Real Estate Lead Generation

Online virtual tours are the wave of the future for real estate advertising. They allow prospective buyers to view a home 24 hours a day, attract attention to your listings, and even appeal to prospective clients and home sellers looking for a real estate agent willing to go the extra mile.

So, how do you create a virtual tour, and what goes into making a good one? For the answers to these questions and more, keep reading.

Capturing and Creating a Virtual Tour

In the past, real estate agents who wanted to create virtual tours had to go through expensive graphic design and video editing firms. Today, there are a number of inexpensive software programs and even free online services that will create the virtual tour for you if you provide the photos.

To capture the photos, you'll need a digital camera and a tripod. By capturing each shot and rotating the camera approximately 15 to 20 degrees between each shot, you'll have enough photos to create an accurate and compelling virtual tour.

Then, you can use any of the following services or products to stitch together your tour:

FlyInside.Com (http://www.flyinside.com)

Totally free and easy to use, this simple website allows you to create a virtual tour using their basic online wizard. You can add your own branding for a small, additional fee.

TourWeaver (http://www.easypano.com)

This software is expensive ($200 to $700, depending on the edition), but it creates fantastic virtual tours that also allow you to create clickable hot spots right on the tour. So, for example, you can add roll-over pop-up windows to the kitchen to tell prospective buyers about the new gas hood range or a hot spot in the bathroom to highlight the spa shower.

MapWing.Com (http://www.mapwing.com)

MapWing allows you to create free, basic virtual tours which can then be shared on the web. You can upgrade for a more customizable, branded look.

Tips For Shooting a Virtual Tour

Try to get at least two or three hours in the home with no other activities for your photo session. You want your shots to look great and you'll need time and privacy to get it that way.

When shooting the outside the house, remove all the cars from the driveway, shovel or sweep the walkways, remove the garbage cans, and tidy up the garden. Also, try to shoot the home on a sunny day. The appearance on the shots should be as attractive as possible.

When shooting the inside, try to get as much natural light into the home as you can, and turn on all the interior lights. Then, turn off all the TVs, appliances, and ceiling fans. Next, declutter the property by clearing countertops, making the beds, tucking away clutter and straightening any errant items.

Once you're ready to shoot, focus on steady shots that are most flattering but also clearly visible, and take each shot four or five times to ensure a good shot.

Take your time to ensure your shots are clear and attractive. High quality virtual tours are a great selling tool.

Bed Bugs Can Squash Real Estate Deals

An ancient human scourge has returned to cause panic among home and property owners, home buyers and realtors. Bed bugs have invaded every state in the U.S. and reports of infestations have increased exponentially nationwide over the past few years. In a national survey of pest control companies conducted by noted bed bug authority Michael Potter for Pest Management Professional, Potter found, “A whopping 91% of respondents reported their organizations had encountered bed bug infestations in the past two years. Only 37% said they encountered bed bugs more than 5 years ago.”

Until a few years ago, most pest control companies said it was unusual to receive even one or two calls a year about bed bugs. Since 2004, however, bed bug complaints have grown exponentially with pest control companies nationwide now averaging between 10 and 50 calls a week. In major metropolitan areas, some companies are fielding 100 or more bed bug complaints each week. Some experts are predicting that 2008 will be the Year of the Bed Bug. Cindy Mannes, spokesperson for the National Pest Management Association, said bed bugs have become a serious problem in every state, noting, “There are some who call it the pest of the 21st century.”

Bed bugs are an equal opportunity pest. Infestations have occurred across the country in the tony co-ops of the rich and famous, in fashionable condominiums, in luxury apartments and in upscale suburban homes. Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs are not caused by filth or dirt. Like lice and fleas, bed bugs are creatures of convenience. A nuisance insect, they are not known to carry disease, but they can cause considerable discomfort, both mental and physical.

All but eradicated in the U.S. following World War II, the banning of powerful DDT-based pesticides, coupled with increased international travel, has brought about a nationwide resurgence of the annoying insect. Potter, an urban entomologist at the University of Kentucky, calls bed bugs the pre-eminent household pest in the U.S., on a par with cockroaches and rats. “This is one serious issue,” he recently told the New York Times. “This will be the pest of the 21st century – no questions about it.”

If you’re buying a house or looking for a new condo or apartment, take to heart the old adage Buyer Beware. You may be moving into a home that has been invaded by bed bugs. Most states require home sellers to provide buyers with an accurate statement disclosing the property’s condition, including pest infestations. However, there are loopholes that should serve as a red flag to home buyers and their realtors.

Most real estate disclosure statements are fairly broad and do not specifically ask about bed bug infestations. If any pest disclosure is specified, it’s likely to be termites. Because bed bugs haven’t been a problem in the United States for so many decades, few current state or municipal codes address them specifically. In many states, sellers can choose not to fill out the disclosure statement and instead pay a penalty which is credited to the buyer. For sellers with a bed bug problem, a several hundred dollar penalty may seem an acceptable price for making the sale.

Buyers and realtors should be aware that real estate disclosure laws that apply to home sales often don’t apply to co-op and condo owners. Before you buy, check with the local building and health departments to find out what the regulations are in your area. Although some states are now considering adding specific bed bug regulations to their realty laws, at this point common law is generally on the side of the seller. As real estate attorney Edward Sumber of New York told the New York Times, “Under the doctrine of caveat emptor — let the buyer beware — the seller has no affirmative obligation to reveal circumstances about the apartment to the buyer.”

However, disclosure laws in most states require the seller to answer honestly if specifically asked whether his home or apartment has been infected by bed bugs or other pests. Additionally, real estate brokers are usually obligated to reveal a bed bug problem to the buyer if they know about it. Unfortunately, in most states sellers are not required to tell their real estate brokers about bed bug problems. Essentially, that means buyers must rely on the integrity of sellers and landlords anxious to make a sale.

Many buyers shopping for a new home, apartment or condominium are now hiring a pest control company with an expertise in bed bug elimination to inspect the property before they buy. Some realtors are recommending that sellers have their homes inspected for bed bugs before putting them on the market as both a reassurance and inducement to buyers.

What are bed bugs?

Evolved from bird and bat nest parasites, Climex lectaularius, the common bed bug, is a tiny nocturnal insect that hides in dark crevices during the day and feeds on human blood during the night. Their oval bodies are flattened and wingless and a light to reddish-brown in color. Adult bed bugs are 1/4 to 3/8 inch long or about the size of an apple seed. Before feeding, the bed bugs are as flat as paper, becoming dark red and bloated with blood as they feed, much like a tick. As they puncture the skin to feed -- usually for 3 to 10 minutes -- they eject an anesthetic that can cause an allergic reaction and the symptomatic itchy, red welts that bedevil their hosts. However, welts may take a day or two to develop and not all bed bug sufferers react to their bites, which can delay detection.

A female bed bug can produce up to 500 eggs during its average one-year lifespan, laying about 5 eggs per day. Difficult to detect without magnification, the eggs are whitish, pear-shaped and about the size of a pinhead. The female lays her sticky eggs in bedding and carpets or cements them into cracks and crevices near the bed to ensure a food source when the nymphs hatch. Nymphs, which are lighter in color and look like slightly smaller adults, hatch in 4 to 12 days and begin to feed immediately. Bed bugs progress through five nymphal stages, molting after each stage. The whitish carapaces they shed are a telltale sign of bed bug infestation. It takes 5 to 8 weeks for nymphs to reach maturity. Since several generations of bed bugs can be produced in a year, all stages of growth can be found in an infested room.

Bed bugs feed every 3 to 5 days and must feed at least once to develop to the next stage and to reproduce. They often void while feeding, leaving telltale rusty or tarry spots on sheets and in hiding places. Bed bugs can survive for 1 to 7 months without a blood meal and have been known to live in an abandoned house for as long as a year. They give off a distinctive musty, sweet odor often likened to ripe red raspberries or coriander.

Bed bugs will readily travel 10 to 15 feet to feed but have been observed traveling more than 100 feet from their established harborage to feed on a host. Once established, infestations can spread rapidly to adjoining rooms or units through crawl spaces, wall voids and electrical and plumbing conduits. Adept hitchhikers, bed bugs can easily enter your home on clothing, bedding, luggage, used furniture, cardboard boxes, etc. They can be brought home from a hotel stay or by sitting in a car, cab, bus, train or plane recently inhabited by an infested person.

What to look for

Bed bugs may be tiny but they leave telltale traces. Look most closely near beds and in bedrooms where bed bugs feed. Look for these telltale signs of bed bug activity:

A heavily infested room may have a characteristic musty or sweet odor like the scent of fresh red raspberries or coriander; however, the odor may not be obvious.

Look for active, crawling bugs on bed linens, carpet and furniture near the bed.

Look for dark fecal and blood stains on bed linens; carpets and carpet welting; and in the seams, creases, tufts and folds of mattresses and box springs.

You should also look for fecal smears or pea-sized pearly egg deposits behind headboards; along baseboards and door and window casings; around electrical plates; in plaster cracks; and under loose wallpaper, paintings and posters.

Look for whitish nymph molts and old exoskeletons under area rugs, at the edges of carpets, and in under-the-bed storage containers.

Beware of bats in the attic or eaves. Quite often bed bugs feeding on bats in the attic of a house will migrate to the living area in search of an easier food source, humans.

Buyer beware!

Bites, odor and voiding smears are indicators of a bed bug problem. However, these insects often go undetected when symptoms are not obvious. Bed bugs are also easily confused with other nuisance bugs like carpet beetles, bird and rodent mites, shiny spider beetles, parasitic wasps, even lint by the more paranoid, making definitive diagnosis a job for bed bug experts.

Before you buy a new home, ask the owner if there has ever been a bed bug problem. In co-ops, condos, apartments and any multi-unit residence, ask the property owner whether bed bugs have been reported in any unit. Before they buy, many home buyers are now requiring a pest inspection by a bed bug expert in addition to the traditional home inspection. When it’s buyer beware, it makes sense to protect yourself.

Safe and long term real estate investment in Malaysia

Investing in a piece of land is not that easy, especially overseas. For investing in real estate market, one should be knowledgeable about the country/area that he/she would like to invest in. One should have good research skills and also be well aware of the market because sometimes small investments will help you earn more and heavy investments will make you lose whatever you have earned. An investor should be aware of the market value and be able to make wise judgments. But most of all, the investor should know what he wants to do with the investment in future.

For investment within Asia, truly Malaysia is the finest place offering the best. The changes in taxation and legislation have recently made Malaysia as an attractive prospect and now Malaysia is quickly becoming a hotspot for local and foreign investment with many western multinational’s setting up offices there.

Malaysia entertains both serious and casual investors because it has a lot to offer from the business point of view as well as holiday makers who want Malaysia to be there second home, (MM2H.) For serious investors Malaysia is a safe ground in order to earn long term rental incomes and is in demand for both residential and commercial property.

For investors who have the buying power and are willing to invest but don’t have enough knowledge about investing and are not well aware of the market, they can always walk up to a reliable source for consultancy who can guide them on investing their money on the right thing at the right time.

Future Track Consulting! Yes, Future Track Consulting is Pakistan's premier consulting firm offering a one-stop solution through well planned strategies to individuals , businesses and investors looking for an alternate destination closer to home, Malaysia. Future Track Consulting also offers consultancy services including but, not limited to, business setup and feasibility, foreign company formation, corporate services, bookkeeping, legal advisory, trade licenses, work permit and visa consultancy, Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H), cultural orientation, housing and relocation, banking and finance, property buying and management, as well as investment opportunities in Malaysia.

U.S. Real Estate Forecast

On any given day, people can easily find articles and news stories describing an impending bust of the so-called real estate bubble. Despite this gloomy prediction, many experts believe that the recent slowdown in housing will be a gradual and modest readjustment rather than sharp bust or decline. These experts believe that factors that lead to a sharp decline in the real estate market are just not present in the current economic outlook. In fact, a recent study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University noted that "despite the current cool-down, the long-term outlook for housing is bright."

The rise and fall of the real estate market is subject to the forces of supply and demand, and these factors point to stable and positive growth in the real estate segment.

SUPPLY FACTORS

Limited supply of real estate makes it scarce and usually pushes home prices up. In contrast, an oversupply of real estate tends to put downward pressure on home prices. Despite the current slow down in the real estate market, factors that impact limited supply favor continued growth in the real estate market. Some of these factors include:

1. Builders have readjusted growth plans in regions that have an oversupply of new housing. Over time, any excess inventory is likely to be depleted and equilibrium achieved between supply and demand.

2. The availability of land in certain regions, as well land use regulations and associated compliance costs will continue to restrict the supply of new homes.

DEMAND FACTORS:

Housing located in regions with high demand tend to be more expensive than homes in regions with low demand. Factors that impact the demand for housing suggests a favorable long-term housing outlook. Some of these factors include:

1. No current evidence of significant and across-the-board job losses; forecasts of relatively low unemployment rates.

2. Long-term increased demand for second homes, vacation homes and senior housing by baby boomers.

3. Long-term increased demand for entry-level homes by the children of baby boomers.

4. Long-term increased demand for entry-level homes by immigrants.

5. Long-term increased demand for entry-level homes by second-generation Americans.

6. Forecasts that the outflows and inflows of the U.S. population in and out different regions will not significantly impact the overall U.S. real estate housing market.

7. Relative stability in interest rates.

8. Continued stability in long-term home appreciation rates.

9. Overall, rising rate of wealth across all age groups.

SUMMARY

In summary, strong household growth, overall rising incomes and wealth, and a stable economy all bode well for continued long-term growth in the real estate market. While the overall housing outlook is favorable, affordability will continue to be a challenge, as wages, especially in the lower income levels, have not kept up with housing costs.

Real Estate Value and the Profit Margin

Making money in real estate is a dream that millions of people have. Few will actually see that dream become a reality. Why is that? Well the fact is that it takes a person with a strong will and a stiff upper lip to make it in this cutthroat business. You cannot be the kind of person that is given to allowing others to take what you have or want. To make the money that you need you have to be willing to stand up and make it happen.

The profitability of investing in real estate depends on the market as much as it does the person doing the investing. The general rule is that you have to be smart and lucky at the same time. Knowing what to buy, when to buy it and how much to pay for it all have to ring in your ears at every potential investment. Lacking even one of these components can put you at risk for serious losses in the financial department.

This is key when you are looking to get a better grasp on real estate value and what affect it can have on your profit margin. Basically you are having to do a risk assessment before you make every deal. This can be time consuming if you are not knowledgeable in this area. However, with a few key tips and a bit of advice you can make the right choice. So below we have provided a few of these tips.

The Value and Price Gap

Learning to bridge the gap between value and price is vital to your success. You can sit there all day long and read appraisals and still not come away with any better idea as to how much you should pay for a property. This is due to the fact that appraisals are based on more factors then you need. They are giving a value that is used by the mortgage companies to determine how much can be loaned. The price is actually what a person or company would pay. Knowing how to fall in between those when buying is how you make a profit.

Risk

There is also the idea of risk that has to be considered. Any real estate deal is going to be risky but some more than others. You have to learn how to properly assess the risk and determine whether it is too high for you to make the investment. While high risk ventures do tend to be more valuable in the long run, there is the chance that you could fail. As such you have to be sure that you are prepared when establishing real estate value and the risk involved.

