Today almost everyone uses the internet to find homes and the few, who are not, use an internet savvy Realtor©.
An article from NAR  said that 97% of the general public, who are interested in real estate are checking first the internet and all are first looking at the pictures.

And out of the 97%, about 37% become investing in real estate. That result is a lot better than the general ads, open houses and cold calling.
On the internet, as a marketing tool, only images can capture and hold attention.
Some Realtors told me that photography doesn’t sell homes, getting it priced right does.
However, once a home for sale is priced near the correct market value it has to compete with all the other properties in that location, price range and set of features.
Getting buyers to come look at a home in today’s online search market is a matter of standing out from the other hundreds of properties a home for sale is competing with. Photography is the only way to do that.
It is not surprising that strong images play a big part in marketing homes. Images are the center of marketing everything.

The National Association of Realtors said “It’s no secret that pictures help sell listings faster.
But they also add value: Homes that are marketed with superior photos taken with high-quality cameras actually sell for more than houses that are photographed with standard, point-and-shoot cameras.

Traditional Real Estate does not work as a marketing tool anymore. If you need more information, check my website http://letpicturestalk.com .

A professional real estate photographer might be your best all-around marketing teammate.

By Ronny Geenen
Realtor and Photographer

from GARY BOYER

There are many types of commercial properties available to those who work in the commercial real estate industry. Many people like to work in a specific area by working with only one or two types of commercial properties. They do this because they have expertise with that specific type of property.

Commercial properties differ more than in just their appearance and use. How you purchase, sell, operate, manage, evaluate, and price each property can be very different. Although there are some similarities, being an expert in one or two properties can greatly increase your ability to analyze good deals and maximize your profit potential. When you know the inside and out of the processes that take place with a certain type of property, know what hidden things to look for, and what mistakes to avoid, you are less likely to run into problems, and will generate positive, long lasting results.

Let’s look at the main commercial properties that you may already be involved with, or are thinking about moving into.

The first are office buildings, or office parks. The term office can be used to refer to floors, parts of floors, an entire building, or an entire office park with multiple buildings positioned in a community type setting. Office space is used for a variety of reasons. It can be used for actual offices for companies, or it can be used for places of business operations, or to meet a tenant’s specific functional and technical needs. An example of this would be an office building for medical purposes.

Office buildings can be segmented into three basic levels. The first is low rise, which has fewer than 7 stories above ground. A mid-rise has between 7 and 25 stories above ground. A high-rise has more than 25 stories above ground. These buildings are often rented by the square foot according to the total useable square feet available to the tenant.

The next type of commercial property is retail property. These are places of business where products and services are provided. There are many types of retail properties which include big boxes, outlet centers, strip centers, regional centers and power centers. Each of these has distinct characteristics that differentiate one from another. Business owners can better choose where they want to lease by identifying their product position, where the best location is, and the type of retail center that will best sell their products and services.

A big box is a large, free-standing building that is often much like a huge warehouse. They can often be found near major shopping centers and along major corridors. Companies such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Target are all example of big boxes.

Outlet centers are usually located in tourist or rural locations, and the businesses there offer their products and services at a discount. Strip centers are consecutive narrow parcels that have a variety of stores. They are often found along main roads and commercial corridors.

Regional centers are characterized by an enclosed, inward orientation of the stores. A walkway or common area connects the stores that offer a variety of products and services. There is usually a large, common parking lot found along the perimeter of the regional center.

Power centers are areas of business where large retailers, including large discount centers lease out the buildings. Category killers can also be found here. These are companies that offer a large selection at low prices. Ross, Mervyns, and Kohl’s can all be found in power centers. Think of the one stop place to shop retail center, and you have a power center.

Any of these types of retail centers can be chosen areas of specialization for an investor, developer or builder. This gives them a competitive advantage in the commercial real estate industry because it is the only thing in which they concentrate their efforts. You can bet there is not one thing that can pass by these people when it comes to retail centers, and they know exactly how to maximize their resources.

Industrial and warehouse properties are the next category of commercial property where you will find freestanding properties, research and development, large manufacturing, as well as industrial park properties.

