A woman in Seal Beach, Orange County, California was recently indicted for trying to impersonate an FBI agent so that she can cover up a real estate fraud.
The suspect, Karen Hanover, conducted real estate seminars with pricey premiums and offered investors buy various commercial and residential real estate. She offered a money-back guarantee to her clients but she never honored them when they tried to claim this guarantee. She then created an FBI caller ID using spoofing software in order to harass the complainants and prevent them from making a complaint.
She has now been indicted on federal charges.

Learning how to become a real estate appraiser starts with an introduction to the work itself. Real Estate Appraisers will either work for themselves or are part of a larger company. Many work for lending institutions, including banks and mortgage companies. Appraising property is necessary before a bank or other lender will approve a mortgage for a home buyer. Appraisers will look at many factors when examining a properties value. These would include:

Size of the home and the land Age of the home General condition of the property The surrounding area and neighborhood Market value of similar homes in the same area

A real estate appraiser needs to pay attention to detail and be good with numbers. Gaining expertise through experience and training is the key on learning how to become a successful appraiser.

Training to become a real estate appraiser

Each state has criteria that must be met to become a state licensed appraiser. Most states require work experience and educational requirements, including passing state exams. Many states allow for appraisal online course learning. Taking an online course offers the flexibility to study on your own time.

Most states require a minimum 90 hour pre-license course, followed by a proctored exam. This means that after you have completed the appraisal course, the school administrator will arrange a local proctor to arrange a test setting under that person’s supervision.

These appraiser courses follow the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices (USPAP) and their rules and guidelines. The majority of the appraiser course will teach the fundamentals of real estate appraisal and how to evaluate properties effectively and professionally.

Continuing education is required after you are state licensed. Many of these courses can be delivered online. State requirements for initial training and continuing education vary.

Real estate Appraisal Job Demand

Gaining real work experience is the most important part of becoming a real estate appraiser. The competition in this field is growing, but the real estate market continues to grow and the opportunities are there for the right person. Real estate agents, home inspectors and real estate appraisers are in high demand in many areas of the country. Many people who work in this field do it part time. This is the same for home inspectors.

Put some thought into what you want to do. Learn how to become a real estate appraiser in your state. Good luck!

Like many new waves, it seems to have started in California. About six years ago restaurant owner Jake Stockwell decided to retire and put his popular wharfside seafood bistro on the market. Six months later he was a disappointed man, frustrated with flaky would-be buyers, who misrepresented themselves and their means and intentions, and predatory property developers who only wanted the site, not the fine restaurant he’d put twenty-five years of his life into building up.

So he decided to raffle it off to his customers. For $100 per ticket they could take a flyer on becoming the owner of a thriving business. Thousands took up the offer and six months later Mr Stockwell retired with a smile on his face, having turned the bistro over to a customer who vowed to keep it going in the style that had originally attracted him to eat there.

Since then, hundreds if not thousands of sellers have taken the raffle road, and some charities, like the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Society, have come to depend on raffles as a main source of income. The Society has raffled a million dollar house for each of the past three years and has always sold out the full allocation of tickets. Similarly, a number of developers have found it advantageous to promote new projects by raffling off one of their showcase homes. It draws people to the developments and raises the profile of the company.

In general, however, raffles have had mixed acceptance. First of all, there are legal pitfalls for anyone trying to hold a lottery in some states, so many have taken the form of a contest, with the property as the grand prize. Some people have done simple quiz contests, some have required letters to be written, all of which in practice go into the drawing from which the winner is selected. Others have found alternative and ingenious ways to avoid the onerous paperwork of the gaming laws requirements for running a lottery in some states.

But a few sellers have turned out not to be legitimate, or have offered unattractive properties in insalubrious areas, or were so underfunded personally that they were unable to promote the contest sufficiently well for people to even know about it. Some have failed for the sellers, who sold fewer tickets than planned, but have done well for the lucky ticket buyer who won at advantageous odds. Still, things can go badly for ticket buyers. In one case, people who bought $500 tickets for the raffle of a $400,000 house in Wisconsin discovered that the seller had defaulted on his obligations and the house was repossessed by the bank before the raffle could take place.

In spite of any potential drawbacks, in markets on both coasts where prices are so high, or in areas where prices are weakening, the idea of owning a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar home for the price of a ticket, anything between $50 and $150, seems a reasonable risk, especially since the odds are usually very good compared to, say, any of the lotteries.

One current raffle that seems particularly attractive is that being run by Scott Properties, Inc., a Delaware company that restores historic buildings and runs hotels in Spain. They are offering ten vacation properties in one of the most attractive areas of Mallorca, Spain, and at about $190 for a ticket – less than $20 for each of the houses and studios on offer – the odds of ten in 33,333 tickets seem an attractive wager compared to what’s on offer. One of the houses, for example, is valued at around $600,000 and has rental income potential in excess of $45,000 a year, based on a six month season, which is conservative. More information can be found at http://www.winaholidayhomeinspain.com.

