Search:

Roberto Bell's Articles in Real Estate

  • Wainwright Realtors Smith Mountain Lake
    Wainwright REALTORS specialize in real estate in the Smith Mountain Lake area of Virginia.
  • Tenant Screening - What You Need To Know
    For building owners and property manager's there are few things more devastating than entrusting treasured real estate to residential or commercial tenants who abuse the property or...
  • Mega Property Projects in Dubai
    This is a short article about the mega projects engulfing the real estate focus in Dubai.
  • Grand Rapid Real Estate Search
    Grand Rapid Real Estate Search was initialized in 2008 with full enthusiasm. We started off with the objective to cover all Grand Rapids Property on one site
  • Is Downtown Condo the Place for You?
    Since many years there has been a rise in the number of purchasers buying Grand Rapids downtown condos
  • How to Hire a Real Estate Agent and Save Money
    Selling your home without the use of a real estate agent is a tempting option, but is it as profitable as it sounds? Did you know that paying commission to a real estate agent could make you more money on your sale?
  • Understanding What 1031 NNN Triple Net Leased Investment Properties Are
    When looking for investment properties, you may have come across something called 1031 NNN triple-net leases and passed them by, not understanding what they are.
  • In Financial Markets, the Herd is usually Wrong
    Financial markets are fickle monsters. Whichever way the herd moves the market will go the other direction. During the Great Housing Bubble rally, prices were pushed up the herd mentality. As prices rose, more and more people were convinced prices would continue to rise, so the pool of buyers swelled. Credit standards dropped to qualify more buyers, and the party went on and on.
  • Denver Mortgage : Is home buying a good investment?
    I just want to give you some examples of why I believe home buying is a great investment. I know this is not the time to talk about home buying as an investment in this down market.
  • Moral Hazard and Housing Bailouts
    All bailout measures have embedded within them serious issues of moral hazard. Both lenders and borrowers were extremely foolish during the real estate bubble. To bail them out at the expense of the wise and prudent will discourage fiscally responsible behavior and encourage wild risk taking and speculation.
  • Take Advantage of a Buyer's Market
    When the market turned up in the late 1990s the market shifted. During the last decline, the buyers had an advantage. During the bubble the advantage went to the sellers. The seller's market went on for so long and became so feverish that people have forgotten (or may never have known) what it was like to see buyers in control of the action.
  • What Happens in a Foreclosure?
    Foreclosure is the forced sale of a property owned by the borrower in order to satisfy the debt(s) secured by the property. Foreclosure laws are complex, and they vary from state to state. There are no federal laws governing foreclosures. The borrower is the legal owner of the property who has entered into a mortgage agreement with a lender to pay back all borrowed money, fees and interest due.
  • The Fear Stage in a Financial Bubble
    There are many identifiable stages in a financial mania. These include: enthusiasm, greed, delusion, denial, fear, capitulation, and despair. The most important change in the market in the fear stage is caused by the belief that the rally is over. Price rallies are a self-sustaining price-to-price feedback loop: prices go up because rising prices induces people to buy which in turn drives prices even higher. Once it is widely believed that the rally is over, it is over. Market participants who once only cared about rising prices suddenly become concerned about valuations. Since prices are far above fundamental values and prices are not rising, there is little incentive to buy. The rally is dead.
  • The Denial Stage in a Financial Bubble
    There are many identifiable stages in a financial mania. These include: enthusiasm, greed, delusion, denial, fear, capitulation, and despair. When the limit of affordability is reached and the pool of available buyers is exhausted, prices start to decline. At first market participants are still overwhelmed by greed, and they choose to ignore the signs that the party might be over.
  • What Are the Two Kinds of Real Estate Investors?
