Minnesota Realtors Blog

A home purchasing deal will more than likely involve a seller's agent. First time homebuyers should realize that a seller's agent, or a sub-agent, should have the seller's best interest in mind when doing transactions. In other words, a sub-agent is hired by the seller to forge a deal with a buyer.

Different states have varying regulations on the practice of seller's agents, but they have common responsibilities and restrictions as defined by national laws. According to Ilyce Glink, author of the book '100 Questions Every Home Buyer Should Ask', homebuyers should thoroughly review the agent disclosure form before signing under the services of an agent to understand the scope and limitations of the agent's work. Generally, a seller's agents' responsibilities and restrictions include:

The seller's agent can provide you with detailed pricing lists of comparable homes in the area. These are often called 'comps' and are a compilation of similar homes in the neighborhood, listing information and their list prices. This information ensures that you are not offering, or being offered, an unreasonable price when it's time to negotiate.

The seller's agent cannot tell you which home to choose when you are still deciding. Even though it's the seller's agent's job to sell you the home they are commissioned to sell, they do not have a right to 'push' their home over another in question. If you like two homes and the broker is working with both sellers, they cannot persuade you to purchase one over the other; the decision is ultimately yours to make.

A seller's agent cannot reveal the flaws of the home, except for imperceptible material imperfections. They are not allowed to disclose information that can influence you not to buy a property. Homebuyers must conduct their own inspection to assess the condition of a home.

The seller's agent cannot provide tips regarding the best offer amount for a home. It would be beneficial for you as a buyer to get inside tips from the seller's agent but they are legally bound not to provide confidential information to buyers.

A seller's agent has the right to ask you for referrals. Most sellers' agents run their own businesses and are likely to ask you for referrals. It is up to you to decide if a seller's agent is worth referring to your fiends and relatives.

In the end, a seller's agent is essential in making the homebuying process easy for both parties. Just bear in mind that you still have to investigate the property and conduct your own market study and even work with your own agent for you to acquire a home that meets all of your needs.

Alexandria P. Anderson is a licensed Minnesota Realtor that uses the MN MLS to help her clients to find and purchase Homes in Minnesota.

After you've spent enough time doing all of the research about your prospective home and are comfortable with working with the seller, it's time to make the offer. However, the home buying offer isn't the end of the sales process; you may be involved with negotiating a price after making the offer if the seller refuses to accept it, so you'll need a plan to get the price you want - or close to it - well before you extend your initial offer.

Studying the contract in detail and having a back-up plan are just two ways to prepare for the negotiation process. Barron's 'Consumer's Guide to Home Buying' explains that it is best to be prepared for price negotiations even before submitting an offer by creating a checklist of items to consider when negotiating. Here are some items you need to take into account when negotiating for the price of your new home:

1. Who are the key decision-makers involved in the transaction? 'Knowing the players' benefits the skilled negotiator because this allows you to understand who will really influence the buying and selling process. For example, is the seller working independently or are they working with agents, lawyers and other third parties to coordinate the transaction? Knowing who you will be negotiating with can help you identify the best approach for negotiations and give you a chance to gauge the trustworthiness of the selling party.

2. Develop a contingency plan. It's possible for the seller to refuse all your offers. While it is frustrating, some negotiations are never meant to produce a deal. Specify what you are willing to give for the house and don't go beyond it just to come into an agreement. You have to look at other prospective homes if the seller wants you to pay more than you're willing to give.

3. Have you looked over all of the details of the contract? It's important to fully understand all of the terms of the contract so you're not left with any surprises at closing. Take the time to review the contract in as much detail as possible and note down any questions you have. Set up a meeting with the seller to go over anything that doesn't seem clear to you so you don't have any reservations about signing if you do get an accepted offer.

4. Develop a relationship with your realtor. Realtors have the experience to give you professional advice about your prospective home. Spend the time to develop a positive working relationship with them. Voice out your concerns to your realtor well ahead of the negotiation process to give your realtor time to help you in making an informed decision.

5.Are you ready to handle setbacks? Poor communication skills from the seller's agent, hostility from the seller and other negative communications that occur during the buying and selling process can make it difficult to negotiate fairly. You need to keep your cool and make sure that you are ready to stop the deal if you don't feel like it's going down the right path.

Author and Realtor Alexandria P. Anderson helps clients to find and purchase Edina Minnesota real estate as well as Edina condos and houses in the Twin Cities.

All homebuyers are prone to overlook major problems during the buying process only to be surprised by them once they have already paid for the property. You can consider hiring a professional home inspector even before signing any contract to avoid any regrets and stress after buying a property.

However, you aren't required to conduct an official home inspection until after signing the initial contract, so it's a good idea to learn as much as possible about the condition of the home by having an honest discussion with the seller, and even performing your own 'mini' inspection where you can check for basic structural defects or potential problems.

Sellers typically allow prospective buyers to inspect their home before anyone enters into any agreement. Barron's 'Smart Consumer's Guide to Home Buying' advises homebuyers to use a checklist in taking note of any problems and issues in the earliest time possible. The book further explains, "If you are thinking about buying a house that will need renovation or upgrading, the more value will be derived from your mini-inspection." The mini-inspection will ultimately give you a bargaining leverage when negotiating for the price of the home you are buying.

Create a checklist that you will use in your home inspection. This will help you in taking notes of the general condition and appearance of the house. Below are important issues to include in your notes:

Learn about the age of the home - you'll want to find out exactly when the home was built, what types of renovations or new construction took place on the home site, and if there are any architect or engineering plans available.

Inspect the house's foundation - Check if there large cracks around the home and basement. You should also check for water or weather related damages. Ask the seller if the house ever experienced or experiences weather related problems in various seasons.

Check the interior for defects and potential problems - you'll want to make sure that all doors open and close easily and that all the walls are flat, even and free of cracks. Make a note of any visible cracks or deterioration and take pictures of anything that stands out. You'll also want to check for mold problems, odors and make sure all water entry areas are clear and functioning properly.

