1. What is Real Estate? Real estate From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Real estate or immovable property is a legal term (in some jurisdictions) that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. Real estate (immovable property) is often considered synonymous with real property (also sometimes called realty), in contrast with personal property (also sometimes called chattel or personalty). However, for technical purposes, some people prefer to distinguish real estate, referring to the land and fixtures themselves, from real property, referring to ownership rights over real estate. The terms real estate and real property are used primarily in common law, while civil law jurisdictions refer instead to immovable property. In recent years, many economists have not recognized that the lack of effective real estate laws can be a significant barrier to investment in many developing countries. In most societies, rich or poor, a significant fraction of the total wealth is in the form of land and buildings. In most advanced economies, the main source of capital used by individuals and small companies to purchase and improve land and buildings is mortgages -- bank loans for which the real property itself constitutes collateral. Banks are willing to make such loans at favorable rates in large part because if the borrower does not make payments the lender can foreclose, that is, file a court action that lets them take the property and sell it to get their money back. But in many developing countries there is no effective means by which a lender could foreclose, so the mortgage loan industry as such either does not exist at all or is only available to members of privileged social classes. In spite of the name, real estate has no connection with the concept of reality (in other words, the law does not consider real property more "real" than personal property). It derives instead from the feudal principle that in a monarchy, all land was considered the property of the king. Thus originally the term real estate was equivalent to "royal estate", real originating from the French royale, as it was the French-speaking Normans who introduced feudalism to England and thus to the English language; cognate to Spanish real. With the development of private property ownership, real estate has become a major area of business. Purchasing real estate requires a significant investment, and each parcel of land has unique characteristics, so the real estate industry has evolved into several distinct fields. Cities such as Vancouver, British Columbia have experienced remarkable growth in real estate prices in the new millenium. Specialists are often called on to valuate real estate and facilitate transactions. Some kinds of real estate businesses include: Appraisal - Professional valuation services Brokerages - Assisting buyers and sellers in transactions Development - Improving land for use by adding or replacing buildings Property management - Managing a property for its owner(s) Real Estate Marketing - Managing the sales side of the property business Relocation services - Relocating people or business to different country Within each field, a business may specour components of a monthly mortgage payment. Principal refers to the part of the monthly payment that reduces the remaining balance of the mortgage. Interest is the fee charged for borrowing money. Taxes and insurance refer to the monthly cost of property taxes and homeowners insurance, whether these amounts are paid into an escrow account each month or not. TOP Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) In the event that you do not have a 20 percent down payment, lenders will allow a smaller down payment - as low as 3 percent in some cases. With the smaller down payment loans, however, borrowers are usually required to carry private mortgage insurance. Private mortgage insurance will usually require an initial premium payment and may require an additional monthly fee depending on your loan's structure. TOP Qualifying Ratios Calculations used to determine if a borrower can qualify for a mortgage. They consist of two separate calculations: a housing expense as a percent of income ratio and total debt obligations as a percent of income ratio. TOP Rate Lock A commitment issued by a lender to a borrower or another mortgage originator guaranteeing a specified interest rate and lender costs for a specified period of time. TOP Realtor? A real estate broker or an associate holding active membership in a local real estate board affiliated with the National Association of Realtors. TOP Real Estate Agent A person licensed to negotiate and transact the sale of real estate on behalf of the property owner. TOP Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) A consumer protection law that requires lenders to give borrowers advance notice of closing costs. TOP Recission The cancellation of a contract. With respect to mortgage refinancing, the law that gives the homeowner three days to cancel a contract in some cases once it is signed if the transaction uses equity in the home as security. TOP Recording Fees Money paid to the lender for recording a home sale with the local authorities, thereby making it part of the public records. TOP Refinance Obtaining a new mortgage loan on a property already owned often to replace existing loans on the property. TOP Renegotiable Rate Mortgage A loan in which the interest rate is adjusted periodically. See adjustable rate mortgage. TOP RESPA Short for the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. RESPA is a federal law that allows consumers to review information on known or estimated settlement costs once after application and once prior to or at settlement. The law requires lenders to furnish the information after application only. TOP Reverse Annuity Mortgage (RAM) A form of mortgage in which the lender makes periodic payments to the borrower using the borrower's equity in the home as collateral for and repayment of the loan. TOP Revolving Liability A credit arrangement, such as a credit card, that allows a customer to borrow against a pre-approved line of credit when purchasineable debts. To File a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy * You must reside or have a domicile, a place of business, or property in the United States or a municipality. * You must not have been granted a Chapter 7 discharge within the last 6 years or completed a Chapter 13 plan. * You must not have had a bankruptcy filing dismissed for cause within the last 180 days. * It must not be a "substantial abuse" of Chapter 7 to grant the debtor relief. Generally speaking, if after you pay the monthly expenses for necessities there is not enough money to pay the remaining monthly debts, then granting a discharge would not be an abuse of Chapter 7. * It would not be fundamentally unfair to grant the debtor relief under Chapter 7. The Most Common Reasons for Consumer Bankruptcy Are: * Unemployment * Large medical expenses * Seriously over extended credit * Marital problems * Large unexpected expenses Disclaimer: This information deals with Chapter 7 consumer bankruptcy. Each state has its own bankruptcy laws, so you