Desire To Retire

Making Extra Mortgage Payments

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:22:50 PST

We all know that during the first five to seven years of the mortgage (much will depend on the amount of the mortgage), the payments we make go towards paying the interest and not the principal. This is why when we look at the outstanding balance, it does not seem to change. The little change we notice is perhaps the balance going down by a mere $50.00-$60.00. That’s because when we make a weekly payment of say $200.00, approximately 75% of that $200.00 goes to paying the interest and only 25% goes to paying the balance.

Simple Ways To Invest In Real Estate

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:44:23 PST

Buying real estate is about more than just finding a place to call home. Investing in real estate has become increasingly popular over the last fifty years and has become a common investment vehicle. Although the real estate market has plenty of opportunities for making big gains, buying and owning real estate is a lot more complicated than investing in stocks and bonds. In this article, we'll go beyond buying a home and introduce you to real estate as an investment.

Leverage Real Estate

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:20:51 PST

“He who holds the gold, makes the rules.” Investors who have cash in today’s distressed real estate market have several avenues to make money, even in today’s real estate market. Investors may choose to purchased distressed residential or commercial assets, passively loan money privately, place options on deals and more. Using cash is the best way to obtain a deal, but once an investor controls a deal, should they leave all their cash in?

Short Sales Surpass Foreclosures as Banks Agree to Deals

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:05:29 PST

The number of U.S. home short sales surpassed foreclosure deals for the first time as banks became more agreeable to selling houses for less than the amount owed on their mortgages, according to Lender Processing Services Inc. (LPS)

Short sales accounted for 23.9 percent of home purchases in January, the most recent month available, compared with 19.7 percent for sales of foreclosed homes, data compiled by the Jacksonville, Florida-based company show. A year earlier, 16.3 percent of transactions were short sales and 24.9 percent involved foreclosures. Short sales exceeded foreclosure deals for the first time in November, according to the firm.

Realtors® Praise FHFA for Issuing Short Sale Approval Guidance

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:38:11 PST

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Apr 18, 2012) - The National Association of Realtors® applauds the Federal Housing Finance Agency for issuing new guidance requiring servicers of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans to speed responses to short sale requests.

Preparing your garden for spring

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:18:13 PST

This morning, along with my recycling, I put out a sack of garden waste – my first this year. What this means, apart from the fact that I am getting old and will soon be buying my clothes in The Edinburgh Woollen Mill for comfort and durability, is that spring has officially sprung.

With this in mind, I thought today I’d slip in a quick gardening guest post, to give you a little inspiration for the weekend. Obviously now I have done this, it will rain. Sorry about that.

NAR: 2012 home sales will be strongest in past 5 years February pending sales up 9.2% from year ago

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:23:22 PST

Rising home sales image via Shutterstock.The National Association of Realtors is predicting existing-home sales will jump 7 to 10 percent in 2012 to the highest level in five years, based on an "uneven but higher sales pattern" so far this year.

Pending home sales fell a seasonally adjusted 0.5 percent from January to February, which was up 9.2 percent from the same time a year ago, NAR said today in releasing its latest Pending Home Sales Index.

What Is a Full Service Home Marketing Program?

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 09:59:20 PST

The real estate industry has changed dramatically in the past few years. The explosion of information available on the Internet, fast-paced lifestyles and the expectations of consumers have made the services offered by local real estate offices quite different from those buyers and sellers may have received only a few years ago.

Are Your Property Taxes Too High? Income Tax Isn't the Only Important Tax This Time of Year

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:41:46 PST

We may be in the middle of income tax season, but hoping you'll be getting a refund isn't the only thing you should be thinking about this time of yea...especially if you're a homeowner. That's because the National Taxpayers Union (a nonprofit citizen group) estimates that between 30 and 60 percent of properties are assessed for too high of a value, resulting in an incorrectly larger property tax bill.

Taking the time to review your property tax bill could save you a nice chunk of change. And the good news is that it's easy.

Build Wealth Quickly - 3 Simple Asset Allocation, Wealth-Building Strategies

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:23:48 PST

Who doesn't dream of marching into their boss' office one day and resigning without caring about the financial repercussions? Well, you can only do so if you have acquired sufficient assets (wealth) through which you can generate a future income to replace your current earned income.

If you are wondering how to build wealth, then this article will give you a good overview of the 3 typical ways you can build wealth quickly. These aren't difficult to understand and others have made their millions by excelling at one of them.

Variable Annuity Basics

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:14:28 PST

There are a number of annuity products available. Here's a look at variable annuities.

An annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company. You agree to give the insurance company a certain amount of money and the insurance company agrees to grow it or pay it back to you in increments, or sometimes both.

Mid Cap Stock Investments

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:44:14 PST

Mid cap stocks offer a mix of the potential growth of a small cap and some of the stability of a large cap, which could be a welcomed addition to your portfolio.