Enter the Lease-Back or Rent-Back Agreement

The particulars of this strategy vary from state to state, but in the strong seller’s market we’re experiencing, buyers will often agree to let the seller stay in the home for a period of time as long as rent is paid. In a competitive situation, the buyer willing to do this will often have the winning bid even though there is another offer as high as his.

The agreement covering the situation states the length of time the seller will remain. It can be done with a specific date named or wording that allows the seller to remain up to a specific date with the possibility of her moving sooner. The amount can be a fixed figure paid out of the proceeds of settlement or a monthly amount, or a daily amount. It is usually, but not always, tied to the amount of the mortgage payment under the buyer’s new loan. Sometimes there is a deposit against damage, sometimes not. There is usually a clause saying the seller will hold the buyer harmless for any damage to himself or his property which occurs after the sale is consummated and before the seller moves.

The attorney who draws up your contract offer can create such an agreement. If you’re using online forms, you should be able to find one for this situation. If you’re working with a real estate broker, he or she can handle it for you.

An Example

I’ve recently seen a very pleasant example of this idea in action. An elderly widow contracted to have a one level condo unit built in a new community which provides all exterior maintenance. She had had hip replacement surgery and wanted to get away from the drawbacks of the home in which she’d reared her children. The home was large, had stairs and was located on a large, partially wooded lot with many mature perennials and shrubs. Both the home and garden were beautiful, but high maintenance.

Her contract to purchase required a series of deposits and a firm indication as to her source of funds well before settlement on her new condo. The widow put her home on the market. A young couple with two sons was very anxious to buy it. The situation was competitive. They made the widow an offer. She countered their original offer. She did not raise their offer price, which was slightly below her asking price. She did not believe the young couple would qualify for a larger loan. Instead, she did something rather creative.

The widow countered with a proposal that she “rent back” for a period of “up to” a certain date (a date beyond her scheduled competition date on the condo) in exchange for a modest flat sum to be paid to the buyer at settlement. The total rent back period was less than two months. The flat fee was less than the amount of the new mortgage payment for the buyers. However, since they made no payment on their new mortgage the first month, it wasn’t too far out of line. The couple really wanted the home, so they accepted the counter offer.

Another win, win situation was created. The widow only had to move one time and the young couple got a house they probably wouldn’t have in a straight bidding war. If you find yourself in a situation similar to either the widow or the young couple, perhaps you can work out a similar solution.

The Bulgarian property tax structure may appeal to you if you are sick of paying inflated local fees in your area and are looking for something better. Many foreign investors and second home owners buy property in Bulgaria because the property taxes in Bulgaria are a lot lower than the property taxes in their locale. Bulgarian property tax is one of the most popular topics on property forums these days. The information below will help you cut through the confusion.

PROPERTY PURCHASE TAX Chances are this will be the first Bulgarian property tax you will come across. When you buy property in Bulgaria, the property will be subject to a notary and a municipal tax. The notary tax is paid on the higher end of the market price or the book value of the property. You actual rates will vary and are usually less than 1%. Not to mention that 2% of the market value of the property is paid as a municipal tax. This money eventually goes to the municipality in where the property is situated. You will pay these taxes after you have signed the notary deed.

ANNUAL PROPERTY TAX All property owners in Bulgaria have to pay an annual property tax just like anywhere else. The current annual tax rate for a house is 0.15% of the capital value of the property. So for example, if a house cost 20,000 on purchase, the annual Bulgarian property tax payable would be 30.

Aside form this tax; the owners also have to pay a waste-collection tax. The rate for this greatly depends on the location and size of the place. The amount of tax that is payable is usually about £30 a year for rural property and about £100 per year for apartments in the larger city centres. You must also think of the non-tax costs when you buy in Bulgaria. If you have an investment apartment in Bulgaria, you are obligated to pay annual maintenance charges and management costs. These are much like annual service charges that you must pay on Apartments in order to cover managing agents as part of the upkeep of the common area. These charges will vary according to the different types of property.

PROPERTY RENTAL TAX If you rent out your property (sublet or landlord), then the profits from the rent that you get will be taxed for the accounting year in question. If you live in Bulgaria, the tax is assessed in accordance with your tax status in Bulgaria. This status is based on a table that has different tax rates. If you are not living there, you will be taxed on a flat rate of 15% on the taxable profit. You will also have to consider any additional taxes that you have to pay in your home country.

COMPANY TAX If you own a company in Bulgaria, you should note that in January 2005 the rate of income tax for a corporation in Bulgaria was reduced from 19.5% to 15%. The tax year in Bulgaria ends on the 31st of December. A limited company has no choice but to file an annual report by the 31st of March. If you incorporated a limited company sp that you could purchase a house or land, then there will be no tax liability, as the company was not trading at the time of the purchase. However, you still have to submit company accounts to the Companies’ House Register in Bulgaria every year if you are going to satisfy the authorities that the company was not trading. This is a legal requirement that must be accomplished. Accountants in Bulgaria can carry out this service at a reasonable cost if you need it.

VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT) Any actions that involve land and lease of property for residential purposes are exempt from the VAT Tax. However if you have purchased a property as a limited company, then when you come to sell your property you may have to add VAT to your sale price. Right now you must register your company for VAT if the turnover is higher than 50,000 Leva.

VAT in Bulgaria is currently set at 20%. So in effect; it’s actually higher than it is in the UK (17.5%). I would advise you to get a good accountant either in Bulgaria or your home country to handle these matters for you. Just make sure that the accountant specializes in overseas property tax.

