Twitter Can Help You In Your Real Estate Business

At every real estate conventions, boot camps, or seminars the topic of marketing comes up. Someone will mention Facebook (that’s a whole different story) which is always closely followed by a comment about Twitter. So… let’s evaluate is Twitter worth it? If it IS worth it, how can you best use it for great results? First, lets look at just what Twitter is and what it can do for your marketing efforts.

Twitter.com is a site where an investor can create a profile and become a “micro-blogger” Twitter is like a typical blog (aka web-log) in that it lets you say anything you want to say to anyone and everyone who will view it - with one exception. Twitter only allows a subscriber to express themselves–0 characters at a time. So it’s a kind of like using you cell phone to send the world a brief text message. When you locate a profile of someone whose “tweets” you are interested in, you can “follow” them - whenever they post anything new, it will be visible on your Twitter home page. If anyone finds YOUR profile and follows YOU, then you will be alerted that someone is “following” you. Now that you are aware of the basics, let’s discuss making this a powerful and PROFITABLE tool for you.

Because the old adage “Out of sight, out of mind” is always true, you’ll have to keep active with your “tweeting”. You should post at least one time a day. Find information to say specific to real estate - information that other people will deem useful. If you just start putting info about properties you in your portfolio for sale, it probably won’t get you as far as you desired. After all - when have you last opened and read an email from someone trying to sell you something?

When you give your followers something they can use or something they find fascinating (even if it ISN’T about the real estate industry) then you’ll have a chance to maintain their attention. When you gain their friendship, they’ll be more open to review what you have to say when you want to offer them something you’ve listed.

Twitter, like other social networking sites, is a great way to connect with people - just keep in mind that they’re people and want to be treated like people. They aren’t dollar signs. So connect! when someone follows you, send them a short personal message letting them know you appreciate it.

Remember that being real with others and giving thoughtful content is what Twitter is made for - the profit will follow if you treat people like people and post routinely so that your Twitter marketing is constantly on the radar! The more you “Tweet”, the larger your following will become - and the larger your following, the better your opportunities of communicating with a person who is interested in making a deal - which, of course, means a greater opportunity for you to profit!

REOGoldMiner.com is a site that helps you identify REO deals and valuate them at the click of a button. We have a passion for Real Estate, internet marketing, and helping investors become the most success they can be in their real estate business.

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The first in a series of studies conducted by Kansas State University has shown that RGF Environmental’s Photohyroionization (PHI(TM)) Cell inactivates H1N1 (Swine Flu) or 99+% under controlled laboratory conditions. The study was conducted on stainless steel surfaces and Released jointly from RGF Environmental and Kansas State University.

The PHI(TM) Cell, also known as the Guardian Air, is designed to eliminate sick building syndrome risks by reducing odors, air pollutants, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), smoke, mold and viruses. The PHI(TM) Cell is installed into a building’s heating and air conditioning system air ducts and it uses light, water and oxygen to produce “Mother Nature’s friendly cleaners” - hydro-peroxides, super oxide ions and hydroxides. These cleaners circulate through your conditioned air space and kill airborne and surface viruses, bacteria, mold, odors and VOCs before they can spread.
For thousands of years humans have been breathing these “Friendly” cleaners. These naturally produced cleaners kill bacteria and viruses, leaving only oxygen and hydrogen behind which means no chemicals or residue are left anywhere.

In order for a standard air cleaner to work, bacteria and viruses have to bypass all people, surfaces, and objects in the room. Then go directly into the vent to pass through the air cleaner. With the PHI(TM) Cell technology the cleaners are already present in the air and has been tested to shows a reduction of microbials by 78% within 3 feet of a sneeze. The Guardian air is an aggressive system compared to other air cleaners which are passive.

The Indoor Air Quality protection plan of America’s largest restaurant chains, hotel chains, theme parks, cruise lines, public schools and hospitals includes using the technology of the PHI(TM) Cell. The recent tests for the H1N1 virus or Swine Flu are allow business owners to feel more comfortable concerning their indoor air quality.

