Florida Real Estate Is Hot Right Now!
I receive comments on a regular basis on my weekly column. I appreciate every one of them. This column now goes out to over 7000 subscribers, a large portion of which are fellow real estate professionals. Most of my comments come from Northerners looking for the pulse on what’s going on in the local market.
“The local market”, we speak of it like it has a collective order or brain; perhaps it does, but I always contend that if you are buying a house, you are buying a house not a market. If some one asks me, “How’s the market?”, I have difficulty giving a short answer. In every buyers market there is a good opportunity for a seller, and certainly the reverse is also true:
“Have we bottomed out on prices?” In general, yes, but there are some properties that have not. The key to power in this market is total immersion from you and your agent.
“The most common question I get is, “Should I buy now or wait longer?” My answer is this: “You should be looking for what you want now. If you find it, negotiate the best deal you can. If you are happy with the deal: buy. Inventories are being depleted; your choices will start to diminish. If you cannot find the deal on the home you want, you need to determine, with the help of a local expert, if what you are looking for is even feasible; for example a $200,000 home on the beach (a common request) and what the chances are you will be able to find it. (rather slim)
The ability to secure financing along with your home may determine whether you buy now or later. Interest rates are as low as 4%, but you may have difficulty qualifying for such a loan now, but perhaps as your personal financial picture improves in time you can get the loan. The problem with this strategy may be that by the time that happens, your competition will have improved their lot as well and prices will be driven up by the increased demand.
My advice is always be looking and educating yourself on what is out there. I see bargains in every market segment, but it takes time, work, and persistence.
Some things to look at:
Development Opportunity on Fort Myers Beach. Nils and I looked at four duplex lots on Estero Boulevard on Friday. Three of the lots had income producing property on them. The purchaser had plans to build new duplexes on them; he already has the design. But this is not the time to build. Are these lots a good buy? Maybe. The strategy will be to buy them now, hold for three to five years, and then build the duplexes. The rental market on Fort Myers Beach, by the way is very strong.
Fort Myers Beach, triplex, I love this home and in fact owned it for a few years before we sold it in 1999. This home is on the north end of the island and is an REO. It sits on a canal by Moss Marina and is within walking distance of the beach and many attractions. It is being sold at a price that is more that $300,000 less than the last sale price sold. It needs some TLC, but for those of you that want a beach property that can be a rental as well I think you need to look at 85o Third Street it has two small apartments and very comfortable home on the second floor.
Oasis Condominium in Downtown Fort Myers. This project is under new management/ownership and will be re-released soon with new prices. I think there will be an opportunity to make some excellent buys here. Related Group developed it, BBL of Florida built it.
Downtown High Rises. The prices are now right and inventory here is getting depleted as well. There are short sales, renovated homes and condos as low as $115,000! This is for waterfront condos!
Foreclosed Homes. Market America Realty may be one of the largest REO/foreclosures listing agencies in Fort Myers. We have close to 300 homes in our pipeline over 200 now listed. When doing a search for a foreclosed home in Ft. Myers be sure to stay in your price range.
Orlando Market Many of our buyers like the recreational facilities and the strong rental market in Orlando. Chris Sterns, tells me they the inventory turns in Orlando are faster than here in Fort Myers. Lots of cash buyers, more European buyers, the deals move fast and our REO’s up there sell at above ask prices. Great market for finding foreclosed homes.
Search Ft. Myers Foreclosures
Search Orlando Foreclosures
“In my role as a broker I run what I would call a boutique real estate agency and I run my new franchise, Engel and Voelkers Fort Myers River District – high end residential homes. I am a motivator, a canceler of energy, and sometime coach.”
Profiting From Multiple Investment Funds
If you are seriously considering investments as ways to increase your wealth over the upcoming years, you need to take some time to consider all of the opportunities that are available to you, and how you are going to make the most of them. The most successful individuals in this type of industry are usually those that focus their attention on a range of investment funds, instead of only one or two, so that they have the best chances of success if one or more of their ventures fail to pay out at the end of the day. Since keeping your eye on multiple investment funds can be tricky, you might want to consider contacting a professional to assist you with this task.
One of the main reasons behind putting your money into many different investment funds, it is the fact that some of these are going to pay off, and some of them might not. If you are going to be investing a large sum of money into one of these ventures, you do not want to lose it all, only to find that you have to start again. Professional advisers will present you with different options that you can choose from and it will be up to you to pick the ones that sound most appealing, but be sure to take their advice into account; that is, after all, what you are employing them for.
Advisers have the skills and the experience to know what works best in this market, and this is why so many of them will suggest multiple investment funds instead of only one or two. After many years of investing in different industries, they understand that you cannot always predict the movement of the market, but they are better at it than most laymen, and so this is why they suggest that you choose to invest in a range of different funds; so that you have the best chances of most of them paying off at the end of the day.
You should never invest more money than you can afford to lose, and if you remember this when you are picking the funds that look most appealing to you, advisers will have a better chance of providing you with the assistance that you need in making larger profits at the end of the day. If you happen to lose a large investment, you should be able to pick yourself up and try again, and this is why multiple investment funds are so appealing; sooner or later, you will end up profiting from this sound financial decision.
To learn more with dfa funds, please visit us on our website.
Passive Investing: Is It A Viable Option?
In this day and age, everyone has begun to realize that you cannot get anything for free, and this makes it difficult to get excited about prospects where people assure you that you will not have to put in much effort to make money. When it comes to passive investing, however, this is not the case, and you can make a lot of money by doing this properly. Investments have great potential, as long as you make sound decisions with regards to the amount you are putting into these funds, and which ones you choose to make use of. The best way to ensure that your passive investing pays off is to find a reliable professional that will be able to assist you in making these decisions.
