Archive for August, 2009
Aug
30
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US Regional Real Estate Great Cabin in the Smokies
The beautiful Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee are quickly becoming a year-around destination, and what better way to experience the charming mountain culture than vacationing in a luxurious mountain cabin home? A cabin offers you lots of space, fantastic amenities and relaxing privacy!
Great Cabins in the Smokies offers the accommodation of choice in the Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and Pigeon Forge areas. Tucked away in the midst of breathtaking foliage and panoramic mountain views, you get a real sense of the national park and the magical beauty of the area. And great theater, dinner shows, outlet shopping and excellent dining are all within a short drive.
Vacations cabin homes of all sizes and settings are available to fit every budget and family size. From an intimate and romantic Honeymoon, to a large family reunion, you can?t go wrong with Great Cabins in the Smokies!
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Aug
24
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US Regional Real Estate Connecticut Real Estate – Pleasant Northeastern Escape
Connecticut is close to all the major attractions in the Northeast, but has much to offer on its own. If you?re looking for a little peace in the Northeast, Connecticut real estate is a good option.
Connecticut
With a colonial history, beach towns and little seaside villages, Connecticut is a classic Northeastern state. Unlike its neighbors, Connecticut tends to be less populated and have a bit slower pace of life. Sitting close to New York City, Connecticut is a popular relocation spot for people working in the city, but trying to avoid the population crush.
Hartford
The capital of the state, Hartford is a modern city and considered the insurance company capital of the United States. With such a title, you might think Hartford isn?t exactly a vibrant city. Unfortunately, you?re correct. There isn?t much to recommend the city if you?re looking for nightlife or outdoor experiences. Real estate prices, however, are reasonable for the Northeast and it is a relatively short trip to more vibrant locations.
Mystic
Unlike Hartford, Mystic is town with a ton of culture. Located on the Atlantic seaboard, the town has a strong seafaring history and takes pride in it. With colonial architecture, the city is bursting with color as the leaves turn in the fall. A classic seaport, Mystic celebrates the history with maritime museums, classic whaling schooners and as pleasant a group of people as you will ever find. You can even order 5-cent beers in a few of the local taverns. Admittedly, the glasses are very small, but 5 cents is 5 cents!
Connecticut Real Estate
Connecticut real estate prices differ greatly from location to location. Generally, the closer the location is to New York City, the higher the prices. A single-family residence in Hartford will set you back %325,000, but prices range from the low %200,000 to over %1,000,000 throughout the state.
On a positive note, Connecticut real estate has a strong growth pattern. Appreciate rates for 2005 were over 13 percent, which is above the national average.
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Aug
17
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US Regional Real Estate Florida’s First Time Buyer Incentives
Florida has been labeled a progressive state before, when it introduced radical ‘green’ measures throughout the state, but this time its innovative idea is to offer help to first time buyers. Florida has recognized that younger people are being pushed out of the housing market, and are trying to rectify this with fairly substantial financial incentives.
This failure to accommodate young people in the realty market has happened because nationwide, most homes have become larger and more expensive. Consequently, they are too pricey for the average first time buyer.
A spokesman for a local builders association told the St. Petersburg Times that builders will still be building over-sized homes but there will also be an increase in smaller houses being built. This change in strategy is not seen as a fad by builders; it is simply sound economics as smaller homes are in short supply.
Building smaller homes in the Florida area could also be one way of keeping the younger generation active there. There have been extensive studies involving the affordability of house prices for young people. One recent study was carried out in Boston, Massachusetts. This is an area known for its lack of moderately priced housing.
Boston is the third most expensive property market in the nation and according to the ‘Boston Globe’ newspaper, young people are moving away in droves because of the house prices. This is costing Massachusetts the ‘human capital’ needed for future growth and economic expansion. This type of situation could easily be replicated in Florida because it is such a popular retirement area; approximately 17%PRCTG% of the population is over 55.
This youthful exodus has been recognized and hotly debated in Boston. Part of the blame has been laid at the local government’s feet with their zone rulings favoring large residential lots. A study proved that homes built from 1998 to 2002 used an average of 1.3 acres per lot.
With the cost of a building lot in Boston quoted at around %300,000 and a house costing around %250,000, young people have no chance of owning a home.
Perhaps learning from Boston’s mistakes, the news in Florida is that the government is trying to encourage more first time buyers. This will expand the younger segment of Florida society and consequently will also be likely to increase the permanent population.
