The Brutal Facfs

Brutal facts are not always pretty or inviting, but they are reality. Initially brutal news may take you back and even make you feel beat up. But take heart, it is good for bad news to travel fast. You are better off to hear negative news first, before the information becomes filtered through other perspectives, or the facts fester and become worse.

Brutal facts that are not given attention move from an inflamed infection to relational and organizational gangrene. Inevitably there follows an amputation; someone or something has be severed. This extreme action could have been avoided if the brutal facts had been revealed, recognized and acted upon early. Brutal facts are our friends; so do not dismiss the messenger because the message is bad, he or she is just the delivery person.

The wise receiver of brutal facts will extract the “chaff and keep the wheat”.

A brutal fact may relate to your finances and/or your property situation. What is the reality of your cash situation? Take care of your " financial business" or it will take care of you by tumbling down around you.


So where can we find these brutal facts? Your trusted advidsor, Your spouse, parent or friend that has some "horse sense" is a good starting point. They have a vested interest in you, so normally their perception of the facts is fairly accurate. Listen with an ear to learn, but if you become defensive or argumentative they will eventually shut down. Because they care, is why they want you to be aware.

Why not change on your own terms rather than being forced to change on another’s? This is the essence of brutal facts—there are some things that need to change. You, the work culture, and your family are always in flux, so use this as an opportunity to move from mediocrity to excellence. Embrace the brutal facts, learn from them and become better.

Do you currently have concerns that need to seriously consider? Askl youself, "How do I need to change"? "What trusted advisor can assit with making the right" decision.

CASH DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE

Most home buyers’ biggest hurdle is coming up with the cash for a sensible down payment. Gone are the days of zero-down loans, so if that was your plan, you’re going to need a new one! Coming up with a down payment for a home is a challenge because it’s not chump change we're talking about, here. The down payment on a $200,000 house, for example, will run you anywhere from $7,000 (on an FHA loan) to $40,000!

That might seem like an insurmountable amount of coin to come up with, but it’s actually more doable than you might think. Some buyers will simply save up their own cash, even if it takes many, many moons. The good news is that if you still need some help to boost your down-payment savings, there are resources you can harness to power your home-buying pursuit:

1.The FHA Bridal Registry. Yes - you read that right! The FHA Bridal Registry Program enables wanna-be home buyers to apply their families’ wedding gifts toward their down payments. And although it’s named a “bridal registry” program, you don’t have to be a prenuptial couple to use it. You could also use this program to collect gifts for graduation, the arrival of a baby or some other major life event in which people want to give you gifts. The FHA Bridal Registry works like a traditional registry, but is more flexible. The registrants visit their choice of FHA mortgage lenders and set up what essentially is a custodial savings account for the sole purpose of funding their down payment. The couple’s (or individual’s) family and friends can either deposit funds directly into the account or give the cash or check to the couple or individual, who then deposits it into the account. The account’s flexibility also goes beyond that of traditional down payment gift rules that are applicable to FHA loans, which are detailed below in insider secret #2. With the FHA Bridal Registry Program, the only gift documentation required is “lender and borrower certification of the funds.”

2.Family gifts. Most lenders will allow home buyers to apply gift money from family members toward their down payment - within guidelines, that is. First, the lender will require a letter from the giver verifying that it in fact is a gift and not a loan. (They generally frown upon it being a loan because it would add to the buyer’s debt and change their debt-to-income ratio.) And second, the person giving you the money must be a relative. The reasoning here is that a friend will most likely expect you to repay the money, whereas a relative won’t. FHA loans will allow the gift to make up any portion or all of the buyer’s down payment, many conventional (non-FHA) loan programs will restrict the proportion of a buyer’s down payment that can come from gift money. The lender may also have specific ways they want to see the money go into and out of your accounts. Before you accept a gift toward your down payment, be sure to check with your mortgage broker or loan rep to be sure that you’re dotting all the right i's and crossing all the right t's.

3.Your Employer. Some companies offer assistance programs to employees. Most are government, university, large company and financial industry employers. One example is safety workers: n some areas, safety workers like firefighters and police can have access to down payment grants from their employers if they buy properties in the city where they are on-call as first responders. Also, many large colleges and universities, very large companies and banks and lending institutions offer down payment help and have below-market-rate mortgages set up for faculty members and staffers. Check with your Human Resources department to see if any such program is available to you.

4.City/County/State Programs. Some states, counties and cities still offer programs that lend or give home buyers some assistance for down payments. These programs vary widely in scope - for instance, many target buyers with low and moderate incomes, while some seek to help the buyers of foreclosed or fixer-upper type homes. Some don’t have to repaid - meaning they are given as grants and are forgiven entirely if the buyer lives in the property for 30 years, but must be repaid if the buyer sells or rents the home out before the 30 years elapses. The programs pretty much all have some sort of homeowner education component that requires applicants to take personal finance and homeownership preparedness classes before they can receive funds. To learn more, visit your city, county and state websites to learn about programs that might be able to help you.

5.Your Retirement Funds. Many financial advisors would advise against this, but if you have a 401K or Roth IRA account and some years to go before retirement, you might be able to tap into it or even borrow against your own funds for your down payment. Currently, you can take up to $10,000 out of your Traditional IRA with no penalty to put toward the purchase of your first home, but you will be taxed. You can take as much as you want out of your Roth IRA contributions with no penalty or taxes, though, and as much as $10,000 from your earnings penalty-free for your down payment. The rules get a little tricky, here, so definitely check in with your tax and financial advisors. And while you can’t similarly draw from your 401K, many retirement and pension plans will allow you to borrow the money against your funds, then repay it to yourself – at interest. So the choice there comes down to paying your lender back with interest or paying yourself with interest. That choice should be you! But first, get some advice from your CPA or financial planner. This option might not make financial sense for your particular situation.

http://www.trulia.com/blog/taranelson/2011/08/5_insider_secrets_for_coming_up_with_cash_for_down_payment?ecampaign=cnews201108B&eurl=www.trulia.com%2Fblog%2Ftaranelson%2F2011%2F08%2F5_insider_secrets_for_coming_up_with_cash_for_down_payment

Better Than Expected!

Existing Home Sales - Stable Pricing, Better than Expected Sales

The third quarter gave us an opportunity to see the effects of both slow bank-owned (REO) additions to the market as well as the effect of the homebuyer tax credit (there were three versions). As a result of these factors, demand was pulled forward,
essentially borrowing sales from the future.

In terms of the housing tax credit’s effect on pricing, we observed a temporary bump in the prices of homes on the lower end of the spectrum. Nationally, research has shown that the third version generated an approximate 6.4% growth above trend (FNC,
2010). Our research has demonstrated that locally, prices on large homes (typically greater than 2,000 sq. ft.) did not experience an increase in prices, but more of a slowing of price declines.

The second half of 2009 and early 2010 was a vibrant period, with multiple offers on well-priced homes becoming commonplace. The post-tax credit season has included moderating sales, but has been outperforming our own expectations in the third
quarter.

Potential homebuyers had been craving more inventory, and the third quarter experienced additional inventory due to a combination of moderating sales
and more new placements on the market. This turned into a benefit for home buyers by helping to decrease their search time. With the increase in inventory we have observed a rise in the number days on market. This has yet to manifest itself in a resulting decline in prices for the bulk of homes sold; some housing types continue to see declines, but this is not symmetric for the whole market.

There is some pressure on home prices, but it is moderated by investors recognizing the long-term potentials of the market, as well as the cash flow opportunities yielded by rental properties. The bottom line for a great deal of buyers is that buying is less expensive than renting. This fact is further substantiated by the observed returns from homes sold with tenants in place, where investors have been able to achieve un-leveraged returns in the high single digits and often double digits.

Recognizing these returns, investors have made up a great proportion of our sales, possibly up to fifty percent. This is not the ideal speculator we saw in the past, but rather a majority of investors we encounter have a long-term hold strategy. This has been very beneficial for the marketplace.

Welcome 2011

I hope you all had a Safe New Years Day. Its time to get back into the groove.

There is no better way to start 2011 than to begin with supplying your retirement; Real Estate Investing is a sure fire way to do just that.

Las Vegas is the hottest market! With prices as low as they are along with interest rates at the lowest they have been since 1950.

There are properties that you can purchase for $20,000. Rent it out for $500.00 a month. If you had 10 properties that would be $5,000 a month, now. Now lets discuss 10, 15, 20 years from now. Inflation..... at 3.5% a year, you would be charging $800 to $1,000 a month. Calculate that, $1,000 a month times 10 properties that would be $10,000 a month. Thats a nice nest egg, not to mentioned that tax deductions too. Check my website out, www.sharebuildersinc.com or just call to set up an appointment, (702) 236-6266

NO LIMITS!!

I had an incredible coach (Jordan Wirsz) share this information with me and I thought I would share it with you.

Do you know what a 10% stake in the Apple Inc. company is worth today? I do. $22 Billion to be exact. Did you know, there were actually THREE founders of Apple? His name was Ron Wayne, and was one of the three original founders of Apple. His story is a bit more unique than the typical Billionaire technology founder...Instead, he made a decision that would change his life (or maybe a better way to put it, would NOT change his life) forever. Only 11 days after the Apple enterprise was founded, Ron Wayne began to second guess himself and the other two Apple founders, including legendary Apple icon, Steve Jobs.


We all doubt ourselves at times...Our business, our thoughts, our "gut instincts," but what Ron Wayne did, was sold out. Literally. Only 11 days after his entry into the business, he sold his stake back to the other two founders for a mere $800, considering it "found money," at the time he was thrilled to have the $800. Today, that same 10% stake would be worth a staggering $22 Billion. Today, Ron Wayne lives in Pahrump Nevada, in a small single story house, with a metal carport, and living off of his social security check, going to the Casino's every day, hoping his luck will turn around.


Ron said, "I made the best decision I could at the time, with the information I had, and now I'm living with the decision."


Who would have known, right? I mean Apple, who would have thought? In 1976, that $800 was worth a lot more than it is today...And at the time, Ron's greed made him take the short, sweet, and easy way out of a partnership before it really even began. That greed driven decision cost him $22 Billion.


If you have a passion, a mission, drive, focus, dedication, determination, tenacity to succeed, then you need to know that there is absolutely NO limits to what can be accomplished. The only limits we have are the ones we give ourselves.

Real Estate: Whats It For? To built monthly Income.. Or What?

One of the things that I have found over the years in working with clients that own real estate is that people love buying real estate, but they constantly make critical mistakes when doing so. The starting point in deciding what to buy and how to buy it should begin with the answer to this question: Why Should I buy and what is it for?

This question that you ask yourself may sound ridiculous, however an important one for your financial future. Timing is so important. What was the famous line in real estate? Location, location, location. Look back at the years 2003 to 2008 at the feeding frenzy. If someone bought in those years they bought at the high part of the market; thus, the foreclosure and short sale phenonumen. The rule of thumb to any investing or any business is TIMING, TIMING, TIMING. So do some soul searching. The time frame, expectations, and, most importantly, whether the property will be used to create income, for appreciation, or for growth and income (both).

Real Estate for Income

When buying real estate for income it is necessary to look at the type of income that you purchase. Single family homes in the Las Vegas area will be a great investment, for income if done correctly. Let me give you an example: A three bedroom home in Las Vegas, Nevada that would sell for 80,000 rents for $1,500 per month. Subtracting out the annual expenses of the debt service (mortgage payment), property taxes, insurance, and a little extra for overhead it would not be uncommon for this property to net $7,200 after expenses. Take that to another level. Invest in 10 homes with that same outcome that would be $72,000 a year. Go a little further, invest in 20 homes would equal $144,000 a year. We have not even discussed the tax advantages. Your CPA would give you that information.

Let’s take a look at commercial property. Multiunit properties, apartments, or commercial properties may be far superior in terms of income than single family homes. In today’s market, you may be able to find a 6 unit property for $500,000. Obviously the figures are larger however so is the return. If done correctly.

Using leverage (OPM or OPC) may also allow for additional income on a property.
End Result: You need to do some planning prior to purchasing a property and find a knowledge real estate agent that has done investing for themselves. You should consider the types of properties, how to fund the property, whether to use leverage, who will manage the property, what improvements it may need, and what annual expenses it might have, among other issues. The list of considerations is long, but the outcome will be well worth the hard work if done correctly.