When it comes to passive investing, the details are what matter, and this is why a professional can be so helpful in helping you to make the right decisions. They will not only assist you in choosing the right opportunities to make use of, but they will also make sure that they focus on each and every investment, to ensure that you make the most profits with the least amount of risk. You will need to remember, however, that these types of opportunities are almost never risk-free, and this means that you should be prepared to lose a little at times.
One of the best things about making use of the services of a professional, when it comes to passive investing, it is the fact that they will think ahead for you, so that you can simply sit back and watch your profits grow. These professionals are not out to make a quick buck; in fact, they will usually provide you with certain opportunities that will take months to flourish, and others that will take many years to show results. At the end of the day, however, you can be sure to benefit from their assistance.
Finding the right professional for the job is not always easy, but once you have accomplished this, you can sit back and watch your money grow. Take some time to read through the portfolios of these professionals and make sure that you speak to a few prospective investment advisers about how they plan to turn your investments into profitable business opportunities. This will help you to make the most of passive investing in the long run and reach your financial goals during the time span that you have allocated to them.
For more information with passive investing, please visit us on our website.
Silver Uses And Best Investment Methods?
Silver is a natural and scarce resource; it is found by mining for it directly or as a by-product of mining for other minerals and metals. Silver is then purchased by refineries which process it into something that is more malleable and easier to work with. Once it is in usable form, silver is purchased by industries, commercial businesses, mints or consumers.
Breaking it down
Industries
Industries take up the majority of all silver mined; they use roughly 95% alone. Silver is used in such applications as car manufacturing for use in catalytic converters, paint and more. In medical research and development, silver has amazing antibacterial properties.
Commercial
Commercial use of silver consists of such markets as jewelers, electronics, mobile phones, furniture embellishment, clothing and more. Silver is well loved in commercial use because it looks nice and is relatively sturdy.
Individuals (aka Consumers)
And finally, we have individuals like you who purchase and exchange silver daily. Silver is used by individuals for investing and collecting. With the growing demand for silver from investors, many refineries are stepping up production. Where investors demand bulk silver to store, collectors demand variety in silver coins and small bars to expand their growing collections. With the many types available in both coins and small bars, collecting has become a fun hobby for both novices and veterans alike.
Types of Individual Investors
The goals and needs of individual investors often determine who buys silver and in what style.
An investor looking at long term goals, and not concerned with having the silver at their immediate disposal, might look to into investing in IRA approved silver. Silver bars approved for IRAs must be made of .999 fine silver. American Silver Eagles, 100oz and 1000oz bars are approved for most IRAs. Due to their cheaper premiums than that of the Silver Eagles, many investors are investing in the larger silver bars.
Some investors, with concerns over the growing instability in currency might look into larger bulk investments. These investors buy medium to large silver bars usually 10oz to 100oz in differing quantities, which are stored either in a home safes or bank deposit boxes. They usually keep their investments close at hand.
Smaller investors, usually collectors, buy small silver bars and coins. They will pick and choose between the many manufacturers and styles available. These investors slowly build up their investments over a longer period of time, depending on their end goals.
Decisions, Decisions
Once you decide that silver is the way to go, you will need to ask yourself a few questions.
-What type of investor am I?
-Do I want to invest in larger amounts, like 100oz bars in great quantities, or small amounts
-Or am I a collector looking for a special coin or two?
Once you know what type of investor you are, you want to learn about buying and selling silver bars. In future articles we will take an in depth look at these topics and more. Are you ready to begin investing in a silver lining of your own?
For more information on the value of silver and to find out the silver prices today, then visit us at http://www.silvertoday.net
Silver Bullion Bar Types
What new investors and collectors may find interesting is that silver bars come in several sizes and types. These types and sizes range from the silver bullion or troy bars of typically ten to one hundred ounces, or the more collectable silver art ingot and coin or round bars from one to five ounces. When you learn each different sizes and types of silver bars, it will help you make a more informed and wise investment that most suits your interests and needs.
As an investor or even collector, understanding the differences in silver bars and their prices is important if you want to be successful. It doesn’t matter if you want to be successful as a collector or trader; you still have to understand the different sizes in bars and how and why they are priced the way they are.
The nice thing about ten or one hundred ounce bars is their uniform flat rectangular shape and size, allowing for convenient storage and portability. The ten and one hundred ounce bars are used more as convenient commodity investments. One hundred ounce bars are one of the more popular sized bars with retail investors. The most popular brands of the one hundred ounce bars are Engelhard and Johnson Matthey. These brands, due to their popularity and rarity, usually cost more per ounce than the silver spot value, though prices vary depending on a daily changing market.
The smaller sized ingot or coin (aka ’round’) and the one or five ounce art bars are most often traded among collectors due to the many different designs available. The value of art bars is usually at a premium price, which is higher than the silver spot value, and is based on the artistic and commemorative value they hold. Another reason for the higher price is that silver ingot or coin bars are usually only produced in limited quantities for each design and most often sold in proof sets. If silver art bars are used as an investment commodity, their value is equal to that of the melt value of the silver, so that’s something you should be aware of.
An interesting note concerning these sorts of bars is that in the late 1970′s and early 1980′s the value of silver rose drastically. Due to this short but dramatic increase in the price of silver, silver art bars produced in the late 1960′s and 1970′s were sold as bullion and melted down in mass quantity. With this sudden disappearance of bars produced before 1980, the rarity of these ‘survivors’ increased and added to their value as a potential investment. So if you have a bar made in the 1960s and ’70s, it’s probably worth a great deal more than one made in the 90s.
Let’s begin exploring the different sizes and type of silver bars together to help you become a wise investor.
For more information on the silver melt value, charts from kitco silver and comprehensive articles, then please visit us at http://www.silvertoday.net