Ihr Immobilienmakler in Heidelberg

In commercial real estate agency, you can gain the edge when it comes to market share and listings if you build systems and procedures into your working day. Consistency is the key to progressing in the industry.

It is a fact that things will happen to upset your day and distract you. The systems that you have built around you can get things back on track. Habits are really important when it comes to progressing with prospecting, client services, marketing, and listing. That’s what top agents do.

If you feel out of control now, and find that the listings or business leads are not coming to you, have a look at your systems or lack of them. Get back to the basics of the things that matter. Start to build some control back into your diary.

Here are some ideas to help you with this concept:

1. At the very top of the action list should be your prospecting every day. Without that you will be struggling. Don’t let the business of the day take you away from connecting with new people and properties.
2. Within prospecting you should have systems. That will be in the number of calls made, number of meetings generated, ratios of meetings to listings, and new contacts. Track these things because they will help you move upward with progress.
3. Create a procedure that relates to a pre-listing inspection with the client. A good system will let you show the client just how professional and relevant you are in taking the property forward. A good system also streamlines the follow-up issues such as property details, tenancy checks, leases, financial checking of income and expenditure results, and any encumbrances or orders that could impact the property marketing.
4. The marketing of a property should be directed at a target audience, and to a large degree the marketing effort on exclusive listings should be personally controlled. This says that you should take your good properties to the market personally and talk to lots of local people. That is how you get the leads that you need for other things. Make it a practice to market you and your brand off each quality listing.

When you look at the issues that come with listing, marketing, client follow up, inspections, and negotiations every one of these things should have a controlled procedure.

A check-list will help you move things forward and hence not overlook any important things. A check-list removes the stress of the market and the people that you work with. If you work under stress for too long you can make mistakes, and in our industry that can mean big problems with clients, properties, and commissions.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Top 6 Real Estate Secrets

#1: Open Houses Don’t Work.

Open houses are a thing of the past. Years ago, when you wanted to sell your home, the only way that buyers could see the inside of your home was to be invited to view your home via an open house or making an appointment with the agent listing your home. Now, if a buyer wants to see your home, they can just go online, to any of a dozen sites, and see the inside of your home without ever having to leave their living room.

The truth is open houses don’t work! Real Estate agents host open houses not to sell your home, but to obtain additional clients who are looking to sell their homes (including your neighbors). The fact is, you are more likely to win the lottery than sell your home with an open house in most areas.

#2: Marketing is Job Number 1.

If you are selling your home, the real reason you hire a Realtor is marketing. A Realtor’s job is to get as many qualified buyers to your home as possible so that you can sell your home for the highest price. Marketing is the cornerstone of the Real Estate business and a Realtor that does not know marketing, is not worth the commission. Many Realtors avoid the topic of marketing and try to confuse homeowners with internet terms and the size of their firm, all of which means nothing to the actual sale of your home. Here are the things you should be aware of:

* When you hire someone to sell your home, first make sure they are a Realtor and ask to see their Realtor card. There is a big difference between Realtors and Real Estate agents. Real Estate agents cannot list your home in the MLS, a database of homes for sale by participating Real Estate firms.

* Make sure you select a Realtor that truly understands marketing – proactive marketing. All agents use the internet, so that is no big deal. All listings will likely be on Realtor.com and Zillow. Have your agent do a S.W.O.T analysis for you, find out if they work full-time as a Realtor, and ask them what they do that DOES NOT involve the internet to sell your home. Find out how long they have been Realtors, and ask to see any 3 homes sold in each of the last four years. In a very short time, you will be able to sort through the wheat and chaff.

* Don’t be fooled by the most common secret. An agent will mention they work for a big firm, and therefore, your home will get more views on the internet. This is not true, in almost all cases, any home being listed by a Realtor will be listed on the website of all the Real Estate firms in the area and most national websites as well. So even if you list your home with „Mom and Pop Realty,“ your home will show up on even the big companies‘ Real estate websites.

#3: Discount Brokers/Limited Service Brokers Can Be a Good Choice.

Regardless of what the industry tells you (including real estate agents) these firms have a place at the dinner table and serve a vital function in the industry. Let’s be honest – all people are a little frugal, and if you could find a cheaper alternative to paying a Realtor, you would. On occasion, discount brokers/limited service brokers can save you money.