need to check with your state for details. Information dealing with Chapter 13 bankruptcy and consumer debt restructuring is not discussed in the above FAQs. The information contained in the following FAQs is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended to be a legal opinion nor legal advice nor is it intended to be a complete discussion of all the issues related to the area of Chapter 7 consumer bankruptcy. Every individual's factual situation is different and you should seek independent legal advice regarding specific information. Bankruptcy and Bill Collectors One of the major benefits of filing for protection under Chapter 7 is that many creditor actions are stayed. This means that debt collection efforts and foreclosure is halted. Once a creditor or bill collector becomes aware that you have filed for bankruptcy protection, he or she must stop all efforts to collect the debt. After your bankruptcy is filed, the court mails a notice to all the creditors listed in your schedules. This usually takes a couple of weeks. If this is not soon enough, then you should have your representative inform the creditor immediately. If a creditor continues to use collection tactics once informed of the bankruptcy they may be liable for court sanctions and attorney fees for this conduct. After your bankruptcy is filed, the court mails a notice to all the creditors listed in your schedules. This usually takes a couple of weeks. If this is not soon enough, then you should have your representative inform the creditors immediately. Your attorney deals with your creditors. It may be the only time you ever have the luxury of saying "you'll have to talk to my lawyer." Disclaimer: This information deals with Chapter 7 consumer bankruptcy. Each state has its own bankruptcy laws, so you need to check with your state for details. Information dealing with Chapter 13 bankruptcy and consumer debt restructuring is not discussed in the above FAQs. The information contained in the following FAQs is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended to be a legal opinion nor legal advice nor is it intended to be a complete discussion of all the issues related to the area of Chapter 7 consumer bankruptcy. Every individual's factual situation is different and you should seek independent legal advice regarding specific information. Your Property and Assets Once the bankruptcy is filed, all the property of the debtor at td return. 3-15 YR Balloon Loans Balloon loans offer interest rates that are fixed for a period of years. Typically these loans are pegged to a treasury index. Terms are for 3, 5,7,10 or 15 years. The amortization schedules are generally for 20 or 25 years. When a balloon loan matures at the end of the agreed term, the remaining principle balance outstanding is due at that time. The borrower can pay off the loan by either selling the property or refinancing. Investment property is typically owned for a previously defined period of time. Analyze your investment strategy before securing a balloon. Having to redo a loan is expensive. Adjustable Rate Loans An adjustable rate loan will typically fully amortize with no balloon features. These loans may or may not have adjustment caps. The rate is determined by an index plus a margin. The indices used are generally U.S. Treasury bond rates. Rates are adjusted at a certain point in time using either the current rate of the index in question or the average of the index for the prior year. In either event, the index used will correspond to the adjustment term. If the loan is a three year adjustable, then the index used should be the three year treasury index. Some adjustable rate loans are fixed for an initial period of years and then will adjust after that period. For example a 5/1 adjustable is fixed for the first five years and there after will adjust each year. The index used will be the one year treasury rate. Please note that commercial lending is not standardized as it relates to programs and to guidelines. Banks must meet certain federal standards, but the index, margin, amortization, term and fees are components that are controlled by the investor based on their risk profit analysis. Remember that this mortgage will be the greatest expense your investment property will be responsible for. As such we recommend that you consult your real estate agent and your loan officer to assist in providing you with all the information needed to make a complete and accurate choice. How to Improve Your Credit If you have had credit problems, be prepared to discuss them honestly with a mortgage professional. Responsible mortgage professionals know there can be legitimate reasons for credit problems, such as unemployment, illness or other financial difficulties. If you had a problem that's been corrected and your payments have been on time for a year or more, your credit may be considered satisfactory. If you are currently in excess debt, there are four ways to control it: 1. If your credit is not in terrible shape, you can reduce your other expenses, even if it means making hard choices or changing your lifestyle to fit your income. Consider selling a second car, taking equity out of your home, applying for a non secured signature loan, obtaining a loan from a relative, selling your home and paying off your debts with the proceeds and then renting, cashing out your 401K/retirement benefits or selling family heirlooms, jewelry, etc. 2. If your credite timeframe below to see historical rate data. Program: Timeframe: Freddie Mac 30 Year Fixed Average Rate for 1 Year Freddie Mac 30 Year Fixed Average Rate for 1 Year Date Rate Points September, 2005 5.91 0.5 August, 2005 5.77 0.5 July, 2005 5.77 0.5 June, 2005 5.53 0.6 May, 2005 5.65 0.6 April, 2005 5.78 0.6 March, 2005 6.04 0.7 February, 2005 5.69 0.7 THIS WEEK Date EST Release For Forecast Actual Prior Mon 01/23 -10:00- Leading Indicators Dec 0.2% 0.1% 0.9% Tue 01/24 -13:00- 20-Year TIPS Auction Wed 01/25 -10:00- Existing Home Sales Dec 6.90M (-5.7%)6.60M 7.00M 01/25 -13:00- 2-Year Treasury Note Auction Thur 01/26 -08:30- Initial Jobless Claims 01/21 -- (+11K)283K 272K 01/26 -08:30- Durable Goods Orders Dec 0.8% 1.3% 5.4% Fri 01/27 -08:30- Gross Domestic Product Q4 2.9% 1.1% 4.1% 01/27 -10:00- New Home Sales Dec 1.240M (+2.9%)1.269M 1.233M LAST WEEK Date EDT Release For Forecast Actual Prior Mon 01/16 Markets Closed Tue 01/17 -08:30- NY Fed Index Jan 22.0 20.12 26.28 01/17 -09:15- Industrial Production Dec 0.6% 0.6% 0.8% 01/17 -09:15- Capacity Utilization Dec 80.5% 80.7% 80.3% Wed 01/18 -08:30- Consumer Price Index Dec 0.2% -0.1% -0.6% 01/18 -08:30- Core CPI Dec 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 01/18 -14:00- Beige Book Thur 01/19 -08:30- Initial Jobless Claims 01/14 -- (-36K)271K 307K 01/19 -08:30- Housing Starts Dec 2.050M (-8.9%)1.933M 2.121M 01/19 -08:30- Building Permits Dec 2.100M (-4.4%)2.068M 2.163M 01/19 -12:00- Philadelphia Fed Index Jan 13.4 3.3 10.9 Fri 01/20 -09:45- Consumer Sentiment (P) Jan 93.0 93.4 91.5 THE FIVE WEEK MOVING CALENDAR Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Jan 23 24 25 26 27 Leading Indicators 20-Year TIPS Auction Existing Home Sales Initial Jobless Claims Gross Domestic Product 2-Year Note Auction Durable Goods Orders New Home Sales 30 31 Feb 1 2 3 Personal Income / Spending Employment Cost Index ISM Index Initial Jobless Claims Employment Chicago PMI Construction Spending Productivity Factory Orders Consumer Confidence Consumer Sentiment (F) FOMC Policy Statement 6 7 8 9 10 3-Year Note Auction 10-Year Note Auction Initial Jobless Claims Balance of Trade Wholesale Inventories Treasury Budget 30-Year Bond Auction 13 14 15 16 17 Business Inventories NY Fed Index Initial Jobless Claims Producer Price Index Retail Sales Industrial Production Housing Starts Consumer Sentiment (P) Import / Export Prices Philadelphia Fed Index 20 21 22 23 24 Markets Closed Leading Indicators Consumer Price Index Initial Jobless Claims Durable Goods Orders FOMC Minutes 2-Year Treasury Note 5-Year Treasury Note Interest Rate Commentary Friday: 01/27/06 10:30 AM EST : Treasuries began their trading session with gains as the principal economic release of the day was more bearish than expected. However, prices have since fallen into the red as the news has been discounted as being distorted by exceptional factors. Moreover, the stock market failed to stumble on the news and the second economic release of the day was stronger than anticipated. In the top economic story of the day, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that, according to initial (or advance) estimates, gross domestic product grew at a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 1.1% in the fourth quarter of 2005. This was much weaker than the 2.9% that analysts were predicting and represraduated payments and a fixed note rate, GPMs have scheduled negative amortization of approximately 10% - 12% of the loan amount depending on the note rate. The higher the note rate the larger degree of negative amortization. This compares to the possible negative amortization of a monthly adjusting ARM of 10% of the loan amount. Both loans give the consumer the ability to pay the additional principal and avoid the negative amortization. In contrast, the GPM has a fixed payment schedule so the additional principal payments reduce the term of the loan. The ARMs additional payments avoid the negative amortization and the payments decrease while the term of the loan remains constant. The scheduled negative amortization on a GPM differs depending on the amortization schedule, the note rate and the payment increases of the loan. GPM loans with 7.5% annual payment increases offer the lowest qualifying rate but the largest amount of negative amortization. On a loan of $150,000, with a 30 year amortization and a note rate of 10.50% with 12.5% annual payment increases, the negative amortization continues for 60 months. The qualifying rate is 5.75% and the negative amortization is 11.34% (approximately $17,010). The note rate of a GPM is traditionally .5% to .75% higher than the note rate of a straight fixed rate mortgage. The higher note rate and scheduled negative amortization of the GPM makes the cost of the mortgage more expensive to the borrower in the long run. In addition, the borrowers monthly payment can increase by as much as 50% by the final payment adjustment. The lower qualifying rate of the GPM can help borrowers maximize their purchasing power, and can be useful in a market with rapid appreciation. In markets where appreciation is moderate, and a borrower needs to move during the scheduled negative amortization period they could create an unpleasant situation. Interest Rate Buy Downs The most common buy down is the 2-1 buy down. In the past, for a buyer to secure a 2-1 buy down they would pay 3 points above current market points in order to pay a below market interest rate during the first two years of the loan. At the end of the two years they would then pay the old market rate for the remaining term. As an example, if the current market rate for a conforming fixed rate loan is 8.5% at a cost of 1.5 points, the buy down gives the borrower a first year rate of 6.50%, a second year rate of 7.50% and a third through 30th year rate of 8.50% and the cost would be 4.5 points. Buy downs were usually paid for by a transferring company because of the high points associated with them. In today's market, mortgage companies have designed variations of the old buy downs rather than charge higher points to the buyer in the beginning they increase the note rate to cover their yields in the later years. As an example, if the current rate for a conforming fixed rate loan is 8.50% at a cost of 1.5 points, the buy down would give the buyer a first year rate of 7.25%, a second year rate of 8.25% and a third through 30th year rate of 9.25%, or a three quarter point higher note rate than the current market and the cost would remain at 1.5 points. Another common buy down is the 3-2-1 buy down which works much in the same ways as the 2-1 buy down, with the exception of the starting interest rate being 3% below the note rate. Another variation is the flex fixed buy down program that increast rates and associated points may save you money. As a rule of thumb, each point adds about one eighth to one quarter of one percent to the interest rate the mortgage company is offering. Generally, the lower the interest rate on the loan, the more points the lending institution will charge. Some companies offer refinancing with no points, but generally charge higher interest rates. To decide what combination of rate and points is best for you, balance the amount you can pay up front with the amount you can pay monthly. The less time that you keep the loan, the more expensive points become. If you plan to stay in your house for a long time, then it may be worthwhile to pay additional points to obtain a lower interest rate. Some companies may offer to finance the points so that you do not have to pay them up front. This means that the points will be added to your loan balance, and you will pay a finance charge on them. Although this may enable you to get the financing, it also will increase the amount of your monthly payments. Consider Other Mortgage Programs If you are thinking about refinancing your mortgage, you might want to consider other types of mortgages. For example, you might want to look into a 15-year fixed rate mortgage. In this plan, your mortgage payments are somewhat higher than a longer-term loan, but you pay substantially less interest over the life of the loan and build equity more quickly. (Of course, this also means you have less interest to deduct on your income tax return.) You also might want to consider refinancing if you have an adjustable rate mortgage with high or no limits on interest rate increases. You might want to switch to a fixed rate mortgage or to an adjustable rate mortgage that limits changes in the rate at each adjustment date as well as over the life of the loan. If you decide to apply for refinancing with a particular mortgage company, and if you do not want to let the interest rate "float" until closing, get a written statement to guarantee the interest rate and the number of discount points that you will pay at closing. This binding commitment or "lock in" ensures that the mortgage company will not raise