Check the exterior for defects and potential problems - do all of the windows and doors have adequate insulation? Do they open and close fluidly? Make sure all of the siding, windows and doors are free of cracks and any noticeable wear and tear.

Review heating and air conditioning appliances - ask about the average heating and cooling costs each month, and find out how long the systems have been in place. In some cases, you may need to invest in a new water heater or air conditioning system.

Take all the information you gathered and create a written inspection report. You may also use a digital camera or camcorder to take pictures or video clips that you can review later. Video clips and pictures will allow you to document your inspection in more detail. These visual documents may also give you additional negotiation leverage.

About the Author: Alexandria P. Anderson is one of the top Minnesota Real Estate Agents and she helps people to find and purchase Minnesota Realty and properties in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

Once you have made your decision to buy a home and stop renting, you'll need a strategy to get started on your search. The secret in searching for the perfect home lies in your ability to identify exactly what you want out of a home.

Many first time home buyers feel overwhelmed and frustrated by the homebuying process simply because there are too many decisions to make. How do you decide on the best location? What if the home isn't in the best move-in condition? Can you afford to be so far away from work? Making sure you've asked yourself the right questions and creating a 'wishlist' for your ideal home will make the home buying process much easier, and also help you get over many of the challenges involved in finding that perfect home. Start creating your wishlist with the following essential questions and considerations in mind:

1. What are the amenities you are looking for? Ask yourself if you want a fireplace, swimming pool, a garden, etc. Create a basic criteria of amenities you would want in your home to narrow down your options. If a home doesn't meet your amenities criteria, simply say no to it and move on to the next one.

2. Be specific about your location. Author Ilyce Glink of '100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask' explains that location is one of the most important factors when considering different homes. You'll need to think about where you will be located in relation to schools, places of worship, shopping venues and even your friends and family. Your final location will determine how much you may need to drive each day - and if it's worth the extra effort.

3. How big do you want your home to be? The size of your home will largely depend on your family's needs. If you expect your family to grow in the near future, you may want to buy a bigger space to accommodate your family for the next three to five years.

4. Are you willing to spend on home renovations? Some homes might have the perfect size and the perfect location but are not in any condition to house your family. How much are you willing to spend in renovating the home? Being specific about this area will help you save time as you exclude some houses from your search.

5. Do you worry about security and safety? You might prioritize safety and security if you are living alone or with your children. Determine the things that you will need in order to feel secure in your home and neighborhood. Cross-out houses that do not meet your criteria.

By asking yourself specific questions about your preferences, goals and dreams, you'll be able to narrow down the vast field of choices and find the home that truly meets your needs.

Alexandria P. Anderson is a licensed Minnesota Realtor that uses the Minnesota MLS Listings to help her clients to find and purchase Real Estate in Minnesota.

You may have doubts in the home buying process if you have rented a property for several years. We will explore the pros and cons of both buying and renting a home in this article to help you finally decide which path to take.

A lot of renters do not even consider having their own house because of all the responsibilities attached to buying and owning a home. Owning a home involves paying for your home's upkeep costs, paying for property taxes, applying for a home insurance and even paying off a mortgage, if you took a loan to purchase a property. All of these responsibilities may overwhelm you at first. You just have to understand basic home buying principles so that you can be at ease with the process.

The first thing you need to do is to list all payments attached to your prospective home. You can usually ask your realtor for information regarding average fees, maintenance costs and taxes. Place all information on a digital spreadsheet so you can compare costs for different homes quickly. Arranging all information you gathered in this way will also give you a precise calculation of a home's total purchase price and the monthly costs you have to pay.

Buying a home also means you are buying into your local community, according to writer Ilyce Glink, author of '100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask'. Owning a home in a particular community may require you to pay for local taxes and other services that you do not have to pay if you are renting.

Next, you'll need to do some extensive research about tax benefits. Home ownership usually does give you several tax advantages over renting, but this will vary significantly depending on your current income and the total amount of real estate property tax you will be paying each year.

If you can work out your tax benefits to include all of your deductions and current income level, you'll have a fairly accurate idea of what the total tax benefit of owning a home will be for your particular situation. It may be a good idea to work with an accountant or financial advisor for assistance in this area.

Owning a home must be seen vis-a-vis your long-term plan. You need to determine how long you intend to stay on one location. If you embrace a mobile lifestyle then you are better suited to rent a home instead of buying one. Renting allows anyone to move from one location to another easily. You can rent a home on a per year or even per month basis and be free to move as you please.

Owning a home is suited for people who can commit to settle in a city or neighborhood over the long-term. If you are serious about buying your own home, it would be best to decide on where you want to live or re-locate first in the long run.

Alexandria P. Anderson is a licensed Minnesota Realtor that uses the MN Real Estate Listings to help her clients to find and purchase Minnesota Homes for Sale

When you've decided to take the plunge and purchase your new home, you can take the lead on the process by searching through listings online. The Internet offers a wealth of resources to make your home search very simple, and you can filter out listings to find all of the features and amenities you want within minutes.

Online listings on real estate also act as an important guide in your search for your perfect abode. In fact, you can easily assess your personal taste or predilection vis-a-vis websites' home designs and styles and see if they suit your lifestyle and personality. As suggested by the authors of 'Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask', beginning homebuyers may refer to major online resources like Realtor.com when faced with the challenges of looking for a new house. These online listings provide a compilation of neighborhoods and homes, complete with pictures, videos, plus other related audio-visuals that can facilitate your search.

In essence, you can have all the info you need and print them out for future reference. Another great resource are search engines and websites like the ones managed by several leading national chains namely Coldwell Banker, Re/Max and Century 21. You can also contact realtors whenever the need arises with individual offices regularly updating their databases of listings and contact information.

Websites such as Realestate.com also offer updated MLS listings with street views of homes in certain cities. You can search listings by city and state, zip code or MLS number for a comprehensive list of search results. Visit the 'Local Community Information' section to find more information about home sales prices, crime, commuting and the weather in your preferred location.

