The Best Apps for Real Estate Foreclosures

With the current state of the economy, it's not big secret many properties are going into foreclosure. While for many this is a devastating thing, for others its a business opportunity to purchase real estate at a cheaper cost. If you're a go-getter and looking to buy a first home at a steal, there are also some great apps that you can use to help you start the process.

Foreclosure Search by USHUD.com @ iTunes

Foreclosure Search

If you search for the term 'foreclosure' in the Apple App store the first app that's going to come up is Foreclosure Search By USHUD.com. This available app lists out all the current properties that are owned by the government and major banks. This search app is ideal for real estate agents since it helps them with finding the best and cheapest properties available in the interested home-buyers local neighborhood. Current ratings for all versions ' 3.5 stars over 1741 Ratings

Foreclosureradar at iTunes

ForeclosureRadar

Another app that you should definitely check out is ForeclosureRadar. This will help you whether you're planning in advance or are in the mood to search for a place at the spur of the moment. You'll be able to find out the most recent and accurate foreclosure information, including updated auction tips, so you'll be able to act fast. It does exactly what its name tells you it does- you're able to search for foreclosures in a certain city or town, but the even more perfect aspect is that you can locate foreclosures that are near to your current location. Current rating over all versions ' 2.0 stars over 41 ratings.

Zillow's App at iTunes.

Zillow

While the Zillow app has been around a while, it now has some nifty foreclosure features that allow you to use this app to the fullest. Not only will you be able to see properties that are in foreclosure, you'll also be able to view bank owned properties and auction listings. Even though foreclosure information is free and public knowledge, having the ability to easily access it on your mobile device makes the process easier and more pleasant for everyone involved. And you'll also find, Zillow makes a wide range or such apps for nearly any kind of device imaginable.

If you're a home-buyer searching for a new place to live or an agent searching for the best properties for your clients, checking out foreclosed homes is probably a good idea. Although there are ways for you to go through lists in order to find something that fits your criteria, there are now apps available on your mobile device that help you out with this grueling process. Because foreclosure listings are free and available to the public, the apps most likely will not vary all that much. You can test out a few of the best to see which one you like the best and then go from there. Happy house hunting'

About the author: Chrissy Giglio is one of the talented writers for Fueled, an award winning mobile app design and development house based in New York City.

Cheap and Easy Staging Tips to Improve Your Home's Selling Features

Selling your home quickly often depends on how you stage it.  Emphasizing the good features and downplaying your home's weaknesses, convinces people that it's the home they've been looking for.  You're not trying to trick or fool your potential buyers, instead it's about helping them see that the good qualities of your home outweigh the lessor ones.

We all know that curb appeal is important and many people go to the effort of cleaning up the outside, but making the inside match the outside is just as important.  You only get one chance to make a first impression and you want that impression to be a good one.  Here are a few tips for improving how your home shows.

• Get rid of the clutter.  This might seem like a no-brainer but the fact is we generally keep more stuff than we need and our homes can appear cluttered.  Give your home a good cleaning and decide what things you can live without.  If you want to keep the items, rent a storage unit.  If not, host a yard sale and make a little extra cash or donate to charity.  Don't be afraid to throw things away.  Less is more when showing your home, although making it too sparse can be a drawback as well, so moderation is the key.
• Update the kitchens and the baths.  Along with storage space, kitchens and baths are often the highest thing on a buyer's list.  Stainless appliances are worth the investment, as well as fresh cabinet doors and modern hardware.  If you can't afford new cabinet doors, paint the existing ones.  In the bath, new tile or professionally cleaning the existing tile to look like new, fresh paint and a new vanity can all be worth your time and efforts.
• Storage space is a make or break for many potential buyers.  Clean out your closets, pantries, attics, basements, or other storage locations to make them look bigger.  The more storage it appears you have the better because people need places to store their things.  If it looks like you home doesn't have enough, it can send buyers looking elsewhere.
• Finding extra space.  Often we have those little corners or odd nooks in a home that are unused spaces.  Transform those spaces with a chair and small table or a bookshelf or desk into usable space.  Showing your potential buyers the advantages to those locations not only creates more space but also inserts cozy relaxation areas into your home.  If you have a basement that is not being used, place inexpensive rubber mats or carpets remnants on the floors and turn the space into a yoga studio or workout area.
• Lack of lighting.  Great lighting shows off the beauty of you home and you want people to see it.  Many homes don't have adequate lighting, so try for 100 watts per 50 square foot, while paying attention to install the right type of lighting in the locations.  Ambient, task and accent lighting are all important.
• Paint, the cheap makeover.  Fresh paint in neutral colors such as warm tans, honey, soft blues and greens are all great colors to paint your home.  Many people are no longer looking for white rooms and find color more relaxing.  Do stay away from bold colors because they seem to cause buyers to shy away.  If you want darker colors, paint an accent wall to draw attention to a feature you don't want your buyers to miss out on such as a fireplace or the outside view.
• Fix visible issues.  Missing floorboards, cracks in the ceiling, walls or flooring are all usually inexpensive to fix and are points for buyers to walk away or ask for reductions in your selling price because they are afraid they might be potential problems with the home.  Get rid of that worry by getting rid of cosmetic or other issues before showing your home.

