How To See Opportunity In The Coming Year
December 31, 2008
This year was a remarkable one yet i believe they were opportunities . They were a lot of firsts that happened from the credit crunch crises, foreclosures, some banks collapsing, the motor industry in turmoil and so forth. I once hard some one say that when situation is looking bad it real is not all that bad and when the situation is looking good it is really not all that good. As l thought about it l reflected on a few areas one was perspective and attitude.
On this blog l want to encourage all of us that the situation is not all that bad. We need to look deep into our situation and set our priorities on what we need to achieve. We need to patient on ourselves and others and focus on our goals step by step. I believe it we set our perspective and attitude right we will in a position to see and embrace new opportunities. Wishing you the very best in all your endeavors for the New Year<-->
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How The Interest Rate Cut Is Affecting Real Estate Situation
December 23, 2008
In an effort to improve the housing situation, Fed’s issued record interest rate cut and promised to keep rates low for a while.
Whether this will boost the houses sales remains to be seen. Experts argue that adjusting the mortgage rates is not the only issues because the home buyers need to have a high fico score and have a 20% deposits.
Most expert believe the key to improving the housing market will include boost consumer confidence and create avenues for income generating avenues to combat the high unemployment.
My thoughts are it will take time to seem key changes and there are definitely some home owners who will benefit. As for real estate investors there are a lot of bargains out there due to the high inventory.<–>
The Future Of Real Estate market
December 20, 2008
The future of real estate market will be greatly improved in the coming years. Real estate unlike stock is an asset that is visible and has many options to it. One can live there, rent it or lease it. One can hold on it until the values go up again. The following indicators give me the confidence that the future of real estate market is trending upwards. (more…)
The Creative Use Of Internet Marketing In Real Estate
December 18, 2008
In today’s real estate market, the creative use of internet marketing is almost imperative. An online presence is a vital component of a real estate professional’s marketing strategy. Because today’s consumers want accurate information quickly and conveniently, real estate professionals must harness the features, capabilities and opportunities of online marketing. This blogs looks at the benefits and future of the (more…)
Tips To Achieving The Most Of Your Time When Jobless.
December 16, 2008
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they were 9.5 million jobless people in the United States and only 3.3 million job openings at the end of August 2008. However even in the face of bleak economy they is still opportunity. This begins with a spirit of resiliency. It is only natural that one goes through a period of mourning, then it time to face the situation. One can begin applying for unemployment benefits, resolving severance concerns, figuring out your health-care coverage and assess your financial situation. Then it is time to figure out how to make use of your time. (more…)
Unique tax free benefits allowed by the U.S Tax code
December 14, 2008
I am always searching for tax free benefits that will legally reduce my taxes. They are many ways that the government allows these deductions for the full listing you can check out section 162 of the IRS code. However it is important to consult a tax professional to find out the legalities some unique allowable are discussed in these blogs,
Car-pool receipts
Commuting to work? Bring a friend and his wallet. If you form a carpool to carry passengers to and from work, any dollars received from these passengers aren’t included in your income.
Commuting costs are generally not deductible. But if you establish a carpool and you’re reimbursed in amounts sufficient to cover the cost of your repairs, gas and similar items used in connection with operating your car to and from work, and then you’ve converted personal nondeductible expenses into excludable income.
Assume you’re in the 25% bracket for 2007 and 2008. You have to earn $133 per month to cover a $100 monthly commuting expense. If you have a carpool arrangement with expenses being reimbursed, you’ve got no additional income. But you do have an additional $133 per month in wealth!
Tax-free compensation
When you’re due for a raise, ask your company to get creative in your compensation. There are numerous ways to receive non-taxable compensation. Let’s look at some of the best alternatives to taxable earned income.
- Get you there…and parked. Your company can give you discount fare cards, passes or tokens to take public transportation to work. As long as it’s not worth more than $100 per month, your company can deduct it, but you, as an employee, receive it tax-free t. You’re taxed only on any excess over the $100. If you drive and have to pay for parking, your company can provide free parking, up to a maximum value of $180 per month, to you tax-free.
- Cafeteria plans. These are sometimes called Flexible Spending Accounts. Your company makes deductible contributions under a written plan, which allows you to select between taxable and non-taxable benefits. To the extent you chose non-taxable benefits, you have no additional income. Available non-taxable benefits may include group life insurance, disability benefits, dependent care and/or accident and health benefits. Your individual plan details the options. You make your choices among the items on the cafeteria menu.
Referenced: 8 types of income the IRS can’t touch
How to Approach Goal Setting Activity.