So far, raffles haven’t taken off on a large scale, but the involvement of charities and legitimate well-founded property companies would seem to be straws in the wind for a future of more houses being offered in this pioneering and innovative way.

Be educated all about real estate fraud, real estate appraisals and many others from an Insider’s point of view and never be fooled again. Learn them by attending live seminars and classes from Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Appraiser, SRA with the Appraisal Institute, speaker, educator and creator of numerous real estate classes all based on the experience that only an experienced Insider would have – Richard Hagar.

You could take a 10-hour class or a 2 to 7 hour class. He holds different live seminars and classes from the basics of Real Estate Appraisal up to Appraising Unusual Residential properties. For more information about the classes and seminars he offer check out www.richardhagar.com.

Image source: www.busylifeseminars.com

Have you ever wondered how your real estate agent gets paid? Sure, there is talk of commission, percentages, fees, closing costs- all of these are broken down at closing. But, what does he actually get? Surprisingly, you do not pay your agent a commission. Only a licensed broker can get paid a commission and he is the one who pays your agent. There are also a number of ways to divvy up the pay. The person who worked so hard to sell or find your house may not be making as much as you think. Here are some of the ways the money makes it to your representative:

A real estate agent works for a licensed broker or brokerage house. When he brings a client to the table, either for buying or selling, an agreement is signed between the client and the brokerage house. Typically when a sale is made, an average of 6% of the sale price is commission for the brokers. It is not always a straight split, but close to half, which goes to the broker representing the seller and the buyer.

Once the commission is divided up between the houses, the brokers then decide how much to pass down to the agent who actually did the leg work. This amount varies depending on experience, time with the company and the productivity level of the representative. A brand new representative may only get thirty percent of the cut where as a seasoned pro that brings in a ton of business, may get half or more of the proceeds.

Another option is that the agent gets all of the commission, but pays a monthly fee to the brokerage house. This is sort of a rent. He gets an office and uses the company name to back his reputation. This is an attractive deal to many representatives, because they pay the same amount every month, no matter how much they make. For new people to the business who have not built up a client list and do not benefit from word-of-mouth yet, the traditional split is usually preferable, because they may not make enough every month to make the set payment.

There are some factors that eat into the final profit made by the brokerage house and the representative. If the house is a franchise, there is a fee that must be paid to them out of every commission. Sometimes referrals come into play as well. If a brokerage house sends a customer to you, they will want a referral fee. There is a percentage that also comes out of the commission.

Typically, this commission is paid by the seller at closing. However, depending on the type of market, this is negotiable. Another negotiable point is how the commission is divided. If you are having a difficult time in selling, because the market is flooded with houses, you may want your representative to offer a bigger cut of the commission to the buyer’s representative. This may help close the deal.

So, as you can see, there is more to the payment than simply figuring 6%. After everyone else gets the money, your real estate agent is then paid the amount.

The Great Recession is over! Well, at least that is what we keep hearing. In truth, the technical indicators show the recession is at an end, but the anemic recovery is going to make it hard to see any positive bright lights. One need look no further than the current real estate market.

The real estate bubble is considered by most the trigger that started the domino effect that got us into this mess. There were certainly many other issues, but housing was the focal point. The official end of the recession would seem to suggest the real estate market has bottomed out and is now in recovery. Is this really the case? The answer seems to be no.

The news from the real estate market shows there is no big recovery. Just consider the news this week from Las Vegas. MGM Casinos was developing a $8.5 billion high end condo development prior to the downturn. The company has just announced that the prices of those condos are being slashed by a whopping 30 percent because of a lack of demand. In fact, the word out of Vegas is no new casino projects will break ground for at least the next 10 years. You know it is bad when they stop building casinos in Las Vegas!

What about the rest of the nation? Well, the latest figures show that apartment vacancies are at record highs. The current figure is up to a massive 7.8 percent vacancy rate. This would seem to suggest that renters are buying homes, right? Unfortunately, no. The truth is this figure represents unemployment problems and family members moving in with each other to make their dollar go farther.

Make no mistake, there are parts of the country in which the real estate market has solidified. That being said, it is an entirely different thing to say the market has recovered and all is good. It simply is not and will not be for some time.

This one is growing at a phenomenal rate. Be very careful when using your home or your home equity as security for a home improvement loan.

Fast talking salespeople offer to refinance your home at a lower interest rate to provide cash to the homeowner, explaining the cash can be used to pay for home improvements or to pay off bills.

Later, the homeowner discovers that they signed a contract that contains terms in contrast to the originally promised terms. This results in the loss of equity in the victim’s home, and also they have signed a mortgage in which they have incurred considerably higher interest rates. The homeowner is now faced with a higher mortgage payment, one that they may not be able to afford.

