Points to Consider When Choosing a Real Estate Agent

For individuals who are looking forward to purchase or sell a home they are soon going to require the services of a real estate agent. Real estate agent can be a person or a company who helps out an individual to cracks the deal of purchase or sale of property. Choosing a real estate agent may look like an easy task, but such is not the case at all. It is quite an important decision to take hence one should think over this critically and then choose an agent. The facts about the agent must be examined carefully to make sure that right choice is made while selecting the agent.

Real estate agent is a person who represents you in all the deals, hence it is important to make sure that you chose a good representative for yourself who can put forward the facts properly and also take up a deal which is beneficial for you. While hiring the agent, keep your requirements in mind and find out someone who is competent enough to meet your needs and requirements.

Tips to Follow While Choosing a Real Estate Agent:

Here are certain tips that you need to follow while going to a real estate agent and seeking his/her assistance while buying a property.

Experience: Experience plays an important role, it is true that everyone has to start from somewhere but it is good if you can get someone experienced to help you carry out the task. There are more chances of an experienced agent to get luck in selling or buying home in comparison to an agent who is new to the field. One can also look real estate companies who have team of qualified experts to offer such services.

Take feedback from recent clients: Ask your agent to provide you list of clients with whom he had worked last year. You can contact the clients mentioned on his list and then take feedback about the agent from there. This feedback is quite useful and helpful to take a wise decision.

License: Check out if agent is having a license and this can be checked from the state board who along with license also gives you a brief if any complaints or actions are pending against the agent.

Choose agent with right credentials: There are various agents in the market; it is always recommendable to choose someone who has extra or right credentials along with his name. An agent who has gained some extra training in a specific area must be selected over a person who has not taken any training. Certificates like Certified residential specialist, accredited buyer’s specialist are some add on certificates which are the reason of expertise of an agent. Hence certified agents must be chosen in comparison to other agents available in the market.

Current listing: Listing of an agent can be checked online, his presence on internet is one of the biggest proofs that he is a high tech agent. Almost all the searches begin from internet; hence it is quite important for the agent to maintain a database which can be checked online. Users can thus find valuable information from internet to gain more knowledge about the agent.

Talk to them to inquire about surroundings: A good agent is always aware of the properties surrounded nearby his area which includes costing, area, amenities available at the site etc. A good agent will always have answer to your questions as he keeps inquiring about the properties regularly. He may also provide you relevant details about the neighbour hood which is of interest to you and will help you out to decide if you should buy/sell the property.

Ask where your agent lives: Ask your agent that where he lives, if he is living in a nearby area then he must have complete information about that area and hence seeking his guidance for buying or selling a property in that area is a good thing to do.

Research: How well known is an agent can only be known by conducting a research about him. This will help you know how good he is with his clients or with his competitors in the market.

5 important things that real-estate agents can help you with

Buying a house can lead to difficult circumstances. It can put you in a huge dilemma. There are very less solutions to the problems that you might be facing at the moment if you are planning to buy a property or sell it. Buying a house can make travel from different places and that is surely to impact your wallet and also that will surely put you behind on your work schedule. Also, if you are a loner, a single mother or a bachelor then you will face more trouble. Juggling between going out and checking for properties and meeting buyers can be a real mess. Therefore this can lead to a certain disruption of your daily, normal life routine. 

This is where you should consider getting help. Now where would you get help with selling, buying or renting your property? This seems to be a very odd, difficult task. Indeed it is. But since this has become a profession for some people and they are doing it with a professional precision and delivering very accurate results, people are actually opting of their services. They are known as real-estate agents and they are here to make your life all the more easy and your task of finding the right property, hassle-free and easy. But that is not all. Here we present you five important reasons why you should hire a real-estate agent for your property deals:

• In-depth knowledge of the properties available: The real-estate agents generally claim to have all the information about the market of properties that are present out there and they certainly do. It is a part of their profession and they do excel at it. In the view that they have perfect and proper access to the latest business information, these real-estate specialists have the capacity to give you counsel on reasonable buying and posted costs across many places in the city or town of your choice. In addition, they can furnish you with a report of tantamount homes available to be purchased and noteworthy market information, so you can guarantee you’re taking full advantage of your cash and not being left out of anything that you deserve.