Here are two specific cases where we refer our clients to limited services/discount Realtors:

Scenario 1: You have a home under $120,000 (don’t be jealous, Californians and New Yorkers).

Real Estate is a business, and agents are people who rely on that business to pay their own bills. So, if your agent works at a firm that takes a cut of the commission (in many cases 30-50%), the agent must determine if selling your home is a good business decision. Lets look at the numbers:

* Home Price = $120,000

* 3% commission (Listing Side only) = $3600

* Minus Firm Split (35%) = – $1260

* Minus Taxes (25%) = – $900

* Minus marketing = – $800

* Leaves a net commission of $640, to the agent

If the agent only nets $640 on the deal, how much time can you reasonably expect them to spend on your behalf selling your home? In this case, using a limited service broker could save you $2000+ dollars on the listing side after the cost of the limited broker fees and expenses are deducted.

Scenario 2: You are in a super hot market.

If you are in a market that is so hot that all you have to do is put a sign in your front yard, then limited service is a good option. They put your home in the local MLS system and buyers just show up. AWESOME! The key to making this work is to have your home appraised before you call the limited service brokers to make sure you are selling your home for the right price. Once you get a contract from a buyer’s agent, hire another agent or lawyer to help you with the details on an hourly or fixed-rate basis. The key is making sure you only accept contracts from buyer’s agents. If you are not sure what that means, get clarification in your state. (I can’t give you all the secrets!)

#4: All Agents Are NOT Created Equal.

Just like any industry, there is a range of competence within the Real Estate world; However, many people believe that all agents are the same. I suggest that when you are interviewing agents, request that they send you the contracts ahead of time, and prepare a set of questions for them to answer. If you are in North Carolina, here are just a few questions I suggest:

* What is dual agency? And do you practice dual agency?

* What is the difference between due diligence and earnest money? And what happens if a buyer cancels the contract?

* Am I required to do repairs on my house, or is my home sold as-is?

* Show me the marketing plan for my home, not a generic presentation.

#5: Some Agents Will Try to „Buy the Listing.“

This is when an agent convinces a homeowner they can sell their home for a price significantly higher than market value. This tactic is successful when an owner uses money to select the agent. The agent’s intention is to have the owner sign the listing agreement under the auspices of an inflated sales price, and then the agent will steadily lower the price of your home until it actually sells.

#6: For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Homes Don’t Save Money and Time.

The company line for agents is that they will help you buy any home; however, most agents do not like to deal with FSBO properties. First and foremost, Real Estate is a FOR-PROFIT job. Owners selling their own home have made a decision not to pay a Realtor, but your agent does not work for free. Therefore, as a buyer, if you choose to consider FSBOs, you need to have a discussion about who is responsible for paying commissions. In many cases, you as the buyer could be responsible for paying the commissions on the deal in addition to closing costs and down payments

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Because real estate prices have dropped quite a bit, the potential commissions that real estate agents and brokers could earn have also dropped. But the drop in commissions can be more than offset by the amount of properties that can be sold. And getting quality real estate leads is one of the keys to making this a reality for real estate professionals. This is because there are so many more properties on the market now than there were before the bubble burst.

The rise in the number of homeowners who are underwater on their mortgages has increased so much that a very large number of them have decided that they cannot afford to stay in their homes. They would rather sell their home and buy a comparable home for a much lower price, and take the loss so that they can improve their cash flow situation by having a lower mortgage payment each month. And since there is no shortage of properties to buy, these people had no problem finding a suitable home for a good price.

And another result of the rise in available properties is that more and more people are becoming first-time homeowners. Since prices on homes are falling, more and more people are able to afford a home for the same amount they are currently paying in rent. So the logical choice for these people is to buy a house rather than continuing to rent.

These factors all lead to one thing – a higher need for real estate agents to help the buying and selling of all of these properties. Therefore, even though prices have fallen, the quantity of available properties, buyers, and sellers has raised which more than makes up for the lower prices in terms of how much a given real estate agent could make in the current real estate market. And as we all know, the more clients a real estate agent has, the more properties they’ll sell and the more money they’ll make.

The problem comes in when a real estate agent has already gone through their current client list. The best way for them to get more clients is to somehow obtain more real estate leads. Not only do they need more leads, they need high quality leads if they are going to be successful in converting a high number of them into clients who actually follow through on buying and/or selling one or more properties.

