can make an investor a lot more money.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Which REO&amp;rsquo;s you should not purchase&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Just because the bank owns a property does not make it a good deal. In fact, when you see that a home or property is an REO you have to wonder exactly what IS wrong with it. The house was not bid on because no one saw the worth in it. Did the home just not have enough equity? Were their IRS liens against it? Was the property just too badly damaged? You need to ask these questions. If the bank cannot answer the questions then you need to be even more skeptical. Take advantage of your right to inspect the REO so that you can see with your own eyes what may or may not be wrong, hire professionals if necessary as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;One must also be sure that if they are purchasing an REO to fix it up and sell it, that the property is located in a desirable part of town. If the home is not located in a desirable part of town, you should really think about how wise of an investment the property may be. Perhaps location is why the property was not bid on at auction. There are three big things to consider when dealing with any type of real estate and those are location, location, location. Never let a seemingly good deal let you lose sight of how important location is for any piece of real estate that you intend to sell.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Why the bank will sell an REO cheap&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Basically, a bank is not set up to deal with real estate. Sure, they give loans to people, but really, they are not equipped to buy and sell real estate. Because banks are not accustomed to dealing with real estate, it often takes them awhile to get the ball rolling so that they can repair the property, and get an agent to sell the property. What this means is that while the bank attempts to get their business together they are losing money hand over fist and the federal government often penalizes them for each and every REO that they acquire.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Because the bank is loosing so much money on each REO, they are willing to sell it fast and cheap. In fact, banks commonly sell an REO property for around 30% of its value just to be done with it. Sure, they end up losing money on the deal, but they end up losing less if they sell cheap now than they would if they kept the property for another six months while they try to pull everything together so that they can sell the property.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The great thing about working with the bank with an REO is that you aren&amp;rsquo;t buying site unseen. Because you can walk through the house and make all the inspections that you want, you can deal with them in a way that will give you the best deal, and the bank will typically be happy with any serious offer because it will get the house off of their hand and they will stop losing money.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Generally REOs are a great investment as long as you know what you are getting into. The bank simply wants to get rid of these homes, and if you find the right property and are ready to make the serious investment, it can be a great way to get off and running in the real estate business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Article Provided by : http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com" target="_blank"&gt;Foreclosures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>John Nazareno (John Nazareno)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Tue, 31 Oct 2006 20:17:14 -0800</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/17832/why-buy-an-reo-real-estate-owned-by-banks</link>
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