These types of sites make it easy for you to do preliminary research about a neighborhood, compare home values and stay up to date with the latest listings available on the market. This can be valuable objective information to have by your side before you even approach a real estate agent. Your local library is another good resource for local real estate listings. If your library has an online equivalent of its resources, you can log in from anywhere to start your search. If not, you can just spend an afternoon looking at listings in the library's in-house database. The only drawback of this strategy is that listings here can be out of date and not updated regularly enough to be relevant for your search.

Although online search has helped you expedite your home search, you would still need the assistance of a real estate professional especially when the time comes you want to see the property. Utilizing the Internet addresses the biggest issue faced by first time homebuyers - finding local listings and arriving at intelligent decisions on a property for purchase. Enhance your homebuying experience now and avail of these regularly-updated real estate listings to enjoy affordable but quality home that fits your overall personality and lifestyle.

Author and Realtor Alexandria P. Anderson helps clients to find and purchase Maple Grove MN real estate and homes for sale in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

Buying a brand new home as a first time home buyer is an attractive proposition for most; you get to move into a completely new living space with brand new amenities and don't have to worry about maintenance and renovations for at least the first year.

On one side though, new properties can be more costly compared to an existing one, not to mention the level of uncertainty you might be facing as a newcomer in a whole new community.

Comparing the strengths and limitations of each scenario helps in coming up with the best decision for your home buying; the following are questions you must keep in mind when you begin finding your new home.

1. Are you willing to spend extra for a new home's purchase? Because of its newness, all brand new homes are priced at a premium; this means that you will be the one to get a taste of everything it offers, from the moment you entered your new property.

2. How important is resale value to you? Acording to Ilyce Glink, author of '100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask', homes that are newly constructed do have faster appreciation than existing ones. Would you consider selling your property subsequently? If that is the case, it may be good to remember that once you move in to your new home, its market value becomes higher thus more profitable and easier to sell.

3. Are you the type of person who can adapt well? The construction of new homes rapidly increases at a certain time, thus, being a new homeowner in an area may require knowing more people in the neighborhood before having a full knowledge about the whole area. Two important factors necessary in a household of small children or elderly are safety and security, you can discover your options to ensure that your house is safe and secure all the time.

4. Would you be willing to spend your resources in a home renovation? The value of existing homes can extremely appreciate especially if you have the willingness to allot resources for its maintenance or renovation. Finding good investments that will work in the long run but can be profitable even in a shorter time is possible with a 'fixer upper'.

5. Which do you prefer, a primary residence or an investment? Many younger first time home buyers are looking for investment properties that they can fix up and sell quickly to turn a profit. Mature home buyers are more likely to be in the market for a primary residence since they want to settle down and establish themselves in the neighborhood. Identify your goals beforehand and decide what you think will give you more benefits.

Based from your goals (both longterm and short term) and the amount of money you are willing to shed off your pocket - thats when you decide to have either a new or existing home. Choose the best investment with your time and money by simply considering all the abovementioned questions in your decision-making.

Author: Alexandria P. Anderson is a MN real estate agent that specializes helping people to find and purchase Minnesota Land, as well as Minnesota property for her realty clients.

One of the most important steps to home buying involves getting the right loan amount for your ideal property. There are several ways you can get prequalified to purchase a home and preapproved for a home loan, and it's generally a good idea to check your credit report before approaching this step. A prospective lender will be reviewing your credit report and other financial details in great detail as you set the prequalification or preapproval process in motion, and you can obtain a free credit report from any of the three major credit bureaus to check it for errors.

Have your credit records immediately cleared if you notice any discrepancies in it and ensure that you keep intact all proof of communication with the credit institution. When all these have been settled, it's now easier to proceed with your homebuying experience; the following tips are important in the prequalification and preapproval of your loan:

1. Go online to review different mortgage programs. Websites such as LendingTree.com and Bankrate.com offer a number of loan packages and will also list the latest interest rates. Take the time to review several options and submit your personal information for preliminary review. You can expect to be contacted within a few days from a loan representative who can then guide you through the rest of the process.

2. Consult the right authority in your area bank. One of the most practical ways to follow when securing a prequalification letter or preapproval status is to seek the help of your bank's mortgage loan officer. As the author of the book "100 Questions Every First Time Home Buyer Should Ask", Ilyce Glink mentions, this process may be quite time-consuming compared to online processing. Nevertheless, this is more preferred by most people and they would opt to get started with the bank personnel's assistance. But either way, the same kind of service is delivered.

3. Transact using the telephone. Related prequalification services are also provided over the telephone by some lending companies, and you don't have to visit a bank or browse the Internet to begin. Secure the number through a bank or financial institution and from there, you may start sending yout personal details over the telephone.

4. Go for a national lending institution. The benefit of opting for national lenders like Countrywide home loans and Bank of America is that it can give you more alternatives for your future loan because they offer both online and telephone transaction for prequalification and preapproval. Information about the latest rates can be found in their websites, so it's easier for you to submit information and get loan prequalification.

5. Visit an aggregator website. This type of online resource provides documents on rates and services offered by different lenders and a good option where you can submit your personal information instead of a bank or any other financial institutions. Several options are available for you to choose from after you have submitted your info.

Buying a home is much easier when you know the basics in getting pre-qualified and pre-approved for a home loan. Refer to these essential steps for you to make the most in your pursuit to purchase your first home.

Author and Realtor Alexandria P. Anderson helps clients to find and purchase Real Estate in Minnesota and Minnesota properties in and around the Twin Cities.

Buying a home for the first time involves collaborating with a seller's agent or subagent. It is crucial that you understand how things will work between you and the subagent because these people act as representatives to the seller and are therefore expected to bring you to the deal. As a seller's agent, they are entitled to a commission and have certain duties and obligations.

There may be varying regulations from one state to another as far as home buying is concerned but there are several things they cannot do in accordance with the national law. As explained by the writer of '100 Questions Every Home Buyer Should Ask' - it is necessary for all buyers to evaluate first the agent's forms and disclosures before signing said documents. This can help you understand better the types of services that they will be providing. Moreover, there are several aspects you should know in relation to what the seller's agent can or cannot do:

The seller's agent can provide you with detailed pricing lists of comparable homes in the area. These are often called 'comps' and are a compilation of similar homes in the neighborhood, listing information and their list prices. This information ensures that you are not offering, or being offered, an unreasonable price when it's time to negotiate.

The seller's agent cannot point out which home you should purchase. The decision on which home to buy comes from only you. If you are torn between two properties, the seller's agent cannot insist on having you chose one over the other even if he is working for the sellers of both properties.

The seller's agent cannot discuss the home's defects or flaws. In purchasing a property, the seller broker has no right to mention anything that would have a bearing on your choice or decision. Any material flaws or defects can be discussed but you will still need to find out for yourself if the property is really the best option.

The best offer for the home cannot be hashed out in detail. Most first time homebuyers would normally ask for the actual price to be paid in getting the property. However, this information cannot be legally offered since the seller broker has duties to the seller and any such act can affect the partnership.

The seller's agent can ask you for referrals. Many seller's agents are independent business owners and always looking for new clients. They do have the right to ask you to refer them to friends or family members, and will do everything they can to make your home buying experience a good one.

As a first time homebuyer working with a seller's agent, you can expect your home buying process easier and less stressful. But it is equally significant to conduct your own research about your desired property since it doesn't always mean agents are after your best interest and wellbeing. Finally, you can seek assistance from a real estate agent to clearly understand home buying.

Author: Alexandria P. Anderson specializes helping people to find and purchase Bloomington homes for sale in Minnesota, as well as Bloomington property for her MN real estate clients.

Are you worried about investing your money in real estate? With the general knowledge media spurs that the market is in the tank, who would not feel the same?

Never believe anyone that tells you an investment is 100% safe and smart. EVERYTHING that you do with your money has a certain amount of risk involved with it, even if it's just putting bills under your mattress; speaking of which, let's talk about what happens if you do NOTHING with the money you save (e.g., putting it under your mattress). That wouldn't be very smart-fire, flood, theft, etc. could make your money disappear very quickly with no hope for return.

What if you are the type who'd rather keep your hard-earned money in a safety deposit bank? Well, consider the fact that inflation reduces your money's buying power. More concretely, this means that your bills are only worth the currency's present value. Over time, you will find out that you have wasted an opportunity to expand its value.

In the US, the annual rate of inflation is about 3 percent that translates to commodities increasing by almost 3 percent every year. In other words, your money is worth 3 percent less if it is being kept inside a safety box. Would you still perceive of it as "saving" when obviously your money's purchasing power is gradually vanishing?

Let us have savings account as another example. Fortunately, for those who invested their money in savings accounts, FDIC or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is there to safeguard them. Save for inflation concerns! Even the most successful savings accounts out there could not offset inflation, thus there is a big chance your savings' account interest earnings will not even sound good.

Another remarkable area to look into is stocks. Would it be best to invest in something when there is no tangible item you can hold claim to? Investing in stocks can be compared to investing in an "idea" and whether you like it or not - the only thing you can claim yours is the fact that you put in funds so that the entity you place your money into will add value to itself, which eventually increase yours.

Relatively, you also hold no control on said "idea". Your chance of success cannot be told in advance either, since a number of factors that will come along the way have to be identified. Investing in stocks, I must say, can present a considerable amount of risk and can only be prevented if you decide to make it your profession or spend all your time doing research on the companies. This is the main reason why I am presenting the last and best option, the real estate.

Why? Real estate is a TANGIBLE item that is held very closely to you; you can see it, touch it, and improve it. There is very low risk that the physical investment itself will disappear, and even if it does, that's what insurance is for! (Try getting that for your stocks!) And unlike paper currency, the value of your property grows with inflation, so you're not losing purchasing power of your investment every year.

The bottomline: real estate gives you surprising benefits in numerous ways that includes huge tax breaks, gained equity through renter-paid deduction, equity gained through improvements, and appreciation. As I have mentioned previously in this article, any investment is not 100 percent safe. But it is in real estate where I am sure that with some forethought, you will find the most satisfaction, security, and enjoyment with your money!

Minnesota Realtor Alexandria P. Anderson helps people to find and purchase Edina houses, real estate, and Edina property in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

First time home buyers often are befuddled when it comes to choosing the best mortgage package. In addition, there is no guarantee of getting your preferred mortgage loan even if you are working with a mortgage professional. First time homebuyers must not sign away the loan they qualified for but instead consider a smaller, more affordable loan.

After the loan officer had assessed your qualifications based from your income ratio, evaluate first your readiness in terms of your monthly payment or budget. People who fall into the trap of borrowing the entire loan amount they qualified for may find their monthly budget exhausted and can end up regretful.

To prevent yourself from borrowing up to the limit that the loan officer presented, you can set your own loan amount limit. This can help you effectively manage your housing expenses based from your income bracket. There are several ways to find the right mortgage for your newly-purchased home:

1. Be informed about the tax benefits. 'Interest only' loans are those that allow deducting the entire payment from your taxes on a particular year. There are also other loans with negative amortization that won't permit deduction of interest from the monthly payment.

2. Evaluate the long-term advantages. Whether you're planning to live in your home for 30 years and more or not, it is still advisable to know the pros and cons of your mortgage package. A fixed interest rate loan is somewhat higher in amount but unlike ARM and other loan products, it can safeguard you from changing market conditions. But a fixed interest loan also has its limitations. Smart Consumer's Guide to Home Buying's author, Barron, proposes that the fixed interest rate may increase your payments because of the demands of the escrow account linked with it.