    There are two types of true real estate investors: Rent Savers and Cashflow Investors. These two groups will enter a real estate market without regard to future appreciation because either the cash savings or the positive cashflow warrant the purchase price of the asset. These people are largely immune to the emotional pratfalls of speculators because the value of the investment to them is not dependent upon a profit to be garnered when the asset is sold. They will hold the asset through any price declines because they are not feeling any pain when prices drop. Since these investors will purchase houses even if prices are declining, they are the ones who move in to create a bottom and end the cycle of declining prices.
  • The Affordability Limit in Residential Real Estate Markets
    Affordability is the ultimate limit of any asset bubble. If prices are so high that no buyer can afford them, there are no transactions and thereby no market. The fear of many buyers in a financial mania is that prices will remain elevated to the absolute limit of affordability permanently. People who have this fear will put every available resource into getting a house before this happens. This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as prices get bid higher and higher by fearful buyers.
  • Debt-To-Income Ratios and Residential Real Estate
    The cumulative impact of the decisions of buyers is represented in the debt-to-income ratios, how much each household pays to borrow versus how much they make. Comparing the trends in debt-to-income ratios provides a great tool for elucidating the behavior of buyers.
  • Price Measurements of Residential Real Estate Markets
    There is no perfect measure for any broad financial market activity, and real estate markets are one of the most difficult to measure accurately. There are a number of methods for measuring prices and price changes in residential real estate markets. These include the median price, the median price per-square-foot, and the Case-Shiller indices.
  • Housing Bubble - How to Identify One
    Prices went up a large amount during the Great Housing Bubble, but what makes this price increase a bubble? To answer this question it is necessary to accurately measure price levels and review historic measures of affordability to establish these price levels are not sustainable. Measuring house prices is not a simple task, and there are many methods market watchers use to evaluate market prices. These include the median, the average cost per square foot, and the S
  • The CDO Market Solution for Future Housing Bubbles
    The solution to preventing future bubbles in the residential real estate market lies in the market for collateralized debt obligations and conforming loans insured by the government sponsored entities (GSEs). The GSEs created the secondary mortgage market in the 1970s, and the CDO market is the extension of this market bringing large amounts of investment capital to residential real estate. During the Great Housing Bubble the CDO market did not properly evaluate the risk of default on the underlying mortgage notes they pooled.
  • 10 Things You Need to Know About Getting the Highest Appraisal Value for Your Home
    Whether you're thinking of selling your home or looking to refinance, it's important to get the best appraisal value on your home.
  • Explore The Changing Real Estate World Of Panama
    Panama for sure is taking full advantage of the recent real estate market and is earning quite good from its resources. As this is one of the most widely visited tourist spots therefore, tourism also is helping in developing this country. The website panamarealestateboom.com, says all about the real estate of Panama.
  • What is Structured Finance?
    Structured finance is an innovation of the finance industry on Wall Street. It is a method of redistributing risk based on complex legal and corporate entities such as corporations, limited liability companies or some other kind of legal entity capable of entering into contracts. The shares or other interests in structured financial entities are derivatives that obtain their value from an underlying asset.
  • How to Value a Vacant Home Building Lot
    The market value of an individual lot is equal to the revenue it could generate when a residential housing unit is built on it minus the cost of creating that revenue (construction cost, marketing, profit, and other costs). Sales revenue will largely be determined by what can be built on the lot and how much that unit would sell for in the market. The dimensions of the lot, building codes, and the local zoning ordinances create constraints on what can be built. Most often there is some variety in choices available to construct on a given lot. Each of these options has a revenue potential and an estimated cost. Builders produce the combination which yields the greatest profit.
  • The Appropriate Discount Rate for Residential Real Estate Analysis
    The investment value of a property can only be measured against other investment opportunities available to an investor. If investors can earn 4.5% by investing in government treasuries, they will demand a higher return to invest in an asset as volatile and as illiquid as residential real estate. The rate of return an investor demands is called a "discount rate."
  • How Much Does a House Really Cost?
    When contemplating purchasing a home, one should examine all of the costs of ownership to budget properly for the expenses they will face. Most people simply focus on the payment, and soon after they purchase, they realize that the true cost of ownership is often 20%-30% greater than they expected.