• Dealing with people: An agent who deals with real-estates, whom you have recruited, can be very useful to you because he will arrange your meetings and previews of the house with potential purchasers and other interested people as well with you just sitting in your spot. This is exactly where your agent will prove to be very helpful and will help you follow up on your decisions and will let you know about the offers that you should receive. It is nobody but your estate agent who will be prove to be very useful if the potential purchaser is hard to deal with or is requesting more than what you have or want to offer.

• Getting in touch with people who matter: What your real-estate agent will do is that he will unite you with trusted accomplices who will show interest in your property if you’re willing to sell otherwise show interest in your deals if you are willing to buy something. So, as you plan to or finally purchase or offer a home or a property, you may need to contract extra expert administrations, including: overseers, legal advisers, packers and movers, or such organizations and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Who knows what you might have to do? Let your agent get in touch with all the prescribed individuals, especially the ones with a proper rapport with people in the surroundings.

• Finding you the right buyers: A land-agent’s routinely duty is that he makes sure to converse with different specialists. Verbal exchange is an amazingly powerful method for discovering purchasers and that too without you having to put in any effort at all.

• Closing the deal: Your broker will manage you and your dealings through to the very end of the process. At the point where you close your deal, your land-agent will be there ASAP with you to clarify every bit of printed material before you sign, just in order to make sure that you do not get into legal or similar trouble because of the paperwork. It will make you feel more acquainted and free with the methodology and will help you in more ways than one.

How to Find a Rental House in Chennai

Are you from outstation and have joined in a college or office in Chennai, the initial task would be finding a best place to live. Finding a rental house in Chennai can be a tough thing and it depends on how you are organized. A bachelor rental house was in high demand during a certain period in Chennai, which now has turned easier to get rental houses. 

Keeping more than a choice of rental homes in hand is recommendable, before renting a home or signing a contract. It is necessary to take a sufficient time to find a suitable rental house, until that you have to arrange a temporary accommodation in a place where your friends or relatives lives for a period of at least a week or more.

The suitability of a rental house is first essential thing to look for. First things to consider in a rental house would be your budget and the affordability. The location is also necessary, as you have to make sure that the house you prefer to rent is in a suitable neighborhood and the close-by proximity of shops, supermarkets and transportation such as Railway station and bus stop. Check how close you are to your college or office and make sure of the daily expenses that come within your budget range.

What to Look For In a Rental House in Chennai

Initially, you have to find out the exact rental amount. It is important because in such a demanding real estate market. Still if the rental house you decide to take is furnished then it is reasonable to pay additional rental cost. Next check the rental house is in clean condition, maintenance facility, safety and security. 

While doing a rental agreement, read thoroughly and signup before carefully and make sure you understand everything clearly and your homeowner’s obligations. After keeping all these in mind, you can contact a local real estate agency who can help you in getting a rental house in Chennai and this would be an easiest way to get started on your PG accommodation.

Facts to Know On Skilful Construction Companies in Chennai

It is the great task of constructing a new home and it will be purely relied on looking for a construction that can help you. Because this tends to be a key to your new home as it is an expensive one, you need a process of research before choosing some ideal real estate companies in Chennai. Be sure to find that before choosing a construction company for your home construction, you should ask them whether they were completed any residential project previously such as you consider. 

For example, if you have the idea of ​​constructing a home with more than a floor, make sure that the contract with the builder that has many years of experience in the real estate industry. Moreover, choosing a builder who focus on construction of multi floor building would help you, because they are the skillful people for constructing a multi floor home. Since then, security is always a big part in constructing a residential project and the need to pay great care for it. Of course, you need a good production of your home nightmare. 

Therefore, ask the construction company if you might take a demonstration on their old construction works. In another way, you can watch the photos of their completed project, or it is better to make a site visit, this helps you in gathering some ideas of ​​what to expect from them when it comes a completed projects of construction companies in Chennai. As you may have your own plan in mind for the home that you wish to construct. However, you can also come across some top companies that built some of the unusual projects. In this case, you could have other new ideas by visiting some of their other projects built by the company that you consider.