December 11, 2008
As the year draws to ends many people are looking at setting new goals for the coming year. This could be personal goals or business goals. As l was deliberating on what l really want to achieve this coming year. I came across a new powerful goal setting process with the acronym SAFE and an article that helps focus on the goals. This blog discusses the goal setting activity which is unique in that it combines the best aspects of SMART technique and the law of attraction.
SEE your goal. Begin by writing this goal down then visualize your self achieving it. For instance my goal is to have my website generating x number of dollars for me. I have written this goal and am spending five minutes a day doing visualizing my self achieving.
Accept it. This goal believes that you can achieve it. As the famous speaker says you have to be in order to have. My believe that l will achieve is based on the fact that am working on in everyday for instance this blog is for my website constantly searching for ways that l can improve my site.
Feel your goal. Allowing one self to feel the emotions of success. This will not only boost confidence but will birth new ideas of fulfilling goals. This is already happening for me just yesterday l met with someone who was sharing about ways l can improve my site.
Express it. This can be achieved by seeing yourself talking about it, making presentations about it, and reading about it in the business section of your local paper. Expressing also increase focus. The way am doing this is by having people advertising my website in my business cards and sharing it when am in meetings.
This SAFE goal setting activity works on your subconscious which we know is the core of our selves. It also allows us to work with other goals techniques like the SMART which says that goals need to be specific measurable achievable realistic and time oriented.
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Skills Set That Are Recession Proof
December 11, 2008
This economic crises will provide an opportunity to take an individual account of our selves. The aim will be look for those areas that we can improve to either maintain our jobs or find an alternate avenue of. This blog aims at looking at areas that one can start with.
Four Points To Factor In When Investing in Long Distance Properties
December 9, 2008
They are some excellent property deals that can be found in long distance, however most real estate gurus recommend investing about 50 miles near where you live. This is because of the fact you are more familiar with the area. It is also easier to watch and manage properties in these areas. When investing in long distance area it is important to factor in the following points
1. The location of the market of the area in question.
Even in economic downturns certain areas of the country can be extremely attractive because of such things as job availability. A study of this market is very crucial.
2. The unique features of this market area.
This can be answered by looking at the local trends of an area’s unique features like industries or commerce moving in an area. In my area the building of a sprint centre in the Kansas City downturn has attracted and improved business such as the hotels and rental units due to jobs availability.
3. A look at government and state regulations.
These are regulations like an increase in minimum homes sizes forcing builders to reserve green space, wider streets requirement
While one does not want to see slow growth you don’t also want to see little attention to the quality of life, traffic and safety issues.
4 Analyzing the numbers.
These are things like purchase price versus value, rental outlook and existing. For rental units a look at what the rents are maxing out at, the vacancy rates or non -payments. These are all measures of how an investment will pay for itself.
Investing in long distance properties can be very lucrative. However it is important to do extra due diligence. One way can be to partner with an investor in that are that you trust. It is also important to invest in an area that one can be comfortable with should they consider to re-locate.<–>
Five Features To Factor When Investing In Real Estate Investments Trusts.
December 7, 2008
Real estate investment trusts, or REITs, can be a convenient way for the average investor to profit without the hassle of direct property acquisition. It is important to be informed on features that make REITS profitable. However like all investing research and professional advice is advocated.
First, check the prospectus or annual report for REITs with established track records. Although there are quality managers who have been in business less than a decade, it is preferably to target REITS that have weathered several real estate cycles, including the REIT debacle of the early 1970s.
Focus on high levels of institutional and insider ownership, If management is selling, why should you be buying? The proxy will tell you how much of the common stock is owned by REIT insiders. A minimum of 10% of outstanding shares is recommended.
Another sign of a high-quality REIT may be found with-in the proxy: executive compensation. If the pay of the firm’s top brass is tied to appreciation in the stock price, it is likely that management and shareholders are on the same team.
WIDE RANGE : It’s also important to make sure that the individual REITs are diversified by property type and geographic location. ”You can own the best-managed REIT available, but if it is a property type or region that isn’t doing well, you won’t make money,”
Lastly, you’ll need to get a sense of whether the REIT is reasonably priced. Ask your broker about adjusted funds from operations, which is how analysts measure cash flow. Current cash flow multiples range from 8 to 15, depending on the properties. Referenced beginnersinvest.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi
Hence a need to be familiar with features that investor need to be aware of when investing REITS. Buying wisely in this market requires extensive analysis. So if your broker cannot explain these basic fundamentals, you shouldn’t be buying at all.<-->