  • How to Choose Between Using a Property Management Firm or Becoming a Landlord
    With the prices of real estate plummeting, the next several years may witness another upsurge in the number of young professionals entering the real estate market as an investment and/or earnings vehicle.
  • Real Estate is the Major Religion in California
    California has a major cultural "religion" that cuts across traditional denominational lines, the religion of real estate. Like any religion it requires faith. The religion of real estate requires blind faith in the idea that "real estate always go up."
  • The Housing Bubble was a Massive Real Estate Ponzi Scheme
    People have not fully grasped the changes that will result from the deflation of The Great Housing Bubble. There are many historic parallels with the closest being The Great Depression. When the stock market bubble of the 1920s began to deflate in late 1929, few thought the boom times of the decade were over, and even fewer saw the disaster coming of The Great Depression. The 2008/2009 recession will not likely reach the severity of The Great Depression, but it will signal the end to the lifestyle to which so many have become accustomed.
  • 4 Tips To Help Sell Your Home Quickly
    The season for home sales is almost upon us and home sellers are getting nervous about how long their home will be on the market before it finds a buyer.
  • If You Are Underwater but Can Afford the Mortgage Payment You Should Hang On
    Anyone that can manage their payments should consider trying to hold on, even if the house value has dropped well below their purchase price. There are still a great many overextended homeowners and speculators who cannot possibly manage their payments, and for them trying to hold on until the market comes back is a foolish waste of time and resources. The market is not going to come back before they go under. However, for those who can make the payments, there emotional benefit of home ownership may be worth the financial hardship it entails.
  • How To Sell Your Home Fast Today
    The first thing to realize is that when you are going to sell your home; that there is a buyer waiting for your home.
  • The Pent-Up-Demand Meme Is Complete Nonsense
    The realtor spin about "pent up demand" is complete nonsense. There is probably a lot of pent up desire for housing, but demand is measured in dollars, and there is a major lack of demand with the absence of lender funds, and a large and growing "pent up supply" of foreclosures.
  • Regulating the National Association of Realtors Would Help Prevent the Next Housing Bubble
    The sales tactics of the National Association of Realtors should be examined and potentially come under the same restrictions as securities brokers through the Securities and Exchange Commission. Realtors routinely lie about the investment potential of residential real estate. People believe these lies and enter into transactions that often harm them financially.
  • Regulating Loan Amounts Would Help Prevent the Next Housing Bubble
    The parameters of the forming limitations on the debt-to-income ratio and combined-loan-to-value are essential to prevent bubbles in the housing market and to prevent the banking system from becoming imperiled in the future. Loan amounts much be tethered to incomes and limited by existing property values. Without these limits, prices can take flight with lender capital. During the crash, lenders saw values drop below their loan amounts, and they lost a great deal of money.
  • Strict Loan Documentation Standards Will Help Prevent the Next Housing Bubble
    One of the most egregious practices of the Great Housing Bubble was the fabrication of income by borrowers that was facilitated and promoted by originating lenders. Stated-income loan programs were widespread, and they were the cause of much of the uncertainty in the secondary mortgage market during the initial stages of the credit crunch in the deflation of the bubble. Basically, investors had no idea if the borrowers to whom they had lent billions of dollars were capable of paying them back.
  • Regulatory Solutions to Prevent the Next Housing Bubble
    The regulatory solution proposed herein is simple, yet far reaching. It comes in two parts, the first is to limit the amount lenders can loan to borrowers with a rather unique enforcement mechanism, and the second is to increase the penalties for borrowers who commit mortgage fraud. The following is not in legalese, but it contains the conceptual framework of potential legislation that could be enacted on the state and/or federal level.
  • Housing Bubble Causes - Why Did It Happen?
    The Great Housing Bubble was caused by an expansion of credit that enabled irrational exuberance and wild speculation. The expansion of credit came in the form of relaxed loan underwriting terms including high debt-to-income ratios, lower FICO scores, high combined-loan-to-value lending including 100% financing, and loan terms permitting negative amortization.
