Tips To Sell Your Home By Yourself

Tips To Sell Your Home By Yourself
If you are interested in selling your home by yourself this
is the article for you. Many people recently have begun to
sell their homes with the help of an agent because they are
able to sell it faster.

You are able to typically sell your house faster, but you
lose money off the commission you have to pay the agent.
This article is about how to sell your home without an
agent.

Selling your house is not a difficult task if you know a
little about the real estate business. If you know the
steps to take to sell your house, you should be able to
sell it just as fast as an agent, without having to pay a
commission.

Do not think that it is going to be easy though? You are
going to be required to spend a lot of time and effort
doing homework to find out the market rate of your
property, cleaning your home, etc.

The first step is to begin photographing your house. Before
you begin snapping shots of all the rooms you should clean
them to improve their look. If you do not clean the rooms
before taking the pictures you will leave a negative
thought in people's heads and the room will seem less
spacious than it could be.

Cleaning the house also allows you to identify any defects
in your home that will require extra work, such as broken
tiles needing fixed, the paint needing to be redone, the
grass needing mowing, etc.

Once you have cleaned your house to make it look as
attractive as possible you can begin taking the photos.
Attractive photos of your house can be placed on the
internet and in newspapers so that people looking to buy a
house can get a sneak peek of yours before they stop by for
a personal visit.

Now that you have cleaned your house you are going to need
to do a bit of research on a reasonable price to sell your
home for. You obviously want to get as much money as
possible but you do not want to put the price too high and
scare people away.

One way to set a price for your house is to research the
market rate of houses based on the size and type of your
house to get an idea of how much other houses like yours
are selling for. Or, you can pay a professional to come in
and inspect your house and get a quote from someone who
knows a little more about the market.

Finally, and probably the easiest step, is to begin
marketing your home to potential buyers. Real estate
websites are one of the best places for you to go and post
your listing.

These are one of the best ways to get your house marketed.
Another great way is to post your ad in your local
newspaper.

If you are looking to sell your home without having to pay
commission to a real estate agent, this article should give
you the basics to help you sell your house.

----------------------------------------------------
James Redmond invites you to visit his best home offer
website if you want to sell your home by yourself. If you
are a private party who must sell your home because of
bankruptcy, divorce, to stop foreclosure, or other issues
he can help. He specializes in private party must sell home
help including selling Orange County homes fast. Please
click here now to learn more:===>
http://www.thebesthomeoffer.com

Things to Avoid In Gas Reward Credit Cards

Things to Avoid In Gas Reward Credit Cards
Gas reward credit cards are great but the truth is they're
not really for everyone. Usually, this type of reward
credit card is affiliated with a particular gas station,
and if you don't purchase your gas from that station, then
you won't earn your points at all. So before you go ahead
and sign up for that amazing gas rewards credit card offer,
read on and find out the things you need to avoid with your
gas reward card.

Inaccessible gas station affiliates.

As we've said at the beginning of this article, you'll have
to make sure that your gas reward credit card is affiliated
with your preferred gasoline station. Otherwise, your
credit card won't be of much use to you at all. Is the
affiliate gas station easily accessible to you? Or do you
need to drive out of your way just to refuel? Remember, on
some cards you only earn your rebates each time you charge
your fuel purchases from the affiliated gas station.

Vague terms and conditions.

Are the terms about earning gas rebates and redeeming your
rewards stipulated clearly in your credit card agreement?
Or are there some phrases or statements that are somewhat
vague or indistinct? Pay special attention to the asterisks
that are found at the end of what seems to be a great
offer. Often times, there are certain conditions before you
can enjoy that offer. For instance, if the ad says you get
5% rebates on gas purchases*- the term "gas purchases" may
be limited to only one particular gas station branch and
not on all gas purchases. Make sure that you are clearly
aware of what you're signing up for by reading the fine
print of your gas reward credit card agreement.

Delaying your monthly payments.

Reward credit cards are often strict about implementing the
rules. Gas reward credit cards are no different. If you
fail to submit your monthly payment by your due date,
chances are, you forfeit your eligibility to earn our
rewards. This is a crucial tip for every reward credit card
holder. Pay close attention to your payment due dates to
make sure that you'll get the rewards you deserve.

Deceptive Promotional offers.

Watch out for what seems to be the best deal you ever
heard! Promotional offers are always great but don't forget
that these offers don't last very long. Also, promos are
offered just to get you to sign up for the card. Don't
forget to check if there's a catch. For instance, the 5%
gas rebate may just be limited to your first month,
afterwards it may drop to a low 1% or even less. The low
interest rate may be good for the first 3 months, but how
much will it be after the introductory period expires?
Don't be stuck with a gas reward credit card that doesn't
do much for you. Read the full terms and conditions to know
the exact implications of the promos being offered.