The first time buyer program is designed to help those people who may have only a modest income. (There is a ceiling on the monthly salary.) Income limits are not rigid, but determined by the number of individuals living in the house.
The help that the state of Florida is offering is very worthwhile to look into if you are a first time buyer. Help can come in the form of assistance with the down payment, with the closing costs and in the provision of low, fixed rate mortgages.
There are several requirements to be met in order to qualify, including established credit worthiness and not having owned a home in the last three years. The program details can be found on the web listed as Florida’s First Time Buyer Program, or you can ask your real estate agent to help you sort out the details.
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Aug
12
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US Regional Real Estate Arizona Real Estate
There is quite a bit of real estate available in Arizona, because new homes are being built constantly. If you?ve ever been to Arizona, you may be surprised by its vast open spaces ? and even the new developments that spring up don?t seem to take anything away from all of that wide open space. In fact, all of that beautiful space is what attracts many people to the Arizona real estate market!
Many people buy real estate from a distance, sight unseen. While this practice can be used to scam people out of their hard-earned money, if you follow certain guidelines you and your money should be relatively safe. Start by understanding what documents you should see throughout the sale process.
The first thing you should see is the MLS printout. MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service. The MLS printout is a copy of the listing that was sent out by the service. It contains a description of the property, and there may be statements made in the MLS that need to be verified for accuracy. If the property or home is in a new sub-division, you need to ask for the Public Report as well.
Other important documents that you should request include the Seller?s Property Disclosure Statement (SPDS), Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions (CC&Rs), governing documents from the Home Owner?s Association, HOA Disclosures, the Title Report, the Home Warranty Policy, an Affidavit of Disclosure, Lead-Based Paint Disclosure, County Assessors Records, and a Professional Home Inspection Report. Make sure that you get a copy of all of these documents, for your own protection. It is a good idea to have your lawyer look at these documents as well.
There is quite a bit of information that you need to learn about a property in the state of Arizona before making a purchase. For instance, some places in the state may be infested with scorpions, which are quite common in Arizona and are hard to get rid of. Some areas of Arizona contain soil and groundwater that has been contaminated by improper disposal methods. All of this information can be found at the Arizona Department of Real
Estate (http://www.re.state.az.us/). You should use the various online maps that are available to stay away from less desirable properties.
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Aug
06
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US Regional Real Estate Best Investment Real Estate Locations
Where are the best investment real estate locations? If you have enough experience investing in real estate, you can make money almost anywhere, but there are always places that are better or worse for real estate investments. For maximum profits, you want places that have a better demand/supply ratio. You can use the questions below to find them.
Real Estate Demand
1. Does the area have decent job growth? Ask local authorities and use census information. Ideally, you want to see job growth equal to or exceeding population growth. You also want areas with professional jobs moving in. It is estimated that for every professional job created, there are four service jobs created, and all those employees need a place to live.
2. Is the population growing? You can check the US Census figures online, or ask the local government if they have the statistics. Stay away from areas that have little growth.
3. Is there a decent quality of life? It’s subjective, but important. Are there theaters and bookstores? Count coffee shops and cafes. Trendy areas usually have increasing demand for housing. It’s also a good indication of a high quality-of-life if people are willing to take lower-paying jobs just to live there.
4. Is there wealth in the area? It’s a good sign when there is some degree of wealth in a town. Look for nice homes. Wealth means everything doesn’t die when the economy slows.
Real Estate Supply
1. Number of homes for sale? Lower supply of homes for sale means upward pressure on prices. This indirectly drives up rents as well, which makes for better investing.
2. New construction? Census figures can tell you what’s happened over the last ten years. Check with the local authorities to see if the the number of housing units they’ve issued permits for is more or less than the expected population growth.
3. Rent and vacancy levels? Rents have to be high enough, and vacancies low enough to justify investing. When we first came to Tucson, every building had vacancies We saw a man holding a sign that read, “Apartment – %250 Per Month.” A great place for renters, but not so great for landlords.
4. The available land that is buildable? Of course, less available land is better for future appreciation. When the land runs out, the prices start accelerating upwards.
When you use these questions to compare various towns and cities, you’ll see the differences more clearly. You’ll have an idea about how housing demand compares to supply in each. This will help you pinpoint the best investment real estate locations.
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