  • Housing Bubble Causes - Why Did It Happen?
    The Great Housing Bubble was caused by an expansion of credit that enabled irrational exuberance and wild speculation. The expansion of credit came in the form of relaxed loan underwriting terms including high debt-to-income ratios, lower FICO scores, high combined-loan-to-value lending including 100% financing, and loan terms permitting negative amortization.
  • Buying and Selling Real Estate during a Decline
    Residential real estate markets generally move very slowly and trend in a single direction for long periods of time. Once these markets reach an inflection point, the direction of price movement changes, and the balance of negotiating power shifts from an advantage to one side to an advantage for the other. However, most market participants do not recognize this change for some time. Sellers continue to price and attempt to sell using tactics that worked during the rally, and they find they are unable to sell their properties. It often takes two years or more before sellers accept the reality of the new market and adjust their attitudes and behaviors to the new dynamics of a buyer's market.
  • Buying and Selling Real Estate during a Decline
    Residential real estate markets generally move very slowly and trend in a single direction for long periods of time. Once these markets reach an inflection point, the direction of price movement changes, and the balance of negotiating power shifts from an advantage to one side to an advantage for the other. However, most market participants do not recognize this change for some time. Sellers continue to price and attempt to sell using tactics that worked during the rally, and they find they are unable to sell their properties. It often takes two years or more before sellers accept the reality of the new market and adjust their attitudes and behaviors to the new dynamics of a buyer's market.
  • Foreclosures and Residential Real Estate Markets
    The number of foreclosures will affect both the timing and the severity of the deflation of the Great Housing Bubble. It is foreclosures that drive prices lower quickly. Foreclosures control the timing of the crash because they directly impact the must-sell inventory numbers: the greater the number of foreclosures, the greater the rate of decline in house prices. By early 2008, most real estate markets had already surpassed the peak set in the price decline of the early 90s of Notices of Default and Trustee Sales (foreclosures).
  • Foreclosures and Residential Real Estate Markets
    The number of foreclosures will affect both the timing and the severity of the deflation of the Great Housing Bubble. It is foreclosures that drive prices lower quickly. Foreclosures control the timing of the crash because they directly impact the must-sell inventory numbers: the greater the number of foreclosures, the greater the rate of decline in house prices. By early 2008, most real estate markets had already surpassed the peak set in the price decline of the early 90s of Notices of Default and Trustee Sales (foreclosures).
  • Distressed Sellers - Should They Attempt a Short Sale?
    A short sale is a property closing where the proceeds from the closing do not satisfy the outstanding debt on the property. The lender must agree to accept less money at the closing table for the closing to occur. From a credit perspective, there is little or no difference between a short sale and a foreclosure. Both a short sale and a foreclosure will show a series of missed payments and a secured credit line (or multiple credit lines) with a permanent delinquency and discharge for what is generally a very large sum of money. Both will have a strong, negative impact on the borrower's FICO credit score that will persist for many years.
  • How to figure out how monthly interest and principle
    The first thing you need to understand is the amount of interest you will pay each month will change.
  • In a Buyer's Market the First Offer is the Best Offer
    The most counter-intuitive part of buying in a buyer's market is to make the first offer the best offer. Ordinarily sellers, or more accurately the seller's realtor, try to create a sense of urgency to buy the house. They want the buyer to think other people are looking, there is going to be a bidding war, and the buyer needs to get an offer in today. Realtors thrive by creating fear in buyers.
  • What to Do When the Sale Price of a Home Does Not Pay Off a Mortgage
    Once a price decline gets underway many buyers who were late to the price rally find they are in a property worth less than they paid for it. As prices continue to fall, many find themselves "underwater" owing more on their mortgage than their property is worth. When these late buyers want to become sellers, they cannot sell and pay off the mortgage balance with the proceeds from the sale. Then they have a real problem.