Freestanding industrial properties can vary greatly in construction type, design, and overall function. They stand alone, and are usually occupied by an end user, so the building is specific to a special purpose.

A research and development property is characterized by having office space and manufacturing on the premises. You can find them most often near universities, and close to other locations of professionals.

Industrial parks are large, planned developments that can be used for special scientific and technological use, or sophisticated communications uses. They have many buildings for mixed-purpose or a single purpose that are scattered in an often functional way.

Industrial buildings and warehouses are crucial to a city’s economic development, and cities often provide tax incentives when jobs are provided and new companies are brought to a city, especially to one experiencing rapid growth.

Multi-family property is another type of commercial property in which you can specialize. They offer huge opportunities to create value. A multi-family property is not considered a commercial property unless it is greater than 5 units. Duplexes and fourplexes are not considered commercial properties, though they can be a great investment. The larger the apartment complex, for example more than 100 units, the more money you will be able to return on investment. These multi-family units have living space, appliances and amenities. Multi-family units can range from low-end to luxury type units.

The last type of commercial property is raw land. Raw land is characterized by untouched land with no improvements such as utilities and roads. It can be the most difficult property to involve yourself with; however, it can return the greatest results.

Whichever property you decide to specialize in, only begin a new project in a new area with a person who has lots of experience. You can learn a lot from someone by using this strategy. It will give you a solid foundation to do the next project on your own. This partner or associate will help you to gain the experience and insight that may otherwise take you years to learn.

There’s nothing like the feeling of sliding on snow. Then again, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of riding a wave. It doesn’t get much better than doing both in the same day, and there are few if any places in the world that provide a better opportunity to bag this elusive logistical tandem than California.

Luckily for us, the coast-to-mountains ratio is not only favorably close, but the access to get to both isn’t bad either. While the drive is usually nothing to sneeze at, usually on the order of three hours or so, it’s reasonable enough that it doesn’t take great strains to make the transition from mountains to sea, or vice versa.

For the So Cal crowd your waves are plentiful, but your choices in the mountains are a bit slimmer and the snow quite a bit more fickle. Still, if you wake up to surf one of the many world-class breaks in the region —— Rincon, Malibu, Trestles, Swami’s, etc. — the San Gabriel Mountains are just a couple hours or so away, trafflc willing. With proper planning and a dawn-patrol start, you can surf through the morning commute, and be dropping into your first lap on Mt. Baldy before most cubicle-ites have taken lunch.

The 17th Annual Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey once again lists
Glendora as one of the least expensive cities in Los Angeles County to do business.
This is the third consecutive year the study has listed Glendora as one of the ten least
expensive cities to conduct business.
City officials indicated that the city has taken affirmative steps to keep costs down for
businesses and residents. “We do not have taxes like utility user or extra sales tax
levies” said Mayor Doug Tessitor. “Our policy has been to look for ways for businesses
to prosper and expand which means more jobs in the community.”
The success of the policy has been demonstrated in the last year when nationally
known Internet commercial real estate information giant Loopnet relocated to Glendora.
The firm leases nearly 39,000 square feet from America’s Christian Credit Union, and
created nearly 100 local well-paying jobs when it relocated.
According to Kosmont-Rose Institute survey, California has put cities in a difficult
position in attracting and retaining businesses through the State’s regulations, taxes and
raiding of municipal revenues. “We have made a very conscious effort to not look at
business as having unlimited money to offset whatever the State does to us” said
Planning & Redevelopment Director Jeff Kugel. “We try hard to get businesses through
the process, and more importantly make it as inexpensive to operate over the long run
which counts most when it comes to job creation.”
As part of the City’s Strategic Plan, one of the objectives is to see how to get local
business engaged to determine what they see as benefits to being in Glendora and
what enhancements might be offered to improve their situation. The City Council is to
consider the idea in the Spring of 2012.
To learn more about the City of Glendora, visit their website at www.ci.glendora.ca.us

The Federal Housing Administration will lower mortgage insurance premiums for borrowers who refinance their loans as part of President Barack Obama’s plan to improve the housing market.