----------------------------------------------------
RewardCreditCardSite.com - Travel, Cash Back, Gas,
Business, Hotel, or Airline Credit Cards Reward Programs
provides consumers with valuable reviews and information on
the best credit card reward programs. Earn hotel rewards
for free hotel stays, gift certificates and enjoy special
benefits. See full review of the popular hotel reward
credit card: Hilton Honors:
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s/hilton-hhonors/

What Is Going On With The FHA Market?

What Is Going On With The FHA Market?
Linda and her husband are from Texas and had been approved
for an FHA loan on a single family residence. Their lender
had told them that they needed two months reserves in the
bank at closing or the loan would not close. They were
confused by this requirement and came to me for
clarification.

Well, I was confused too! FHA does not have a requirement
for reserves (unlike conventional loans). The only reserve
requirements with FHA are if a buyer is purchasing a 3-4
family unit. If purchasing a 3-4 unit, the reserves
required are three months.

The answer here was a no-brain-er and is actually available
on the HUD website. There is however, a really big issue
here. Can you see it? Bear with me, here is another example.

Another couple was approved for an FHA loan in March of 08
and the company they were working with said the couple had
to pay their 2007 taxes before the lender would close the
loan. Hello, 2007 taxes aren't due until April 2008. This
couple asked if there was a law stating this. Well, NO!
There is not even an underwriting guideline that calls for
it.

What is going on here? Do you see the big issue yet?

I have a web site where I answer Mortgage questions from
home buyers, sellers, real estate agents, loan officers,
and yes, even underwriters. These underwriters and loan
officers are from some well know companies. This isn't
about my web site, ... I'm not even going to give you the
URL. I only bring it up because that is why I see a big
picture that others can not. I get questions every day from
all over our country, India, and other countries in the
middle east.

I see at least four major issues with this information so
far but I'm only going to cover two.

First, Why don't Loan Officers and Underwriters know basic
FHA underwriting guidelines? Simple, they have no
experience or training on FHA! FHA loans are and always
have been a terrific option for people that didn't quite
fit into conventional guidelines. Best of all the interest
rate is considerably lower compared to a sub-prime loan and
as I write this today FHA rates are equal to par on a
Fannie Mae. It doesn't get any better than that, right?

Well, FHA loans are fairly complicated to put together and
they used to have stringent appraisal and inspection
requirements. So, if a borrower didn't fit into Fannie or
Freddie it was easier and quicker to slap them into a
sub-prime. It was a slam dunk and so what if the rates were
higher on a sub-prime, few consumers understood their
options anyway. (that mentality is why I built my site in
2002)

Another reason companies didn't do FHA loans was because
they had to be HUD approved which meant they had to have a
minimum net worth and pass a costly Audit every year. So
again, why bother when sub-prime was so easy and available.

Now, of course the sub-prime days are almost a thing of the
past or at least not as "sub" as they use to be. The
savior? ... FHA Loans of course, except that very few,
including underwriters have any experience with them or
understand the differences between FHA and Fannie. Thus, in
the two examples above, underwriters and LOs are just
making stuff up or worse case, running scared because of
all the flack in the industry right now.

In defense of the underwriter (as in example two) I will
say that they have the authority to require what ever they
deem necessary to improve a portfolio. Many of the
questions I have received from underwriters seem to reveal
that it is really a case of inexperience and over caution.

The mortgage industry professionals are struggling to catch
up/learn FHA guidelines. If you are a consumer you must be
very careful to find someone that has been HUD approved for
at least two years. And Do Check, seriously. Some companies
are doing FHA loans and they are not HUD approved. They are
under the disillusionment that HUD will allow a non-HUD
approved broker, to broker, to another HUD approved broker!
Sounds a little flaky, no?

How in the world did we ever get in this mess? We can throw
some of the blame to the politicians and presidential
candidates that are hyping it up for their own agenda. It
is not as bad as they say but they are speaking so loudly
that the rest of the world is now listening. Did you read
what is going on in the UK's market today? Good grief.

I don't believe in bailing out our large lending companies
and here is why. Back in this article I mentioned getting
questions from India and other countries in the middle
east. Now I ask myself, why would a mortgage underwriter in
India, who I can hardly understand due to "no speaking good
English", be calling me on the telephone at 3:00am about a
loan in Texas??

Go Figure!

----------------------------------------------------
Connie Sanders is available to answer any mortgage
questions you have and can be reached from her web site.
Find out more about FHA Guidelines at
http://www.fha-mortgageunderwriters.com

Suckers Stupidly Purchase Internet Shared Leads

Suckers Stupidly Purchase Internet Shared Leads
Show your agency what a fool you are. You have seen
internet leads make a difference for some insurance
salespeople. Just give you a lead and you can sell it.
Leads allow you to talk about your products. The more you
talk to prospects, the more sales you can make. Correct?

Wrong! An insurance salesperson proves he can sell, yet has
four major barriers to overcome. ONLY very successful sales
makers resolve all of these blockers.

1.Insurance salespeople and insurance salesperson
recruiters are just plain CHEAP.

The roadmap leading your journey to riches does not provide
any free gas or free prospects. Cheap leads run the gamut
from telephone directors to association membership lists to
acquiring the least costly prospect leads. These "prospect
leads" are usually internet shared leads.

The less you are willing to pay to reaching prospects
interested in your insurance products the longer and
riskier the road to success becomes. Rationalize why
internet shared leads are losers. The company selling an
internet shared leads, makes outlandish profits on each
one. You are misled into believing the prospect information
is given to 6 other agents, when the figure is usually 12.
And who knows if the prospect is a true insurance prospect?
You only spent $10.00 to get the prospect but the lead
company netted $120.00

2. You EGO is making your head swell.

Facing 11 other competitors you truly believe your selling
skills will outshine all competition. A stubborn, inflated
ego blocks out reality. The internet shared lead company
makes no guarantee this client is going to purchase from
any insurance salesperson. If your prospect has already
chosen to buy, can you swallow your pride do?

If you ever watched baseball, observe the catcher give the
pitcher a sign. The sign suggests to the pitcher which
pitch to deliver. The pitcher shakes off the catcher's
sign. Now the catcher has lost his chance of having his
pitch delivered. The same occurs with your pitch. Should
your prospect already decide to buy from a competitor,
don't bother to deliver your pitch. Face it you lost this
one! At this stage it hurts the ego trying to convince the
prospect your product delivers better.

Calculate what your odds were. The internet company
provided a shared lead in which existed a 33% chance the
prospect would buy. Since it is a shared lead, multiply the
chance (one to three), by the total agents in the game to
pitch the prospect. For a seller like you, one in 3 sales
likelihood evolves to one in thirty six. To your cheap
mentality it translates to paying $120 per chance. That
means a 33& closing ratio accumulate costs of $360 dollars
per sale. Acting cheap just cost you a bundle.

3. BELIEVING the internet lead company.

The sales lead company takes no oath to tell the truth and
nothing but the truth. Do you Still think most people are
honest? Do you think your auto mechanic charges you his
price for parts or the retail price? Profit is the name of
their game and your game too. Are you the first to enter
the field with a prospect before anyone else does, even
with a shared lead?

Once the first competitor has delivers his pitch, your
prospect may already hit on the offer. You are no longer
playing on a level surface. Each insurance agent ahead of
you further tilts the odds against you. Saving your best
pitch for last, will almost certainly bounce off the
prospect with little effect. Even if you are first to
deliver your insurance presentation and it is perfect, yet
no sale, do you still believe in the profit motivated lead
company? Easily they can take an "exclusive lead" prospect
that would not buy, and recycle it into a shared lead.

4. SALES do not equal the sum of leads plus presentations.

Let's face it, insurance salespeople remain dirt cheap,
even when knowing profitable ways exist. You can hide your
cheapness behind busy work. Seeing busy work keeps sales
managers off you back.

Is the prospect you are working on truly a lead? Do you
have the knowledge to provide a meaningful presentation
leading to a sale? Is your prospect willing and able to
purchase this insurance from you. You receive a tip that a
local business is looking for a health plan. No problem.
You call a dozen insurance marketers asking for a quote on
a nine person group. No sale, two were uninsurable, a 2,000
deductible was desired, and the owner way underestimated
the cost. You were way out of your league.

Face the music; you didn't take the time to determine if
your prospect for a group plan was a genuine prospect worth
pursuing. You did no fact finding about price, benefits,
insurability, nor had experience in this area of insurance.
To put it bluntly, this was a loser lead. Giving
presentations to masses of people does not equate to mass
sales. What about going back to cheap internet shared leads?

Maybe none of this article sunk in. It seems you have an
ego that can't be shattered, but your future is already
shattering. Either you profit, or others profit off you.

----------------------------------------------------
Don Yerke is the sales adviser and article writer for
Agents Insurance Marketing, a firm he founded over 25 years
ago. The firm's website is
http://www.agentsinsurancemarketing.com

In it you will
find agent and marketing tips, charts, research, advice,
and articles. If you enjoy articles telling it like it is,
you located the place. Insurance marketers and agents have
greatly benefited from Don's articles.

Will You Ever Be Able To Retire?

Will You Ever Be Able To Retire?
If you don't do something right now to assure your
retirement, you'll end up living in an alley fighting the
stray cats and dogs for your meals. Sounds blunt, but it
is a fact.