these costs even if rates increase before you settle on the new loan. You also may consider requesting an agreement where the interest rate can decrease but not increase before closing. If you cannot get the mortgage company to put this information in writing, you may wish to choose one that will provide this important information. Most companies place a limit on the length of time (say, 60 days) they will guarantee the interest rate. You must sign the loan during that time or lose the benefit of that particular rate. Because many people refinance their mortgages when rates decline, there may be a delay in processing the papers. Therefore, you may want to contact the company periodically to check on the progress of your loan approval and to see if additional information is needed. Deciding to Refinance Traditionally, the decision on whether or not to refinance has meant balancing the savings of a lower monthly payment against the costs of refinancing. But in recent years, companies have introduced "no cost" and low cost refinancing packages that minimize or completely eliminate the out-of-pocket expenses of refinancing. (These refinancing packages compensate with a higher interest rate, or by including some of the costs in the amount that is financed.) With traditional refinancing, the most often cited rule of thumb is that the interest rate for your new mortgage must be about 2 percentage points below the rate of your current mortgage for refinancing to make sense. However, with the newer low and no cost refinancing programs, it can be worth your while to refinance to obtain a smaller reduction in interest rates. How long you expect to stay in your home is also a factor to consider. If you'll be moving in a few years, the month to month savings may never add up to the costs that are involved in a refinancing. Relocation Considerations Consider this common scenario faced by many employees: Your supervisor calls you into her office on a Friday afternoon and asks you to transfer to the New Jersey office. She says the new job includes a $10,000 increase in salary and loads of potential "in the future." She gives you the weekend to think about it. What do you say? No doubt, a million questions start popping into your head. You've heard New Jersey is expensive to live in. Is $10,000 enough? How much are the houses? What will your property taxes be? What about income taxes? What about your wife's job? Will the kids like it there? Will you like the new job? What is the impact on your career if you refuse the job transfer? According to psychologists, relocation is among the most stressful events that can happen to a person or family. Changing jobs, which often occurs when relocating, is also high on the stress index. For many people the decision to relocate involves a complex set of variables of a financial, personal and emotional nature. These factors contribute to the stress in varying degrees, depending upon the individuals involved. The questions above can be broken down into two broad categories: objective and subjective. The emotional and personal aspects of relocation are subjective and thus difficult to model. Fortunately this is not true of the financial ramifications, which are more objective and easier to quantify. This article will discuss many of the financial variables which should be considered by employers and employees before a relocation decision is made. When deciding on compensation packages for transferred employees, employers often do not consider that each employee is an individual, with unique financial considerations. No two families are alike and a relocation analysis must reflect differences in income tax brackets, housing size, property taxes, spousal income, dependents, etc. Using generic cost of living indices does not produce an accurate calculation of the financial impact of relocating. Using only a customized analysis will produce a true "apples to apples" comparison. The battle cry of the relocating employee is "AT LEAST KEEP ME WHOLE." In other words, the employee should not have to relocate, absorb the emotional stress, and lose money as well. The after tax cash flow should be at least zero. An accurate, individualized, analysis has other benefits for the employer. These are: 1. If the employee is presently living in a high cost of living area, and the employee is moving out of this area to a lower cost of living area the analysis will most likely show a positive cash flow, which will encourage the employee to relocate. 2. Employers in low cost areas will find the analysis useful in encouraging employees to transfer into the area from higher cost of living areas, since the analysis will probably show a positive cash flow. Lower salaries can be justified, and demonstrated to the employee, thus saving expenses. 3. Employers in high cost of living areas can use the analysis for employees moving into the area, from lower cost areas, when cost of living concerns are negatively impacting the relocation decision, and there is a resistance to relocation. An analysis may convince the reluctant employee that the after tax cash flow isn't as bad as they thought. Often, reluctant employees must relocate to high cost areas for career advancement purposes, but want just compensation, calculated in gross salary dollars. A confidential analysis will show an employer how much the employee should be equitably paid, to compensate for cost of living differences. 4. Employers can use the analysis to make sure employees are comparing apples to apples in their relocation decision. Many employees attempt to upgrade their standard of living, usually through unfair housing and community comparisons, at the employer's expense. Most employees and employers perform a very superficial analysis of the financial impact of relocating. This is understandable since it is very complicated from a tax and financial planning point of view. The typical analysis involves a comparison of housing in the new area with the increased salary offer, if any. Or the salary is set based upon a comparison to other employees in similar positions. The effect upon a family's cash flow in the first year after the move is much more complex than this simple analysis. As a result costly errors can be made which affect not only the family's financial health but also their happiness as well. An employee who feels unfairly treated is not as productive and may seek other employment. If the employee is worth relocating he/she is worth fair compensation. After all, if suitable talent were available locally the relocation would be unnecessary. Relocation mistakes result in further relocation and additional stress for both the family and for employers. Performing a proper analysis before a relocation offer is accepted reduces stress by decreasing uncertainty. This allows the employee to evaluate the relocation offer more accurately and provides benefits to the employer by increasing employee happiness and retention. Before describing the financial changes caused by relocation in more depth it should be noted that the analysis should be performed, not just for the relocating employee, but for the entire family. Often relocation can cause major financial changes for spouses, companions, children, dependent parents, and others. Also, all changes should include the federal, state and local tax impact, where appropriate, at the individual's projected marginal rates of tax. The analysis should compare the old salary with the change in family salary, wages, and business income. It should not include changes that would have occurred anyway had the family not relocated, since this would obscure the real cost, and would be unfair to the employer. The change should be net of federal, state, and local (city) income taxes, as well as social security taxes. A common problem experienced by many families, sometimes called the "trailing spouse" problem, occurs when the spouse of a relocated employee experiences great difficulty finding employment in the new area. The analysis should be able to analyze the projected decrease in the spouse's income for the first year after the move. Another area often neglected by relocating individuals is the change in wealth caused by changes in automobile expenses. This can be caused by changes in commuting distances, automobile insurance rates, personal mileage (for example to return home to see friends and relatives, or to access qualified medical care), tolls and parking, use of a company car, or an increase or decrease in amounts paid by employers for business use of your personal car. Some of these changes have tax effects and some do not. Most people underestimate how expensive it is to operate an automobile, probably because the major portion of the expense is depreciation (a non cash item), and because the expenses are paid gradually. Changes in job benefits are often a factor if the employee is changing employers, and occasionally when transferring within the firm. Items to consider here include changes in medical insurance, life insurance, plans, and other perquisites such as day care. Changes in state and local income taxes should be included, net of federal tax effects. The family's income should be recalculated using the tax laws of the new state, and city (if there are city income taxes). Consideration must be given for employees choosing to live in one state and work in another, such as the millions of people who live in New Jersey and work in New York. In such cases they will pay non resident income taxes in the state they are working in. Most states have reciprocity agreements to prevent double taxation, which permit residents to deduct taxes paid to other states. Changes in housing costs are, of course, a major item. It is important to make valid, meaningful, comparisons when comparing housing costs between areas. For example, comparisons should be made which compare the same size houses (square footage) . Also included should be the real estate taxes, and rent, if the individual is not buying. Of course, the federal income tax impact of these changes should be included. Another factor to be considered is the change in interest rates caused by exchanging the old mortgage for a new one. If the employee is buying a cheaper house in the new area he/she may incur federal and state capital gains taxes. This tax should not be included in the analysis because it occurs only once, and should not be part of the calculation of ongoing salary. Of course, the employee should be reimbursed for this tax, since the relocation caused the imposition of the tax. Likewise, if the relocation causes the family to have to sell investment real estate, a partnership, or stock in a closely held business then there will be capital gains or losses incurred because of the realization of gains or losses on the sale of these assets. Distance or increased job responsibilities may require that these investments be sold. If the family wishes to compare owning vs. renting, or renting vs. owning, the analysis should be able to do this, although it may not be a fair comparison for negotiation purposes. Finally, the analysis should not include the cost of moving household belongings, travel expenses including meals and lodging for the family, temporary living expenses in the new area, pre move house hunting trips, real estate agent's fees, legal fees to buy and sell houses, points to payoff an old mortgage or secure a new mortgage, and redecorating expenses. These expenses are one time expenses which will not repeat in future years, and therefore should not be included when calculating salary. Of course, the employee should be reimbursed for these expenses, but if the purpose of the analysis is to show gross salary equivalents then moving expenses should be excluded, since they are not recurring. Most employers will pay some or all of these expenses, but it is wise to be specific about what will be reimbursed. The reimbursement of deductible expenses is not taxable, while the reimbursement of non deductible expenses is completely taxable. Therefore the employee must be reimbursed for federal, state, local, and social security tax impact on the portion of the reimbursement which is non deductible. This is called a tax gross up payment. Since the tax gross up payment is also taxable the calculation becomes a little complex. Many employers do not calculate this amount correctly. They usually do not reimburse for the state, local and social security tax impact and they assume all taxpayers are in the same tax bracket. This article has highlighted the important financial variables which should be considered when making salary offers to employees who are relocating. An analysis based upon a superficial comparison of cost of living indices does little to reduce the very significant stress associated with relocating and changing jobs. The analysis must be individualized to each family, since families have different financial profiles such as different incomes, house sizes, etc. Relocation can be a significant financial planning tool when relocating to a lower cost of living area, which can increase cash flow and provide significant lifetime benefits which will help employees achieve their financial goals. A thorough analysis will not only reduce pre move stress by eliminating financial uncertainty but will increase post move happiness for all involved. Selecting a Relocation Professional To begin your search for the right person to represent you in a home sale, ask a colleague or friend for a recommendation, preferably someone who has used the real estate agent's services. You want an agent who is familiar with home sales in your price range and in your neighborhood. It is essential that you feel comfortable with the agent during an interview since comfort level and good communication are very important. During your interview, don't hesitate to ask the agent about the number of homes the agent has listed and actually sold. The length of time the agent has been in business is not necessarily the best yardstick. Make sure to ask about their commission fees as well. These fees will average 6 percent to 7 percent but may be negotiable. Remember, the agent you choose is going to be one of your main sources of information. A good agent will advise you and guide you in many ways. Look for a representative who is pursuing sales, returning telephone calls, aggressively working in your best interest and whose only job is real estate. Interview Checklist * How often will you promise to call or write me with activity on the home? * I would like to have a list of your satisfied clients (of comparable properties) as references. * Describe your history of real estate sales. Most agents sell just 30 percent to 60 percent of their listings before the listings expire. Choose an agent who sells 85 percent. * What percentage of the asking price, on average, have you received for the homes you've sold during the last year? * What is the average number of days your listed homes stayed on the market? * Why should I pick you over all other agents? VA Loan Eligibility How do I apply for a VA guaranteed loan? You can apply for a VA loan at any mortgage company that participates in the VA home loan program. At some point, you will need to get a Certificate of Eligibility from VA to prove to the mortgage company that you are eligible for a VA loan. How do I get a Certificate of Eligibility? To get a Certificate of Eligibility, you need to submit form 26-1880, Request for Determination of Eligibility and Available Loan Guaranty Entitlement. A copy of the form can be obtained by calling 800-827-1000. Send it to any VA Regional Office. You must include a copy of your DD-214 with the form 26-1880. If you are on active duty, you must submit a statement of service signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters showing date of entry on your current active duty period and the duration of any time lost. I have already received one VA loan. Can I get another one? Yes, depending on the circumstances. If you have paid off your prior VA loan and disposed of the property, you can have your entitlement restored for additional use. To obtain restoration of entitlement, you must send VA a completed VA Form 26-1880, along with evidence that the property has been disposed of and the loan repaid in full. This evidence can be in the form of a payoff statement from the former mortgage company, or a copy of the HUD-1 settlement statement completed in connection with the sale of the property. The application can be presented to any VA Regional Office. A veteran can also obtain restoration of entitlement, on a one time basis, if the prior VA loan has been paid in full but the property has not been sold. I have sold the property I obtained with my prior VA loan on an assumption. Why can't I get my entitlement restored to purchase a new home? In this case the your entitlement can be restored only if the assumer is also an eligible veteran who is willing to substitute his or her entitlement for that of your original entitlement. Otherwise, you cannot have entitlement restored until the assumer has paid off the VA loan. My prior VA loan was assumed, the assumer defaulted on the loan, and VA paid a claim to the mortgage company. VA said it wasn't my fault and waived the debt. Now I need a new VA loan but am told that I am not eligible. Why not? or My prior loan was foreclosed on, or I gave a Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure, or VA paid a compromise claim. I was released from liability on the loan and/or the debt was waived. Can I get another VA loan? Although the your debt was waived by VA, the Government has still suffered a loss on the loan. The law does not permit your entitlement to be restored until the loss has been repaid in full. If you are having problems on your real estate investment, Invesloan is here to assist you with your financing source! We will make sure that you will be successful in any of your real estate goals! Here at Invesloan, we truly understand that being a real estate investor, you will surely have specific financing needs for the best resources. As your most trusted real estate investor, Invesloan is committed in providing you the best total solution for reaching your investment goals. Invesloan is your one stop real estate investor especially if you have specific needs. At the same time, we are also a team of experienced real estate financing professionals who strive to give our clients the best total solution for your individual real estate investment financial needs. Invesloan is actually licensed in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Texas and Washington that why most of our clients are sure about their loans acquired from us. If youe not yet satisfied with our license from the stated cities, we are also perusing the licensing of other states and will eventually update our offerings accordingly. With more than 400 institutional investors, Invesloan is also capable of being a correspondent lender and broker. In this manner, it will also allow our team to design and offer programs that will definitely satisfy your specific investment goals. If you are also worried of being pre qualified by your investor, we can actually provide you with our multi-step service. This process will actually ask you series of questions and then provide you with mortgage payment and ratio calculations that will help determine your home purchase or refinance prequal status. You may use our custom prequal analysis especially if you want to request for a prequal. As soon as you ask for this kind of request, you only have to send it to our staff of mortgage professionals. We can actually provide you with residential or even commercial investment loans. In a residential investment loan, you may choose between a short term and a long term investment financing solutions. The short term investment actually takes six months or less. This option will give you up to 100% loan to value leverage financing, prime or sub-prime credit status, no pre-payment penalty, low fixed or adjustable interest rates and financial negotiation assistance. On the other hand, you may also choose our more than 6 months of investment. This will give you the opportunity to get up to 100% loan to value leverage financing, specialty programs for maximum cash flows, low fixed or adjustable interest rates, prime or sub-prime credit status and financial negotiation assistance. When it comes to commercial investment loans, we actually finance various establishments. This includes multi-family or apartment complexes, mixed use, office, retail, warehouse, self-storage, mobile home Park, funeral homes, rooming house, day care, hotel or motel, campground, bar or restaurant, and many more. The best things that our commercial investment loan offers are the stated income or stated asset of a particular price up to 90% combined loan to value financing. This also includes full documentation of up to 95% combined loan to value financing. With this kind of investment loan, you may also have the lowest commercial interest rates on the market plus financial negotiation assistance. For your total guarantee, you may already request an application where you can acquire a full secure 1003 application and other forms through the use of our online application library or even by phone. For other information and inquiries, you may also check out other topics like your initial meeting with a mortgage professional, after the mortgage application, speed up the mortgage process and escrow account basics.

Singapore Property Market offers the largest property market platform for seller, buyer, tenant & expatriate relocation. Over 1000+ residential & commercial properties classified posted daily for sale & rent. Our portal are transparent, rich in resources & links to help your real estate & mortgage financing needs Whether you're buying,leasing or expat relocating, just do 2 clicks search to find your ideal property in 1 min.- The fastest properties listing classified search you can get in the web!

Buyer, please read before you click to search
HUDC Apartment Flat (Maisionette, high/low rise Apt) for Sale

HUDC apartment flat posted by realtors or agents here in this MLS (Multiple Listing Service) are all willing co-brokers. Hence our network with them are a lot easier to address your need to buy a HUDC unit. You can find Maisionette, high rise or low rise HUDC apartment flat for sale here.

You may explore those Ads by Google, or use our top right's Google Search to find relevant HUDC apartment for sale or rental. These expand also your global reach to international and regional property market as well as Singapore property agencies, developers and realtors, including those non co-brokers, where you can deal with them direct. Call us if you need help.

When you email us, please include your captured choice properties (highlight the listing, right click copy & paste), indicate your brief profile, choice criteria, your CONTACT & BUDGET. We response promptly if you need URGENTLY with REALISTIC budget. If you've seen unit in captured listing, let us know so that duplicate viewings can be avoided. Thanks in advance !
Tenant & relocating expats, please read before you click to search
Landed Houses (Bungalow, semi-detach, inter/corner terrace) for Rent

Landed housimg properties posted by realtors or agents here in this MLS (Multiple Listing Service) are all willing co-brokers. Hence our network with them are a lot easier to address your need to rent or lease a landed house property. You can find bungalow housing, semi-detached house, inter or corner terrace house for rental, leasing here.

You may explore those Ads by Google, or use our top right's Google Search to find relevant landed housing for sale or rental. These also expand your global reach to international and regional property market as well as Singapore property agencies, developers and realtors, including those non co-brokers, where you can deal with them direct. Call us if you need help.

When you email us, please include your captured choice properties (highlight the listing, right click copy & paste), indicate your brief profile, choice criteria, your CONTACT & BUDGET. We response promptly if you need URGENTLY with REALISTIC budget. If you've seen unit in captured listing, let us know so that duplicate viewings can be avoided. Thanks in advance !


To start Powersearch classified Search, click :
Landed Houses (Bungalow, semi-detach, inter/corner terrace) for Rent

Singapore Properties/Real Estate: Buy, Sell or Rent Singapore Property/Real Estate

Your Best Agent in Singapore Property Real Estate Market  BUY / SELL / LEASE / RENT of Singapore properties

Singapore Property and Real Estate search and advertisement with full details and photographs. HDB, HUDC, Private Property, Condominium, Landed Property, Commercial and Industrial. All for Sale and for Rent. ... Commercial. Industrial. FOR RENT. HDB ... Do you buy things you have not seen before. Not to say a property that cost ... Links To Other Websites. Real Estate. Finance and Mortgage ...

Singapore Property Real Estate Agent / Agents / Realtor ... Property Listings Classifieds including HDB, Private Apartments, Condominiums, Townhouses Buy Sell Rent Singapore Real Estate ...

The country's leading property portal, with thousands of property ads from property agents, developers and owners, covering the whole of the Singapore. ... property agency. real estate ... rent furnished site sg hotel. apartments wanted. apt for rental. apt rental. aspen property. aspen property consultants singapore. aspen real estate ... buy shop space ...

Affiliate Program

Link Partners