Having trouble with your furnace during the cold winter months? Metro Heating and Cooling provides Repair, maintenance and installation for Furnaces and Air Conditioning. Metro Heating and Cooling Providing Heating and Air Conditioning Repair to the following areas: Greater Dallas area including Mesquite, Garland, Richardson, Plano,Allen, McKinney, Addison, Rockwall, Carrollton, Grapevine, Arlington, Royse City, Forney, Terrell, Flower Mound, Lewisville
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Many landlords face regular issues with their tenants, to the point sometimes where an eviction is required. Before going ahead and beginning the process of eviction, it is important to understand all aspects of the laws so that they can be abided by. Here, we will discuss a few ways to explain how to write effective eviction letters for tenants.
Eviction laws can be very strict so it is important to do some research and ensure that they can be followed through with in a lawful manner. If your tenant is on a monthly rolling contract then you must give them a minimum of ninety days from sending of the letter to leave the property. Should they read the letter and refuse, then it is a landlords right to take the matter to the courts.

The latter should always be begun with your name, your full address and a contact number for yourself. Address the latter to the evictee using their full name and sign it off with your own, along with a written signature.

It is important for the latter to remain very professional sounding so that it will be taken seriously by all who read it or if it needs to be used as evidence in a court, should the situation be taken that far.

By running a very simple search on the internet hundreds, if not thousands of results will come up for writing eviction letters for tenants. Some may place a charge for writing these letters for you but some will also send the letters out, follow up responses and even deal with a potential court case for you.

There are multiple websites on the internet that offer the above services all for free. You can usually either download them and print them yourself, or you can customize them before printing a copy for yourself. Always ensure that the letter is sent out on good quality paper and is sent by recorded mail.

If you have a problem tenant that you need to get rid of, you may want to find Eviction Letters For Tenants or an Eviction Letter For Tenants to solve your problems.


One of the first things to look at prior to shopping around for a good mortgage rate is your debt to income ratio. The first thing a lender is going to look at is your ability to handle the potential debt of a home loan, followed by your credit score. If your debt is too high and you income too low you will not be approved for the loan.
It is a simple matter of how much you make compared to the amount you pay towards bills every month. When you approach a mortgage lender this will be the most important thing they look at.

Building Bridges between Cities

Moved by graphic television images broadcast from hunger-stricken communities during the 1985 famine in Ethiopia, citizens of Amesbury – a small town in the American state of Massachusetts – decided to offer their "widow’s mite" by contributing towards easing the pain of at least some of the affected families.


For some 5000 villagers in Esabalu, a settlement in Western Kenya, the decision was the start of a unique relationship that was to assist in relieving the impact of starvation and famine within the local community. Through a farm loan programme organized under the umbrella 'Amesbury for Africa', the aid scheme was initially, intended to help the members become self-sufficient in food production.


In subsequent years, however, the focus of the relationship has been expanded, and today it consists of an open-ended bilateral "sister village" relationship, through which both partners are seeking to personalize the fight against world hunger and underdevelopment.


In Zimbabwe’s eastern border with Mozambique, the 150,000 strong population of Mutare has been learning multi-sectoral environmental management lessons from Holland’s eighth largest city, Haarlem. Elsewhere on the continent, it is the British post-war new town Crawley, that is seeking knowledge on the social, political and economic issues facing the developing world through direct interaction with local authorities in Malawi’s city of Lolongwe. While, on its part, Lolongwe is looking to benefit from access to British local authority networks of technical skills.


These examples are only a few of a growing catalogue of inter-community partnerships now forming across the globe, whereby local communities have been bridging gaps of distance and culture to learn from each other’s experiences in order to implement sustainable urban development.


By the turn of this century, global population growth had seen the number of people living in the world topping 6.1 billion. Of this about 3 billion people now live in cities and towns, and this figure is expected to increase particularly in the less developed countries, where the urban population is expected to double from 1.9 billion in 2000 to 3.9 billion in 2030. This has led to an urgent need for solutions to the emerging socio-economic problems in the cities of the developing world.


"Globalization is making the 21st Century the century of the cities. The challenge is how to make cities a better place for the majority of people", says Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN HABITAT. And to do this, she says, "partnership is indeed the key for successful implementation of the Habitat Agenda. We must collaborate if we must succeed".


This year, the World Habitat Day Celebrations acknowledges the need to encourage more cooperation between cities, under the theme "City-to-City Cooperation".


City-to-city cooperation initiative, or its acronym C2C, has been driven largely by city managers and local authorities themselves, in an attempt to project their role as partners in the international processes addressing urban issues. C2C programmes, also sometimes referred to as "Decentralized cooperation", generally all share a commitment to exchange between cities on the fundamental premise that cities have a great deal to learn and teach each other. There are, however, broad differences that reflect the wide diversity of interests, purposes, institutions, resources and situations.