I actually did not think about retirement until it was
almost to late. I have seen other people my age do the
same thing. The reason is NO ONE talks about it. We don't
want to be reminded that we are getting older. We walk
around spending money, not saving it. We buy every gadget
we can get our hands on, or do the typical 'keep up with
the Jones' where we must do, look and be better then our
neighbor. STOP! Take a deep breath, exhale and let's
review what we should be looking and thinking about instead.

Your retirement plan will not look like your parent's
retirement plans. IRA's were just being created back when
your parents were planning, or not planning their
retirement. 401k's did not exist. So, what did they rely
on for their retirement money? Pension plans, social
security and savings accounts. Also, people did not live
as long as we do now, so their money did not have to go as
far.

Your retirement will be different. You will live longer
and have a more expensive lifestyle. Back in the day, your
parents could live on 70% of their income, but that
probably won't do for you.

Social Security for us may not be a reality. As they say,
no one has your back, sorry! We cannot rely on the
government to subsidize our retirement. The Social
Security system is broken, and many of us have heard that
we will be lucky if we see a dime of the money we invested
into it. As the baby boomers retire and put a strain on
Social Security, benefits will have to be cut or taxes
raised. For those in or near retirement, your benefits are
pretty safe. For the younger crowd, don't count on
receiving all of the benefit estimated in the statement
sent to you by the Social Security Administration every
year, three months before your birthday. Make sure you read
that statement by the way; you will find that there are no
guarantees being made!

What can you do now? It is never to early or late to start
saving for retirement. However you decide to structure
your investment is up to you. But like I have been saying
over and over again, start saving now! Invest in an IRA or
if you are self-employed, consider a SEP IRA. You can
also contribute to your employers 401K plan, and open a
money market savings account.

Your contributions to a 401K or IRA plan lower your taxable
income, so you immediately cut your income tax bill. (Be
greedy!) Plus, the investments grow tax-deferred -- i.e.,
you don't pay taxes on the growth and income until you make
withdrawals in retirement leaving more of your money to
compound through the years.

**Please speak to your CPA or Financial Advisor about all
your options and find out what is best for you before
making any decisions.

----------------------------------------------------
We teach women how to take control of their financial
futures so they can gain confidence and financial
competence to live a life of financial security. We provide
personal wealth coaching, in an encouraging and stress free
environment that is results-driven and will give you the
financial direction to lead you to a fulfilling,
financially rewarding and prosperous future. Go to
http://www.wealthharvest.com and sign up for my FREE
Newsletter now!

Real Estate Short Sales- What You Need To Know

Real Estate Short Sales- What You Need To Know
With the economy how it is and the amount of houses going
up for foreclosure everyday it is important to know your
options. One option that is available is to short sale your
house.

Below you will find all you need to know about this great
option.

A real estate short sale is when the bank or mortgage
lender agrees to discount your loan balance because of an
economic hardship that you are facing. What happens is you
sell your mortgaged property for less than you owe on the
loan, and turn the money over to the lender which will
fulfill your debt.

In some situations though the lender has the right to
approve or disapprove of the sale. Some of those situations
are if the current real estate market is down, the lender
will not approve the sale because they will make less money
than they could. Also, depending on your personal financial
situation, the lender may not approve the sale.

The reason many choose to do a short sale is because it
prevents a home foreclosure. Typically these sales result
in a smaller financial loss than a foreclosure which is why
many banks consider this a good option. The advantages to a
home owner are the fact that these sales are quicker and
less expensive than a foreclosure, and many do not want a
foreclosure on their credit history.

Lenders have a department, called a loss mitigation
department, where all potential short sale transactions are
processed. This department typically does not allow this
form of sale until a Notice of Default has been issued or
recorded where the property is located. Before the sale the
lenders have to approve of any listing agent's or buyer's
commission, which is one of the main reasons that
non-brokered short sales with a facilitator save on the
margin.

Depending lender, you may face a higher tolerance for short
sales and mitigated losses. Some lenders have
pre-determined criteria for these types of transactions but
distressed lenders will usually allow any reasonable offer,
after a loss mitigator approves. You may need to get
approval from several people, such as junior liens, for
second mortgages, HELOC lenders, and HOA, special
assessment liens.

Real estate short sale is a much better idea than
foreclosure because it will not hurt your credit report as
much, it will save you a lot of time and money, and many
lenders would rather a foreclosure whenever possible.

----------------------------------------------------
James Redmond invites you to visit his best home offer
website if you want to sell your house online. If you are a
private party who needs someone to buy my Newport Beach
home, must sell your home because of bankruptcy, divorce,
to stop foreclosure, or other issues he can help. He
specializes in private party must sell home help including
selling Orange County homes fast. Please click here now to
learn more:===> http://www.thebesthomeoffer.com