In addition, you can also advised to discuss with their former clients of the construction company that you need. Part of the time, a construction company could be taken countless, safe and capacity because it can be a difficult process, leaving them uncertain and anxiety customers all the time. Therefore, you can learn from previous clients, both business in question really listened and responded to their concerns. Similarly, you should also check the company tends to remain in contact with each client throughout the construction project, and tends to complete the projects on time. Thus, it is important that the company has contracted to stay in touch with you to tell you of any problems, delays or concerns they might have.

This usually leads to a result of higher quality and more during the process instead of discomfort on your part. Therefore, the company seeks to win are happy to meet you in these standards. In addition, if you find it inaccurate to control your doubts, you might have to move to other real estate companies in Chennai, which is next on your list. Using these methods, you feel confident that you get your dream home project you want.

Eight Ways Real Estate Brokers Can Harness Social Media

1. Post About Property Listings

Posting your properties on your social media account does not only make your listings available to your friends online, it also serves as a sort of a catalog that your friends can share with their other friends on social media. The beauty of having your listings online is that it is accessible to everyone; it helps spread word-of-mouth referrals, too.

2. Create a Facebook Fan Page

Everyone’s on Facebook nowadays, which means it is almost a shame not to have one. Of course you would not want your personal account to be flooded with inquiries, so the best thing to do is to make your own Facebook fan page. It makes it more professional, plus the more likes your page gets, the more visibility it gets, too. Advertise the properties like you would advertise it in person; talk about the merits of your properties and the community surrounding it. Sharing your insights shows people that you are serious and knowledgeable about what you are selling.

3. Post Quality Photos

The beauty of social media is that you can post pictures along with captions describing each image. However, photo quality is paramount as pictures are definitely one of the deciding factors if your prospective clientele wants to have a look-see at your property. Highlight the good parts of the real estate you are selling. Get creative in presenting the quality properties you offer.

4. Use Twitter to Update Your Clients

An active Twitter account is always good to maintain; it shows your concern toward your clients and that you are proactive in connecting with them. It makes you more accessible for any questions or inquiries they may have, while you can also clarify matters about real estate they do not understand. It can also be an avenue for gaining more insights from your clients. Knowing what your clients want will help you assess a chunk of what your market wants.

5. Tag Your Existing Clients In New Property Listings

Tagging is good for existing clients and followers since you know they are already interested in your properties. Proceed with caution, though, as some people tend to be annoyed if they see random pictures on their wall. Note down those who are interested, and those who have inquired previously since they will mostly be the ones who will not mind. Do not worry if you think it will not reach as many people as you like. Chances are if they like your offers enough, they will tag their friends, too.

6. Post Real Estate News and Tips

News and tips about property are usually the ones that are reposted or shared on social media. Why? This offers practical information, even for those who are not real estate-savvy. You can reach beyond your existing market by helping pique their interest in real estate and offering useful information. Share articles that you think may be of help to your clients, give them your own tips—it helps make marketing more interactive and can lead prospective buyers to your listings.

7. Ask Questions

Engage your followers in opening up discussions about topics related to real estate, or just ask simple questions about how they want to set up their property, interior decorating matters, or what they are looking for in properties. The idea is to get a picture of what they are searching for. You are not only being interactive with your followers but you can also get ideas on what engages them. Again, a key to good marketing is knowing your clients and knowing what they want.

8. Use Your Hashtags Wisely

Hashtags are often overused these days, but they can be an advantage when used wisely. Since they are meant to say something about your posts, adding one hashtag your market take notices of may lead more clients to your listings. Make sure to use hashtags that actually represent what you are posting. Misleading keywords tend to turn people off.

Why Rental House in Chennai is in Demand ?

Chennai is one of the busiest urban city in Tamilnadu as far as many IT corridors, Non-IT companies, automobile industries and different manufacturing organizations in its nearness. The city holds more and more migrants regularly for work openings and business travelers from distinctive places all over India and overseas. In this manner, making it a most preferred city for rental house in chennai, by chance if you are searching for a house where you can stay for short or long stay.

The city has reached a maximum growth level in terms of commercial and residential infrastructures, says the housing survey. As the rental homes was low in percentage for the past few years. However, the developments have changed property prices in the meantime. While, the rental house value has increased. Whereas, buying a property such as independent villa, flats or apartments has turned easy nowadays.

Why Rental House Location on Demand?