So how can you get more real estate leads? There are of course many different ways. These include buying them from an agency that offers them, advertising, subscribing to lead generation websites, developing and keeping current your own real estate website that draws potential

clients to it, and best of all by getting them through your own network. There are undoubtedly other ways of generating real estate leads as well, but these are the most common methods – all of which have proven to work to a certain degree.

One of the easiest ways to get real estate leads is by purchasing them. There are companies whose sole purpose is to find people who want to buy or sell a property. They then sell this information to people who are willing to pay for it. So if you are a real estate agent looking for real estate leads and either don’t have the time to find your own, or simply don’t want to, then this may be a good option for you.

There are two different major ways to do this. You can purchase the real estate leads from a company as a set of data that you will get in the form of a list or spreadsheet. Then you will need to start sifting through them and using the data available to qualify and categorize them yourself. And after that, it’s time to start making calls to find out they are valid leads or not.

The other way of purchasing real estate leads is by subscribing to a real estate lead generator website that will send you much smaller lists of leads on a regular basis. This can be nice because the information is likely to be much more current than buying a single very large list of leads. But this also means that there are fewer to work with so it doesn’t give you as much freedom in terms of choosing who to contact first.

Purchasing real estate leads or subscribing to a lead generation website can also be expensive. This can be a very bad thing since the whole intent of buying leads is to find clients, sell properties, and make commissions, if the leads that you buy don’t turn into commissions. In that case, not only did you not sell any properties (or many properties), but you wasted money on worthless information, and you wasted time contacting worthless leads when you could have been working on finding good real estate leads instead.

Another way to generate real estate leads is by advertising. If you are a real estate agent, broker, or business person, advertising your services may be a good way to generate real estate leads. This type of lead generation is great because rather than you doing the work to find people who want to buy or sell a property, the tables are turned and they come looking for you instead.

In addition to having people try to find you instead of you trying to find them, there is another benefit to advertising to generate real estate leads. The people who are trying to find you are already definitely interested in buying or selling a property. This means that you don’t have to worry about whether they are going to turn out to be qualified leads or not, because they definitely will be.

A similar way to generate real estate leads by advertising which can be even more effective than simply advertising on a billboard or in the paper is by setting up your own real estate website. Websites are surprisingly inexpensive to have hosted, and having one developed for you doesn’t have to be expensive either. And if you learn the basics of website development, you’ll be able to maintain it by yourself after it’s been set up so that you can always keep it current.

The reasons to keep your website current cannot be understated. First, you have to keep it updated with the properties you are trying to sell so that the people who visit your website will have something to look at – and since this list of properties will be changing frequently as your client list grows and changes, you’ll need to change your website often to incorporate the new properties and eliminate the ones that are no longer available.

A second reason for keeping your website updated on a regular basis your page rank will grow higher. Search engines use a number of factors to determine how relevant they are to certain keywords, and where to display them in a list of search results. And one of the biggest things that moves a website toward the top of the list is it’s page rank, which is greatly affected by how active and how current the website is. So the more often you update your website, the higher its page rank will be, the higher it’ll show up in search results related to real estate keywords, and the more visitors you’ll get to your site.

Once you get visitors to your site, you’ll be getting the exposure you want to potential clients for free. They can stay on your site for as long as they want to and look at as few or as many properties as they want to. And you don’t have to do anything in order to help them. In fact there could be thousands of people all on your website at the same time. That is something that you would not likely ever have the opportunity to do in person. This phenomenon is what is known as leverage, and leverage is what can turn a small business into a fortune 500 business in short order when managed correctly.

The best way to do real estate lead generation also happens to be one of the most difficult – at least in the beginning. The method of finding leads is by building a very large network, and using it. This is one of the best ways to get leads because it is one of the most surprisingly effective ways. But unfortunately, it’s also one of the more difficult ways to start, and takes a while to yield significant results.

The first thing you’ll need to do is to start building your network. And it’s not that you just need to start building it, you need to intentionally focus on building your network each end every day, no matter where you are or who you’re talking to. This is because for most people, networking does not come naturally.

If you are like most people, you are probably somewhat shy and don’t make it a point to intentionally meet and talk to new people on a regular basis. But if you want to build a network, you’ll have to do exactly that. This is something that can come as a challenge to say the least, both emotionally and technically, but it is well worth the effort in the long run.