3. Inquire about flexible payment options. Some home mortgage loans allow you to make extra payments towards the principal balance without paying a penalty, which means you can start paying down your mortgage when you have extra funds at your disposal. Find out if your loan products offer this type of flexibility so you can start paying down and be free of debt sooner than later.

4. Look for ways to keep payments low. Even when the lender offers you a large loan, consider cutting back on the loan amount so that you can keep the payments within an affordable range. A low interest rate, long loan term, and the ability to make interest-only payments are a few ways to keep payments as low as possible and within your budget range.

5. Apply for mortgage insurance. Most first time home buyers do not have a lot of money available for the down payment, which can make a big difference to the loan amount and monthly payments. Mortgage insurance can provide for your down payment, or in some cases, allow you to apply for an attractive loan product without having to make any type of down payment.

Minnesota Realtor Alexandria P. Anderson helps people to find and purchase Minnetonka Houses, real estate, and Minnetonka Property in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Do you want to know the best way to use your money? Would you like to learn the basics of real estate investment? Fret no more because you will discover valuable pointers in using leverage and OPM (other people's money) that makes real estate an excellent tool in investing!

The first thing you must remember is that your team of experts demands an equally competent mortgage professional. Depending on your goal and current situation, the scheme to acquire financial success may vary. The following examples present scenarios but they may or may not suit your specific situation.

To vitalize your financial goal, look closely into your options. What's amazing in the real estate market is the assurance that you are in control. For instance, you have $20,000 to start with. With this amount, you can have either a 10 percent down payment on a $20,000 worth of property or a 20 percent down payment on a $10,000 property. Of course, you will be the one to decide which is better.

The answer naturally depends on your particular situation and goal. But let us probe into the differences. With the assumption that you chose the larger down payment, it is possible for you to get cashflow because you will give "lower" mortgage payments and at the 20 percent down payment, you will no longer need mortgage insurance. Do you prefer receiving monthly cashflow? Well then, a larger down payment makes you attain just that.

On one hand, let us say that the appreciation is set at 6 percent for both properties. (Appreciation rate varies depending on the location, type of property, etcbut for this specific article, we will assume it at 6 percent). In just a matter of one year, your $100,000 property is now worth $106,000. However, the $200,000 property becomes $212,000!

You will have made double the amount of appreciation with the 10% down payment on $200K option, but you didn't have to spend one penny more! This effect will compound year after year and after awhile the difference will staggering.

In a relatively shorter time, your gain will be sufficient to obtain equity and purchase another PROPERTY so you actually have doubled your properties and compounded their appreciation. On another hand, the cashflow might not be present in the $200,000 property and perhaps there will be times when you have to expend for maintenance costs but look at the greater appreciation and long-term benefits.

Not only are you getting more advantage by using more leverage (OPM) and getting less monthly cashflow, but you are also spared of minding other things. While debt payments and maintenance costs are tax deductions, cashflow is taxable. If you need the monthly cashflow, you can just modify your strategy to accomplish what you think works best for you. Perceptive investors agree that extra cash spent every month results to huge wealth building benefits in the future.

With these in mind, its not surprising that you chose the better one. Start pooling your team of experts now and make the right choice!

Author and Realtor Alexandria P. Anderson helps clients to find and purchase real estate in Eden Prairie as well as Eden Prairie homes for sale in and around the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Again we find ourselves facing another financial dilemma: should I rent or should I buy? And just like many other financial quandaries, we have seen the example of our parents and perhaps friends but have little true professional knowledge to base our decisions on. We get a lot of advice from those around us, which is VERY tempting to listen to, but should we? For me the answer is "Don't ask a butcher how to bake a loaf of bread!" It's a good idea to listen to everyone you meet in your life, but it's an even better idea to consider who is giving the advice when you're faced with a decision.

A good adviser takes into account several factors to help you come up with sound financial decision. One, he must consider your individual situation; and two, he must be experienced enough to back his claims with solid evidence. Since no two people have exactly the same predicament and your case is unique from the others - it is crucial to weigh the costs and benefits of buying versus renting. As the co - author of the book Equity Happens (Russell Gray) puts it, "Do the math!"

With that being said, I'm not going to try and tell you which option to choose. I cannot possibly do that because I don't know your particular situation. I will tell you some numbers to think about and I will say that for many people, right now is an amazing time to purchase a home. You can start with monthly expenses. In the case of renting, add up your rent plus any additional fees and the utilities you must pay.

Buying your own home, on the other hand appears to be more complicated. With the help of a professional, a calculating device known as PITI are added together to determine your expenses. PITI stands for "principal" or the amount of money paid towards the principal of your loan, "interest" or the amount of money paid toward the interest of the loan, "taxes" or the property taxes to be paid, and "insurance" or that which pertains to property and/or if possible, mortgage insurance.

An easy way to see the difference between buying and renting is to compare their monthly monetary expenses. Aside from the PITI costs, owning a house comes with utility expenses and other maintenance costs such as lawn care, appliance, occasional new shingles, etc. that are usually not present in renting. With the latter, you shell out only the exact amount of money every month. Nonetheless, it is imperative to pay attention not just with the monthly operating cost but the long-term financial benefits as well.

The majority of these long-term benefits often lie on the side of ownership. After many years of renting you will still have title to nothing and you will continually be paying higher rents. After owning for many years your payments will remain basically the same as when you first purchased the home (except some costs like utilities, insurance, etc. that rise with inflation, your main costs will not change). And, what's even better, you will have the wonderful thing called equity from all the payments you've made towards owning the home. If you choose wisely in an appreciating market (not hard to do!) you will also gain the value of appreciation of your home....it's like free equity!

There is a good chance your choice shifts according to your personal feelings and opinion. Simply put, making the best decision towards renting or owning a home involves your subjective feeling. What can be more fun than having a house you can call your own, and enjoying the independence in creating changes with it however you like it! On one hand, you might favor the side of renting if you will give emphasis on other concerns such as having no lawn to mow, or other maintenance issues.