UN-HABITAT has been working with many international organizations and associations of local authorities to encourage city to city cooperation. For example, it has been working with the World Association of Cities and Local Authorities Coordination (WACLAC) and the United Nations Advisory Committee of Local Authorities (UNACLA) and United Towns Organization (UTO), to encourage more city to city linkages. More recently, UN-HABITAT has been working with Sister Cities International (SCI). SCI is an organization whose members have built up decades of experience promoting this concept. It is a citizen diplomacy network creating and strengthening partnerships to increase global cooperation at the local level. SCI represents over 700 communities who are working in over 1,500 cities in 121 countries around the world.


Other recent examples include the city to city cooperation organised by a group of six European cities – Bielefeld and Essen (Germany), Delft (Netherlands), Evry (France), San Felix de Llobregat (Spain), and Sheffield (United Kingdom), who are working with a German non-governmental organisation, to form a partnership with the Nicaraguan town of Esteli, to assist with water, sanitation and ecological projects. Building on 10 years experience of cooperation, emphasis shifted to institutional reform, specifically to strengthen democratic governance during the transition to multi-party democracy. This attracted support from the European Commission and led to a series of successful local activities in Esteli, aimed at citizens and newly elected officials, including technical support for finance, administration, planning and international relations.


This was one of the first North-South C2C partnerships to focus on institutional reform and issues of governance. Its concern for operational aspects of local democracy was probably the strongest feature, giving the partnership a concrete purpose and leading to visible results.


Among the 54-member Commonwealth, a Commonwealth Local Government Good Practice Scheme (CLGF) was started in 1997/1998. It supports over 30 projects in 14 countries, linking some 60 councils and associations.


"The CLGF scheme draws on the skills and expertise of local government practitioners to find sustainable solutions to local problems. These often have wider impact for other councils having similar problems", says Carl Wright, Director of the scheme which was endorsed by the Commonwealth Heads of Governments at their meeting in March this year. A key feature of the CLGF programme is the dissemination of good practice at national level, as well as association-to-association exchanges, which enable the scheme to reach beyond the traditional C2C linking.


According to the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA), while most international cooperation programmes and projects today involve either one or a combination of the critical issues of good governance, capacity building and/or specific initiatives to secure sustainability, there are often other motivations that simply demonstrate the concept of human solidarity.


For example, when in 1998 ice storms devastated thousands of lives in Canada, elders in Sanankoroba, a 4,500 population community in Mali, raised 40,000 West Africa Francs (40 Pounds Sterling) in emergency aid from their subjects in support of Quebec’s Sainte-Elisabeth community. In doing so, the community acknowledged that "We are aware that the money is symbolic. It shows that giving has to do with the heart, not the sum".

Shine the Best Light on Your Kitchen By Rob Thomson

Whether you are designing a new home, updating your current kitchen, or are purchasing a fixer-upper and are looking forward to putting your vision in place, deciding on kitchen lighting can be a significant undertaking. The kitchen is the heart of any home, so choosing the proper lighting to create a functional, yet inviting, environment is very important.

It is also a great way to increase interest during a buyer tour when you are selling your home. When professional stagers put their design plans together, one of the main focuses is on creating a clean, bright kitchen that looks move-in ready. Having the right lights to enhance the room is an important consideration.

Ideally, there are three layers to effective kitchen lighting: task, ambient, and accent. Each has its own purpose and can be used in combination or alone, depending on the lighting needs required.


Task Lighting is at the top of everyone's list when purchasing kitchen lighting systems. It is important to be able to have proper illumination for food preparation, such as when you are using sharp knives to cut vegetables, measuring and adding ingredients, and simply reading recipes. Task lighting usually requires higher wattage bulbs and can be set into overhead, directional lights for specific areas of the counter or mounted under the cabinets. Installing task lighting in the wrong place can cast shadows on working areas, defeating the purpose of the light.


Ambient Lighting creates a softer look, making the kitchen feel warm and inviting. This style of indirect lighting is sometimes overlooked, but it is important for homes with open floor plans as it adds to the overall look of the larger space. Types of ambient lighting include pendant lights that hang from the ceiling, or small tube lights installed under kitchen cabinets.


Accent Lighting is usually the last segment homeowners consider, but it is essentially the finishing touch to the kitchen decor. Choices like track lighting, directional display lights and a selection of wall sconces gives a complete look. Other examples of this lighting include include low-wattage bulbs inside glass cabinets to accentuate china and glassware, and recessed lights to focus on artwork.


Another consideration would be decorative lighting, just to add a little more sparkle to your kitchen. However, this could be overkill if your kitchen lighting is layered properly.


In today's world that includes gourmet appliances and granite-top islands in many kitchens, having the perfect lighting to show off all aspects of the room is essential. There are countless choices to make sure your home is the entertainment center for your friends and family.

Top 10 Home Buying Mistakes:

Doing it alone

Buying a house is a complex transaction. Even if you don’t use an agent, you’ll need a complete, dependable team: lender, lawyer, inspector, insurer, as well as referrals and advice from friends and family. Enlist the help of these individuals early in the buying process.

Buying at first sight

You may be in love with the place, but does it fit your family’s needs and budget? Make a list of your needs and wants and make sure the house fits your requirements. Check out the neighborhood and the community before you buy by visiting at different times of the day and week to learn about noise and traffic patterns. Even if you don’t have kids, check out the local schools to make sure your resale value will be good.

Not getting pre-qualified and pre-approved

Being pre-qualified gives you a general idea of how much you can afford to borrow. Being pre-approved means a lender has verified your information and credit rating and agreed to provide you with a specific amount of money. You are in a better position to go house hunting knowing exactly how much you can afford and that you have financing.

Overbuying

You may qualify to borrow more, but can you afford to? Analyze your monthly costs: debt, food, transportation, entertainment, and savings. As a general rule, your total monthly debts, including your mortgage, should not exceed 36 percent of your income before taxes. Be sure to budget enough to cover closing costs (often two to five percent of the home’s purchase price), plus moving, redecorating and maintenance. Allow for increases in ongoing expenses such as utilities and taxes.

Misplacing your trust

No matter how much you like the agent, sellers, inspector, or the guy down the block who vouches for them, remember this is a business transaction. Your decision is binding. Do your own research and know your support team’s roles and responsibilities.

Relying on oral agreements

Get it right and get it in writing. Written agreements almost always trump oral ones when it comes to contracts. If the offer says the lawnmower is negotiable, but the agent says it’s included, get it in writing.

Skipping the fine print

You need to understand what you’re signing before you pick up a pen. Ask for documents in advance, make time to read them and ask questions. Get copies of your mortgage papers a few days ahead of closing.

Forgetting or betting on resale

Avoid buying a home that costs 50 percent more than neighboring homes and think before buying the most expensive home on the block. Your neighbors’ lower home values will weaken yours. Remember, markets change. If you buy intending to flip your investment and the market falls and you have to sell, your selling price may not be enough to even cover your mortgage.

Making an unconditional offer

Protect yourself with at least two of these contingencies in your offer:
• Mortgage financing -- You’re pre-approved, but is the house? Before a bank will lend you money, it will want a formal appraisal of the property to confirm that there is sufficient equity in it to warrant the loan. If the house appraises lower than the sales price, the loan may be declined.
• Inspection -- never buy an existing or new home without a thorough home inspection. Walk through the home with the inspector to learn more about the house and any concerns he or she may have.
• Insurance -- confirm you can get adequate coverage. In some areas, it’s difficult to get hazard insurance.

Having buyer’s remorse

No place is perfect. There will always be surprises. Don’t let a few initial blips spoil the whole ride. And don’t miss a great house waiting for the perfect one!

Las Vegas Sands to Restart Macau Projects

Las Vegas Sands Corp. plans to begin preliminary work in January to restart two stalled construction sites in Macau, a person close to the company said Tuesday.

Financing problems forced the company a year ago to halt construction on Cotai, a stretch of reclaimed land off the main peninsula of Macau, laying off 11,000 workers.

The two parcels of land sit across the road from Las Vegas Sands' massive Venetian Macao casino-resort, and would be linked to the Venetian Macao by glass-enclosed footbridges. At 13.3 million square feet of net developable area, the new project, which currently has its concrete shape and some ceiling-work finished, would be even larger than the Venetian Macao, which the company said was the largest building in Asia when it was opened in 2007.

On Monday, Las Vegas Sands disclosed in a filing that it had secured financing from banks for $1.45 billion. The company says it needs around $2 billion to finish the halted portions of the projects. It is seeking to secure $300 million more in financing, the company disclosed.

A person familiar with the matter said Las Vegas Sands plans to hire 12,000 to 13,000 construction workers over the next 12 to 18 months to restart work on the project, which will feature Shangri-La, Traders and Sheraton hotels. There will also be limited retail space and some convention and meeting space in the first phase that is set for the mid-2011 launch.

All other subsequent construction on the site will be demand-based, the person said.

The company is also seeking to raise as much as $3.83 billion from an initial public offering in Hong Kong for its Macau assets. It plans to use roughly $500 million from that offering to finance Macau construction, the person close to the company said. Much of the additional money raised through the IPO is expected to go toward paying down debt and paying off intercorporate loans.

Las Vegas Sands operates casinos in Las Vegas, Bethlehem, Penn., and Macau. The majority of its revenues come from its Macau operations.


Construction has continued on a $5 billion resort in Singapore, which it plans to open next year.

Will California Real Estate Escapes Median Home Price Drop?

Today the NAR released it's existing home sales data and nationally prices actually dropped 1.7% from the same month last year. Surprisingly California real estate actually was up a minor 1.6%. The biggest drop happened in the Northeast.

For August, California home sales have actually plunged 30.1% according the the California Assn. of REALTORS, which was the biggest year-over-year drop since August 1982.

As everyone already knows, California has lots of adjustable rate mortgages, many of which will be adjusting in the upcoming year. Will this have a significant effect and possibly cause an uptick in foreclosures which will drag down home prices?

Can the California continue to escape an actual down turn in actual prices or are we just setting up for a serious accident?

California Mortgage Defaults Trend Down Again

The number of mortgage default notices filed against California homeowners fell last quarter compared with the prior three-month period, the result of lenders' evolving foreclosure policies, an uncertain legislative environment and an uptick in the number of mortgages being renegotiated, a real estate information service reported.

A total of 111,689 default notices were sent out during the July-through-September period. That was down 10.3 percent from 124,562 for the prior quarter, and up 18.5 percent from 94,240 in third quarter 2008, according to San Diego-based MDA DataQuick.
The number of recorded default notices peaked in the first quarter of this year at 135,431, although that number was inflated by deferred activity from the prior four months.

"It may well be that lenders have intentionally slowed down the pace of formal foreclosure proceedings. If so, it's not out of the goodness of their hearts. It's because they've concluded that flooding the market with cheap foreclosures in this economic environment may not be in their best financial interest. Trying to keep motivated, employed homeowners in their homes might be the most cost-efficient way to stem losses," said John Walsh, DataQuick president.

The median origination month for last quarter's defaulted loans was July 2006, the same as during this year's first and second quarters. A year ago the median origination month was June 2006, so the foreclosure process has moved one month forward during the past 12 months.

"There's a batch of truly nasty loans that were made in mid 2006. There's another batch made in late 2006. These are worse than the mortgages before and after, and it's taking a long time to process them," Walsh said.

The lenders that originated the most loans that went into default last quarter were Countrywide (7,583), Washington Mutual (5,146) and Wells Fargo (4,425). Along with Bank of America (1,979) and World Savings (4,237), they were also the most active lenders in the second half of 2006. Last quarter's default rate on loans originated in the second half of 2006 ranged from 1.7 percent for Bank of America to 11.9 percent for World Savings.

Smaller subprime lenders had far higher default rates for that period: ResMAE Mortgage was at 73.9 percent, Ownit Mortgage 69.5 percent, BNC Mortgage 61.4 percent, Argent Mortgage 59.9 percent and First Franklin 59.4 percent. While these and most other subprime lenders are long gone, their loans were bundled, resold and now live on as "troubled assets".

Indeed, many, if not most, of the loans made in 2006 are owned and/or serviced by lending institutions other than those that made the loans. The servicers pursuing the highest number of delinquencies last quarter were ReconTrust Co, Quality Loan Service Corp and Cal-Western Reconveyance Corp.

While most foreclosure activity was still concentrated in affordable inland communities, the foreclosure problem continued to slowly migrate into more expensive areas. The state's most affordable sub-markets, which represent 25 percent of the state's housing stock, accounted for 52.2 percent of all default activity a year ago. In third-quarter 2009 it fell to 42.9 percent.

On primary mortgages, California homeowners were a median five months behind on their payments when the lender filed the notice of default. The borrowers owed a median $12,665 on a median $343,200 mortgage.

On home equity loans and lines of credit in default, borrowers owed a median $3,948 on a median $62,800 credit line. However the amount of the credit line that was actually in use cannot be determined from public records.

San Diego-based MDA DataQuick is a division of MDA Lending Solutions, a subsidiary of Vancouver-based MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates. MDA DataQuick monitors real estate activity nationwide and provides information to consumers, educational institutions, public agencies, lending institutions, title companies and industry analysts. Notices of Default are recorded at county recorders offices and mark the first step of the formal foreclosure process.

Although 111,689 default notices were filed last quarter, they involved 108,372 homes because some borrowers were in default on multiple loans (e.g. a primary mortgage and a line of credit). Multiple default recordings on the same home are trending down, DataQuick reported.

Mortgages were least likely to go into default in San Francisco, Marin and Santa Cruz counties. The probability was highest in Merced, San Joaquin, and Riverside counties.
Trustees Deeds recorded, or the actual loss of a home to foreclosure, totaled 50,013 during the third quarter. That was up 9.5 percent from 45,667 for the prior quarter, and down 37.1 percent from 79,511 for third-quarter 2008, which was the all-time peak.
In the last real estate cycle, Trustees Deeds peaked at 15,418 in third-quarter 1996. The state's all-time low was 637 in the second quarter of 2005, MDA DataQuick reported.
There are 8.5 million houses and condos in the state.

Foreclosure resales continued to decline as a market factor, accounting for 42.8 percent of all California resale activity last quarter. It was 49.9 percent the prior quarter, and a year ago it was 47.5 percent. It peaked at 57.8 percent in the first quarter of this year. Foreclosure resales varied significantly by area last quarter, from 9.6 percent in San Francisco County to 70.2 percent in Merced County.

Of the homes foreclosed on statewide in an 18-month period ending this July, about 82 percent have re-sold on the open market, while 18 percent, or more than 57,000 homes, have not. Of those that have not re-sold, it cannot be determined from public records what portion is currently being marketed for sale, as opposed to, among other things, being used as rentals or being left vacant and not for sale. Over the past year California buyers have snapped up an average of nearly 18,000 foreclosure resales a month.

A year ago the percentage of foreclosures that had not yet re-sold was about twice as great, while the number of unsold foreclosures from the 18-month period ending in July 2008 was about 50 percent higher than it is now.

Notices of Default (first step in foreclosure process)

houses and condos

County/Region	2008Q3	2009Q3	Yr/Yr%
Los Angeles	17,073	21,850	28.00%
Orange	5,692	7,436	30.60%
San Diego	7,062	8,702	23.20%
Riverside	11,714	12,113	3.40%
San Bernardino	9,110	9,833	7.90%
Ventura	1,676	2,146	28.00%
Imperial	568	692	21.80%
SoCal	52,895	62,772	18.70%
San Francisco	353	607	72.00%
Alameda	3,482	3,940	13.20%
Contra Costa	4,103	4,753	15.80%
Santa Clara	2,814	4,035	43.40%
San Mateo	797	1,263	58.50%
Marin	258	428	65.90%
Solano	1,934	2,164	11.90%
Sonoma	1,021	1,282	25.60%
Napa	265	340	28.30%
Bay Area	15,027	18,812	25.20%
Santa Cruz	342	419	22.50%
Santa Barbara	593	739	24.60%
San Luis Obispo	370	539	45.70%
Monterey	1,260	1,115	-11.50%
Coast	2,565	2,812	9.60%
Sacramento	5,541	6,098	10.10%
San Joaquin	3,432	3,371	-1.80%
Placer	973	1,414	45.30%
Kern	2,774	3,166	14.10%
Fresno	2,202	2,758	25.20%
Madera	499	570	14.20%
Merced	1,399	1,245	-11.00%
Tulare	883	1,178	33.40%
Yolo	405	443	9.40%
El Dorado	342	629	83.90%
Stanislaus	2,636	2,482	-5.80%
Kings	140	247	76.40%
San Benito	202	210	4.00%
Yuba	307	312	1.60%
Colusa	68	62	-8.80%
Sutter	269	403	49.80%
Central Valley	22,072	24,588	11.40%
Mountains*	526	932	77.20%
North Calif*	1,155	1,773	53.50%
Statewide*	94,240	111,689	18.50%

* includes additional counties

Trustees Deeds Recorded (signal homes were lost to foreclosure)


houses and condos

County/Region	2008Q3	2009Q3	Yr/Yr%
Los Angeles	11,690	7,927	-32.20%
Orange	3,997	2,238	-44.00%
San Diego	5,797	3,601	-37.90%
Riverside	10,813	6,776	-37.30%
San Bernardino	7,930	4,999	-37.00%
Ventura	1,420	793	-44.20%
Imperial	476	365	-23.30%
SoCal	42,123	26,699	-36.60%
San Francisco	192	179	-6.80%
Alameda	2,521	1,760	-30.20%
Contra Costa	3,662	2,053	-43.90%
Santa Clara	2,165	1,237	-42.90%
San Mateo	515	370	-28.20%
Marin	149	110	-26.20%
Solano	1,754	1,025	-41.60%
Sonoma	933	585	-37.30%
Napa	202	143	-29.20%
Bay Area	12,093	7,462	-38.30%
Santa Cruz	276	158	-42.80%
Santa Barbara	629	340	-45.90%
San Luis Obispo	248	223	-10.10%
Monterey	1315	575	-56.30%
Coast	2,468	1,296	-47.50%
Sacramento	5,643	3,384	-40.00%
San Joaquin	3,862	1,919	-50.30%
Placer	766	610	-20.40%
Kern	2,488	1,855	-25.40%
Fresno	1,891	1,279	-32.40%
Madera	433	355	-18.00%
Merced	1,639	819	-50.00%
Tulare	687	536	-22.00%
Yolo	364	238	-34.60%
El Dorado	243	243	0.00%
Stanislaus	2,816	1,476	-47.60%
Kings	82	88	7.30%
San Benito	191	100	-47.60%
Yuba	297	196	-34.00%
Colusa	40	41	2.50%
Sutter	291	152	-47.80%
Central Valley	21,733	13,291	-38.80%
Mountains*	324	424	30.90%
North Calif*	770	841	9.20%
Statewide*	79,511	50,013	-37.10%

17th Century Lakefront Castle For Sale in Salzkammergut, Austria

Appointment Schedule Property Group Residential Property Type Castle Built 1658 Lotsize 300000.00 sq/m Price Euro 4,000,000 For Sale

Add to Property List Location Salzkammergut Nearest City Salzburg Living area 700.00 sq/m Bedrooms 9 Bathrooms 3

This castle (built in 1658) is located in the heart of Salzkammergut at the sunny side of the lake. The world-famous Salzkammergut presents along with his beauty also the highest cultural values. The castle' origins reach the Middle Ages. Together with its adjoining buildings it is surrounded by forest and meadows. It offers gorgeous panorama.

Above 2 km of lake' shore without neighborhood belongs to this unique property.The castle has a living area of 700m2 and it has three floors with noble rooms.

The property includes its own chapel, manor, cottage at the lake and boathouse.
The heating is located separately in the barn. There is also a chalet with the right to pasture. Approximately 1 hour from the Festival town of Salzburg.

The castle have built in the year 1658. All area is 300 000 m2. Have 9 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Four stories and 5 park places.All that you can have for 4 000 000 euro.

For further details contact

• John Wallace ,


• 143 Longview Drive ,


• Chatham, 12037, NY,


• United States.


• Phone:+1-518-392-7062


• Fax: +1-877-875-5704


• http://www.worldrealtynews.com

Trouble Selling Your Home? Try Sweetening the Deal

If you're having trouble landing a buyer for your home, maybe you need better bait.

A soft real estate market is a lot like the breakfast cereal aisle at the supermarket. Suppose you have two virtually identical boxes of corn flakes. They both offer the same nutritional value, similar taste and can be had for the same price, but, if you had to choose, chances are your hand would gravitate towards the box that that has the Secret Decoder Ring inside.

Crafty home sellers know incentives are the prize at the bottom of the box. By offering buyers something a little different, they can improve their chances of selling their homes quickly and for the price they want.

Here are just a few of the ways home sellers can sweeten the deal with extras.

Cover the buyer’s closing costs

Many buyers, preoccupied with saving enough cash for their down payment, overlook their closing costs which, at between 3 and 6 percent of the sale price, can amount to several thousand dollars extra. Offering to pay them on behalf of potential buyers may be just the push they need to close the deal.

Help the buyer get a better mortgage rate

Another potential deal sweetener is to offer to purchase discount points on the seller’s mortgage. Discount points are purchased up front in order to secure a lower interest rate on a mortgage -- the more that are purchased, the lower the rate. In most cases, one point is equivalent to one percent of the loan amount and will reduce the interest rate by .25 percent.

Discount points may make your home more attractive to buyers in that their monthly payments over the life of the mortgage will be lower. Plus, it enables you to advertise your home with the offer of “below market financing,” which may draw in more potential buyers.

Throw in some freebies

If you’re planning to purchase new furniture, appliances, curtains or light fixtures for your new place and the ones at your current home are in good condition, try including them as value-adds in your purchase agreement. This works particularly well with first-time homebuyers who may not have much furniture of their own. Plus, leaving some things behind may even reduce the overall cost of your move.

If you don’t want to part with any of your possessions or fixtures, another low-cost incentive is to include a home warranty. Offered through insurance companies for around $400 (depending on the extent of coverage), home warranties are contracts that cover the cost of replacing or repairing major appliances that break during the first year after the sale of the home. Plumbing, electrical and heating systems may also be included under the home warranty.

Other attractive incentives that may lure buyers in are gift certificates, golf club memberships, airline tickets and even cars. These types of incentives do cost money, but they can go a long way in helping to get your home listing noticed. You may also consider offering them to your real estate agent as an added incentive to finding a buyer.

Overcome objections or problems

A less glamorous but often equally effective tactic to help close a sale is to offer to rectify any concerns a potential buyer may have with your property. Something as simple as offering to repaint the front steps, re-sod the lawn or adjust the move-in date might push a potential buyer off the fence. You can either offer to make the improvements yourself or to include a renovation allowance in your purchase agreement.

FABULOUS PACIFICA UNIT IN DESIRABLE COURTYARDS AT QUAIL LAKE

wonderful location across from central countyard with tables & community grills.
his unit shows like a model with numerous upgrades and lots of windows which make it light and bright.

The kitchen has 12 inch tile counter tops and floors , a convection oven, smooth top range , built in microwave oven , upgraded cabinets with pull out sheles.

"THE HOME HAS BEEN PRE WIRED FOR SURROUND SOUND. A GAS LOG FIREPLACE IN THE LIVING ROOM, UPGRADED 50 GALLON WATER HEATERS, UPGRADED CARPET, EXPANDED CONCRETE PATIO & GAS LINE IN PATIO FOR A GRILL. ENTIRE PATIO AREA IS FENCED IN AND THERE IS A POND WITH A WATERFALL IN THE CORNER. DON'T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO OWN THE NICEST UNIT AT THE COURTYARDS AT QUAIL LAKE!"

Home Facts

* Bedrooms: 3
* Full Bathrooms: 3
* Half Bathrooms: 0
* Living Area: 1,465
* Lot Size: 0 acres
* Type: Condo/Townhouse/Co-Op
* County: EL PASO
* Year Built: 1997
* Status: Active
* Subdivision: Courtyards At Quail Lake
* Area: --

Community Features

* Taxes: Estimated Annual Taxes: 820.00

Exterior Features

* Garage/Parking: Garage(s), 2 Car Garage
* Style: End Unit
* Topography: Level

Interior Features

* Amenities: Fireplace(s)
* Dining Room: Dimensions: 7X12
* Fireplace: Total: 1
* Heating/Cooling: Gas Heating, Central Air
* Kitchen: Dimensions: 12X13
* Master Bedroom: Dimensions: 13X13
* Family Room: Dimensions: 0X0
* Living Room: Dimensions: 13X16
* Appliances: Refrigerator, Dishwasher, Range and Oven
* Interior Feature: Laundry Area

Real Estate and Business Agents Act

The Real Estate and Business Agents Supervisory Board is the independent statutory authority established under the Real Estate and Business Agents Act 1978 to regulate people who conduct real estate transactions and certain business transactions.

The Board is responsible to the Minister for Commerce, and has the following functions under the Act:

• administer the licensing system for real estate and business agents and the registration system for sales representatives;


• conduct and promote education and provide advisory services;


• conduct investigations into allegations about real estate agents and sales representatives;


• provide conciliation services to consumers and agents in dispute;


• administer the Fidelity Guarantee Account, which reimburses people for financial loss due to the criminal or fraudulent behaviour of an agent or sales representative;


• administer the Homebuyers Assistance Account, which provides first homebuyers with financial assistance;


• advise the Minister for Commerce on the administration of the Act; and
  recommend amendments to the Regulations and the Act.

The Board is fully funded through the interest paid on the balance of money held in the trust accounts of agents, licence and certificate fees, and interest on investments held in Treasury. Funding is used to provide services to the industry and public in five major areas:

Licensing

o Involves the quality control of people seeking to enter the real estate and business broking industries and those already registered or licensed in those industries.

Compliance

o Ensures that licensed real estate and business agents and their representatives comply with the relevant legislation and financial reporting requirements.

Education and Awareness

o Aims to encourage awareness of real estate "best practice" through activities such as proactive visits, seminars and publications.

Fidelity Guarantee Account

o Centres on the assessment of claims for reimbursement from consumers who have suffered financial loss during a real estate transaction due to the criminal or fraudulent conduct of a licensed real estate and business agent or their sales representative.

Home Buyers Assistance Account

o Works to ensure that people who lodge a claim against the Fund satisfy the necessary requirements and receive funding in a timely manner.