It can be emotionally difficult because a large part of building a large network is dealing with rejection. And if you want to build a large network quickly, you’ll have to deal with a lot of rejection each and every day. Too many people, being rejected is taken personally and it ends up wearing them down so that they eventually give up before they gain the benefits that building a large network provides. But if you can learn how to not take rejection personally, you’ll succeed where so many others have given up and failed as a result.

And networking to generate real estate leads can be done almost anywhere. When you need to put some gas in your car, park on the other side of the pump from someone who’s already there and try to strike up a conversation where you’ll be able to tell them that you’re in the real estate business and can help them or anyone else they know who may be looking to buy or sell. And if you’re really serious about it, you may want to only get $10 or some other small amount of gas at a time so that you’ll need to go to the gas station more often and have more opportunities to network.

You can also build your network by meeting new people at any other place. You could talk to someone at the grocery store, library, church, waiting in line at the bank, or anywhere you are around other people for more than a few minutes at a time and starting a conversation wouldn’t be too awkward. It can be done anywhere, with just about anyone, at almost any time. And the more dedicated you are to it, the faster you’ll be able to grow your network and the better off you’ll be in the long run.

Some of the best ways to network are by talking to the people you already know. These are people who are already in your network, and you can use them to help you grow your network even larger. The most obvious way is to simply ask them if they are interested in buying or selling a property in the near future, and to keep you in mind if they are.

But another way to help you grow your network is to ask them who they know that may be interested in buying or selling a property. You are basically asking them for real estate leads using different words. You could ask them for the names and numbers of people who they know who may be interested in buying or selling a property, or you could ask them to give your contact information to the people they have in mind when you ask them that question.

It’s a great idea to have business cards with your contact information made up when you’re networking. That way you won’t have to rely on people’s memories which are definitely not the most reliable things when compared to something they can simply read from a card. Cards on the other hand make it so that the person you are giving your contact information to doesn’t have to rely on their memory, and it puts forth a more professional image as well which can only benefit you.

Real estate values have taken a dive and one of the results has led to there being many, many more properties on the market now compared to before the economy took a dive in 2008. This means that even though the prices are lower, the higher quantity of properties on the market make it possible to buy and sell more of them and make more money in commissions as a result which will more than make up for the decreased individual property values.

I order to sell more properties you must have more clients. And to get more clients, you need to have more real estate leads. These real estate leads can be generated in a variety of different ways, all of which can be useful to real estate professionals. Having reliable leads will definitely result in more clients, more sales, and more money made in commissions. Purchasing them, advertising for them, or getting them from your network is all great ways go get leads that all have their own strengths and weaknesses. Pick the one that will work best for you, and you’ll be on your way to making more money through real estate in less time that you think.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Pump and Dump Scams Are Becoming More Sophisticated and Harder To Recognize

You are probably familiar with the basic concept of a pump and dump scam. A scamster(s) buys up a bunch of worthless penny stock. Then they „pump“ it (another way of saying hype it) and dupe people into believing it is a stock they should rush out and buy based on the rumor they are speading. As more and more people buy into it, the price goes up of course, based on simple supply and demand. The price is now artificially inflated because the real value of the stock hasn’t changed. Then, after the price has risen substantially, they „dump“ it (sell it) and rake in their ill-gotten profit. Very quickly after they sell, the stock price usually plummets and most investors don’t get out in time because no one wants to buy their shares.

The basics of the pump and dump are an old scam. However, there are many variations and scamsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated in how they pump a worthless stock. Our federal SEC (Security Exchange Commission) is always trying to keep up but it is hard to do. One of the latest variations is for a room full of „telemarketers“ to call and pretend to call the wrong number and leave messages where they are pretending to leave their friend a hot stock tip. They’ll generate thousands upon thousands of these messages which can really drive up the interest (and price) in a particular stock.

Many scamsters have also learned not to employ more subtle tactics. Instead of using „in your face“ language and blatantly touting a penny stock, they just drop a few hints in passing and then let the rumor snowball from there. This has proven to be a very effective way of spreading a false rumor about a stock it can be quite difficult for people to realize what is actually going on before it’s too late. These types of rumors even get picked up by the press at times.

It Matters Where a Penny Stock Is Trading

The SEC defines a penny stock as any stock that is trading at less than $5/share. Other people put the cut-off lower saying that a penny stock is any stock that trades lower than $1/share. Either way, „penny stocks“ can trade on any of the boards. Even the very reputable New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) can host a penny stock from time to time, although if the company stays in that territory for a long time they’ll likely get booted off the NYSE. It is common for the NASDEQ to host several penny stocks as does the AMEX. However, when most people think of penny stocks, they tend to think of stocks that trade on the bulletin boards (OTCBB) or the pink sheets where things aren’t as tightly regulated.

Most investors new to trading penny stocks know that stocks that trade on the NYSE, NASDEQ, and the AMEX have more requirements to list on these boards, and therefore, more is known about the fundamentals of these companies. However, what many new investors don’t realize is that there is a HUGE difference between a penny stock trading on the OTCBB versus the pink sheets. The OTCBB is actually owned by the NASDEQ and it has many more requirements for a stock to list on it than do the pink sheets which have virtually no requirements.

Now, fraud can occur with a stock listed on any board and the chance of this occurring with a stock listed on the OTCBB is higher than with stocks listed on the NYSE, NASDEQ, and AMEX. However, I want to emphasize to you that the potential for fraud is FAR GREATER for a stock listed on the pink sheets than on the OTCBB – there is a very substantial difference. You should always take this into consideration before you make any trade. You should be particularly wary of any stock trading on the pink sheets. So, keep your antennae up!

Trading Volume Really Matters and I’ll Tell You Why

If you are trader used to trading stocks that are hosted on the NYSE, NASDEQ, and AMEX, you may be in for a rude awakening when you first start trading penny stocks on the OTCBB and pink sheets. The volume for these stocks is understandably lower than for stocks trading on the bigger boards. However, sometimes the volume can get so low that it prevents you from selling a stock when you need to, i.e. you can easily get stuck with a stock that is heading south in a hurry and you can’t unload it. So, be wary of any stock that is trading at a really low volume.

When „Free“ Isn’t Really Free

If you Google „penny stocks“ invariably you are going to come across the word „free“ over and over again. You’ll see lots of offers for sign up for „free penny stock picks“ and many invitations to trade your email for a „free newsletter“ which promises to give you „insider tips.“ What I have learned is that „free“ is never really free with it comes to these offers.

First of all, if you actually follow any of this advice, you will most likely end up losing your entire investment – if not on the first trade, within the first few. Consider yourself lucky if you break even or don’t lose more than 20%.

Second, it is important to consider the cost of reading all this stuff that isn’t going to pan out. It’s costs you time and sometimes it costs you in terms of the stress and elevated cortisol levels when you see your investments disappear.

An Easy Way To Make Profitable Trades

I started making good money with penny stocks (and much more than I ever made in the stock market before I traded penny stocks) when I learned the best way to find the really good deals was to purchase premium picks from real experts. Keep in mind that only some of these services provide picks that will make you a lot of money – and they are not always from the people you first expect would be the best. I’ve learned that it takes skills similar to those you find in a really good investigator reporter to get the kind of information you need to pick the best penny stocks and this isn’t something you learn in school! Some people just have that uncanny ability to sniff out the right information. To find which of these picks are the best, you should always test the services you try in a test account before you use real money.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Are you running out of creative juice for your needed daily or weekly blog? Are you having some sort of repetitions just after two months or so? If you are in this situation, you’re probably thinking of how you can possibly sustain readership with writing ideas or topics that are sure to entice readers to follow you. Here are some topics you can write about for the next days.

Local activities which kids and teenagers would probably ask permission from their parents to join. Every community conducts activities for children and teenagers. These activities are geared to enrich the knowledge and skills of the participants. Most of them are conducted during summer months. But there are also some activities conducted during the other months of the year. These activities can range from art workshops, sports clinics, dance competitions, talent shows, and a whole lot more.

Current news in your local community and even important events of the nation. News affects all. Whatever is happening in the community and in the nation has impact to everybody. Discuss how these events can affect the families and individuals in the community. Assert your point. Give insights on how these events can shape the local real estate industry.

Present places of interests to your readers. Make your real estate blog a reference for readers to familiarize themselves with the community’s various interesting places. Let your writings take them to the vest restaurants, entertainment hubs, museums, shopping destinations, and even tourist spots. These local crowd-drawers deserve to have their spotlights on your blog. It will also help if you’ll notify merchants, establishments or entities which you’ll mention in your writing. Through this, you are getting them fueled to share your writings in their respective platforms. This will eventually increase redirects from their spaces to yours.