The FHA will reduce up-front premiums to 0.01 percent of total loan amount from 1 percent under the plan announced by Obama today during a news conference at the White House. Annual fees will be cut to 0.55 percent from 1.15 percent for borrowers with FHA loans made before June 1, 2009, according to a fact sheet distributed by the Obama administration.

“I’m not one of those people who thinks we should just sit by and wait for the housing market to hit bottom,” Obama said. “There are real things we can do right now,” he said, noting that the changes don’t require congressional approval.

The fee cuts, which take effect April 9, are part of an Obama administration effort to spur the economy by helping homeowners take advantage of historically low mortgage interest rates. The changes could increase the reach of FHA’s streamlined refinance program by 3.4 million households paying interest rates higher than 5 percent, the FHA said. A typical borrower would save about $1,000 a year, the agency said.

The streamlined refinance program is available to borrowers with FHA-insured loans who are current on their payments even if they owe more than their homes are worth. The program doesn’t require verification of income and employment, and it doesn’t mandate a new appraisal of the property.

From Clea Benson, ©2012 Bloomberg News, Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Read more:  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/03/06/bloomberg_articlesM0GWCY6K50Y301-M0HBY.DTL#ixzz1oTL6gPrw

Senate Bill 183 Lowenthal (SB183) created the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Prevention Act of 2010 (Act). The Act requires carbon monoxide (CO) detectors
to be installed in every dwelling unit intended for human occupancy. A CO
detector is a device that detects the presence of CO and emits a loud noise to
alert occupants that CO is present in order to prevent CO poisoning. Detection
of CO in a home environment is impossible without a warning device because CO
is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and invisible (unlike smoke from a fire). It
is often referred to as the “silent killer”
because it is virtually undetectable without using detection technology.
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r.gif]

Although the placement and location of carbon monoxide detectors in the home is
not clearly spelled out in the Act, the packaging of your CO detector (which
can be purchased at any home or hardware store) will provide for the proper
placement in your home of your specific device. Installation locations will
vary by manufacturer due to the degree of research conducted on that specific
type and style of detector. Read and clearly understand the instructions
specific to your unit – they are not all the same so PLEASE READ THE
INSTRUCTIONS.

Here are some general guidelines common to most manufacturers of CO devices:

• CO devices should be placed on every level of your home, including the
basement, and near or over any attached garage

• CO devices should be located within 10-15 feet outside of each separate
sleeping area

• CO devices can be placed on the wall or the ceiling as specified in the
installation instructions

• They should not be installed within 15-20 feet of any furnace or fuel
burning heat source

• They should not be placed in or near humid areas, such as bathrooms

• They should not be placed in areas where they may be damaged by children or
pets

• They should not be installed in areas of direct sunlight or areas subject
to temperature extremes. (crawlspaces, unfinished attics, porches)

• They should not be installed behind curtains or other obstructions

• They may not function if installed near ceiling fans, heat vents, air
conditioners, fresh air returns, or open windows

• Life expectancy for detectors will be specific to each manufacturer’s
recommendations. Carbon monoxide detectors actually have an expiration date, so
check with the manufacturer instructions to determine how long the carbon
monoxide detector is supposed to last and maintain your specific unit
accordingly.

IRS Website: www.irs.gov
Tax forms including popular forms such as; 1040, 1040EZ, Schedules A-E, publications and other helpful information.

California State Franchise Tax Board: www.ftb.ca.gov
Tax forms, publications and other useful tools.

Employee Development Department: www.edd.ca.gov
Assistance with payroll including useful forms contact information.

Social Security Administration: www.ssa.gov
This site can provide useful information that assists you with your benefits relating to retirement, Medicare and disability.

When are the tax deadline dates?

Individual Tax: Internal Revenue Service/Franchise Tax Board – April 15th: 1040/540 Income Tax Extension for 1040/540 to October 15th.
Corporate Tax – Internal Revenue Service/Franchise Tax Board – March 15th: 1120/1120S Corporate Tax Returns – Extension for 1120/1120S to September 15th. Partnership Tax Internal Revenue Service/Franchise Tax Board – April 15th: 1065 Partnership Returns
Extension for 1065 Partnership returns October 15th.