  • The Housing Bubble - What Buyers Need to Know
    During the decline of house prices in the deflation of the Great Housing Bubble, price levels will fall to fundamental valuations of historic levels of appreciation, price-to-rent ratios, and price-to-income ratios. The nominal price declines may be impacted by inflation and monetary policy of the Federal Reserve, but inflation adjusted prices will fall precipitously.
  • Unemployment and Residential Real Estate Markets
    Prior to the Great Housing Bubble, house price declines had only been associated with economic downturns and increases in unemployment. As people lost jobs, they lost their ability to make house payments, and many lost their homes in foreclosure. Unemployment is devastating to housing markets.
  • The Down Payment
    A down payment is money that the buyer must pay up front to buy a home. When a person takes out a mortgage the lender or bank in almost all cases will require that the person borrowing the money make a down payment.
  • Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)
    Private mortgage insurance is a great tool for those of us who do not have the typical 20% down payment.
  • Understanding The Popularity Of Real Estate In Collingwood, Ontario
    If you have been reading real estate news lately, you're probably wondering why there's so much fuss about property in the Collingwood area of Ontario and why the buzz these days is about how buying or renting property there is such a great idea.
  • It Is Different This Time... Not!
    Each time the general public creates an asset bubble, they believe the rally in prices is justifiable by fundamentals. When proven methods of valuation demonstrate otherwise, people invent new ones with the caveat, "it is different this time." It never is.
  • Residential Real Estate Markets Crumble from the Bottom Up
    The real estate market can be visualized as a massive pyramid. There are very few multi-million dollar properties at the top of the pyramid, and a large number of relatively inexpensive entry-level properties forming the base. Like any structure, if the foundation is weakened, the structure may collapse. In the same way, housing markets collapse from the bottom up due to problems with affordability.
  • Home Price Appreciation and Transaction Fees - Only the Realtors Get Rich
    Profiting from house price appreciation requires getting more money from the sale of a property than was originally paid for it and not having that profit cancelled out by moving costs, transaction fees, and a large spreads between the cost of ownership and the cost of rental during the ownership period. Buying and selling residential real estate incurs significant transaction costs that are not reflected in the price. It is quite common for properties to sell for more than their purchase price and still be a loss for the seller. However, even if the seller loses money, the realtor gets a commission. Six percent of an owner's house price appreciation goes to paying the realtor.
  • Flip That House... Not!
    During the Great Housing Bubble, many speculators tried to make money through trading houses. The vast majority of these traders were not professionals but amateurs who thought they could be professionals. Most amateurs ended up losing money because they did not understand what it takes to be successful in a speculative market.
  • They Aren't Making Any More Land... Not!
    All market pricing is a function of supply and demand. One of the reasons many house price bubbles get started is due to a temporary shortage of housing units. This is a particular problem in California because the entitlement process is slow and cumbersome. Supply shortages can become acute, and prices can rise very quickly. This does not mean land is scarce. It means that the supply of dwelling units is experiencing a temporary shortage. It may seem like a minor distinction, but it is very important. New dwelling units can be created; land cannot.
  • How To Easily Find Foreclosure Listings
    Finding foreclosure listings is the most important aspect of investing in foreclosed property. To understand how to locate foreclosure listings, you must first understand that there are several ways that property foreclosure listings can be found.
  • Inflation and Home Equity - What Is the Relationship?
    House prices historically have outpaced inflation by 0.7% nationally. In a normal market, this is the only appreciation homeowners obtain. This appreciation is caused by wage inflation translating into higher housing payments and the ability of borrowers to obtain larger loan amounts to bid up prices. In some areas where wage growth has outpaced the general rate of inflation, the fundamental valuation of houses has increased faster than inflation.
  • Foreclosure Investing - How To Make Money By Investing In Foreclosed Homes
    Foreclosure investing is an excellent way to see a huge return on your money. In times when the economy is slow, or the housing market has lapsed, great deals abound, making the environment perfect for foreclosure investing.