Dissect local market studies. Different studies present various insights. They send signals to buyers and sellers alike. Present statistics, data, and other information which will be valuable and influential to the decisions of your readers. Will this month be good to buy a house? Will next month see home prices increasing at least for your market?

Give tips, suggestions, and advises. Your blog can also serve as a communication line between you and your readers. Engage them in your posts through tips about home staging. Suggest ways on how they can better rearrange the room of their sons or daughters. Give advise on how to deal with noisy neighbors. There are plenty of topics in which your expert opinion and advise are warranted.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Buying a home is a big step in your life and should be a very exciting time. Unfortunately, many individuals rush into buying a home with out considering the implications is has on their future. If you’re considering making the move to own it’s important you weigh all the options, and consider what if anything will affect the feasibility of you’re purchase. If this is you’re first time in the housing market consider the following before you make your big move.

1. Get Your Finances in Order

   Have a lot of debt racked up? If thats the case, you may want to play catch up before you even think about buying a home. Bad credit is bad news for those who want a buy a new home. In most cases you will need to get a mortgage before you buy and this means your credit will be under scrutiny. Start getting acquainted with your credit score and begin fix the problems well before you apply for a mortgage.

2. Think about the Future

   If you have a job or other obligation that may require you to move or travel for extended periods of time you want to think twice about rushing into the housing market. Buying a house is a commitment that will tie you down to a particular location for at least a few years. It’s not easy or economically feasible to pack up and sell your home at the drop of a hat.

3. Educate Your Self

   As a first time home buyer one of the worst thing you can do is go into the market unprepared. Familiarizing your self with words and phrases that are used will allow you to better comprehend the market. A better understanding of the home buying process will enable you to make a well educated decision when it comes to you’re final purchase. Entering the market blindly can turn you’re home buying dreams into a nightmare.

4. Be Rational

   We all want to live in the home of our dreams. Unfortunately, like most things in life, the housing market must be approached from the bottom up? Renting is the start of the home owners journey. With your dream home serving as the final destination you will most likely need to take a few stops on the way there. The logical step is to buy a house you can afford not one that lands you in economic turmoil. Consider your first home an investment that you can improve upon over time. Once the home is improved you can sell it and bring yourself one step closer to your dream home. Buying out of your league can be a huge problem so set a budget and find a home within your means.

5. Ask For Help

   Don’t be determined to have a go at it alone. Buying a home is a complicated process and sometimes it really helps to have someone walk you through it step by step. Agents are more than willing to help you look through home listing, find what your looking for, and ultimately take you from start to finish.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

1) How much of a Down Payment do I need to come up with?

In the recent past, people used to think 20% down was necessary to qualify for a home loan or to have a reasonable mortgage payment. For the most part, this is no longer the case. There are many types of mortgage programs that allow for low down payment options or no down payment in some cases. You also don’t have to be a first time home buyer to qualify for these programs either.

FHA Loans are one of the most popular types of mortgages applied for in today’s market, this is mainly because of low down payment options and the flexible qualifying requirements. Without down payment assistance, you just need a minimum of 3.5% down. A lot of people think FHA is strictly for first time home buyers, but that is not true. it’s a government-backed home loan, but they don’t require you to be a first time home buyer. FHA stands for Federal Housing Administration.

Conventional Loans have been gaining a lot of traction over the last few years and will soon replace the FHA loan program as the most popular loan product on the market. Conventional loans allow for a minimum down payment as low as 3% down and also allows for several creative ways to buy out the monthly PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance). This strategy helps reduce the monthly payments while increasing your buying power.

Minimum Down Payment requirements for each loan type below:

VA Loans – No Down Payment required

USDA Loans – No Down Payment required

FHA Loans – Minimum 3.5% Down Payment required

Conventional Loans – Minimum 3% Down Payment required

You can use gift funds for any of the programs listed above. Also, If you are a first time home buyer be sure to ask your loan consultant if you qualify for any down payment assistance program.

2) What Credit Score do I need to qualify for a Mortgage?