All or most of these fixes can be completed in DIY projects by you, without having to spend a lot of money.  Do these things before attempting to sell your home and you are well on the way to making a good first impression with your potential buyers.

Our guest author, Kiersten Gurry, is a freelance writer in Flagstaff, Arizona. She writes on a wide variety of topics in the home improvement industry specializing in ornamental artwork. In her spare time she writes for First Impression Security Doors.

The Confused Housing Market ' Which Way Is Up?

Despite very low interest rates, home prices and the market are still mired down. Even the balance of news shows pretty clearly we may be stuck for some time in a recessive trend. That is unless we are spurred otherwise' For many, 'any way is up' these days. 

Reading about what is going on for the real estate market is a bit more than confusing these days, actually since the great recession hit half a decade ago. This week, the San Francisco Chronicle runs a press release proclaiming 'Interest Rate Cuts Fail to Fuel Property Market',  and over at CNBC the strength of the bond market seems to dictate those same low interest rates may last all year, if not forever! While the trend in news is sharply toward rates coming up, you see the dilemma where grasping reality goes.

Even if the former report is so obviously aimed at snatching customers for 'How to Buy and Sell Houses for a Dollar' (two links to this), Rick Otton's creative brand of real estate investment is not exactly aimed at Wall Street hedges.  As for the latter, that report seems like a mix of self love via internal links, mixed with some name dropping outside promotion of experts ' at least for me.

You see, one can study the links and mentions in news and editorial when seeking the 'true path' of matters. But that's fodder for another tale. You will note all along in this post images from the World Economic Forum's Facebook profile ' interesting graphics that beg the question; 'For what purpose?'

One of the most striking (largest) symbolic representations ' courtesy World Economic Forum

Whether you read papers such as the San Francisco Chronicle, with their press release distribution, or rely on the big brands like CNBC for your investment (buying) strategies, the economy is not the only thing that's confusing these days. For me I cannot decide which is worse, PRWeb and SFGate allowing shameless encyclopedia salesmen in the mainstream, or CNBC basically advertising for the TD Ameritrade conference (these internal links go deep, deep, deep), Shane Shepherd and Research Affiliates, or Jeremy Schwartz and WisdomTree.

My point here is, just who do you trust? Whether or not any vested interest ideas and machinations are present at all, really is beside the point. A less than intuitive Forbes article here, does betray a little of the behind the scenes goings on; 'Interest Rates, Equities And Bonds: Getting Ahead Of The Curve' suggests the painfully obvious ' with everything affects the market. But, what author Michael Quinn does help with is a snapshot of George Soros(at left), one of the suspected prognosticators (if not full fledged instigators) of this and other economic meltdowns. To quote from the Forbes piece:

''Soros developed a concept he calls reflexivity.   The idea is that financial markets (and to a larger extent the economy as a whole) do not operate fully independent of the actions and biases of the participants''

Now if ever there were a truth in the telling, a market mover and shaker openly identifying manipulative mechanisms is it. Saying investor confidence is tied to investor confidence, there is no hidden brilliance in all this. The end result the sentient human takes away here is, 'Our livelihoods are tied to great players in some cosmic game of Monopoly,' add to this some 'get rich quick' charlatans and BINGO! Watch this interview with Soros by CNBC's Maria Bartiromo.