Payroll Taxes – Internal Revenue Service and Employee Development Department – Payroll Quarterly reporting is due by the end of the month following the calendar quarter.

Sales Tax, Board of Equalization, Monthly Sales Tax Returns due the last day of the following month.

Quarterly Sales Tax Returns due the last day of the month following the calendar quarter.

Yearly Sales Tax Returns due the last day in January following the year end.

Personal Property Tax – County Assessor’s Office
April 1st: Personal Property Tax Returns

Ronny Geenen
Realtor/e-Pro and Photographer
Info@RonnyGeenen.com
Ronny@LetPicturesTalk.com
626-278-2205

What is a short sale? A short sale is a sales transaction for which a seller’s mortgage lender ( or lenders if there is a 2nd lender) voluntarily agrees to accept a loan payoff of less money than what is owed on the mortgage loan.  In a short sale, the property may or may not be in foreclosure.  In fact, many homeowners decide to do a short sale 2 weeks to 1 week before it goes to sale in order to possible stop the sale and take advantage of getting the debt forgiven vs. foreclosure! There is a lot to consider and a experienced real estate agent is key. Is there two loans, any liens, are the property taxes paid & with condo/town homes are there delinquent HOA’s ? None of these would stop a short sale by any means but it is useful information before the process begins. Most are sold “as is” so there is no stress to the seller.  Home owners may consider short sales as a viable option for avoiding foreclosure. Contact Southland Properties for more information.

by GARY BOYER

When it comes to making money in the business of flipping houses and other real estate investments you will find all kinds of do’s and don’ts along the way. The truth of the matter is that these are extremely useful whether this is your first house flip or you have been flipping houses for years. In fact you might just find that you can learn something new on occasion by reading lists such as this even if you’ve been flipping houses for years and have many successful flips under your belt.

1) Don’t forget to check out the neighborhood before you buy. You will want to make sure that the property you are considering is a good fit for the neighborhood. You should also take the time to make sure that the plan you have in mind for the property will match well with the other neighborhood residents in order to guarantee a quicker sale.

2) Don’t blow your budget without just cause. Your budget is what you used to determine whether or not the house would be a profitable venture. If you blow your budget and cannot recover the extra money you’ve spent in the selling price on the house you will have seriously cut into your profits if not eliminated them all together. The goal in property flipping is to get in and out quickly and spend as little money as possible in order to make as much money as possible.

3) Don’t forget to set daily goals and hold yourself accountable to those goals. If you don’t reach your goals for the day it can set the entire project back by as much as a month depending on the goals and what has to be rearranged as a result. Stick to your timeline and your daily schedule in order to avoid potentially costly delays in time and money.

4) Don’t neglect the exterior. Curb appeal is what brings buyers into the property. If you spend all your money, time, and effort making improvements to the exterior of the home you will have little left to make the outside appealing to potential buyers. A homebuyer is in the market for the entire package. A home that looks run down on the outside leaves the impression of being neglected on the inside and many potential buyers will never walk inside if the outside looks forlorn.

5) Don’t spend money you don’t need to spend. While it would be great to put in granite countertops and gourmet kitchens into every home it isn’t always practical and this is often money that will not be recovered, particularly in homes that are in marginal neighborhoods. If you want to get the most for your money avoid costly expenses that aren’t exactly necessary for the successful completion of the flip. Resurface bathroom fixtures rather than replacing them if possible and use new cabinet doors or hardware rather than adding new cabinets all together to cut down on expenses. In other words, salvage what you can, fix what needs to be fixed, and add a few cosmetic touches before moving on.

The biggest mistake most flippers make is holding out for an unreasonable sales price. Never forget that one of you major costs is time. The longer you hold onto a home, the lower the probability of making the return you wanted. It is almost always best to take a profitable offer quickly than to hold out for more money. If you can make a reasonable profit in a short period of time you can move on to your next project.