Often, financial consideration plays a big role but also brings into mind subjective feelings over the argument: to buy or to rent a house? To be more specific, purchasing expensive appliances no longer bothers you when you have huge savings from renting instead of owning. Or maybe, the freedom to do whatever you want with your own house appears inconsequential if you will note the massive expenses you shed off just to purchase your home. Either way, the dictum "numbers do not lie" proves that the former is still weightier than the other.

There are two main points you should take out of this article. First, always enlist the help of a professional to help you weigh all the options and do the math. Second, don't simply look at the monthly expenses of owning vs. renting. The gains of ownership often appear over the long-haul and will not be immediately apparent on a monthly cost comparison. Remember that we are currently in a buyer's market and this will often favor ownership over renting.

Alexandria P. Anderson is a MN Investment Property specialist. If you are a Minnesota First Time Homebuyer she can help you to find real estate that's perfect for your needs. Get a free copy of "The Investors' Rental Guide" at GreatInvestmentProperty dot com.

Those who are unfamiliar with the business of real estate investment are almost invariably under the impression that it's a difficult undertaking, and that one's success or failure as an investor is determined by mysterious forces beyond one's control. In reality, however, even the richest, most powerful investors alive had to start at the beginning, learn the ropes, and make a few mistakes along the way. This means that you have just as much investing potential as anyone on the planet.

If you start learning the ropes and making a few smart investments now, you will be way ahead of the pack.

Think about airplane pilots, for example. These guys sit down in the cockpit with some very complicated equipment. They use this complicated mass of dials and switches to take a giant metal tube into the sky and safely get dozens of passengers to their faraway destinations in only a few hours. Once upon a time, the last pilot who took you on a ride had never sat in a cockpit. But slowly he began to learn. Eventually, he became an expert and can now probably take up that bird and set it down with his eyes closed.

Real estate investing is exactly like flying an airplane. In the beginning, it is a mysterious thing. You may look at the experts and be absolutely awed by what they have accomplished. But as you begin to learn the language of finance and as you begin to learn the markets, you start to understand what those guys are doing. If you make that sort of learning a habit, you will eventually be an expert yourself.

Individuals willing to take the plunge into the world of investing, so long as they have the patience and wisdom necessary to pace themselves and absorb the necessary information, will, before long, find themselves making a profit. As this profit (and your investing know-how) grows and grows, beginners at investing gradually grow into experts. Like any other skill, it just takes time and a little effort to learn.

The Rich Dad, Poor Dad books by Robert Kiyosaki are a great starting point for those who want to learn more about just how easy it can be to break into the business of investing. In addition, 'The ABCs of Real Estate Investing,' by Ken McElroy do a great job of laying the process out in a logical, easy-to-understand manner.

At the end of the day, becoming a successful real estate investor is only difficult if you're unwilling to try, or if you insist on throwing your money at wild guesses (that's gambling, not investing). The one critical fact that you must remember about investing is that in order to succeed, you must constantly be learning; if one becomes complacent, or acts as if he or she is a born investor, a rude awakening is sure to come.

After all, you wouldn't want to climb into the cockpit of an airplane, fire it up and hope for the best, would you? Of course not. That would be suicide. On the other hand, you would expect to become a good pilot if you went through a prescribed program and logged enough hours behind the wheel. Approach real estate investing in the same way and the sky's the limit.

Author: Alexandria P. Anderson specializes helping people to find and purchase Golden Valley MN Homes, as well as Golden Valley property for her Minnesota realty clients.

How many times have you heard people grumble about taxes? Eventually, they get tired of simply complaining about how much money in taxes they have to pay and move on to how much money on taxes the rich DON'T have to pay. It can be frustrating, can't it, knowing that people with less money get fewer breaks than people with loads of money? It's frustrating because it isn't fair. And if you happen to be one of the people on the low-income/high tax-percentage side, then you may experience some resentment.

Unfortunately, simply recognizing injustices and complaining about them isn't sufficient to change the ways of the world. The rich will inevitably have money and therefore power, and they will use this power to stack the deck in their favor, particularly when it comes to using tax breaks to keep their money. They will claim that there simply isn't enough money for everyone to get what they need, all the while cutting corners and keeping their spoils for themselves. This extends to elected officials as well - how many poor politicians have you heard of?

In order to not be one of the many who are getting the short end of the stick, you're going to have to step up and take the advantage for yourself. It's true - you can get tax breaks like the rich do. You simply need to know how, and put forth the effort to get them.

Robert Kiyosaki, who authored the rich Dad, Poor Dad series, has this advice for those who would like to join the ranks of the wealthy: look at what the wealth are doing, and do that! What did the rich do to make their fortunes, and how do they continue amassing more and more money? The answer's simple: they invest.

In his book "Cash Flow Quadrant," Kiyosaki says "One of the reasons I chose to work predominantly in the B and I quadrants are the tax advantages," The aforementioned "quadrant" is an invention of "Rich Dad," a diagram consisting on a square divided into quarters, each representing the different ways in which different people relate to money. It's an unavoidable fact that an individual's personal philosophy and perspective on the world will affect the way in which he or she behaves with money, and this behavior will, in turn, decide his or her ultimate financial success or failure.

In Robert Kiyosaki's opinion, the most money is in the business and investment quadrants, largely because these quadrants allow individuals to take advantage of more tax breaks.

You know the saying, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." That is good advice, especially if the guys you want to beat are the rich. It's actually great news that they are getting so many tax breaks. That means that, when you become one of them, you will get those same tax breaks, IF you know how.

This is how you become rich: put money into investments and let that money multiply as you sit back and watch. You can, of course, continue working as an employee while your investments make you money, but Kiyosaki believes that the more profitable path is to venture into the 'B' quadrant and formulate a business model that will help you to create wealth with minimum effort on your part. The most important thing, though, is that you do invest.

At the end of the day, those who invest in real estate, regardless of the type of property, are the ones who manage to join the ranks of the rich.