When interest rates are going up, you don’t have to do without or fear not being able to find a mortgage. Higher interest rates simply mean that you might need to re-adjust your way of thinking.

Interest rates increases and decreases are simple to understand. When interest rates go down, the consumer is expected to borrow more and save less. When they go up, the consumer is expected to spend less and save more.

So it may be as simple as shifting your thinking from borrowing mode to saving mode right now. You may want to simply put your money in a short-term CD or money market account. Or you may want to go bigger and invest it in your retirement account.

CD’s are not tied to the prime rate. Instead, they are based to Treasury securities. In general, the Treasury rates tend to move with the Fed rate increases, but you never know.

When rates are on the rise, it is often best to avoid long-term commitments, such as five year CDs. Wait and see if rates are expected to continue their upward climb before locking all of your investment potential up for several years.

Although the rates on home equity lines of credit are becoming higher all the time, that doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of the equity in your home when you need it.

Consider taking out a home equity loan. With a loan, you will receive your equity in a lump sum. You will make fixed monthly payments for a pre-determined amount of time. The interest rate is fixed, protecting you from potential rate increases. Although the rate is a little hgiher than with a home equity line of credit, you usually win in the long run with the fixed rate.

If you find that you really need to access your equity, you could also turn to a cash-out refinancing. With this option, your existing mortgage is refinanced for a larger amount that takes into account the equity accumulated by your home. You can take out your equity in cash.

Cash-out refinancings make sense if it will lower your rate or refinance an adjustable rate mortgage to a fixed rate. If you already have a nice, low fixed rate mortgage, the refinance could end up costing you more in the long run. You will have closing costs and a possible higher interest rate in return for your cash.

When looking at the different types of mortgage, remember that stability is your friend. A fixed rate mortgage offers you a fixed rate and payment for the life of the loan. You won’t have to worry about your rates along with market rates.

Rising interest rates are really nothing to worry about at this point. Mortgage rates are still affordable for the majority of borrowers. Sometimes you just need to readjust your thinking. You might find that the rates are a good motivation to begin paying down your debt and building up your savings. If so, then the increase is a good thing.

Martin Lukac, represents http://www.RateEmpire.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies! Visit http://www.RateEmpire.com today.

First and foremost, you have to decide if you just want the property taken care of, or if you also want it rented out. This will determine what kind of property management firm you want, and whether you need to check their credentials for marketing your firm, or just for looking after it. Assuming that you would like your home to generate some income for you, you need to look for several key capabilities

* A firm which will ensure the highest standards of care and attention to the fabric and contents of your property. Lots of rental income will not make up for the damage caused by careless renters. Make sure that your chosen firm will keep on top of every * Personal check-in and check-out of every rental. Many firms take advantage of the availability of keyless coded locks to allow renters to check themselves in and out. This means that they never know who is in your property, and whether your four-bedroom home which is supposed to have a maximum of 8 guests actually has 16 grad party celebrants all over the floors * The highest standards of cleaning. Cleaning a property thoroughly is time-consuming and expensive. Many property management firms cut corners here, and if they do, you will eventually pay the price in worn-out carpets and other forms of dilapidation. * Superior marketing capabilities. Marketing vacation rental properties has become a sophisticated business these days. Make sure that the primary website on which your property will appear is ranked highly against the most popular keywords for your location. A local firm without much experience in search engine optimization may be able to take good care of your property but they won’t generate a lot of income since no-one will know that they exist. * Great service for guests. Look for a manager who knows how to offer excellent service to guests: arrival baskets of food and drink, pre-booking of activities, restaurant reservations etc. If guests feel they are well looked-after, they will be more inclined to come again, but also feel more of an obligation to take good care of the property they are in * Great service to you. You should expect VIP treatment when you are using your own property, but also VIP service when you call up your property manager to enquire about availability, discuss renovation and maintenance issues, query your income statements or any other matter. Make sure you will always get to speak to someone senior who knows you and your property.

Have a look at this page Whistler property management for a company which looks as if they know what they are doing. But make sure you talk to them in detail and go over the management contract with a fine tooth comb before you sign on the dotted line. You should expect to pay 35-50% of gross rental income to the management company; if they charge less you might want to be suspicious of what they are offering; if more, they’re probably too expensive. This may sound a lot, but remember that they are looking after your property for no fixed outlay to you, and they only make money when you do as well.

Good luck with your search

To separate fact from fiction, I asked Bryan Ellis for comments. He’s the man many consider to be the father of this new form of investing.

Ellis says he adopted the term “virtual real estate investing” sometime before Y2K after he realized that making money online is conceptually very similar to making money with physical real estate.

An example of the similar nature of “virtual” and “physical” real estate Bryan Ellis likes to point out is the methods of making a profit from domain names compared to physical real estate. “These types of assets – websites and physical real estate – can be monetized in very similar ways like buy lo/sell high, leasing/rental and advertising opportunities” he says.

The parallels really are obvious. After all, if you own a valuable piece of real estate, it’s “valuable” because other people are interested in that specific piece of property. Similarly, ownership of a desirable domain name is valuable for the same reasons. So it doesn’t matter if you own physical real estate or virtual real estate – you’ll likely use similar strategies to turn them into money in your pocket.

In our next installment of this series on virtual real estate investing, Bryan Ellis will share the internet analogies to the physical concept of real estate development.