Not only does Soros effectively drive a wedge in between Germany and the rest of the EU, he pretty much labels all those unemployed people in America (and elsewhere I guess) as 'resources', rather than people. My father told me the world was going to hell in a hand-basket when businesses renamed personnel departments 'human resource departments'. You can also denote from the images I have used from the World Economic Forum, classifications and sub-classifications of people and countries, even currencies, is something such organizations always do ' weighing those resources?

By the way, were you aware there are over a million people in France that are homeless? How about over a quarter of a million in Germany, five million in Russia, 4% of the UK population, or 2.5 million Americans? That's a lot of wasted resources.

Four Europes? Further separation for what purpose?

It may interest the reader to know too, in 2008 Forbes listed George Soros as the 97th richest person in the world with a net worth of about $9 billion. Today George Soros is #22 on Forbes' list with an estimated $19 billion, a tidy boost during the worst world economic crash since the Great Depression.

You! The reader, potential home buyer or seller, REIT investor, or banker arrived at your pre-ordained destination ' steady and holding economic mediocrity. Now we all await the decisions of Mr. and/or Mrs. BIG. Whatever you do though, try not to get taken to the cleaners while we wait for 'Which Way Is Up'.

 

Finally, 'up' for the World Economic Forum team obviously takes a decidedly vertical approach. The image below show what this Swiss group thinks will change the world, a teamwork effort to climb in the Alps. The image above (and I place it there for symbolic reasons) is from The Homeless World Cup, an organization dedicated to helping homeless people raise themselves up via football and team work etc. And while the decision makers of the world partition us all up into neat little groups and states, there is really only one division, you know?

Orren Pickell Building Group Wins Best of Houzz 2013

Orren Pickell Building Group, one of America's leading design and building firms that specialize in luxury homes, has just won the prestigious 'Best Of Houzz' 2013. The now world famous and award winning Houzz online platform, boasts some 11 million community members focused on better ideas and products.

These Houzz 'Best Of Houzz' awards for 2013, are awarded in two categories: Customer Satisfaction and Design. The satisfaction awards are voted on by members of the Houzz community from experiences working with remodeling pros from architects to contractors. As for the Design award, that one is based on the popularity of designers among the so called 'Houzzers,' those community members having saved more than 124 million pro images of interiors and etc. via Houzz's award winning website, iPad, iPhone, and Android apps.

Office library at an Orren PIckell home

Orren Pickell, President and CEO of Orren Pickell Building Group, offered this on having received the award:

'It is an honor to be recognized by this discerning audience with the 2013 'Best of Houzz' Award. We recognize the Houzz community has a plethora of options for their design needs and we are thrilled they've selected us as one of the best in the industry.'

For those who have never used the Houzz apps, this award winning platform offers the most complete and usable digital experience possible today where refining projects for the home are concerned. From concept, to hire a contractor, to purchasing the finest array of products for projects, and onward, Houzz has literally though of everything digital to help people do projects.

Orren Pickell Building Group creates distinctive and memorable residences. From architecture to carpentry the Illinois firm provides expertise at every step of the home building process. Readers interested in their work may visit the links or call the firm directly at:  847-572-5252

Top Spring Landscaping Tips

Every year like clockwork, winter comes to a close and the cold and dreary climate gives way to the burgeoning spring season and the promise of new growth. Of course, this also signals the perfect time for a thorough spring cleaning. But this goes beyond clearing out the attic or getting rid of last season's old clothes. The outside of the home is just as in need of some annual TLC as is the inside; no area more so than the yard or garden.

Yes, the winter months can wreak havoc on a yard or garden and all but ruin the beautiful landscaping that defined it before the chilly weather set in. These areas can look the worse for wear after a long winter and may even appear beyond saving. But rolling up the shirtsleeves and getting to work on yard beautification is the best way for anyone ' man or woman ' to start anew and get into the spring spirit.

Here are some basic tips for turning a yard in recovery into a spring sensation.

Clear the debris

Winter storms can wreak havoc on a yard in the form of fallen branches and piles of leaves. The best remedy is to set aside a good chunk of time in which to clear all tree debris from the yard. Once that is taken care of, then it's time to get down to the business of pulling the weeds that have likely cropped up during the winter months. Once this is complete, homeowners should then plan on spending 10-15 minutes one time per week maintaining a weed-free yard.