About the Author: Alexandria P. Anderson is a Minnesota Real Estate agent that helps people to find and purchase Condominiums in Minnesota and other properties in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

It's a good bet that, throughout your life, you have received nuggets of financial wisdom from a variety of individuals in positions of authority - your parents, teachers, et cetera. But think back, and consider how many of these people who taught you how to handle your money were actually rich. The truth is that if you're going to be rich, you should take advice from someone who's already struck it rich.

In the words of real estate guru and author of the bestselling "Rich Dad" book series Robert Kiyosaki, "It doesn't take money to make money. I often hear people say it takes money to make money. I disagree. We had no money when we started and we were also in debt. It also doesn't take a formal education."

Kiyosaki proceeded to cite the case of Bill Gates: the Microsoft mogul never actually graduated from college, but did that keep him from making his fortune? No way! Diplomas are nice, but they don't reliably add up to more money.

Robert Kiyosaki claims that to become wealthy, you simply need to be a quick learner, with enthusiasm about reaching your goals. The other part of the puzzle is to know where you're at right now in relation to money, and how you will have to change your attitude about money to prosper in the future. This is where Kiyosaki's Cash Flow Quadrant comes in.

The diagram entitled the Cash Flow Quadrant represents one of the most important lessons that Robert Kiyosaki learned from his Rich Dad. It comprises a square split into quarters, which represent the four ways in which individuals can relate to money: as n Employee, a Self-Employed individual, a Businessperson, or an Investor. The diagram serves to demonstrate that a person's behavior with money is intertwined with his or her upbringing, innate personality, and perspective on the world at large.

When Kiyosaki says you need to be willing to learn quickly, he doesn't mean go back to school to improve your job skills. He means you should learn about investing, preferably investing in real estate. The rich dad on whom he based his books was a real estate investor. You can get rich investing in real estate because everything else depends on it. At the beginning of his book Cash Flow Quadrant, he pointed out how so many of Hawaii's businesses were sitting atop real estate that his rich dad owned.

But don't worry - learning about real estate doesn't mean that you have to learn every minute detail that goes into the buying and selling of property; in reality, there are plenty of people willing to take on the technical aspects of investing for you. You just need to think like a businessperson in choosing the individuals with whom you surround yourself.

That is a far cry from thinking like a Self-employed person. According to Kiyosaki, a self-employed person is someone who owns a job, not a business. You don't own a true business, he said, unless you can leave it for a year and return to find it still making money for you. Businesspeople, he said, know better than to try to do everything themselves. In order to save time and money, they hire people to do the things they can't do or don't have time to do. That's why hiring a qualified real estate professional to guide you in your decisions can be a good investment in and of itself.

In the end, it doesn't really matter if you dive headfirst into the study of investing yourself, or you simply hire a qualified expert to help you make your decisions. The important part is that if you really want to strike it rich, you must be willing to move from the 'E' and 'S' squares of the Cash Flow Quadrant into squares 'B' and 'I,' which are where the real money is.

Author and Realtor Alexandria P. Anderson helps clients to find and purchase real estate in Eden Prairie as well as Eden Prairie homes for sale in and around the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

There seem to be two types of people in the world: office slaves who very nearly treat work as a religion and who are in danger of neglecting the very families for whom they work so hard to provide; and people who have adopted more of a slacker mentality, convincing themselves that money isn't important because they don't want to be slaves to the workaday world.

Robert Kiyosaki, author of the Rich Dad book series, has money and he doesn't agree. "Anyone who says money isn't important obviously has not been without it long," he says in his book "Cash Flow Quadrant."

One would do well to heed Kiyosaki's words on these matters, because although he is now rich, he does know what it feels like to be flat broke - as a matter of fact, he spent several weeks in 1985 living in his car. After that, Kiyosaki and his wife moved into the basement of a friend, where they lived for about a year. During this time, they took small jobs here and there but didn't look for steady careers, as security wasn't what they were really after - they wanted to be rich.

Today, Robert Kiyosaki and his wife are millionaires.

While money is important, it isn't important in and of itself, and that is why Kiyosaki and his wife didn't rush out to look for the "good" jobs they both could have gotten. It's important because it provides for your basic needs and, if you have enough of it, it can give you time to be with your loved ones and do the things in life that truly make you happy.

One thing a job will never give you is extra time with loved ones. In fact, it will take away as much of that precious time as you allow it to.

At times it seems like a no-win situation; it takes so long to make the money you need in order to get what you want out of life that you'll never actually have the time to do the things you've always dreamed of. As an employee, this really can be an unanswerable problem; as an investor with money working for you, it's much easier to keep your priorities in order.

Robert Kiyosaki had to reach this conclusion himself, years ago; in one of his books, he wrote, "Money is important, but I did not want to spend my life working for it." As luck would have it, Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad" knew plenty about this dilemma and its true solution.

Kiyosaki wanted to be able to put food on the table for his family without being a slave to his salary, and from "Rich Dad," he had learned how this could be done: investing.

It's a simple principle; as an employee, you're working for money, but an investor, money works for you. All you have to do to start out is take some of the money you've made as an employer and move it into real estate. This is all it takes to start paving the way to a bright financial future, in which your wealth is constantly growing without you having to lift a finger, leaving you free to live life and spend time with loved ones.

So start now - investing in property doesn't just multiply wealth; it also rewards you with more time that you can spend doing the things you love. Laying the groundwork for a career in real estate investing paves the way for a future in which money can actually bring you happiness.

About the Author: Alexandria P. Anderson is a Minnesota Real Estate agent that helps people to find and purchase Condominiums in Minnesota and other properties in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

There's got to be a difference between the type of person who strike it rich and the average Joe, but what is it, really? This question is an important one, and it should be given the thought it deserves. There are plenty of easy, oversimplified responses, including, "Their family is rich," "They won the lottery," or "They have great careers." But these factors can't always be controlled by the individual experiencing them-- is wealth really dictated by the luck of the draw?