A main location is one of the key factor for rental house in Chennai. In this location, one can expect highly occupied residential and high rental costs. Many individuals choose main location to stay due to best connectivity with shopping malls, schools, colleges, tech park corridors and IT companies as well. These are also one of the main reasons for home rental in main locations. The main fact for upcoming rental homes is the emerging infrastructure and industrial developments in the metropolis. Besides, the homeowners in Chennai are keen to buy properties near IT industry corridors, as they can make more profit out of it. Thus, the residences that are located in the surrounding of all these facilities are in high demand among the people.

Especially the outskirts of the city are demanded high, as there are more rising numbers of manufacturing and automotive companies into the Chennai market, and have increased the job opportunities and given a new scope for many graduates. Therefore, many of the employees from IT, ITES and other various industries will be searching for rented house in Chennai.

Mainly, the outskirts of Chennai is on high demand, as there are more upcoming numbers of automotive companies and manufacturing units into the Chennai business market and have increased the employment opportunities, it has given a new scope for many graduates. However, Chennai as a mix-up locality has grown tremendously and have increased the target of rental house in Chennai. It better suits for people who would look to stay close to their workplace and the nearby vicinities. Still, it is wise to check all the other essential things before taking a home for rent in Chennai.

Things to Look When Searching For Builders in Chennai That Will Keep You Up

Be sure to select the best builders in Chennai before hiring one, at first you should ask for references. It is unusually important to take a customer satisfaction survey and an extremely beneficial to your home construction. You have to talk to their former customers about the benefits. However, they might come up with certain advantages and disadvantages. And look out the completed projects that the builder has done. This could be the most efficient way to measure the quality of the builders. You need to see and study at first. Ask the owner of the property if the builder have completed the project within the time frame and on plan. Ask them if there are some small changes or additional charges. The reason behind this alternative is if their style matches your own. The next thing you need to do is to get the largest possible number of estimates that you can start and compared. By doing this, it helps you in choosing the best builders in Chennai that you think is practical.

The facilities provided by some of the top builders in Chennai are taking an advantage on the small developers. They offer a comfort and convenience place for accommodation, where people can shop and spend their money. They offer all the amenities in their projects to serve everyone, as a school, kindergartens, sports, landscapes, gardens, children's park, swimming pool, supermarket, gym and many others, all these have pulled the fascination to buy home by many home seekers. So if you go to smaller builders will have to manage by yourself with these facilities before taking residential space in Chennai, also must choose a project in a location where all facilities are available.

In the home that you wish to construct, may have a plan to stay there as long term or short term, an option to consider would be the (Return on Investment). Your ultimate goal should be the best return on your investment on your property. The "Return on Investment" at these criteria, should give an identical focus on both. But just a little positive edge to small builders. If that you are proceeding to put on your upcoming residential project. Some builders in Chennai can give you better returns yet they are high cost. Whereas the profit returns of small builders are a bit depressed. Anyway, one should not overlook that they are comparatively cheaper. By considering all these factors, the top builders can also help you with the construction quality on building your dream home, and takes you to the next level of satisfaction.

What You Should Know While Choosing Real Estate Companies in Chennai

If you are building a new one or renovating your existing home, most of them take this as a valuable investment. Whereas it is a vital thing to find a right construction companies in Chennai. Furthermore, to construct your home it is important to check that the construction company are experienced to meet your requirements according to your choice. An ideal way to reach the right construction company is to perform an online search and collect lists of available information on construction companies. By doing this, you can very well come across some of the reputed real estate, construction companies, and it might turn difficult for you to choose the right one.

The initial best idea would be shortlisting a renowned real estate company in the metropolis. Meanwhile, there is some good choice of construction firms that could be easy to choose. In addition, you could ask for the list of their completed construction project details and former client feedback. Of course, you can have a general conversation regarding this with your office friends, neighbours and relatives circle, which will also help you in discovering real estate companies in Chennai. Therefore, make sure that a construction company that could provide you the best and professional construction services using quality construction materials and equipment. As a known thing, only a professional construction firms are capable of understanding your requirements and satisfy your needs in a positive way.

Determining the best construction companies will not be a hard job if you can spend time by making out some online research on available establishments and their services. Managing an online search are an honest option to select from a broad scope of construction companies of your option. In addition, you can get through their customer testimonials and user hints that can assist you to get a clear idea in search of your construction companies. Choose a company that offers a quality construction services at your projected costs. Thus, it is smart to take the construction companies in Chennai based on your demands.