Fertilize, fertilize, fertilize

There's no way around it, those who want to ensure a thriving lawn or garden are going to need to fertilize. That means everything: grass, flowers, shrubs ' the works. The good news is that there is nothing about this process that needs to be complicated. In fact, there are a number of different fertilizers available from home-supply stores geared for a number of different purposes and a number of lawn and garden types. Terf builder is one popular option for those who want to give their lawns a fighting chance to thrive. Plus, there are organic weed killers on the market that can make the aforementioned weed hunting a breeze.

Tip: those growing food ' such as herbs, fruits and vegetables ' should use only organic fertilizers containing no pesticides.

Don't shy away from mulch

It can be depressing to gaze upon a limp garden ravaged by the effects of a cold winter. But there's no reason to lose hope because mulch can save the day. Just one layer of this stuff on a flower bed can bring the plants roaring back to life. Professional landscapers suggest applying four inches of mulch over the top soil, which will help retain moisture and prevent growth of those pesky weeds.

Tip: pull mulch away from the base of the plant, as this will help protect the bulb.

Maintain a functional irrigation system

Whether working with a complex in-ground sprinkler system or a simple garden hose, it's best to test the equipment at the dawn of the spring season. Those with sprinklers will want to ensure the unit's pump and tank are in good working order, as a couple winter months without use may compromise their functionality.

By following these simple guidelines, even the least green-thumbed of homeowners should be able to bring their yards and gardens back from the brink of winter extinction.

Our guest author, Jason Smith, writes for Australian Outdoor Living (AOL), a home improvement business based in Adelaide. AOL specialises in cafe blinds, roller shutters, pergolas and artificial lawn.

FHA Set To Raise Premiums on Mortgages

The Federal Housing Administration has just announced plans to raise premiums on most new mortgages by 10 basis points (0.1%), meaning that the average borrower can expect a $13 increase on their monthly repayments, according to reports.

Announcing the changes yesterday, the FHA said that the move was necessary in order to reduce its exposure to risky loans. The organization, which is the largest insurer of low down payment mortgages, is reportedly suffering from depleted financial reserves caused by the wave of mortgage delinquencies we've seen over the last few years.

CNN Money reports that those with 'jumbo loans' valued at $625,000 or higher will also see a rise in their premiums, albeit by only 5 basis points (0.05%). In addition, the FHA is also raising the minimum down payment it requires on jumbo loans, up to 5% from the current 3.5%.

Another change will see borrowers being required to pay insurance on their loan for the entire life of the debt, meaning that it's no longer possible to cancel premium payments once the level of debt owed on the mortgage dips below 78% of the principal balance. Those who can make a down payment of 10% on more will be excluded from this requirements however.

There are changes for lenders too, with the FHA requiring documentation as to why mortgage applicants with a credit score of less than 620 and a total debt-to-income ratio over 43% have been approved for a loan. Lenders will be asked to document such facts as a higher level of reserves or larger down payment in order to justify these loans.

Carol Galante, FHA Commissioner, explained that the changes were necessary to ensure the financial health of the organization:

'These changes will encourage the return of private capital to the housing market, and make sure FHA remains a vital source of affordable and sustainable mortgage financing for future generations of American home buyers.'

The FHA has not yet given a date for the changes to come into effect.

UK Rental Costs Outpace Gross Income

The UK has seen quite a steep difference of pace between the rate of growth of rental costs for private property tenants , up 60% over the last 10 years, as compared to gross income which has only gone up by 31% over the same decade. The pressure to pay rent is at a fast growing high, along with the need to pay for all other expenses, and according to recent data from Shelter, 1.4 million Britons are falling behind with their rent or mortgage payments.

In 2012 alone, the number of those having difficulties in making their monthly rent or mortgage payments increased by 44%, meaning 7.8 million people are currently in this situation. Shelter research also showed that about a million people used a payday loan to help pay their rent or mortgage in 2012, another 2.8 million people using unauthorised overdrafts to come up with the money for payments, of which 10% used this method every month.

'These uncomfortable statistics highlight the need for letting agents and landlords to carry out thorough checks on applicants when letting a property to ensure that they can afford to pay the rent,' said Michael Portman, managing director of specialist risk management and insurance company LetRisks. 'Times are very tough for many tenants and demand for rental accommodation is on a sharp increase. Landlords and letting agents need to extra vigilant when they take on a new tenant.  But a few simple checks will help identify if a tenant is in a good financial position or not.'

As a result of this situation, landlords and agents need to pay more attention to they way they review potential tenants, doing credit and background checks before closing any deals, or even asking for references from previous landlords.

Photo source