  • Renting Versus Owning Residential Real Estate
    Renting versus owning is both an intellectual, financial decision and an emotional decision. The financial decision is first and foremost an analysis of the comparative cost of renting versus owning. It makes no sense to pay more than rental equivalence to own residential real estate. Many people still do because they are chasing the fantasy of endless appreciation and real estate wealth, but most of these people will find the increased cost of ownership over time negates any appreciation advantage they may obtain. Also, many people have found out painfully that property does not always appreciate in value.
  • A Few Tips For Getting Started In Real Estate Investing
    Real estate has long been considered as one of the better investments available.
  • Real Estate Speculators Usually Fail
    Despite the huge price spike in the final two years of the Great Housing Bubble caused by wild speculation, most speculators will lose a great deal of money. They will buy when prices are high, and they will sell when prices are low. The causes are rooted in basic human emotions that work against making the proper decisions to profit in a speculative market.
  • Bring Back Paternalism in the Mortgage Market
    As a society, we have created a system that strongly encourages a borrow-and-spend mentality. Saving in all its forms are punished while borrowing is strongly subsidized and encouraged. The credit orgy of the 00s saw this system taken to its ultimate extreme. The result was a vicious credit crunch, a collapse in asset values, and an economic downturn second in severity only to the Great Depression. Obviously, something needs to change. A little paternalism in the mortgage market is one of a number of necessary regulatory reforms.
  • Subprime Containment Theory Was a Lie
    Conventional wisdom (or market spin) was that the risk of default from subprime would not spill over into Alt-A and Prime loans. This argument was made because these two categories have historically had low default rates. Of course, this argument ignored the "liar loans" taken out by those with higher credit scores, the unmanageable debt-to-income ratios, and payment resets for interest-only and Option ARM loans which were also given to the Alt-A and Prime crowd. Historically, this group had not defaulted because they have not been widely exposed to these loan types.
  • Home Equity - What is It?
    Many people who purchase real estate have no idea what equity is, what creates it, what destroys it, and what to do with it. People who purchase real estate use the phrase "building equity" to describe the overall increase in equity over time. However, it is important to look at the factors which either create or destroy equity to see how market conditions and financing terms impact this all-important feature of real estate.
  • Interest Rate Resets on an Adjustable Rate Mortgages Are a Problem
    Many people took out adjustable rate mortgages during the Great Housing Bubble. After 25 years of steadily declining interest rates, people forgot about, or never knew about the risk of rising interest rates and what it would do to their housing payments. Adjustable rate mortgages are great while interest rates are declining. Their payments are lower than fixed rate mortgages, and as interest rates decline, they become an even better deal. However, when interest rates go up again, these loans will become a nightmare.
  • Real Estate Investment versus Real Estate Speculation - What is the Difference?
    Owner-occupied residential real estate is viewed by many people as a good investment. Realtors often use this idea as part of their sales pitch. This view is fallacious and it is one of the beliefs responsible for creating an asset price bubble. To understand why houses are not a great investment in most circumstances, one needs to understand the difference between investment and speculation.
  • Low Mortgage Interest Rates, It Is a Bad Time to Buy A House
    The fluctuation in mortgage interest rates has implications for when it the best time to buy and the best time to refinance a home mortgage. It is a popular misconception that low interest rates make for a good buying opportunity. It is not. Buy when interest rates are high, and refinance when interest rates are low.
  • Real Estate Only Goes Up... Not!
    The mantra of the National Association of Realtors is "real estate only goes up." This economic fallacy fosters the belief in future price increases and the limited risk of buying real estate. In 2006, prices in many markets began to fall. By 2008, the rate of price decline had greatly accelerated. This is dramatic proof that real estate does not always go up. Despite this obvious fact, the National Association of Realtors still tries to lure greedy buyers with fantasies of unlimited wealth in residential real estate.
  • Higher Interest Rates and Residential Real Estate Markets - What Would Happen?