Long Term

As a person that is looking to make an investment in your future you have to see that true real estate value is based on the long term. Short term factors do exist but in most cases you have to assess the value on a term that is far longer. The more that you have to sit on the property the more the value could change, either for the better or for the worse.

Increase the Real Estate Value of Your Home

If you are planning on selling your home, there are some simple things that you can do to drastically increase the amount of money you will receive from it. Remember that most people that will look at your home will also look at comparable homes in your neighborhood. Top real estate value can only be achieved for your home if it stands out from all the rest of the similar homes in the neighborhood.

Real Estate Value – The 60 Second And 60% Rule

A home has 60 seconds to make a lasting impression on the potential buyer, so make it a positive one. Experts agree that 40% of the buying decision is determined when the potential buyer first drives up and gets a glimpse of the house from the curb. Another 20% of the buying decision is made when the potential buyer first enters the house; in other words 60% of the decision to buy or not to buy the house has been made right after the prospective buyer enters the house. That should tell you that 60% of your time preparing the house for sale should be concentrated in the front of the house and in the area as you just enter the house

Most potential buyers are looking to get excellent value for real estate they invest in and are looking for an uncluttered home with a free-flowing floor plan, and bright, clean interior.

Real Estate Value – Tip Top Condition

Make sure you pay special attention to the front yard: cut and trim the grass, trim trees and shrubs, plant colorful flowers, and paint the exterior of the house, if needed.

Real Estate Value – Remove Clutter

It is recommended that you open up all tight traffic areas and remove some furniture from the home to make it look larger. Change the light bulbs to the maximum wattage allowed, and open all drapes, shutters, and shades. If you are going to repaint the interior of the house then use white, this gives the potential buyer a canvas to work with.

Real Estate Value – Appeal To The Buyer’s Senses

You must make sure there are no offensive odors in the house because nothing turns off a potential buyer like a bad smell. If you are going to have an open house, then turn off the TV, turn on some soft music, and make some fresh smelling cookies or bread.

Real Estate Value – Exposure

Pure mathematics suggest that, the more potential buyers that tour your home the better chance you have to sell it at top dollar. Make sure your marketing plan includes listing your home on the internet both locally and worldwide. Professional flyers and brochures distributed in the neighborhood is another excellent way to give your home exposure.

Real Estate Value – Don’t List Too Long

If your home has not sold in a reasonable length of time, then take it off the market. A house that stays on the market to long, goes stale, and then will sell for a lower price. It is better to let the market correct itself, then relist.

What Caused Real Estate Values to Suffer

With the proliferation of the mortgage market meltdown I address on other sites, we, as a nation find ourselves in the midst of...a mess. A big one.

We'll dig out of it but it ain't going to be easy.

You've probably noticed in your own city, maybe in your own neighborhood, more than unusual numbers of "For Sale" signs, unkept yards, and in some cities, a ghost-town-like feel. Empty of children playing, neighbors mowing the lawn, etc.

It's because most homes in most neighborhoods are...empty.

Recently the federal government passed a new bill, now law, called TARP. "Troubled Asset Relief Program) and man is it a doosey. As usual, you, I, our children and their grandchildren get to pay for it. All because somebody was asleep at the switch.

It amazes me that only when some politician gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar does "the issue" become a matter of concern. As long as politicians and CEO's are making money - LOTS of money, nobody's going to be a "whistle blower".

Back in the late 1980's we had a similar, although not as widespread occurrence which prompted the creation of the RTC (Resolution Trust Corporation) which I participated in by liquidating assets in Southern California.

See, THAT whole mess started when some idiot politician decided "deregulation of Thrifts & Loans" for his campaign contributing CEO buddies at those institutions was gooood. Very few masters of disaster ended up paying for their crimes. Most notably are Charles Keating, Jr., Michael Milken and Thomas Speigel.

Can you say "Junk Bonds"? Seriously, who would EVER buy anything that contained the word "junk" in it? At the time, the junk bond market racked up losses topping $200 BILLION dollars. We thought that was surely the end of the financial markets as we knew it. Hmmm, what amount are we up to now?

