real estate investors

Real Estate Investments: Some Words of Guidance

March 13, 2009

“Most of the biggest real estate fortunes were not made in good times, but in bad times like this” Barbara Corcoran reminds us in this talk with NBC . It’s important perspective for Americans wondering how to invest in foreclosed properties without losing their cash or their credit rating. In the 4-minute interview, Corcoran quips on the basics and the essentials of foreclosure investing, “Everyone who loses their shirt loses it somewhere else.” “Every big shark started small.” “The house on the corner sets the tone for the block.” She also lends some personal perspective to rent rolls, the cost of losing a tenant, and finding a good business partner.

Read the full article →

The Key Fact Missing From Today’s Existing Home Sales Headlines

February 26, 2009

In reading the headlines this morning, you’d think that last month’s Existing Home Sales figure signaled more trouble ahead for the housing market. Quite the contrary. Beyond the attention-grabbing headlines is the real story; the one that shows — once again — that housing market fundaments are coming back into balance

Read the full article →

How will the Uncertainty about the Stimulus Package Effect Mortgage Rates?

February 23, 2009

Traders brushed off Tuesday and Wednesday’s passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the President’s mortgage relief plan, respectively. It showed how unsure markets remain about the stimulus package and its probable impact on the economy

Read the full article →

Fannie Mae Removes Its 4-Financed Property Limit

February 10, 2009

Friday, Fannie Mae rolled-back one of its least popular mortgage guidelines updates of the last 12 months.

Read the full article →

New Google App for iPhone Helps find Open Houses, Plan Routes

December 2, 2008

Although I don’t have one yet (my current contract is not up until May 09) the iPhone is my favorite technological innovation since broadband. Now, Google has introduced an app for the iPhone that allows realtors, house hunters and real estate investors find open houses. As if that was not cool enough, using the Google […]

Read the full article →

4 States Account For 51 Percent Of The Nation’s October 2008 Foreclosures

November 15, 2008

Foreclosure is a hot topic among the press lately. It’s hard to turn on the television or open up a newspaper without seeing a story about it. But what’s most interesting about foreclosures is that they appear to be concentrated in certain areas of the country. According to the foreclosure-tracking service RealtyTrac, 4 states accounted […]

Read the full article →

New Mortgage Rules Put Limits On Residential Real Estate Investors

September 10, 2008

In its last act as a semi-independent company, Fannie Mae altered mortgage guidelines for real estate investors last Friday. It was Fannie’s 22nd update this year. The first part of the guideline change limits the number of properties owned by any one person. Fannie Mae will now decline any mortgage application for a second home or […]

Read the full article →

It Ain’t Easy Being Green–or is it??

November 7, 2007

No, I am not talking about the song by Kermit the Frog, I am talking about a recent insert in the Wall St. Journal entitled “Handicapping the Environmental Gold Rush” spoke about the benefits of investing in Green Real Estate. According to McGraw-Hill Constructions “2006 Green Building SmartMarket Report,” Green buildings generate 3.5% higher occupancy rates, […]

Read the full article →