With the Christmas holiday behind us and 2012 right around the corner, there are many reasons to celebrate.  Investors across the US, in the Atlanta area in particular,  are making moves to start the new year off with the right business deal.  Being sure to take advantage of solid real estate comps helps us all to make a sure profit when we buy a property. 

For myself, my local Atlanta area is currently a complete buyers market.  There are foreclosures, short sales, and resales ripe for the picking.  All one needs is a mind to buy low, rehab on a budget, and sell for a profit.  Using your InvestorCompsOnline tools gives you the step up you need to make your mark in 2012.

Whether you decide to flip a foreclosure or go for the buy and hold investment style, a positive outcome can be in your future.  There is plenty of money to be made in this real estate market, whether you are a buyer or a seller.  People will always be in the market for affordable, safe, and convenient housing.  Your goal is to offer them what they need in exchange for the sale or residual income you want.

Here’s my challenge to you for 2012…..Go out there and make those deals happen for you and your business.  Remember InvestorCompsOnline is there with you every step of the way!

Have a phenomenal 2012!!

Happy Hump Day Everyone!  I pray that you all had a blessed Christmas celebration with your family and friends.  I came across this article in my local business section and I decided to share a portion of it with you.  As investors, keeping our fingers on the pulse of the ups and downs of real estate comps and the market itself.  This particular article discusses metro Atlanta,  however it could easily translate to any urban/suburban area in the US.

Home prices in metro Atlanta fell more than any other major U.S. market in October, tumbling 5 percent following a 5.9 percent monthly decline in September, according to the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, a nationally respected barometer of the housing market.

Prices in metro Atlanta, which like many others rode the new home construction wave until it crashed, have been driven down by a glut of foreclosures and short sales, metro real estate experts say.

The number of sales is trending up and interest rates on mortgages can’t go much lower before banks practically pay buyers to borrow. Prices though continue to drift down………..

The Case-Shiller index measures prices for roughly half of all U.S. homes. Prices are compared with those in January 2000 and the index is based on a three-month moving average. The monthly data are not seasonally adjusted.

Would-be buyers remain reluctant to purchase homes more than two years after the recession officially ended.

Many are worried about their jobs and the possibility that home prices will continue to fall, Rogers said.

Unemployment is stubbornly high, the job market is stalled and historically low mortgage rates aren’t providing the hoped-for lift in home sales, which would help boost prices.

Lender standards have become stricter post-recession, making it more difficult for borrowers to qualify or meet high down payment requirements.

But given the lower prices and attractive mortgage rates, now is a good time to buy, said Rogers, whose firm has seen sales increase about 30 percent for the year, in part because of investors.

National home prices also stumbled for a second straight month, dipping 1.2 percent in October. Nineteen of 20 cities in the Case-Shiller composite index saw price declines, with Phoenix being the only monthly gainer.

But Atlanta was the laggard, indicating a recovery in the metro housing market remains elusive.

Metro Atlanta home prices are down 11.7 percent compared to October 2010, a steeper drop than any other major U.S. city in that time, and the only major market listed that suffered a decline in the double digits.

Home prices in Las Vegas, another market decimated by the housing crisis, fell below January 2000 rates in October, according to the index.

The 20-city composite price is down 3.4 percent compared to October 2010. Only Washington, D.C., and Detroit posted increased prices compared to October a year ago.

“Atlanta and the Midwest are regions that really stand out in terms of recent relative weakness,” said David M. Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P Indices.

Rogers, the Kennesaw-based broker, said his territory, which includes parts of Bartow, Carroll, Cobb, Douglas and Paulding counties, has had a large percentage of foreclosures and short sales, which push prices down.

Rogers said his firm’s brokers have retooled their training to help clients who want to acquire distressed properties.

“There’s a flood of investors [buying] right now, and they’re not your typical big money investors. They’re mom and pops and retirees,” Rogers said.

Individual investors have stepped in with cash, he said, because of turbulence in the stock market.

The national price declines reflect the typical fall slowdown after the peak buying season. Prices had risen modestly in April through August in at least half of the cities tracked.

Still, home prices have fallen roughly 32 percent nationwide since the housing bubble burst five years ago and are back to 2003 levels, according to the index……..

Prices are likely to fall further once banks resume millions of foreclosures. They have been delayed because of a yearlong government investigation into mortgage lending practices.

Nationally, foreclosures and short sales — when a lender accepts less for a home than what is owed on a mortgage — are selling at an average discount of 20 percent.

So, basically this article excerpt tells me, the investor, that NOW is the time to take my InvestorCompsOnline education and put it to good use.  Take this opportunity to make your mark in the real estate world!  Happy Investing!

Christmas is just a few days away.  Many people are winding down for this last week of the year.  Investors still must manage different aspects of their businesses.  Especially keeping sight of the current real estate comps and trends in the real estate market.  Whether you are buying bulk REOs or working on rehabbing a foreclosure to sale, InvestorCompsOnline is a valuable tool to have.

When you are rehabbing a property,  be sure to choose the most cost effective materials and labor possible.  Keep your budget in mind at all times,  this will help you at the negotiating table (by keeping your costs low, you stand to have a bigger profit in the end).   Making simple improvements is probably the easiest way to add value to a property for sale.  Updating fixtures, hardware like door handles, kitchen cabinet knobs and other items all add additional value.  

At the time when you are ready to sell,  a viable option is the internet.  Selling online is convenient for most because it is right there on your computer and requires very little work. Be sure to take time to focus on posting quality photos, and give proper descriptions for buyers.  Sometimes investors decide to promote the property themselves.  Meaning you show the house, list it in ads, and push for the sale as much as possible. InvestorCompsOnline offers training on finding buyers online as well.  It is tedious and quite a bit of work, however you can make full profit on your property. This option is best for those who aren’t discouraged by a little work and want to see the most profit come from their home.

Keep these points in mind when buying and selling properties and you stand to make a wonderful profit.  I pray that each one of you have a blessed Christmas, filled with all the joy surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ!