Archive for April, 2007

Selling Your Home More Easily and For More Money During a Buyer’s Market

If you must sell your home due to a job transfer or the need to relocate to a new area, there are things you should know to be able to sell your home more easily and for more money in a buyer’s market. First impressions and curb appeal will make your home more desirable to buyers.

Comments (2)

A Very Bright Staging Idea - Compact Fluorescents Light Dim Areas with ONE Bulb

Yesterday, I bought several packages of the new compact florescent bulbs for our home. Not necessarily with the altruistic idea to save the planet with a green bulb, although that is definitely and added value. No, our kitchen ceiling fan has light bulbs that tend to blow out several times a month. The fixture has four sockets and our family has been eating breakfast in the dim light of two or three 60 watt-ers for several years. We had tried the special incandescent bulbs made with better filaments for ceiling fans at 3 times the price but those “special” bulbs didn’t last any longer than the cheap ones.

Comments

LAs Vegas - The Right Choice For Your Dream Home

Las Vegas is among the most popular cities in America and it is known as the fastest growing city too. Having a house in Las Vegas is always an intelligent decision. Buying a house in Las Vegas is all about vision. Buying a house in a city that is one of the fastest growing cities in America can surely benefit you for what you pay for it that’s why we call it a vision.

Comments

Buiding Homes - Why Choose Las Vegas

If you are planning to build a home, Las Vegas can be a very good option for you. This place s full of happening and it offers everyone a choice of living a lifestyle of one’s own.

This city is a attraction for tourists also. This city will provide you nonstop excitement and unforgettable recreation.

Comments

First Time Buyers Guide - How To Buy A House ( UK )

Buying a house can be quite a confusing process especially if you haven’t done so before. To help make it easier to understand the process of buying a property we have created a helpful list.

Comments

Things To Remember - Buying

People have a real tendency to buy with their hearts as opposed to with their heads. This can lead to some fairly disastrous situations. This is not to say that you should not feel the purchase in your heart, merely that you should use your head to confirm what your heart feels. It’s so easy when you find that amazing home that you have been dreaming of, to overlook little imperfections and problems that could have some serious effects down the road. It’s amazing to watch what happens to people when they find the home that to their minds is aesthetically perfect. These times its great that there is a real estate agent there as an in dependant voice.

Comments

Hotel Properties For Sale - Hotel Properties For Sale And How To Buy

The high tech communication protocol and high tech living has all but blurred virtual boundaries globally – which has lead to an exponential increase in the incidence of business travel. This coupled with the increased incidence of pleasure travel would well continue to sustain the booming travel industry – evidently then the hotel industry is here to stay and in the coming years the hotel industry would continue to be one of the most viable of investments!

Comments

Understanding Your Monthly Commercial Property Management Report

Each month your property manager will send you a monthly report. Each company has its own format, using different property management software and internal processes. However, you should receive the following:
A one-page summary that highlights key issues about the property, e.g., one tenant is 30 days behind on the rent.
Income & expense statement. This should be a short statement showing the base rent, Common Area Maintenance (CAM) charges for each tenant, rent and CAM payments received from each tenant. It also shows maintenance expenses and management fee; so you may quickly determine if each tenant has paid rent or not. This statement itemizes all of the income and expenses which may include:
Late fee: when the tenant pays late, he has to pay the rent plus the late fee. The late fee amount is normally stated in the lease. Normally, when the tenant pays late, the property manager has to do extra work to collect it. The amount of work depends on whether the tenant is too busy to mail the rent check, does not have the money or simply does not want to pay. Typically, the property manager is entitled to the late fees as an incentive to collect the rent.
Management fee: this fee is usually a percentage of the monthly income from the property that both you and the property manager agreed in the management contract. If you have a very stable property with the same income every month, then the management fee is the same. Otherwise, it varies from month to month.
Leasing fee: you typically see this when there is a new tenant or a renewed lease.
Security/Fire Protection: your property may have fire & security monitoring services.
Electricity: this is most likely for parking or common area lighting.
Water: this is for both drinking and irrigation.
Disposal: this is for garbage collection paid to the city.
HVAC repairs & maintenance: this is the maintenance costs for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. Usually, there is a service contract for HVAC whereby the maintenance company will inspect the HVAC twice a year: once before the winter and once before the summer. So, you may receive the service bills only twice a year.
Garbage dumping: sometimes people dispose their unused furniture, mattress on the property because there is no one around at night. The maintenance crew may have to clean up these things. Normally, you or the property manager will want a picture of the dumping to make sure that it is a legitimate bill.
Landscaping: this is often the biggest expense item. Typically, the landscaper signs a one year contract to maintain the landscaping on the property, such as mowing the lawn, trimming the trees/shrubs, and planting flowers. Thus, the monthly payment should be the same for the whole year.
Sweeping: the parking lot is usually swept daily, either late in the evening or before the tenants open for business. In the winter, there may be an expense for snow removal.
Steam cleaning: the concrete sidewalk is normally steam cleaned once a month. This is done by the same company that handles the sweeping and landscaping.
Roof maintenance: the roof of a commercial building is often flat and requires regular maintenance especially during the rainy season. The roofer may charge each time he is called to fix a roof leak. So, this is not something you see on the statement on a regular basis.
Supplies: there are various things on the property that have to be replaced periodically: light bulbs, trash bins, sprinklers, etc.
Bank charges: sometimes the tenants pay by check with non-sufficient funds. The bank will charge a fee each time the check is bounced.
Legal fees: you may see this if the property manager has to evict a tenant.

Comments

Buying Pre-Construction Lofts & Condos

There is major trend in the condo buying world of purchasing units in a building long before they have even started the construction. There are some great benefits to the purchase of pre-construction units. Let’s examine some of these benefits in closer detail.

Comments

Condominiums – Movin’ On Up …Upscale Condos Go Vertical

A new building trend in areas where space is tight and land is expensive are condominiums that are being either newly built or incorporated into existing high-rise buildings. Developers are embracing what are being referred to as “vertical neighborhoods” to meet demand for downtown living at a time when undeveloped parcels of land are scarce.

Comments

« Previous entries ·