    A key factor impacting the fundamental value of housing and thereby the bottom is interest rates. Higher interest rates would devastate residential real estate markets. When interest rates go up, the amounts borrowed go down assuming a consistent payment. As amounts borrowed go down, so do real estate prices.
  • Debt-to-Income Ratios Impact on Residential Real Estate Markets
    The debt-to-income ratio is a measure of how far buyers are "stretching" to buy real estate. Buyers have historically committed larger sums to purchase real estate when prices are rising in order to capture the appreciation of rising prices. Conversely, buyers have historically committed smaller and smaller percentages of their income toward buying real estate when prices are declining because there is little incentive to overpay. Some may look at this phenomenon as a passive effect of the rise and fall of prices, but since buying is a choice, the fluctuation in debt-to-income ratios is an active force on prices in the market.
  • Hyperinflation and the Housing Market
    The Federal Reserve under Ben Bernanke began aggressively lowering interest rates at the end of 2007 in response to the severe economic downturn caused by the collapse of house prices and the related difficulties falling house prices had on the banks and other institutions that made loans using houses as collateral. Many are concerned that these policies will ignite a period of hyperinflation in the United States.
  • Housing Market Bottom - Price-to-Income Ratio Estimates
    One method used to evaluation residential real estate prices is the price-to-income ratio. Since people borrow the vast majority of the funds necessary to purchase residential real estate, and this borrowing must be financed from current income, the ratio of house prices to rent is a useful barometer of market valuation.
  • Housing Market Bottom - Price-to-Rent Ratio Estimates
    Comparative rent is the primary method of evaluating the fundamental value of any property. The price-to-rent ratio links the cost of ownership with the cost of rental. This link is direct because possession of property can be obtained by either method. The cost of ownership encapsulates all of the financing terms and other variables associated with possession of real estate as does the cost of rental. Price-to-rent ratio fluctuates over time as changes in the cost of ownership and terms of financing makes financing amounts vary and house prices vary as well.
  • Housing Market Bottom - Price Action Estimates
    Most market participants focus on price action. The price-to-price feedback mechanism largely responsible for bubble market behavior gathers its strength from an awareness of market pricing, and the widespread belief that short-term, past price performance is predictive of long-term, future price performance. It is a fallacy that is often reinforced in the short-term as irrational exuberance takes over in a market, but over the long term, short-term price movements rarely correspond to long-term price trends, and when they do, it is only by chance.
  • House Prices Fall - How Low Will They Go?
    Despite the difficulty in market forecasting, many who have examined the residential real estate market point to continued declines through 2009 and beyond. The most likely scenario has resale residential real estate markets bottoming in 2011 at prices 30% off the peak nationally.
  • Future House Prices are Dependent upon Future Loan Terms
    Every homebuyer operating in the deflation of the Great Housing Bubble needs to consider what loan terms will be available in the future. At some point, most buyers become sellers. The future buyer will likely need to borrow most of the money necessary to complete a real estate transaction. The availability of credit and the loan terms this future buyer will face is the primary determinant of the price this buyer will pay for real estate.
  • Housing Bailouts are False Hopes
    One of the more interesting phenomena observed during the bubble was the perpetuation of denial with rumors of homeowner bailouts. The bailout rumors were false hopes provided by the government to allow homeowners in hopeless situations a brief respite before they faced losing their homes in foreclosure.
  • 3 Steps To Finding The Perfect Piece Of Real Estate
    Are you looking to purchase a piece of real estate? Whether you are purchasing residential, commercial, or investment properties, you can use the 3 steps outlined in this article to ensure that you get the property you need.
  • Housing Bubbles as Cultural Pathology
    What is a Cultural Pathology? There are certain beliefs if widely held and acted upon by a group of people leads inevitably to collective suffering and personal destruction. The housing bubble was a form of cultural pathology. It spawned a number of beliefs and actions that caused people to lose their houses in foreclosure.
  • Flip That House - Houses Were Traded Like Commodities
    Commodities are items of value and uniform quality produced in large quantities and sold in an open market. Although every residential real estate property is unique, these properties became uniformly desired by investors because all real estate prices rose during the Great Housing Bubble. The commoditization of real estate and the active, open-market trading it inspires caused houses to lose their identity as places to live and call home. Houses became tradable stucco boxes similar to baseball playing cards where buying and selling had nothing to do with possession and use and everything to do with making money in the transaction.
  • Fundamental House Value, What Are Houses Really Worth?
    The fundamental value of all housing prices is equivalent rents. Rents define the fundamental value of real estate because rental is a direct proxy for ownership; both rental and ownership provide for possession of property. Most people believe comparable sales define the value of real estate. In reality, comparable sales measure the collective foolishness of buyers who often have no idea what a property is really worth.
  • Showbiz Lifestyle and Properties
    Showbiz people are more attracted to an easier type of lifestyle where they can achieve both comfort and convenience while earning a living.
  • The Difference between City Life and Country Life
    Lifestyle changes as people shift living from countryside to city. There is need to cope with the demands of the city in terms of custom and culture.
  • Foreigners Consider Philippines Properties for Investment Purposes
    Tourism aids in the sale of Philippine properties thus opening doors for opportunities toward economic growth and development. There is a need to pay importance to foreign investors.
  • Good Investment Plans in the Philippines
    Foreign investors are looking towards the possibilities of investing real estate infrastructures in the Philippines to enhance economic growth and modern lifestyle.
  • Chandler Real Estate Market Showing Signs of Possible Recovery
    Chandler real estate is a bright spot in the Phoenix housing market and looks like it is weathering the downturn better than other local housing sub-markets. Indeed, there are indicators that suggest that Chandler may have seen the bottom of the market and that 2009 could be a stronger year for Chandler in terms of residential real estate.
  • Tenant Credit Check Adds New Dimension To Management Of UK Properties
    Landlords can look for tenants themselves or they can take recourse to the services offered by various UK properties management companies. Apart from searching tenants, these companies offer range of services including tenant credit check.
  • The Need For Research When Conducting A Free Property Valuation
    A look at methods to find the value of a property and how detailed research is needed should an accurate figure be found.
  • With the Current Stock Market Malaise, Investment in Phoenix Real Estate Makes Even More Sense
    The Phoenix residential real estate market represents a great opportunity to individuals, families, and investors who are weary about the stock market and are realizing that their investment portfolios are too exposed to fluctuations in Wall Street.
  • With the Current Stock and Credit Market Crises, Investment in Real Estate Will Make Even More Sense in the Future
    With the current financial crisis pervading stock markets in the global ecomony, real estate once again should be looked at as a serious, long-term investment strategy that can help investors further diversify their investment portfolios in the future.
  • State of the Phoenix Real Estate Market Address
    To members of Congress, President Bush, President-Elect Obama, fellow Americans, and current and future residents of the Phoenix area, the state of the Phoenix residential real estate market is “weary but hopeful.”
  • Floor Heating for Added Value
    With the recent economic misery hovering over homeowners and driving house prices down its a great time to add value to your home by installing radiant floor heating.
  • Easy Sell Your Home for Good Price
    FsboListAndSell.com has been ranked number 1 realtor website for sellers. Also consider that on average a seller not using the MLS on average receives 16% less or $32,000 for a $200,000 home.
  • Home Renovations - An Intro to House Remodeling
    With the mortgage industry being what it is today, it may be a good think to improvise your house as opposed to selling it and purchasing a new one. House prices have come down so much that nowadays homeowner will have a hard time finding the proper value for their land.
  • Evaluating Homes: Termite Damage
    During a real estate inspection, if any termite damage is found, it will affect the outcome of the home. In most cases, the buyer is told that the seller will fix the problem. Although this may sound good to some buyers that the seller will treat for termites, other buyers often wonder.

Powered by Article Dashboard