Unfortunately for these people, however, being lucky isn't all it takes to become rich. Robert Kiyosaki, author of the best-selling Rich Dad, Poor Dad books claims that being rich has more to do with how much money you hold on to than how much money you have coming in.

For instance, his father, the highly educated man to whom he refers in his books as his "poor dad," always had a good salary. Yet, Kiyosaki said, at the end of every quarter, he was practically penniless.

Luckily for you, wealth doesn't spring from the family into which you were born, or even from the job you work. These red herrings distract from the real determiner or wealth, which is simply one's attitude towards money and the world.

Whether you ever become rich or not is determined, in large part, by nothing more than how you think.

Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad" demonstrated the effects that one's personality and attitude have on the way in which one earns and handles money using a graph called the Cash Flow Quadrant. This graph is split into four quadrants, labeled 'E,' 'S,' 'B,' and 'I'-- "employee," "self-employed," "businessmen," and "investor," respectively. Not only do these four categories show how a person earns his or her money, claims Kiyosaki, but they shed light on the way in which different individuals view the world.

Are you beginning to see? The people in the four quadrants are not there by chance; they are there because they experience life in fundamentally different ways.

In to book "Cash Flow Quadrant," Kiyosaki states that the people inhabiting the four corners of the graph are, in fact, totally different people. Their different intellectual and emotional mindsets are the main determining factor of how each group deals with money.

Individuals gravitate to one of the previously mentioned quadrants based on their innate natures, driven by their personal values in regard to money. You can tell which corner a person falls into simply by hearing them speak about money. A person who frets about money and desires nothing more than simple security is obviously an occupant of the 'E' quadrant, and there isn't anything wrong with that; this person will probably be unhappy if he or she strays into a different quadrant. The "Employee," quadrant, however, is not the path towards wealth.

It sounds a little scary at first, but this is actually good news for you. It's good news because it means that, if you want to get rich, all you have to do is start thinking more like the people who live in the I, or investors, quadrant.

If you want to be rich, you should invest, and buying properties is a great place to start. Investing in real estate, in fact, was the very path Robert Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad" took to become rich. So, start thinking rich-- quit working for your money, and start letting the money you earn work for you, building your wealth.

Author: Alexandria P. Anderson specializes helping people to find and purchase Golden Valley MN Homes, as well as Golden Valley property for her Minnesota realty clients.

Now is a wonderful time to look for your next home! So many places are available at unusually low prices, and townhomes in Minnesota are no exception! Minnesota townhouses are a great option to think about if you are thinking about purchasing. What advantages do townhouses have over typical stand-alone houses? For starters, there's generally less exterior maintenance to worry about since two of your four walls are shared with neighbors and are interior. If you don't need much yard space you can find many townhomes that have minimal grass to mow, especially if you have a deck or patio. Sometimes the lawn-care is even included in your association fees and you don't have to worry about it at all! Many great extras are included in townhouse communities, like swimming pools, gyms, playgrounds, tennis & basketball courts, etc., and are for exclusive use by only those living in your association.

Minnesota townhouses can be a financially good decision in addition to all the great amenities. You can typically buy more square footage for your money when purchasing a townhome...or you can get the same square footage for less money! Use that saved money to improve the home--how about updating the kitchen or turning the basement into a game room?! Put us to work finding great Minnesota town homes to fit your lifestyle. You might be surprised at what quality and convenience you can get during this buyer's market-- let us show you!!

Alex Anderson is a licensed Minnesota Realtor that uses the Minnesota MLS to help her clients to find new homes. Specializing in Minnesota First Time Home Buyers she can help you to find real estate that's perfect for your needs.

Robert Kiyosaki, in his Rich Dad, Poor Dad books emphasize how much benefit one can reap from investing in property. Real estate investing, in addition to its tax benefits, allows you to multiply your wealth without doing anything. Sounds like a great deal, right? Most investors initially enter the business because of the idea that they can put their money to work making them more money, without doing any actual work.

In order to actually turn a good idea into money in your bank account, however, you have to know a little something about how the magic works. It is a good idea, for instance, to take apart this term "real estate." Just what is real estate, and what are the types of real estate investing that are open to you?

A parcel of land, and any buildings or structures that stand on it, constitutes "real estate." The price of said real estate is dependent mainly on the changing climate of the local market. You may choose to invest in real estate in several different ways.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) allow you to make money by investing in real estate, either by owning the properties themselves or by owning the mortgages on them, or to do a combination of both. The benefits of this type of investing are high yields and tax considerations. This is also a highly liquid type of investing, which means that it is easily converted to cash.

A partnership in real estate is just what it sounds like; investors may elect to partner with other people or organizations in building new structures, or making money off extant ones. Appreciation is another great source of profit for property investing partnerships, even when you're dealing with undeveloped land. Tax benefits and growth potential make forming a partnership another great option for investors

Another option is to put money in vacation property, property that you use for recreational purposes but do not live in (as living in such a property would make it a primary residence.)

Rental property is another almost self-explanatory concept, as we have all done business with landlords at some point in our lives. However, there may be a difference between residential and business rental property.

Even raw or undeveloped land can afford the canny investor a chance to make money off appreciation on its value, and this type of investing also provides the aforementioned tax benefits.

Your needs and abilities will determine what sort of real estate investing will be most beneficial to you, so it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with each type. Regardless of which path you choose, the tax benefits associated with real estate investing will keep more money in your pocket.

If you are particularly interested in pursuing real estate investment because of tax benefits, you may even wish to become a real estate professional, as the IRS allows people who spend at least 750 hours a year on their investing duties to have nearly unlimited tax deductions. If you are not considered a professional, and your salary is high, that can actually cost you deductions on your real estate. You must have the time to participate in your real estate activities yourself, even if you have hired another real estate professional, to qualify for all tax benefits.

 

Author: Alexandria P. Anderson specializes helping people to find and purchase Richfield MN real estate, as well as Richfield homes for sale for her Minnesota real estate clients.