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Finding hot leads is the main challenge for any real estate investor. One of the most popular and effective ways to find wholesale deals is called “driving for dollars,” which simply means driving around targeted neighborhoods to locate ideal wholesale properties. Another option you can resort to is to have someone drive for you – a bird dog or a property scout. Good thing is that either way will work out depending on your resources or in other words how much time and money you have.

Gaining success in finding the right deals also depends upon how willing you are to go all the way in real estate investing. Also, you need to consider your situation. Let us say if you’re a full time realtor, you can do the search yourself, find the deals on your own and discard the idea of paying a bird dog. On the other hand, if you are employed full-time, it would be difficult for you to drive for dollars and in this case you may have to hire a bird dog to do that job for you. But what really are Real Estate Bird Dogs and how can you find one?

In the real estate domain, a “bird dog” is someone who identifies a good quality real estate investment opportunity. He puts the property under contract with the sole intent of assigning that contract for a fee to a rehabber to repair and resell it. The primary goal for the real estate bird dog is to help the investors save time, effort and money- undeniably a crucial part of success in any business. A bird dog’s valuable efforts in finding the quality deals will one way or another result in earning many excellent referral fees. Most of the successful real estate bird dogs are making good money by locating deals for their investors regardless of good or bad times.

At this point you may want to know how to find a bird dog. Bird dogs can range from casual contacts to professionals. A casual contact is someone to whom you simply say, “Hey, I’m looking for vacant houses to buy etc etc. If you find any, please let me know.” Depending on your area, it could be a pizza delivery person, pest control operators, meter-readers, delivery drivers, mail carriers, service people (plumbers, HVAC specialists), etc. Let them know you’ll pay them a fee. It could be a referral fee or a per-lead fee. An effective method of finding bird dogs is to advertise in the newspaper. You can write a simple classified ad for this one. Professional bird dogs on the other hand are people who are trained to scout for properties. One source for this is high school or college students who want to earn extra income. Another way is to look for new investors who are trying to break into the business.

You may wonder why would investors hire and pay a real estate bird dog for leads. The truth is that a lot of real estate investors count on the contributions from real estate bird dogs since finding qualified property leads is a very valuable service, that most investors would love to have giving them many benefits aside from the great amount of time and effort they can save once the bird dog finds qualified deals.

If you’re looking to get started investing in real estate by fixing and flipping houses, you’ll want to know what to type of property to buy. Many real estate investors make millions turning ugly houses into dollhouses. On the other hand, some inexperienced investors lose money buying houses that just don’t turn a profit.

Three Tips to Help You Find the Perfect Fixer

1. Learn Your Market

Your first task, exploring your market, helps you know a bargain house when you see one. Look at houses for sale in your area. Keep track of sales and how long the houses take to sell. Ask about the terms of these sales because this helps you understand how sellers market their property. For instance, if a seller paid closing costs for the buyer, did the price rise from the listed price accordingly? Or, did the seller come down on the price and pay the buyer’s costs, too. Examine the sales that sell quickly. What home features and financing options prompted the fast sale?

Also, look at model homes. Buyer often chose resale homes because they can’t wait for a new home to be finished. But, these buyers like the amenities found in newer homes. When you transform your fixer, you’ll know what buyers desire and you’ll make informed makeover choices.

2. Know When “Bad” Can Be Good

When you first start out in your real estate “fixer” enterprise, you’ll want to look for houses needing only cosmetic work. Look for houses that just need cleaning up, painting, and new flooring. Don’t be afraid of stinky houses that show horribly; look for fixers with peeling paint, holes in the wall, stained carpeting, and trash in the yard. Remember, these houses won’t look good to most buyers, but that other investors see them as gold mines. You need to use your imagination when viewing these homes. Try to visualize the finished product.

3. Know When “Ugly” Means “Pass”

If the house has cat urine staining the carpet, the subflooring or concrete foundation may need replacing. Dog urine cleans up easier. If the walls have too many cracks and bumps, you may need to hang new sheet rock or hire a professional plaster refinisher. Look for signs of plumbing problems such as water stains under sinks and loose flooring.

When you’re new to real estate investing, always remember your limitations. Use caution when considering houses needing structural repairs. Some rehabbers replace walls, plumbing, structural beams, sub-flooring, and electrical systems, but they acquired those skills after years of experience or pay a professional.

If you find a house with structural problems, get estimates from reliable contractors to do the work. Experience teaches you how to do more over time. Until then, rely on experienced contractors to do the repairs. Take professional estimates into account before deciding whether or not to purchase an investment property.

Why would anyone want to do this? How much does the average investor make? In Philadelphia, real estate investors only make offers on houses they expect to make $30,000 on. In Southern California, many investors make $50,000 to $100,000 on each house.

Summary: You can make a fortune fixing ugly houses. Learn your market. Know when “ugly” means bad that can be good, and when stinky means pass.

Copyright (c) 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

An important step in protecting yourself from real estate fraud is safeguarding personal information.

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