Agreeing to this, when it comes while finding a perfect construction company in Chennai you need to take time on knowing the company's experience, which would assist you in growing your construction work made out better. A full building company is easy to find nowadays, and it is not hard for you to accomplish your dream house. Besides, you have to invest some additional effort on obtaining information from your acquaintances, relatives or the neighbour of the construction companies in Chennai that is starting to build your construction needs the way that you require. Watching all these let you grow a better results and a chance at the end of your building projects.

Five reasons why developer`s reputation matters

Be it quality of the home or timely delivery of the home, the buyer is assured of peace of mind. Legal sanctions in place further ensure that there is no total loss of capital in future.

India’s economy is once again on a sure footing, and people across the country are now confident about buying homes. Purchasing a home is of course a huge investment, and therefore not something where there can be any margin for error – and yet, things can and often do go wrong.

One of the most common mistakes that many buyers of property commit is doing business with developers who lack established credentials. Dealing only with reputed real estate builders is the first line of defence against getting cheated out of one’s money, and being assured of buying a quality product.

How can one identify reputable, reliable developers from the huge number of builders constantly putting projects on the market? There are several defining factors:

1. Legal Sanctity Of The Project

Every residential and commercial building needs to get a variety of permissions from local and government bodies. Reputed developers will ensure that their projects have all the certificates and permissions required by the local authorities. Again, their reputation is at stake and they will not take such matters lightly.

All instances of illegal construction that one reads of in the papers today have one factor in common – these projects are by unscrupulous or inexperienced builders who either did not care to get their projects properly approved, or did not know of all the approvals and permissions that they need to obtain.

2. Timely Completion

In most cases, developers will offer their projects for sale before it has actually been completed. On purchasing a home in an under-construction project, the buyer is assured of a certain time-frame in which possession will be given.

Reputed developers will not push the possession timeline beyond a rational limit, firstly because they are adequately funded and secondly because they will under no circumstances jeopardize their credibility on the market. Most of the instances of irrationally delayed project completions involve new, under-capitalized and often struggling builders. Reputed developers can and will always stick to the schedule.

3. Zero-defect Homes

For reputed developers, credibility is the key to their brand recognition – it is their primary competitive advantage in the market. They will never offer a homes that have construction defects like bad electrical fittings/wiring, faulty plumbing, water seepage, bad drainage, etc. Quality construction also includes the right size and shape of rooms that are in sync with the overall project design.

4. Project's Structural Integrity

Quality control is an important part of every building construction being undertaken by a reputable developer. Their engineers will check and monitor every aspect of the construction process, including soil compactness, proper cement / sand ratio, slump testing, drainage engineering and earthquake resistance of the building.

This ensures that the project will not suffer from construction-related defects in the future. Choice-based remodeling aside, buyers will not have to pay for structural repairs in the future.

5. Adequate Amenities

Reputed developers know that it takes more than four walls to make a home, and will always strive to offer a good lifestyle to their customers. They will always provide facilities like proper parking spaces, adequate security, internal access roads, playgrounds, clubhouses and aesthetically landscaped open spaces in their projects.

Fly-by-night developers, on the other hand, will look to provide only the barest essentials in order to keep their prices as low as possible, since their main aim is to attract non-discerning, budget-strung buyers who do not look beyond their financial restrictions.

It goes without saying that a home in a project by a reputable, credible developer will cost more than the threadbare offerings of anonymous local builders, but it is always worth it. If one chooses to patronize smaller, inexperienced developers, the only attraction will lie in the price – but the price one pays is actually much bigger than the one in the agreement.

Problems related to construction legality, lack of security and spurious engineering quality can result in massive future costs and in the case of outright illegal buildings even a total financial loss. Additional amount paid to a reputable, trustworthy developer is an investment one makes into security, peace of mind and a high-quality environment for the family.

Chennai in list of top 12 realty investment destinations

CHENNAI: Strong English speaking skills and a wide mix of industries that promotes cross pollination of work culture has made Chennai one of the top 12 cities in the world for real estate investments. This is the first global recognition the city has received; it is also the lone Indian city on the list.