Aside from income verification, one of the biggest determining factors in qualifying for a mortgage is your credit score. The higher the credit score the better your chances will be in qualifying. When a mortgage company or bank checks your credit for a mortgage application they will pull what is known as a tri-merge. That is when a credit report is combined with data and individual scores from the 3 major credit bureaus. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The middle of the 3 scores will be used to determine your qualifying score. Ideally, you want to have a middle credit score of 680 or above. In most cases, the higher your credit score is, the better your rate and terms will be as well.

There are minimum credit score requirements for every loan program, but to ensure you get qualified for the most competitive terms it is important that you do everything you can to learn how to increase and improve your credit.

Below are the minimum credit score requirements for each loan program:

VA Loans – 620 (some lenders may allow for as low as 580+)

USDA Loans – 620

FHA Loans – 580

Conventional – 620

3) What are the Income Requirements and Guidelines for a Mortgage?

Proving your ability to repay the loan is one of the most important requirements in the qualifying process. That is why showing sufficient and consistent income documentation is crucial when going through the pre-approval or qualification process. If you are a W2 employee and paid a salary then the verification process is fairly simple. However, can be more difficult for people that receive and/or rely on commissions, bonuses, overtime, etc. For borrowers that are self-employed and/or receive a 1099 it can be even more difficult and complex especially since you can have a lot more write-offs and deductions when you’re self-employed.

First and foremost you need a 2-year work history to even qualify using any income source. However, for full-time hourly or salaried employees that doesn’t mean you have to be at the same company or industry for 2 years. That used to be a requirement but not anymore unless the lender/bank has their own overlay. If you receive and want to use commission, bonus, overtime or other types of income then you have to show a minimum of a 2-year history and the bank/lender will use a 24 month average for qualifying purposes. Self-Employed borrowers are now able to qualify with 12-24 months bank statements for certain nontraditional (non-QM) loan programs.

Qualifying Income Sources:

* Full-Time W2 Income/Salary

* Income from Part-Time Jobs (must be at the job for a minimum of 1-2 years in some cases)

* Income from a second full or part-time job

* Overtime, Commissions, Bonuses (must average over 24 months)

* Seasonal (must prove 2-3 years consistency)

* Self-Employed Income

* Bank Statements (12-24 months)

* Permanent Disability

* Retirement/Pension

* Child Support/Alimony (Sufficient documentation required)

* Asset Depletion

What are the Required Documents Needed?

There are specific required documents needed that your loan consultant will request in order to process your loan approval. You should at least have the below list of documentation readily available and be ready to provide more depending on your particular situation.

* Complete Federal Personal and/or Corporate Tax Returns for the past 2 years (ALL SCHEDULES)

* W2’s for the past 2 years

* 1 Month worth of Pay Stubs

* Bank Statements (may need anywhere from 2-24 months)

* Retirement/Pension and/or Social Security Award Letters

* Disability Award Letter

* Divorce Decree

* Business License

* Asset Documentation

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

If you are going to buy your first home, you may be excited as well as nervous. This process can be full of complexities. Therefore, you may want to be properly prepared in order to make sure that you buy the best home to satisfy your needs. Given below are some common mistakes that you may want to make during this adventure.

1. Not doing Proper Research

First of all, you may want to understand the needs and finances of your family. For this purpose, you may want to analyze your assets and liabilities. Once you are approved for finance, you can go ahead and start your search for the right house. You should be familiar with your neighborhood as well. Make sure that your neighborhood has quality schools, transport facilities, and other amenities.

2. Opting for the Wrong Mortgage

Before you look for the best house, you should be in the best position to negotiate. Make sure you choose your finance package after proper research. You may also want to use the services of an independent finance broker in addition to your bank. These institutions have access to a lot of finance products and lenders.

3. Waiting too Long

There is no doubt that the prices of real estate properties continue to fluctuate based on the rule of demand and supply. However, if you just keep waiting for the prices to come down, you are putting the future of your family at risk.

So, what you need to do is set your budget considering your future needs. This will help you buy the right house at the right time.

4. Crossing your Budget Limit

It is not a good idea to go beyond your budget limit. You may want to go for a property that can satisfy your budget. Even if you like a house, you should only go for it if it falls in your price range. After all, you don’t want to get in trouble down the road.

All of us want a little more than we can actually afford. So, no matter what your real estate agent suggests, you should never be tempted. Spending more than what you can afford can put you in financial trouble in the near future.

