Selling your home - don t be a victim

Selling your home can be a complex process. If you make mistakes, you may be unable to sell you home or have seller's remorse. There's no need for this if you keep in mind the following.

Overpricing Your Home

It's important to be realistic about the value of your home. Sellers should insist their realtors present them with objective criteria for pricing. Comparative information is most critical in getting a house priced properly. If you ask for too much, it's hard to ask for less later on in the process.

Not Displaying Curb Appeal

You don't have to invest thousands of dollars into redecorating your home. But there some basic steps you must take to present your house in the most positive light.

Overdoing Home Improvements

Don't go overboard staging your home. It should feel warm and inviting. Grass should be freshly cut, plant some flowers, organize the home's interior, rid the home of foul smells and apply new coats of paint to all walls and doors.

No Understanding The Buyer's Offer

Carefully reviewing and understanding the offer or purchase contract is imperative. Here are a few things to look for:

1. Has the buyer agreed to put down a significant deposit?

2. Has the buyer asked for some credits to cover loan costs?

3. Is the offer contingent upon the owner selling his or her present home? If so, how is the selling process transpiring?

Home Inspection

Have general inspections done in advance. Even though buyers will often have the house inspected again, it's best to prepare for any potential problems.

Withholding Information

While it is tempting to hide or fail to mention the snafus of a home for example, it's a the hotel for cockroaches or located in an area that's prone to floods or earthquakes, canyon fires, it is best to give buyers full disclosure. This kind of information can greatly affect the value or desirability of the property.

Be Objective:

While you may think your pink walls or roman columns are fabulous, it is best to keep that opinion to yourself.

Poor Realtor Communication

Sellers should take a pro-active approach to the selling process and not rely completely on the realtor. Sellers should insist upon regular updates about the house and never assume the realtor has taken care of everything. It is the seller's responsibility to ensure everything is running smoothly.

Investigate Buyers

Once you have an offer on the table, it is imperative to secure letters of prequalification or loan approval from the buyers. These letters should not only state that the buyers' credit has been checked but also that it was acceptable to the lender. Also, it's important to ask buyers to complete a loan application and submit it to their lender within a few days after acceptance of the offer.

Closely Read Closing Statements

Cautiously review the closing statement, including the loan balance, repairs and other expenses detailed there to avoid last-minute surprises or errors. Make sure you get an estimated statement a few weeks prior to closing and compare the final statement to the estimated one.

If you follow these steps, you will go a long way towards avoiding being a victim in the home selling process.

Investing in orlando homes

To say that Orlando has a little bit of drawing power could be seen as a bit of an understatement. In fact, Orlando is one of the world's best known resort destinations and has millions of visitors every year. Everyone the major tourist draws that have made Orlando as famous as it is. Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and the like have supplied the Orlando area with an economy that hard to match. This economy is one of the main reasons that if you are thinking about buying an investment property then Orlando is the place to look.

The tourism industry is Orlando's largest industry and bring million upon millions of dollars in the area on a yearly basis. One of the major money makers in this tourism industry is the vacation rentals sector. Recently vacation rentals have gained enormous popularity as a cheaper alternative to the major resorts. This industry has exploded in Orlando and there is an amazing amount of money to be made. This is one of the prime investment markets in the United States today.

There are numerous other reasons to invest in the Orlando real estate market. Aside from the major theme parks, Orlando is a tropical paradise that has a vast array of natural beauty to showcase. In particular the Windermere area and the lake country is stunningly beautiful at any time of the year. Orlando and the surrounding area offers a lifestyle that is unique and highly desirable. There is an abundance of amazing golf courses and other recreational options that are perfect for active people of all ages. Orlando truly offers a investment opportunity that is hard to pass up, when the possible ROI is taken into account it becomes clear that investing in Orlando is simply a great idea.

What is a condotel

What is a Condotel? Is it a condominium? Is it a hotel?

Well it’s a combination of both. It’s also one of the hottest types of investment properties around the world and now available in Philippines.

Pacific Concord Properties Inc’s Lancaster Suites in Metro Manila is a condo Hotel (Condotel) in Shaw Boulevard close to the Ortigas Center. Scheduled for opening this year, prices at Lancaster have appreciated very rapidly, almost 100% in the last 3 years.

You buy a condominium as a vacation home within a hotel type property and the condominium is rented out by the hotel when you are not there. Many condo hotels have superior amenities like spas, health and fitness centers, restaurants and business centers. The Lancaster Suites is also set to provide an expanded array of hotel services such as valet, concierge and maid service.

Condo hotel unit owners can receive revenue from participating in the condo hotel’s rental program, helping to offset their ownership expenses and the surplus resulting in a annual return on their investments. The operator of the rental program, in exchange for a 40% share of the revenue, markets the units as a hotel, takes reservations, operates the front desk, staffs and maintains the entire property, and provides the services hotel guests expect, such as housekeeping, food and beverage, and concierge.

If you want the best price and the widest selection, your best bet is to purchase a condo hotel in early preconstruction stages. Nearly all developers begin selling their condo hotel units 18 to 24 months before construction is complete. One such development in the Philippines is Lancaster - The Atrium which is now offering its Condotel suites for sale. By reserving a condo hotel unit at this stage, you’ll be able to pay today’s prices for tomorrow’s real estate. Of course, that also means you’ll have a bit of a wait before you can use your condo hotel vacation home, but the real estate appreciation can yield a very healthy return.

The Lancaster Atrium Suites are now available on the very affordable and competitive New Payment Plan that provides for Suites to be purchased on a No Interest No Down Payment basis with 67% of the payment payable over 60 equal consecutive monthly installments without interest and the 33% balance payable upon turnover of the unit or to be paid over an additional 5 years from turnover through our hassle free no prequalification “In-House” Finance Plans…

All payments will be made to the Lancaster Suites Manila Atrium Tower A Equitable PCI Bank Escrow Trust Account. It is anticipated, given the track record on sales of Tower I Units that property appreciation for initial buyers of Tower A Atrium Units will be at least 70-80% on completion and 100% on turnover of units from December 2009/2010

If anyone is interested to join us or host any of the Lancaster Philippines Condo Hotel Investment Forums please do not hesitate to contact us….

Beth Collingz

Director - PLC International Marketing Networks