So now the American taxpayer gets to eat the entire cost of yet another bailout. It does however, sound like there might be some light at the end of the tunnel. The government will share some, if any, profits from sales of toxic assets with the taxpayer.

Toxic assets were created when mortgages for overpriced homes defaulted. The market of over priced homes was created when investors fat with cash looked at places like Las Vegas that historically had annual appreciation rates of between 3 and 10 percent. It also was one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. Those two factors were a formula perfect for profits. It was a city ripe for aggressive appreciation IF existing property could be bought then flipped. Which is exactly what occurred.

Yay.

The downside is that values of the properties and underlying mortgages have deteriorated to the point where profitability may be elusive. That's where you and I come in.

My role is to market assets that are deteriorating on the market, yours is to scoop up a bargain and call it your own. They're easy to find as long as you have a realtor AND loan officer you can trust. That's the secret to not falling victim to what contributed to this mess. Getting educated and informed, then making an intelligent decision.

Oh, BTW, DO NOT EVER, under ANY circumstances, feel or be forced into signing any loan documents BEFORE reading and taking notes of anything that doesn't make sense or you don't understand? Understand? I don't care if the friggin moving van is waiting outside in the 100 degree heat or the snow is coming down at two feet per second...just don't do it.

If you don't understand something in your loan docs, ask. The escrow officer, the mortgage company manager, an attorney, me. Make sure you understand what is expected of you and what the worst is that could happen. If you can live with that, then sign. If you can't, don't

So...what are we waiting for?

Real Estate Lead Generation

Online virtual tours are the wave of the future for real estate advertising. They allow prospective buyers to view a home 24 hours a day, attract attention to your listings, and even appeal to prospective clients and home sellers looking for a real estate agent willing to go the extra mile.

So, how do you create a virtual tour, and what goes into making a good one? For the answers to these questions and more, keep reading.

Capturing and Creating a Virtual Tour

In the past, real estate agents who wanted to create virtual tours had to go through expensive graphic design and video editing firms. Today, there are a number of inexpensive software programs and even free online services that will create the virtual tour for you if you provide the photos.

To capture the photos, you'll need a digital camera and a tripod. By capturing each shot and rotating the camera approximately 15 to 20 degrees between each shot, you'll have enough photos to create an accurate and compelling virtual tour.

Then, you can use any of the following services or products to stitch together your tour:

FlyInside.Com (http://www.flyinside.com)

Totally free and easy to use, this simple website allows you to create a virtual tour using their basic online wizard. You can add your own branding for a small, additional fee.

TourWeaver (http://www.easypano.com)

This software is expensive ($200 to $700, depending on the edition), but it creates fantastic virtual tours that also allow you to create clickable hot spots right on the tour. So, for example, you can add roll-over pop-up windows to the kitchen to tell prospective buyers about the new gas hood range or a hot spot in the bathroom to highlight the spa shower.

MapWing.Com (http://www.mapwing.com)

MapWing allows you to create free, basic virtual tours which can then be shared on the web. You can upgrade for a more customizable, branded look.

Tips For Shooting a Virtual Tour

Try to get at least two or three hours in the home with no other activities for your photo session. You want your shots to look great and you'll need time and privacy to get it that way.

When shooting the outside the house, remove all the cars from the driveway, shovel or sweep the walkways, remove the garbage cans, and tidy up the garden. Also, try to shoot the home on a sunny day. The appearance on the shots should be as attractive as possible.

When shooting the inside, try to get as much natural light into the home as you can, and turn on all the interior lights. Then, turn off all the TVs, appliances, and ceiling fans. Next, declutter the property by clearing countertops, making the beds, tucking away clutter and straightening any errant items.

Once you're ready to shoot, focus on steady shots that are most flattering but also clearly visible, and take each shot four or five times to ensure a good shot.

Take your time to ensure your shots are clear and attractive. High quality virtual tours are a great selling tool.