The Candy GPS Report, published on Friday, identifies 12 cities around the globe with the potential to show strong residential property price growth in the next few years. The report — produced by Candy & Candy, Savills World Research and Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management — said, “Prices in these rising cities are generally much lower than in the world cities, which make them more accessible and attractive to yield seeking real estate investors.” The list ranges from well established cities such as Melbourne, Australia, to centres in developing economies such as Jakarta and Chennai, that have a high number of ultra-high-net-worth residents, it said.

“While all of us acknowledge Chennai as an English speaking work zone, it is also a traditional banking domain speciality location driving inbound BFSI (banking financial services and insurance) businesses, which is a key differentiator to Bangalore and Hyderabad. Apart from these, Chennai has tremendous strengths in high quality healthcare and education systems, a key ingredient for future growth,” S Ramaswamy, chief consultant RECS Group, a real estate consultancy said.

Yolande Barnes, Director, Savills World Research, who conducted the analysis said: “As prime real estate in many premier cities has become more fully valued, emboldened investors are now spreading their wings and looking for high yielding secondary properties in those cities and (properties) in second-tier cities in countries with strengthening economies.”

For example, a two bedroom apartment in prime selling areas is priced at $1.60 lakh or Rs 96 lakh and in secondary ones they sell at $40,000 or nearly Rs 24 lakh.”This more adventurous approach is likely to not only provide higher income returns but also an opportunity for significant capital growth. Real estate values will grow as new cities all over the globe rise on fortune’s wheel. Property rents and values will rise in line with new and growing economic strength,” the report said.

Real estate developers in Chennai offer around 20% internal rate of return or IRR for equity investments in residential projects. While, commercial properties yield about 8-10% rental returns. Residential rental returns are 3 to 5% in the city.

“Chennai is typically an end user market which has a great mix of businesses. Its top tier medical facilities add zing to the city as an investment destination. More importantly, it is not seen as a luxury market like Mumbai, which means there exists tremendous scope for improvement of city skyline,” S Neelakantan, senior partner, CNGSN, a firm which has actively structured real estate investments said.

Reasons why OMR’s Real Estate Prospects continue to Flourish

Land in Chennai in the Central Business District may be a challenge. And even if it is available, prices are afforded only by the affluent. Pricing is one of the precise reasons why demand for both residential and commercial properties is pushed to the city’s peripheral and suburban regions.

 OMR is one of the earliest locations of Chennai that faced the first phases of Chennai’s real estate growth. It continues to be the most favorable location when it comes to real estate investment. There are many kinds of posh properties in OMR. The most modern flats in Chennai, opulent villas, beautiful farmhouses and state-of-the-art commercial structures can be seen at OMR and the adjacent ECR.

Besides location, OMR enjoys the significant advantage of sustained high real estate demand due to several other reasons.

1. Most areas in Chennai have been facing ups and down in the real estate scenario ever since the global economic slowdown. But OMR has shown realistic and stable prices and consistent demand even during these years.

2. Real estate buyers who have invested in properties or land in Chennai are sitting on exponentially high returns on their investment. The region has grown rapidly in just a few years and is also expected to do exceedingly well in the years to come. In the last 5 years, OMR has seen 21 percent hike in property values.

3. Although, OMR is one of the high priced suburban regions of Chennai; the area also has pockets that are affordable by the middle and upper middle income community of buyers. Kelambakkam is one such area to reckon.

4. Flats in Chennai, especially along the OMR stretch, offers an interesting contrast. They belong to the range from the most premium to the most affordable as well. Therefore, OMR has something to offer every kind of real estate investor. The most affordable category demand has spurted quick growth of residential properties along the 5 km radius of Kelambakkam. And the properties near the backwaters command a greater premium.

5. Proximity to IT/ITES hub drives majority of demand in OMR from buyers and investors from the industry. Flats in Chennai in OMR in the range of Rs. 40 to 60 lacs observe maximum demand.

6. OMR is the hub of immense developments. The elevated expressway from Madhya Kailash to Mahabalipuram, ELCOT SEZs, Velachery, upcoming railway line from Chennai to Pondicherry via Kelambakkam, Sholinganallur and Thoraipakkam invite interest from all communities of buyers.

7. Land in Chennai is not an issue in OMR owing to availability of land parcels.

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Best Way to Negotiate Your Real Estate Agent's Commission

You are ready to sell your home or business. You know that you are going to have to pay a real estate agent in order to get the best sale price for your property. You don’t mind paying an agent money, but you’d like to get the most for your money. Here are the best ways to negotiate your real estate agent’s commission.

• Ask up front for a discount. If you don’t ask, you won’t get a discount. The worst that can happen is that he or she will tell you no. The agent may also be able to tell you other ways to save money that may make up for the commission you have to pay.


• Plan to buy property that the real estate agent has listed. If a real estate agent lists and sells the same property, he/she will make more commission. Since he/she is making more, you can ask him/her to reduce the commission fees.


• Call or research other agent’s commissions. If your agent is higher, ask why. You may also ask him/her to match the commission fees of a competitor.


• If you are not satisfied with the real estate agent’s work and you don’t feel he/she should earn the commission, talk to his/her supervisor. Many times the supervisor will reduce or eliminate the commission fees.


• Talk openly with the agent and ask what you can do to help reduce the commission costs. Maybe he/she will allow you to show the house to save him/her time and reduce the commission costs.

How to Compare Real Estate Rentals to Annuities

Real estate rentals and annuities are two of the options that are ideal for retirement planning. It is estimated that half of the individuals who are retired are unable to continue their standard of living off of retirement income alone, there for it is vital to consider incorporating other options into your goals.

• Compare the risk factors of each type of investment. The risks associated with rentals differ according to a number of factors, some of which include the location of the property as well as the value of the property you are trying to rent out. The risk for annuities depends on the amount of money you have invested, as well as the activity within the stock market.

• Compare the different types of annuities that exist. If you opt for the life or fixed annuity, you have considerably less risk than if you were to choose the variable annuity option. This is simply because the variable option is directly dependent on the investment activity. On the other hand, the life option provides you with a set amount of return on your investment throughout the life of the annuity. 

• Take a look at the return on your investment with both the real estate rentals as well as the annuities. Determine whether the risk is worth the return.

• Consider the fact that you have to put in more effort in managing your real estate rentals than you do with your annuities. With annuities, you check on the status when you feel the need to. With rentals, on the other hand, you are expected to handle issues as they arise, which can be in the middle of the night in the event of a natural disaster.

How to build concrete footing and concrete forms

A wise builder once told me, a basement is a well we pray water will never enter. Those with basements will say, amen. According to the National Association of Home Builders, the #1 reason for builder callbacks is foundations. A properly designed and constructed foundation will never cause a problem, improperly constructed, it will never cease to be a problem. A concrete footing spreads the weight so the wall doesn’t sink, and it’s usually twice the width of the structure it supports. The concrete footing must extend below the frost line to avoid damage from frost heave. Check local codes to see how deep the concrete footing must be. To do its job without sinking or shifting, a footing must rest on stable, undisturbed soil. A concrete footing beneath a foundation wall also much have adequate drainage to avoid damage from hydraulic pressure. To make sure you’ve planned for the demands of your particular climate and soil conditions, consult with your local building department.

 In most situations, a concrete footing 22 inches wide and 12 inches deep, with three pieces of ½ inch reinforcing bar running through it, is strong enough to support a one story wall. But if the soil in your area is soft, your local building codes may require a larger footing.

Formed or unformed, a concrete footing must rest on undisturbed soil. If the soil is black, it almost certainly is topsoil and you must dig deeper. In most areas, undisturbed soil will be clay. In some areas, you’ll hit bedrock only a few feet below grade. A building inspector should approve pouring directly on top of bedrock, even if you haven’t dug below the frost line.

1. Installing Batter Boards

Lay out the job by driving in stakes to mark the wall’s outside corners. Place batter boards about 3 feet beyond these stakes by driving in 1+4 or 2+4 stakes and attaching 3 to 5 foot long horizontal pieces to them. Fasten with drywall screws. ( Nailing will weaken the stakes).

2. Laying out the site for concrete footing

Attach mason’s lines to the batter boards. Transfer the lines marking the outside of the wall to the batter boards by having someone dangle a plumb bob over the outer edge of each perimeter stake while you stretch the mason’s line. When the lines intersect over the stake, mark the points where the mason’s lines cross the batter boards. Now that you have marked for the outside of the wall, measure over on the batter board and mark for the inside edge of the footing. The outside edge of the footing, and the outer excavation line.

3. Dig trench and lay out for concrete footing

It may not be necessary to build forms for your concrete footings. Depending on your local codes and the nature of your project, digging a trench for the concrete footing may suffice. Digging a hole as big and as deep as needed for a concrete wall footing can be a slow, back breaking job, so consider hiring an excavator or renting a small backhoe or trench digger. Dig the trench to a depth equal to the top of the footing or to about 3 inches below the top of the footing if you will be building a form.

Use a plumb bob to locate the outside corner of the footing. Partially drive in the stakes that line up with the outside edges of your forming lumber. Follow the same procedure to position the form stakes for the inside edge of the footing.

 4. Level tops of the stakes

If there is a footing on the existing structure, drive in form stakes so the tops of the stakes are at the same level as that footing. Or drive a stake so its top is at the correct depth of the footing top. Then drive the outside corner stakes so they are level with those next to the building. Check for level with a line level or carpenter’s level resting on a straight board.

Tips:

 Using a water level for building concrete forms

With a water level, you easily can find the same level for two places far from each other, even if you have to turn a corner or two, step down an inclines, or climb a couple of stairs. This simple tool consists of two calibrated plastic tubes attached to a garden hose. Drain spigots and fill spigots let you fill the tubes and hose with water to the desired level. It works on the principle that water seeks its own level.

Using a transit for building concrete forms.

For small jobs, using a line level or water level to lay out a level or accurately sloped slab is most likely sufficient, but if you’d like to perform more efficiently and have a lesser chance for human error, consider renting a transit, or better yet a laser level transit. Transits are a small telescope like device that sits on a tripod. By sighting through it, you can determine level points across a distance. A laser level automatically finds level and shoots a red dot or line up to 200 hundred feet away or more. Combine a laser with a transit and you have the ultimate tool for finding level, ideal for large jobs or if you’re working along.

 Checking for square using the 3-4-5 method.

Drive in a stake at one corner of the slab, such as against the foundation, and attach a mason’s line to it. Working from that fixed point, check for square as you drive stakes for the other corners. Use the 3-4-5 method. Measure 3 feet from the stake along one side, mark that point with a stake or tape. Pull the line taut, then measure 4 feet along the line and mark the spot with a piece of tape. Make sure both measurements begin at exactly the same point. Measure between the 3 and 4 foot marks, moving the line until this distance is exactly 5 feet. You’ll then have a square corner. Drive a stake and attach the line. If you have room or have a large slab, use multiples of 3-4-5, such as 6-8-10 or 9-12-15.

1. Building and installing concrete forms.

The only forming materials you’ll need are 2+4s for the footing rails and 1+4s for stakes. Position the stakes, then secure the rails to them, making sure the top of each rail is even with or slightly above the top of the stakes. If the soil is firm enough to hold its shape when filled with wet concrete, dig a trench footing. Keep the sides of the trench even to avoid wasting concrete. For screeding guides, center a row of stakes about 4 feet apart, check the height of the stakes with a line level.

2. Secure and level the forms boards.

Every few feet along the length of the form boards, use a carpenter’s level to make sure parallel forms are the same height. Also check that the forms are level length wise. Drive stakes every 4 feet to anchor the forms securely. Make sure the stakes penetrate at least 6 inches below the bottom of the footing trench that you will dig to ensure that the form boards will be secure.

3. Dig the trench inside the form boards.

Once you are satisfied that the forms are level and secure, excavate an additional 5 to 6 inches of earth, the total depth of the footing should be no less than 8 inches. Keep the sides of the trench even with the form boards as you dig.

4. Step down concrete footing.

If your site is slop, you can step down the footings to save concrete. Use 2+8s and additional stakes. For an earth form make a wood riser that wedges securely between the two levels. Stepped concrete forms should rise no more than 2 feet per step, the upper and lower forms should overlap by at least 2 feet.

Weak concrete forms lead to disaster. Once a form bursts or bulges, usually all you can do is let the concrete set, break it into rubble, throw the pieces away, and start over. So always think on the side of caution, overbuild, rather than construct weak concrete forms.