5. Falling in Love

If you have found a house that you have fallen in love with, make sure the seller’s agent does not get even a hint of it. Typically, agents are very smart, which is why they can read your emotions. If you cannot afford a house that you just love, don’t just pay more than what you can afford. You can find a better alternative at the right price.

Long story short, you may want to avoid these 5 mistakes if you are looking to purchase your first home. By avoiding these common mistakes, it will be easier for you to get the right house at the right price. Hopefully, these steps will help you get the best deal without making costly mistakes.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Are you looking for foreclosures in your area? Conditions in various seller’s markets may be different but there are still ways in which you can easily find foreclosed homes for your ownership.

Tap the services of real estate agents. Real estate agents are given access to a system which is known as MLS or Multiple Listing Service. It is through this system that the agents are able to find foreclosed homes in a specific area. Thus, tapping such professional is one way to find a foreclosure.

Scout for real estate yard signs. Banks are still into the practice of putting yard signs into properties that have come back to their stables of possessions. There are variations of these signs but aside from foreclosure, included among the most common signs are bank-owned, bank repossessed, and bank repo. Typically, the real estate agent’s name is reflected on the sign. Take the opportunity to call whoever is written on the sign. with advanced thinking, you can already ask about forthcoming foreclosures in your area.

Join social media groups geared towards foreclosure buy and sell. Social media has become habitat to a variety of groups with different purposes and goals. Foreclosure groups are no different. They have thrived and lived on social media. If you are savvy enough, you will be lucky to find some groups over Facebook. Join them. You’ll not only find foreclosures in your area. You will also be up for learning from the experiences, tips, and suggestions that will be shared by other members.

Visit real estate websites. Apart from the real estate agents themselves, a lot of real estate firms maintain official websites. There are firms which concentrate on foreclosures. There are also those which offer the buying and selling of mixed properties along with foreclosures. Either kind, you can browse through their listings and filter those properties that are already foreclosed or those that are nearing repossession.

Make your own ads. Digital marketing, aside from being free, is powerful in terms of the number of reach it can have. A single post can reach multiple sellers. Utilize your social media accounts for free posts that you are looking for a foreclosed property to buy. Just patiently wait for responses, and you’ll be more than happy to see that there are indeed a number of persons who are willing to negotiate for their foreclosed homes.

Foreclosed properties are just near your place. By finding them and giving good offers, you are not only taking a step towards buying a dream house or an investment property. You are also making someone benefit from the amount that will be granted when deal is closed.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

When you are in the market for a new home, the key is to be able to see as many available homes as possible. However, driving up and down the streets is not an efficient way to gauge the housing market in your area. A better way to do it would be access the MLS listing sites that many realtor’s use. Knowing how to get free new and existing MLS home listings in your area can be incredibly valuable in helping look at a large number of homes and narrow the market down to the ones most suited to your wants and needs.

Though you may be able to find homes by using an internet search engine or directory, your best bet is always going to be to get access to the multiple listing service (MLS) that realtors often use. One suggestion as to how to get free new and existing MLS home listings in your area is to check your local newspaper’s website. There, they will often have a link to real-estate where you will have access to homes that are listed on MLS. Using this method to get access will generally allow you to see homes that are for sale by owner as well, which rarely get into MLS at all (due to high listing costs on for sale by owner).

Another piece of advice on how to get free new and existing MLS home listings in your area is to use realtor.com. This website actually is made up of all the board listings from the local MLS. The virtual tours, pictures, and listings are all there for you to see. You also know the best listings are there because realtors pay to get listed on the site. It is an incredibly popular site that gets such traffic that realtors consider it a must to be listed there. The only real problem is that while you do have access to the MLS listings, they are often 3 to 5 days behind the MLS listing date.

Another method for how to get free new and existing MLS home listings in your area is a little bit of a cheat. If you know someone, have a family member, or are acquitted with a realtor, they can get you on to the site. The problem is that if you are not using them to shop for or buy your new home, they may not be as willing. However, if you can call in a favor you can see all of the listening in your area and detailed information about all of them. That is, you can do it all without actually becoming a realtor or finding backdoor websites.

Finding how to get free new and exiting MLS home listings in your area is a challenge, but oh so worth it in the end. By knowing everything listed, you give yourself a larger pool to start with when you narrow down to the homes you want to actually see in person. The more options you have the more quality you will end up with.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg