Virginia R Hoato's Blog – Topics That Matter: Real Estate news as well as information pertinent to your everyday life.

Hello,

Remember the housing bubble of 2006 when the money invested in an apartment complex generated less than 6%. Today the annual return for such can reach up to 7 to 8%. This is due the fact that prices have fallen faster than rents. But it all depends on what part of the US you live in.

For an investor a good strategy is to choose areas where real estate prices and rents have reached bottom but at the same time jobs have stabilized or are stabilizing and unemployment is not a big factor. For Northern California, San Francisco may be a good place to buy for landlords that find the right neighborhood.

It is not an easy task being a landlord. If you are planning on becoming an investor make sure you have more than enough money for repairs and vacancies (if it is a rental complex). Also the down payment required may be steep so make sure you have a large percentage of the value of the property in cash. During the term of the rental there is the possibility of coming across difficult renters that may damage the property before the end of the lease.  One last thing it might be wise to hold the property anywhere between 3 to 5 years to allow for the market to take its course. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

Well, that’s it for now!

Remember to come back tomorrow for more!

And if you are planning to buy a house or sell your house call me!!  I am only a phone call away!

Have a good night!!!

Your #1 Realtor®

Sharing investment information with you!

Virginia R. Hoato
Realty World – Blue Property Group, Inc
DRE LIC# 01781539
Direct:  510-305-3254
Fax:  209-234-2750

Email:  virginiarh at rightchoicehomes4u.com
TAMBIEN HABLO ESPAÑOL
Web Links: http://www.rwblue-virginiahoato.com
 http://www.virginiahoato.com

Skype Member: virginiarh1961

“FOR RESULTS OF EXCELLENCE: EXPERTISE AND INTEGRITY MUST EMBRACE YOUR NEEDS”.
(VRH 8-13-08)

Share the memorable experience of buying a home with others. Your personal referrals are my greatest compliment.

Hello

This one is short and sweet.  I hope you are all enjoying this great weather.  In an effort to make things easier for readers I decided to have a page that will allow you view homes in the area of your interest.  Since I am mainly focusing on Livermore, Mountain House, Tracy and Lathrop I added to the navigation 4 tabs. Of course you can also search for any area as well.

Well, that’s it for now!

Remember to come back tomorrow for more!

And if you are planning to buy a house or sell your house call me!!  I am only a phone call away!

Have a good night!!!

Your #1 Realtor®

Sharing updates to my blog with you!

Virginia R. Hoato
Realty World – Blue Property Group, Inc
DRE LIC# 01781539
Direct:  510-305-3254
Fax:  209-234-2750

Email:  virginiarh at rightchoicehomes4u.com
TAMBIEN HABLO ESPAÑOL
Web Links: http://www.rwblue-virginiahoato.com
 http://www.virginiahoato.topseller.net

Skype Member: virginiarh1961

“FOR RESULTS OF EXCELLENCE: EXPERTISE AND INTEGRITY MUST EMBRACE YOUR NEEDS”.
(VRH 8-13-08)

Share the memorable experience of buying a home with others. Your personal referrals are my greatest compliment.

If you are an investor this is a good time to refresh you memory about the anti-flipping rule, so here we go:

FHA removes anti-flipping rule
Another FHA rule change could help foreclosure-plagued markets like Las Vegas, Phoenix, Miami, Detroit and Los Angeles, making it easier for investors to “flip” houses to buyers who use FHA-insured loans.
The FHA lifted the rule from February 1, 2010 through February 1, 2011.  Such prohibits insuring a mortgage on a home owned by the seller for less than 90 days. This rule has been informally called the “anti-flipping rule.”
The new rule lets investors buy today and re-sell as quickly as possible. The move is to allow REO homes purchased by investors to resell as quickly as possible, helping stabilize real estate prices and revitalize neighborhoods after the U.S. housing market collapse.
This new rule will open up a new pool of homes to buyers. Waiving the 90-day flip rule is being heralded by many real estate investors as a boon to their ability to buy, rehab and resell foreclosed homes on a more efficient time line.  (Source:  RealtyTrac)

Well, that’s it for now

Share the memorable experience of buying a home with others. Your personal referrals are my greatest compliment.

Hello,

I just read this article in Yahoo about the 10 things a new home MUST have.

I agree with most of the items but I am not sure about the soaker tub and the two car garage.  Having a tub is good for reselling purposes but more and more I hear people say the tub is hardly used.  A two car garage should be a standard item the construction of a new home.  How many times have you driven around a considerably new community  that has plenty of streets with driveways and curves full of cars.  Also having a 3rd car garage can help with storage.  Here is the artciicle:

The 10 Must-Have Features in Today’s New Homes

by Steve Kerch

The kitchen is still king.

LAS VEGAS — Americans want smaller houses and they are willing to strip some of yesterday’s most popular rooms — such as home theaters — from them in order to accommodate changing lifestyles, consumer experts told audiences at the International Builders Show here this week.
“This is a traumatic time in this country and the future isn’t something we’re 100% sure about now either. What’s left? The answer for most home buyers is authenticity,” said Heather McCune, director of marketing for Bassenian Lagoni Architects in Park Ridge, Ill.
Buyers today want cost-effective architecture, plans that focus on spaces and not rooms and homes that are designed ‘green’ from the outset,” she said. The key for home builders is “finding the balance between what buyers want and the price point.”
For many buyers, their next house will be smaller than their current one, said Carol Lavender, president of the Lavender Design Group in San Antonio, Texas. Large kitchens that are open to the main family living area, old-fashioned bathrooms with clawfoot tubs and small spaces such as wine grottos are design features that will resonate today, she said.
“What we’re hearing is ‘harvest’ as a home theme — the feeling of Thanksgiving. It’s all about family togetherness — casual living, entertaining and flexible spaces,” Lavender said.
Paul Cardis, CEO of AVID Ratings Co., which conducts an annual survey of home-buyer preferences, said there are 10 “must” features in new homes. Read the rest of this entry »

Hello,

Here a few links with useful information for investors:

National Real Estate Investor is strongly committed to providing its readers with hard-hitting content put into a context that helps commercial real estate professionals perform their jobs better. Well-written and well-edited market reviews, profiles, trend pieces and columns are the hallmarks of NREI and are packaged with the reader foremost in mind. For the professional who wants to stay on the cutting edge of commercial real estate, NREI is a must-read.

NuWire Investor strives to fill educate and update investors on the news, trends and Read the rest of this entry »